The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Show and Tell

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #16  
Old 08-23-2008, 06:47 PM
egervari egervari is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Windsor Ontario
Posts: 86
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by yard View Post
I personally think the frustration is part of a process. And also I think that so called perfectly perfect person model is really far from being a songwriter. Just think about personal lives of many good songwirters out there and any creative writers for that matter. The alcohol and drugs are not just an industry cliche - there's a reason behind it.
I disagree with this entirely. Are you saying healthy people can't write good music? Can't express themselves creatively? Can't express themselves emotionally?

If anything, drugs and alcohol bottles up the emotions so much, that it's not being expressed, and therefore, they probably have more emotion to express if they weren't on the drugs or alcohol.

Look at other activities - are you saying you need to drink alcohol and do drugs to be a creative software develop? A creative teacher? A creative athlete? Why is music any different? IT'S NOT!

And frustration (or any negative emotion) over anything is NOT a healthy process towards ANYTHING.

Why do some people get road rage when others don't?

Why do some people deal with rejection like it doesn't matter while others won't even approach someone because the anger, sadness, or humiliation is so terrible?

Why do some people have sex with tons of people and feel no shame at all (one extreme) while others only have sex with one person in their entire lifetime or don't have sex at all (the other extreme)?

All these problems are negative emotions getting in the way of emotional clarity and freedom.

Quote:
Originally Posted by yard View Post
The frustration comes from being extremely critical to yourself.
Exactly. I agree with you. And believe it or not - there are people in the world that just don't have this problem. This is NOT healthy behaviour.

More than just being overly critical, it's feelings of not being good enough, not feeling accepted unless you're perfect, feelings of being inadequate, etc.

Would it not make sense to heal the underlying pain and trauma that created these negative beliefs in the first place rather than "pretend it doesn't exist" or "just fight through it, because that's what I'm supposed to do" ?

I can tell you from personal experience, having grown up in an extreme abusive home that getting rid of these kinds of negative beliefs has made me more creative, more productive, and an all around BETTER human being. No area has sacrificed.

Quote:
Originally Posted by yard View Post
I think you have to be persistent and accept the frustration.
You might *think* this, but it is not true. Again, you (and tons of other people) have learned the wrong information. You don't have accept and live with the frustration. You can get rid of the core of it for good. Maybe nobody taught you and Ken C this - so I'm telling you now.

Peace.
__________________
My Latest Song! Give it a listen and rate it please!
http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7908838

My Music:
http://www.soundclick.com/KenEgervari
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 08-24-2008, 01:36 AM
mishmannah mishmannah is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,779
Default

Egervari & Chicago Sandy,

Thank you for taking the time to write your findings according to your expertise. They are very informative; and I concur with Egervari's great suggestion with regards to sorting out issues (his term, "getting therapy").

I don't know if this is what he means, but I personally can't be creative when there is a lot of emotional turmoil in my life. I used to think that it was very unusual at University, when everyone else claimed that they were more creative when they were depressed/going through angst, but for me, the creative well dries up when everyday stresses block it.

This is a great thread.
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 08-24-2008, 03:55 AM
Chicago Sandy's Avatar
Chicago Sandy Chicago Sandy is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: SW Coast of Lake Michigan
Posts: 14,782
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by mishmannah View Post
Egervari & Chicago Sandy,

Thank you for taking the time to write your findings according to your expertise. They are very informative; and I concur with Egervari's great suggestion with regards to sorting out issues (his term, "getting therapy").

I don't know if this is what he means, but I personally can't be creative when there is a lot of emotional turmoil in my life. I used to think that it was very unusual at University, when everyone else claimed that they were more creative when they were depressed/going through angst, but for me, the creative well dries up when everyday stresses block it.

This is a great thread.
It depends on your own talents and style. Some folks whose best lyrics keep turning out to be soul-baring and gut-wrenching (or edgily humorous), who need both angst in their lives and the ability to summon it, run into a creative roadblock when their depression or anxiety is treated. Others who prefer to write sunnier stuff, story songs where they go entirely outside themselves and need privacy and time to concentrate are going to have dry spells when life gets in the way. Some songwriters are so immensely talented that they can write all of the above and not only block out all distractions but find ways to make them work to their advantage.

