Song Structure Variations
The domineering pop song structure has long been verse-chorus-verse-bridge-chorus. The chokehold this song structure has had has lasted during the majority of recorded music history. Icons like The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, and Taylor Swift have massive catalogues that largely employ this structure. Its de facto such that a lot of us don’t question whether or not there’s even another way to do things.
That said, in the past year I’ve seen some exciting artists and songs breaking away from this structure. Other ways of doing things are becoming more pronounced.
I was thinking about this as I was listening to a song called “Leonad Cohen” on Boygenius’ new record. The song unfolds like a letter. There is nearly no repetition and a chorus is non-existent. And yet, it is easily something you can listen to on repeat.
Such freeform movements show up in Caroline Polacheck’s recent release “Billions” as well. While there is the repetition of a phrase “say something to me” there is no discernible chorus. The verse repeats over and over again with new and exciting words and then an outro with a children’s choir keeps us captivated in the latter part of the song. Caroline’s phrasing is the dominating force in this art pop masterclass.
What types of songs do we open ourselves up to writing when we cast aside the defacto pop song structure? Do we get closer or further away from an authentic expression? I encourage you all to experiment with new forms and see where it leads.
Hustle & Grind…or don’t
Hustle and Grind culture is uniquely American. Our willingness to work is often a litmus test of our value whether you’re in a state bordering the pacific, the Atlantic or somewhere sandwiched between. I’ve been thinking quite a bit about hustle and grind culture and whether such an ethos serves us as creatives.
There is an important part of the creative process that sort of demands us to do nothing. To sit down and think wild thoughts is part of our work. It is hard to ascribe a weekly schedule to such activities or clock-in and clock-out of such a mindset. And yet, it is essential. And though we schedule sessions, the divine spark of creativity does not always arrive on cue. It can be overworked or underworked and managing ourselves accordingly sometimes dictates that we work 12 hour days and at other times avoid work all together for weeks at a time.
I then question where songwriting fits into a culture scheduled so intentionally around 9-5 protocols. Publishers often schedule nubile and established writers as they would any other worker. Daily writes are a part of the corporate machine. But is this really the best way to nourish talent? Does this permit different types of artists to succeed?
Of course, as you all know, I believe in the power of quantity - that 10,000 songs written will make you a better writer is not debatable. But, might more concentrated periods of practice or work on a single song not be the path forward for some? Might the hustle and grind culture of our modern day music industry snuff out voices that our world needs?
I don’t have the answers but I am pondering these questions. I hope you will too.
May Songwriting Challenges
Write a song for something in the natural world: a sprawling forest, the crustaceans in a whirlpool, or the moon hanging low in a springtime sky.
Despite what the courts might think, sampling has been a legitimate component of the creative process for generations. Use a melody or rhythm from an existing song and twist it into something original.
DROP WHAT YOU’RE DOING. Pick up a guitar and write a song that you could sing around a campfire. Use the immediacy of this current moment. Continue reading after you finish the song.
The timbre of a voice can effect what type of song we write. Change the color of your voice into something more guttural or something scratchier or whinier - it doesn’t matter just change it. What song would sound good in this new voice of your creation?
Structure a group of songs like a play with five parts. Make a story progress over the course of these five songs.
Consider what makes your writing unique: witty lyrics? Soaring melodies? Masterful instrumentation? Create a song that leans into your strengths without abandon.
Collaboration in the internet era can happen with people you’ve never met. Downlaod a track from BeatStar and use it as the basis of a new song.
Pick a news headline. Don’t read the story in the article. Imagine instead what the story might be about and use this imagined story as the content of a new song.
Restriction can be freedom. Set a timer for 1 hour and seek to complete a whole song within the time limit.
Revisit a page in an old journal. Who was that person? What did they do that day? What song can you write about a story you have previously put down on the page?
A Songwriter’s Strike?