The Tin Pan Alley and Brlll Building staff writers who legendarily cranked out product day in and day out could often go days without writing something cuttable and weeks without something salable. People simply bought more songs back then--sheet music and later, vinyl singles. Albums were not the primary music delivery device, 45s were, and because of their price and the relative immediacy of getting a song recorded, pressed, and promo'ed to radio there was tremendous and rapid turnover. Often, albums were not released until an artist had several hit singles. These writers had practically no competition from singer-songwriters, amateur or pro--with few exceptions (Diamond, Sedaka, Vee, Dion, and later King) few singers wrote and few writers sang their own material. Nowadays, except for single-song downloads, the most prevalent form of music purchase is still the full album (albeit on CD), with a hit or two and the rest filler that often never gets airplay. And there are more talented singer-songwriters out there now flying under the radar because starting in the late 60s and early 70s there began to be a market for the "self-contained" package. As a result, people outside the industry began to realize that their writing could gain commercial viability or at least professional and critical approval.

Songz, you may be the exception, but brilliant newbies don't come out of nowhere, follow the rules and get album cuts the way you get light when you flip a wall switch--you know the Nashville drill of slowly building relationships to the point where you either become a staff writer, co-writer with someone with greater clout, or the go-to guy when a producer or A&R guy who knows you and your work either requests your material or is willing to listen to your submissions. Ironically, the song that gets one's foot in the door is often never cut (even though it may turn out to be better than later songs by the writer that do get cut)--it's what induces those who can move your career along to ask you to come up with more great songs just to prove you can.

And just because a song is a hit doesn't mean it's better than one that doesn't make the charts or even clear the hurdle to getting cut--it's simply because it fits the template that publishers, producers and A&R people in a particular genre demand--the song is the key, the template is the keyhole and the powers-that-be are the lock. If it doesn't fit the specs, it'll never find its way to the appropriate artist. Murphy's rules may be the hallmark of successful songs, but the flip side of that may be that the rules themselves often serve as the gatekeepers. To some degree, it's sui generis. C'est la vie.

One of the greatest and most highly acclaimed songwriters who ever lived (and who started as strictly a performer, albeit a dynamic and brilliant entertainer), Steve Goodman, had only a couple of top 40 hits ("City of New Orleans"--but not till Arlo Guthrie cut it; "You Never Even Call Me By My Name," cut by David Allen Coe; and "Banana Republics," which was a modest AAA hit when recorded by Jimmy Buffet). By today's commercial standards, he had relatively few cuts by well-known artists (as opposed to those cut by highly regarded but not necessarily commercially successfu contemporaries). Yet many more of his songs are timeless and ironically, the best performances of the hit ones were his own. He never cut an album that sold as many as 50,000 copies--in fact the better they (and he) got, the less and less he sold. He did not sit down and write a song a day the way Paxton, Warren, the Brill Bldg. or Music Row staff writers can--often, his best songs either morphed over time or came to him as occasional bolts from the blue--he had relatively frequent dry spells, though he was one of the quickest and brightest lyrical imrovisers who ever lived. He made a very good living later in his career, but not commensurate with his immense talent. There is not a singer-songwriter, critic or songwriting authority today who can honestly and credibly say his writing was less than brilliant and not an influence upon the writing of the generation that came after.
__________________
Sandy

http://www.sandyandina.com

-------------------------
Gramann Rapahannock, 7 Taylors, 4 Martins, 2 Gibsons, 2 V-A, Larrivee Parlour, Gretsch Way Out West, Fender P-J Bass & Mustang, Danelectro U2, Peavey fretless bass, 8 dulcimers, 2 autoharps, 2 banjos, 2 mandolins, 3 ukes

I cried because I had no shoes.....but then I realized I won’t get blisters.

Last edited by Chicago Sandy; 08-24-2008 at 04:02 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 08-24-2008, 04:03 AM
egervari egervari is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Windsor Ontario
Posts: 86
Default

Sandy, I think you're missing the point on this by a long shot in your paragraph.

Yes, writing music when you're sad, angry, happy, in love, afraid, etc. is a HEALTHY thing to do. Expressing emotions is always healthy if it doesn't hurt anyone. In fact, it's the RIGHT thing to do.

So, why does this have anything to do with losing creativity? When you're not sad anymore, why can't you start writing happier music? Really, music is an art form - an expression of emotion. Why can't it reflect how the person is feeling, whether it's sad or joyful? There's a place for all kinds of music.

Also, the kind of sadness over someone dying or breaking up with a lover is totally different than a deep, psychological problem that has been unhealthy in the individual for several decades. It's totally different.

Also, just because you're over a bout of sadness does not mean you cannot summon it again for creativity purposes. This is just NOT true. In fact, having gone through something helps you connect with it in a very clear way.

And besides, when it's the negative emotions that are actually preventing the musical creation to even occur (hence the original poster's frustration that we are actually discussing), that's an entirely different thing than writing music about negative emotions - totally different.

Just my thoughts on it.
__________________
My Latest Song! Give it a listen and rate it please!
http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7908838

My Music:
http://www.soundclick.com/KenEgervari
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 08-24-2008, 04:29 AM
Chicago Sandy's Avatar
Chicago Sandy Chicago Sandy is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: SW Coast of Lake Michigan
Posts: 14,782
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by egervari View Post
Sandy, I think you're missing the point on this by a long shot in your paragraph.

Yes, writing music when you're sad, angry, happy, in love, afraid, etc. is a HEALTHY thing to do. Expressing emotions is always healthy if it doesn't hurt anyone. In fact, it's the RIGHT thing to do.

So, why does this have anything to do with losing creativity? When you're not sad anymore, why can't you start writing happier music? Really, music is an art form - an expression of emotion. Why can't it reflect how the person is feeling, whether it's sad or joyful? There's a place for all kinds of music.

Also, the kind of sadness over someone dying or breaking up with a lover is totally different than a deep, psychological problem that has been unhealthy in the individual for several decades. It's totally different.

Also, just because you're over a bout of sadness does not mean you cannot summon it again for creativity purposes. This is just NOT true. In fact, having gone through something helps you connect with it in a very clear way.

And besides, when it's the negative emotions that are actually preventing the musical creation to even occur (hence the original poster's frustration that we are actually discussing), that's an entirely different thing than writing music about negative emotions - totally different.

Just my thoughts on it.
No, that wasn't my point at all. Music can be therapeutic for many, many great writers. One terrific exercise songwriting teachers give is to write something from your emotional center at the time, and then something completely opposite. I am certainly NOT advocating suppressing emotions, positive or negative.

But I was agreeing with Sam (Mishmannah) in that just as strife can be inspirational and writing from that "place" cathartic and effective, there are many who cannot do that--for some people stress hamstrings creativity and trying to summon it makes them worse (or at least they have no time or energy to do that while life is happening). And some life crises DEMAND that even the most creative people temporarily reorder their priorities and attend to the problems rather than their art. That doesn't make them bad songwriters.

And I wasn't talking about a bout of "sadness" and then being unable to write with depth and edge once one "got over it," despite the fact that dredging it up afterward could and should be an effective creative device. I was talking instead about real *clinical depression* and the fact that some very creative people felt they'd lost their edge and were unable to create (or even felt no desire or need to create) *while* being treated with antidepressant or antianxiety meds. It happens to some very brilliant writers--they need to summon the angst while it's happening, and the meds blunt it completely, to the point where if they ever discontinued them due to remission, they could resume creating but not be able to retroactively mine (or in some cases even recollect) the suffering for which they were being treated. (Fortunately, it never had that effect on me--it was during the depth of depression that I was lucky to even be able to think straight, much less creatively, or write out a check to pay the bills, much less write a song). Everyone is different. Every writer is different. There is NO ONE PATH to good songwriting. One size does not fit all.
__________________
Sandy

http://www.sandyandina.com

-------------------------
Gramann Rapahannock, 7 Taylors, 4 Martins, 2 Gibsons, 2 V-A, Larrivee Parlour, Gretsch Way Out West, Fender P-J Bass & Mustang, Danelectro U2, Peavey fretless bass, 8 dulcimers, 2 autoharps, 2 banjos, 2 mandolins, 3 ukes

I cried because I had no shoes.....but then I realized I won’t get blisters.