The Writers Guild of America - which represents scriptwriters interests - is currently on strike. The guild is made up of 11,500 television writers who are seeking to establish a minimum number of scribes per writer’s room, regulation of artificial intelligence, more upfront compensation for writers, and a new calculus for how residuals are made in the streaming era. It is this last point that is the most salient. As “new media” - think Netflix, HBO Max, and other streamers - have proliferated, writer’s residuals have steadily declined. The writer’s demands would increase compensation to guild members by 500 million dollars.
It is important to remember that the WGA also went on strike in 2007, causing a 1.5 billion dollar loss to the Los Angeles economy and significant disruption in the quality of television. The strike ended with streamers capitulating to a few of the writer’s demands. As this is unfolding, I’d like songwriters to consider the power of unions and the lack of one that represents us.
Songwriters work for free most days. Day rates are non-standard. Labels refuse to include songwriters in master payout, denying most of us even a single point. Sync fees are delivered on extreme delay - sometimes a year or more after the airing of an advertisement or tv release. Streaming giants severely underpay writers on the publishing side of songs. Labels, streamers, and television execs undermine the songwriter’s ability to cobble together a livable wage and yet their business models are only successful because of our contributions.
We must then ask what could our gains be if we unionized? What could happen if we stopped writing and releasing songs all together? What if songwriters went on strike? In the event of songwriters withholding their labor, victory would be imminent and some of these wrongs would be rectified. At least that is what I choose to believe.
I hope that all creatives have their eyes on the Writer’s Strike. I believe that in the coming weeks - as late night comes to a halt and the quality of television diminishes - the writers will win against the streamers. And if they do, I hope that that inspires songwriters to advocate for their dues as well.
Artist Development in the Internet Era
In the days of yesteryear, labels and publishers would invest in undiscovered talent. They would schedule writing sessions, pay for studio time, and try to ensure that young artists were touring regularly to build an audience. Huge budgets allowed the formation of large teams that would help artists grow creatively and gain popularity. These artists tended to be unknowns.
That paradigm has shifted. A&R’s scour TikTok for videos of songwriters who are accumulating fans and followers. They are looking for proof of concept in advance of signing. Artist who get signed these days tend to have some sort of following or viral moment that labels then attempt to push further and monetize. They are expecting artists to arrive to them fully formed in most cases.
Therefore, artists have had to pivot their own strategies. Now, burgeoning artists wear many hats: session coordinator, social media manager, agent, songwriter, artist, etc. The artists that get ahead are the ones who are putting incredible amounts of time and energy into their own development.
In this day and age, I encourage artists to accept the reality that they are responsible for their own development. Labels are not coming to help you become the best artist you can. Do what you can to arrive on the scene fully formed.
30 Day Songwriting Challenge
I believe in the power of quantity’s ability to churn out quality. If you bake a sourdough bread everyday for a month, then you’ll inevitably glean new insight into the practice of bread making. The same is true for songs. Thus, I issue a challenge to you: write a song every day for 30 days.
I know it sounds a little crazy but I think the benefits are numerous. Firstly, you’ll walk away with a more robust catalogue and thirty new songs. Certainly, some of these songs will be duds but a few of them might be standout material for pitch or for personal release. This type of focused pursuit will also help you to unlock creative flow. When we are rewriting constantly, we sometimes find that new material falls out of us a bit easier. This reran serve us during the challenge and afterward. Lastly, you’ll be forced to examine songs and the craft on a daily basis. This will help you refine skills and develop new ones that will serve you in the years to come.
A 30 day songwriting challenge can also serve you in the internet era. When content is the currency of the day, quantity-minded pursuits like this provide you with a treasure trove of portable goodies. You can post these daily song challenges on TikTok, IG Reels, and YouTube shorts to keep your audience engaged and see what peaks algorithmic interest.
Whether you’re new the craft or a veteran songwriter, a 30 day song per day songwriting challenge is an opportunity for growth. I highly recommend setting out on this adventure.