Last edited by Chicago Sandy; 08-24-2008 at 04:28 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #21  
Old 08-24-2008, 05:58 AM
songz songz is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Erwin, TN
Posts: 358
Default

"Songz, you may be the exception, but brilliant newbies don't come out of nowhere"

Sandy, I am neither brilliant nor a "newbie". I had my first
top 10 in 1969 and my first #1 in 1975, so I feel competent
to comment on this subject. I know there are many good
songwriters who never get a song recorded, but as a
professional, that is how I made my living - no cuts, no bread.
That's a good motivator.

Ron
Reply With Quote
  #22  
Old 08-24-2008, 06:22 AM
wthurman's Avatar
wthurman wthurman is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Posts: 10,620
Default

I've had songs come out fast and over years. One of my favorites I had a half a verse to for over 6 years before the rest took shape.

That said, I will mention some things I've found over the years (and I have nowhere near Sandy's 200 ) and some of the best advice I've been given during that time:

1. Listen to other peoples' songs you like and figure out why you like them. What is it about the melody that makes it compelling, or the words, or both? What in the performance makes it work, also? Learn to analyze not just what you like, but why you like it.

2. Worry less about sounding "different" and more about writing well. "Different" comes as you develop - and the desire to avoid sounding pedestrian, while feeling noble, in and of itself can lead to incredible self-indulgence and meandering songs. But also don't be afraid of being different. In other words, write the sucker and d*** the torpedoes.

3. There are a few lines and a short time to get the point across - stay on point. And when you find yourself writing more in and that the song is losing focus, get back to a single thing you're trying to say - use variation to describe that, not to shoot off into a new direction.

4. Learn actual song classifications so you know what you're writing - a narrative, a repeating refrain, story-song, etc. Even if you have your own names for them (I do to some degree) start to categorize them. If you vary from "form" you'll know you're doing it, and then instead of an accident, it will be purposeful, giving you more confidence about what you're doing.

5. Don't sacrifice a song for one great line. If you have to force a great line in and it's awkward, it reduces both the line and the song. A good line will find its place eventually, somewhere.

6. Make the song as easily singable as possible. That goes for melody and for the words you use. And a melody can be great without doing as much as you think. "With a Little Help From My Friends" has a verse and chorus that contains all of five notes, all right together in the scale. (Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol)

"Whilst in the abominable darkness of the terminating night," is likely harder to sing and less enrolling to the listener than, "As I waited in the darkness for early morning light."

7. Learn to appreciate great songwriting even if the style or performance isn't one you prefer. It's all about learning.

8. Remember that the repeating motif and/or repeating theme is your friend. It's not necessary, but it's in a lot of great songs. "Just the Way You Are" is one I point to a lot for that - and including the last tip, it's not a song I really care for. Repeating themes inside verses are also very common - "Fire and Rain" has that.

9. If you want to write about a subject (love, divorce, death, whatever) and it's personal, don't force it if you're struggling. It's rare that I write "as it's happening" and the results when I do are far less consistent. I have, on occasion, but I find I write about almost anything better when I've gotten some perspective and the events have "fermented" awhile.

I don't know if any of this will help. In the end, it's a combination of learned craft, natural talent and art that comes from inside. It's frustrating and gratifying at the same time. I've spent many sleepless nights trying to find a line - only to completely change the entire verse and end up happier overall.

Don't give up on it. There are a few prodigies out there, but most of the people I know who write well wrote a lot of crap on the front end trying to figure out how to get what's going on inside into the music outside.

As for the "writing on demand" issue - I find I actually can write more easily and more quickly in that mode. If I know what someone wants, it's easier than coming up with a subject on my own. It is also gratifying in a completely different way, because I'm pulling words from a different place.
__________________
Wade


Worry less about the guitars you want. Play the guitar you have more.
The answer will come, and it will not be what you expect.

A guitar is a tool, and a friend. But it is not the answer.

It is the beginning.


Current Guitars:


Taylor 716C Modified
Voyage-Air VAOM-04

CD: The Bayleys: From The Inside
CDBaby
Amazon
Also available from iTunes



Reply With Quote
  #23  
Old 08-24-2008, 07:15 AM
wthurman's Avatar
wthurman wthurman is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Posts: 10,620
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by mishmannah View Post
Egervari & Chicago Sandy,

Thank you for taking the time to write your findings according to your expertise. They are very informative; and I concur with Egervari's great suggestion with regards to sorting out issues (his term, "getting therapy").