Songwriter Pay
The current state of the music industry is not one that implicitly supports songwriters. On a good day, the publishing of a song might make $.005 per stream - which is less than one cent. Because most songs are co-written, that streaming royalty will then get divided into an even smaller number. That reality has decreased the number of individuals who can make a livable wage from songwriting. The question then is how can the industry change to rectify this morally inept system?
The most obvious answer is to increase the amount that songwriters make per stream. Groups like UMAW are advocating for a 1 cent per stream system. Spotify’s annual revenue increased 27.07% from 2020 to 2021 and then 8.02% from 2021 to 2022 for a sum total of 12.3536 Billion dollars in revenue. The streaming companies have money to share.
Beyond this, there should be a standardization of writing fees both for label and independent releases. Artist and labels pay out large sums of money for production fees already while skirting payment of songwriters who’s contributions are essential to the success of a song. It is unethical not to pay songwriters a fee on par with that of a producer especially when a label is involved. Indie musicians should do their best to factor in a writer’s fee whenever possible.
Lastly, writers deserve points on the master. Master revenue outpaces publishing revenue. Artists and producers typically share master in some sort of split. When a label is involved, the label might take the majority of the master while the artists and producers receive a smaller share. In most negotiations, songwriters are left out of the conversation entirely. This needs to change. Again, songwriters are an invaluable part of the process and should benefit from the longterm revenue streams that a song provides. 1-5 points on the master should suffice.
Songwriters deserve to make a livable wage especially when their work is generating huge sums of money for artists, labels, and technology companies. The money exists but is being hoarded, often by labels and tech companies who undervalue the workers who make their businesses possible. This needs to change.
April Songwriting Challenges
Write a song to your 16 year old self. What do they need to hear? What do you want to tell them
Na Na Na sections can really capture global imaginations. Pen a song where the chorus is a hooky, single collection of “Na” syllables.
Be a speed demon. Set a time for a half hour and aim to finish an entire song in that time frame.
Use Google Images as inspiration. Type literally any word into Google Images and see what pops up. Use one of the internet’s treasure trove of images as inspiration for a new song.
A song can be a conversation. Write a song with two main characters who trade lines back and forth.
Use relative keys. Write a song using a minor key in your chorus and the relative major key in your verses. If you don’t know what relative keys are this is a good time to look it up!
There are so many public domain classical songs available. Many writers have used them to great success. Take a public domain instrumental and write a new lyric + melody toppling over it.
Write the song you needed a year ago.
Street names have often been used as the title of a song - “Cornelia Street” by Taylor Swift anyone? Use the name of the street you live on as the title of a new work.
Use a random word generator and let the algorithm pick the title of your next song.
Writers You Should Know
As time goes on, new important writers have come to the forefront. Let’s discuss a few names you should be familiar with.
Michael Pollack is a writer at the forefront of pop music right now. His recent work with Miley Cyrus - “Flowers” - is a refutation of a Bruno Mars song and sat at the number 1 spot on Billboard for weeks. Cuts with Maroon 5, Justin Bieber, and Lauv have solidified his standing among young millennial artists as a go-to writer.
Steph Jones has been a consistent presence in writer’s rooms in Los Angeles and Nashville for a long while now. She is intimately involved with a cavalcade of emerging artist projects. Sabring Carpenter, Kelsea Ballerini, and Chloe Moriondo count this talent as a close collaborator.
Take A Daytrip is a writing duo comprised of David Biral and Denzel Baptiste. They are the writers who helped pen an produced Sheck Wes’s Mo Bamba a few years back which launched and defined the artist’s career. They used that success as a launching pad and have since been responsible for a large portion of Lil Nas X’s catalogue.
Ricky Reed has been a hot topic for a hot music industry minute. Partially responsible for Jason Derulo’s “Swalla” and Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts", Reed is a master of inserting new sounds into the pop landscape. That’s why artists like Camillla Cabello, Ed Sheeran, and Halsey include him in their sessions. Understanding his discography will provide an eye into what makes a great song tick.
Of course, there is a legion of songwriters helping to define the songwriting landscape of 2023. So, let me know who are your favorites? What names could have gone on this short list?
When Writing Relationships Fray
Along the road to success, every creative is dealt their own hand of cards. Each story is unique but many of them have common threads: early minor successes, the meeting that provided a singular piece of wisdom, the session where everything clicked. One story I have heard from time to time is about the loss of a writing partnerships.
Good things can fracture like terracotta. A rift forms in a relationship from a myriad of reasons. Business disagreements might stack up or a false rumor tunnels its way into the light. Sometimes we act out of turn or a writing partner’s actions are beyond forgiveness. We can arrive at a point of dissolution from many different angles.
When that dissolution occurs we are met with familiar friends. Anger, sadness, grief, confusion - the litany of negative emotions goes on and on, greeting us as we process the closure of a once beatuiful thing. It is a difficult thing for a friendship to end, especially one born from the creative expression and emotional intuition necessary for artistic collaboration.
In the end, we are left with a hole in the space where love used to go. And, therefore, it becomes a task to fill it anew. We must meet new collaborators and foster friendships with new boundaries and a sense of stability. Though it feels impossible to replace what was lost, one may feel confident that amongst all of those of us working in music, there will inevitably those with whom you can create great work.
If you’ve had an important writing relationship end, my heart goes out to you. It is no easy thing to process that and move on. But - I promise - the future is bright.
TikTok Tips
We are living in the TikTok era. It’s the go to internet square for Gen Z, Gen Alpha, and younger millennials. The App has transformed YouTube and Instagram feeds. And - most importantly for us - it has become the launching pad for some of today’s biggest stars - Ice Spice, Lil Nas X, and PinkPatheress among them. So, what are some good protocols for developing your own TikTok strategy. Let’s review!
Quantity. TikTok is like a lottery where you truly cannot lose money. The more you play the more likely you are to win. Post regularly and you’re more likely to see a video take off. Aim for a high quantity of video posts each week.
Create series. Jake Wesley Rogers has launched his career with the help of his weekly series “Today is Sunday.” Each Sunday he records a day-in-the-life blog with a calm and affirming voice over. Little things like this keep your audience engaged as they know what type of content to look forward to. If you can have 2-3 series that you can post weekly you’ll be in a good position. This ensures that you will have content with little thought applied to what you’re going to make.
Post videos with comments of fans. You can create a video with a fan comment in screen. Doing so gives you a chance to respond to fans and gives the audience something to read while they watch your video. This split focus can actually help keep people engaged. The algorithm also seems to like creators who engage with their audience in this way.
Comment on the posts of others. A comment is just as likely to go viral as a video. Stay engaged with internet discourse by commenting on the videos of others. Your comments are likely to appear in the feeds of fans and help keep attention on you.
These are some fairly straightforward and easily applicable tips for beginning your internet space domination. Hope they help!
March Songwriting Challenges
Choose a day this weekend to stay up between midnight and 6am. Write in these wee hours of the morning and see if something great comes out.
Download a free pre-made track on YouTube and use it as the basis of a new song. Write a top line over it.
Interpolations are all the rage right now - Bebe Rexha’s “I’m Good (Blue)” and Baby Tate’s “Hey Mickey” are two examples. Choose a melody/lyric to interpolate into your own music as a Hooke and see what comes of it!
Be your own producer. I know that DAWs can be a little scary but go for it. See what happens if you’re in charge of the track.
Write a song that is very decade specific. Choose the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, or 90’s as your sonic inspiration.
Pick your favorite character from a novel you’ve read recently. Pen them a theme song.
Invoke the 5 senses. Write a song in which details incline the reader to imagine how a scene smells, tastes, looks, sounds, and feels like.
Write a free form poem. Then put it to music.