I don't know if this is what he means, but I personally can't be creative when there is a lot of emotional turmoil in my life. I used to think that it was very unusual at University, when everyone else claimed that they were more creative when they were depressed/going through angst, but for me, the creative well dries up when everyday stresses block it.

This is a great thread.
I find stress and frustration great song fodder AFTER it's over. But in the middle of it, it's very rare to have anything to say until I've sorted it out to some degree.

I also think there IS some healthy frustration when writing. I'm not talking about frustration about whether I'm writing good songs or not - the world isn't going to stop because I'm writing or not. What I'm talking about is more akin to interest in clarity of expression, and sometimes, that can be frustrating, too. For me, any frustration comes from the gap between wanting to express something and what I'm actually expressing. I'm not talking about it ruining my life, but I also think that not working through the words, to find the best way of saying something, at least for myself, would be intellectually, emotionally and artistically self-indulgent and lazy, as if anything I put on paper or tape is worthy of note (no pun intended), or must be right when it first comes out or be thrown away. I agree that being overly self-critical can be damaging, and it's up to each of us to determine where that line is, but it's also important to be as truthful as possible about what I write... there's no room or need for improvement if I'm happy with everything I write as it comes out in the beginning.
__________________
Wade


Worry less about the guitars you want. Play the guitar you have more.
The answer will come, and it will not be what you expect.

A guitar is a tool, and a friend. But it is not the answer.

It is the beginning.


Current Guitars:


Taylor 716C Modified
Voyage-Air VAOM-04

CD: The Bayleys: From The Inside
CDBaby
Amazon
Also available from iTunes



Reply With Quote
  #24  
Old 08-24-2008, 07:35 AM
Gyroscope352 Gyroscope352 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Michigan
Posts: 69
Default

Wow guys...I definitely did not expect this thread to explode like this. Thanks for all the responses and advice! You all have helped a lot.
__________________
Acoustic:
~1980 Alvarez 5013
2008 Alvarez PD100S

Electric:
2007 Ibanez GSA60

I'm trying to delay the GAS as long as I can.
Reply With Quote
  #25  
Old 08-24-2008, 08:14 AM
mishmannah mishmannah is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,779
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wade Thurman View Post
I find stress and frustration great song fodder AFTER it's over. But in the middle of it, it's very rare to have anything to say until I've sorted it out to some degree.
Definetely.

Your post says it much better than I could ever write.
Reply With Quote
  #26  
Old 08-24-2008, 09:39 AM
JohnZ JohnZ is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: La Quinta, CA
Posts: 2,095
Default

Holy cow! If I were just starting out in songwriting I'd be walking away from it due to overload after reading this thread. Lots of great advice but it seems to me that it would only create more frustration in someone who already has anxiety and doubts. The explosion of websites, books, dvd’s, workshops, etc. dealing with songwriting are astonishing, and yet I think we can all agree that we are not living in a golden age of song.

Songwriting is like getting the girl; sometimes it’s easy and other times it’s hard, or you fail altogether. Sometimes great lines can’t overcome bad chemistry. Generally, you know the first instant.
Reply With Quote
  #27  
Old 08-24-2008, 11:52 AM
Marshall Marshall is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: NW Suburban Chicago
Posts: 2,617
Default

You have nothing to fear, but fear itself.


We are our own worst critics. Those feelings of doubt wash over me regularly. Writers block. Fear of writers block. Creative paralysis.

I find it's best to go with the flow while the iron's hot. (How's that for creative use of metaphors ?) And when it cools down, don't panic. Walk away and come back later with fresh eyes (ears, heart).

Lately I find that I do better at working out tough lyrical passages away from the guitar. I sort of inadvertedly mull over things in my head, and have been surprised by what pops up when there's no personal pressure.
Reply With Quote
  #28  
Old 08-24-2008, 12:06 PM
wthurman's Avatar
wthurman wthurman is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Posts: 10,620
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Marshall View Post
You have nothing to fear, but fear itself.


We are our own worst critics. Those feelings of doubt wash over me regularly. Writers block. Fear of writers block. Creative paralysis.