Pen a song that acts as a letter to your parents.
Holiday season is wayyyyyy out there. But it’s never too early to start penning holiday songs. Write something you can release around Christmas.
A Songwriter’s Mission
What is the mission of a songwriter? Well, it depends who you ask. It is a question that each writer must answer for themselves! Let’s consider how some writers over the decades might have answered this.
Nina Simone - a piano prodigy, writer, and prolific recording artist - reached her zenith in the midst of the Black Civil Rights movement. Her songs “Four Women” and “Mississippi Goddam” capture the experiences and anger of black women toward an oppressive governmental system and the misfortunes that come from living under these conditions. Nina Simone once said that “an artist’s duty is to reflect the time.” She chose to document the emotions of this fractured time and became a beacon of righteous fury.
In 2015, producer-writer-artist SOPHIE told Rolling Stone, “I think all pop music should be about who can make the loudest, brightest thing.” Her beeps and bops and extremely bright production choices have come to define HyperPop - a new subgenera of pop music. Unlike Simon, who’s roll was to act like a historian of the present, Sophie opted to stretch sounds into some unknown future.
Super-producer and writer Max Martin’s discography is undeniable. His songs have topped charts for decades and inspired writers up and down the ladder. His creativity is based in mathematical forms. There is a broadness and perfectionism to his songwriting forms that permeate each of his creations. Max Martin’s music posits that structure and form are the most important components of a song.
Each of these writers give us a different model to follow as we define our own paths. Choose to follow in their footsteps or walk a new road.
Strategies for Breaking Through Writer’s Block
Its no secret that every writer gets stuck. The words stop flowing, the melodies are backed up by some unimaginable dam. The creative blockade can last for minutes, hours, weeks, or even months. A drought of inspiration needs to be unworked so that we can carry on with the business of creativity. Here’s a few exercise to try when you want to get unstuck.
Set a Timer for 10 minutes. Grab a pencil and a note pad. Scribble furiously for ten minutes without stopping. When the timer goes off, use a highlighter and identify and words or phrases that can be used in a song. Do this over and over again. Record the words and phrases in your notes app to use as titles or songwriting fodder for when you’re to pen something longer.
Read through a book of poems. As in the previous exercise, record words or lines that stick out to you. You can collage these pieces of other’s poetry together to form new lyrical works. Sometimes when our own words don’t work, we can use those of other’s.
Co-write with a new person. Sometimes all we need is to get into the room with a new energy. Let this person lead and follow them to where they’re going. Help them on their journey and you will inevitably arrive at a new song.
Think deeply about when you are most creative: early in the morning? Late at night? Try to use the magic of those hours and spend a few days trying to write something then and only then. As they say, timing is everything!
Hope these little tasks can help you get unstuck when you’re feeling - well - stuck.
Songwriting Techniques
I love listening to songs and dissecting what little tricks are being use in them. That helps me and songwriters I mentor identify what techniques to bring into new material. So, here’s a few techniques that can help elevate your songs.
Plosive Alliteration. A Plosive is a pulmonic consonant in which the vocal that is blocked so that all airflow ceases - letters like p, t, k, b, g can be used to make plosives. They have a real push and forced to them. Alliteration is the reoccurrence. of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. A great example of plosive alliteration is in Cardi B’s “Up” - “Big bag busing’ out the Bentley Bentayga. The repetitive B is so satisfying and cuts through the air like a machine gun. I highly recommend using plosive consonants to get an exciting point across.
Onomatopoeia followed by its origin sound. Typically a poetry term, Onomatopoeia is the formation of a word from the sound associated with what Is named. Words like zipper or pitter-patter are examples of words created from an origin sound (the zzzipppppp of a zipper and the pitter-patter of rain outside). It can be extremely satisfying when you use a word like zipper at the end of a line, cut out a track, and then hear a zip sound as a production ornament. Its a nod, a breaking of the fourth wall that pulls the listener back in.