I find it's best to go with the flow while the iron's hot. (How's that for creative use of metaphors ?) And when it cools down, don't panic. Walk away and come back later with fresh eyes (ears, heart).

Lately I find that I do better at working out tough lyrical passages away from the guitar. I sort of inadvertedly mull over things in my head, and have been surprised by what pops up when there's no personal pressure.
Your metaphors are mixed.
__________________
Wade


Worry less about the guitars you want. Play the guitar you have more.
The answer will come, and it will not be what you expect.

A guitar is a tool, and a friend. But it is not the answer.

It is the beginning.


Current Guitars:


Taylor 716C Modified
Voyage-Air VAOM-04

CD: The Bayleys: From The Inside
CDBaby
Amazon
Also available from iTunes



Reply With Quote
  #29  
Old 08-24-2008, 12:54 PM
TBman's Avatar
TBman TBman is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 35,829
Default

I'm keeping a collection of instrumental short tunes/riffs/chord changes. Lately I don't get the "I'm going to write a new song based on this riff", but more of "Hey this is interesting, let's record it and see what happens with it later" mentality. This way, there is no pressure to "finish" it. If I extend something, then I just record the tune again with the extension and fool around with it.
__________________
Barry

Sad Moments {Marianne Vedral cover}:


My SoundCloud page

Some steel strings, some nylon.
Reply With Quote
  #30  
Old 08-24-2008, 04:42 PM
Chicago Sandy's Avatar
Chicago Sandy Chicago Sandy is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: SW Coast of Lake Michigan
Posts: 14,782
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by songz View Post
"Songz, you may be the exception, but brilliant newbies don't come out of nowhere"

Sandy, I am neither brilliant nor a "newbie". I had my first
top 10 in 1969 and my first #1 in 1975, so I feel competent
to comment on this subject. I know there are many good
songwriters who never get a song recorded, but as a
professional, that is how I made my living - no cuts, no bread.
That's a good motivator.

Ron
That's what I meant--although I question your self-criticism as to brilliance. My point was that it is MUCH tougher for a songwriter today seeking to crack the market--the commercial success of veteran career songwriters today, and the features common to the songs those of you got cut, tend to dictate what even gets past the industry gatekeepers these days.


One thing I forgot to mention but needs to be said is never to fall so in love with something we write that we practically feel married to it and that accepting and acting on constructive criticism feels like a divorce (or as one writer i know put it, "the songs are my children, with lives of their own, and how dare anyone perform surgery on them"). Defensiveness can be blindness. Most of the time, our internal songwriter compasses tell us whether what we've written satisfies us and will "gets the listener home," as instructor Ralph Covert put it; but every now and then someone makes a suggestion out of the blue that turns a good song--even if already recorded-into a great one. We write with pen and paper (or digits or electrical impulses and a recording device), not chisel and stone. That's not saying that every song can always be improved--but taking sage advice on ones that can be improved often points up things that listeners hear but we do not, and teaches us to be better writers.

One question about which I've been wondering: every now and then I will hear someone assert (with a modesty that sometimes almost seems feigned or even "back-door boastful") that they do not write the songs, but that the songs flow through them, that they've been "chosen" as mere conduits and that once the songs are finished they do not feel a sense of ownership (some have stepped back and half-wondered whether they actually wrote them) nor are authorized to somehow alter or challenge that which the muse has given them. Personally, I feel that belittles and devalues the work and the craft at which so many of us labor (after all, even the songs that "seem to write themselves" come from having honed our skills to the point where we can recognize inspiration and quickly, seemingly subconsciously, summon the tools we've developed to express it effectively). Any thoughts about this?
__________________
Sandy

http://www.sandyandina.com

-------------------------
Gramann Rapahannock, 7 Taylors, 4 Martins, 2 Gibsons, 2 V-A, Larrivee Parlour, Gretsch Way Out West, Fender P-J Bass & Mustang, Danelectro U2, Peavey fretless bass, 8 dulcimers, 2 autoharps, 2 banjos, 2 mandolins, 3 ukes

I cried because I had no shoes.....but then I realized I won’t get blisters.

Last edited by Chicago Sandy; 08-24-2008 at 05:25 PM.
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Show and Tell

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:37 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=