Rounds. A round is a composition in which three or four voices follow each other in a perpetual canon. One of the more recent examples I can think of is Ingrid Michaelson’s recording of The Chain. Rounds are meditative, a wondrous compositional technique that is rarely used today. Let’s bring it back.
February Songwriting Challenges
Pick an artist from the 50’s or 60’s who is no longer releasing music. Write a song that would have been perfect for them when they were at their highest career point.
Flex that singing voice in a song. Write something with long held out notes that require vibrato and panache á la Whitney Houston and other diva types.
Set a timer. The best writers can crank out a hit in 15 minutes sometimes! Give yourself an hour to finish an entire song - see what will happen.
Take the first line of a song that you love. Use a thesaurus to change out one or more words and then write the rest of the song. See how changing one or two things can change an entire project.
Rewrite to a song like “That Boy Is Mine” where the artists are exchanging lines bar for bar. Remove one of the artist’s parts and write your own lines of exchange.
Be like Lil Nas X. Download a “type beat” from YouTube and use it as a track for a song.
Choose your favorite character from your favorite television show and write them a theme song that would be overlain on the opening credits of a show where they’re the protagonist.
Write a song where there is only a single melody line repeated over and over with different lyrics in each repetition.
Some of the biggest songs have a featured act. Imagine yourself the featured act of a recent smash and pen a verse.
Diversify Your Portfolio
fAs a songwriter, you want to have a diverse catalogue of songs so that when you obtain a publishing deal your publisher has an abundance of material with which to work. The more songs you have, the better positioned you’ll be to land cuts you weren’t expecting. So what type of songs should you have in your portfolio? Let’s discuss.
Artists specific pitch songs. There are a cornucopia of artists working today who will need songs in the future. Find inspiration in their current works and imagine what they might want to release in the future. Take into account their singing style, lyrical direction, and vocal range. Pen a few for some of the major artists out in the market in the event that your future publisher has the in with said artist.
Non-specific sync songs. When you’re recouping your deal, synchronization licenses can make a huge dent into your recoupment. Sync songs get placed in television and ads and tend to be rather non-specific lyrically. Then tend to deal with feelings of courage, confidence, togetherness - essentially any grandiose feeling of that nature. Try your best to land a few of these, especially with other writers who do not have publishing deals so that there are less boundaries between you and a placement.
Experimental songs outside of your genre. Not every room you want to work in will agree with your typical genre selection. Do your best to have a few songs that feel off the beaten path. These tend to impress listeners and might garner you admittance into rooms you weren’t expecting.
Guitar Vocals. Not every artist is looking for songs that have completed production. EDM artists and some acoustic pop acts will likely prefer something stripped back. Have a few of these ready for listeners.
Ultimately, songwriters who have a more diverse portfolio might have a better chance of obtaining a diverse amount of cuts. Do your best to be a songwriter whose portfolio is ready for anything. f
Networking
It’s still January and that means we are still harnessing the power of the new year! Part of this year - for all songwriters on all rungs of the ladder - need to involve networking. I know I know, “networking” feels like a word of corporate nonspeaak that should not apply to music makers but, alas, it does. So here’s some effective ways of building your network in 2023.
PRO Rep. If you have not made contact with a Performing Rights Organization representative - BMI, ASCAP, or SESAC - then I need you to fix that. Go to the website of your PRO and find a representative who fits your brand of music. Schedule a meeting with them and see If they can’t extend a few intros for you. Ideally, they’ll link you with new co-writers and publishers.
Send out cold DM’s. This can be an effective strategy when you want to meet up with new writers or artists. Often times, people within your network (i.e. artists or co-writers who work with your friends will be receptive to the idea of hanging out or writing with you. Just make sure not to come in too hot.
Cold e-mail. I’ll be honest, a cold e-mail to a publisher is a risk. But, with high risk comes high reward. Ensure that your e-mail is not very long, includes a link to your music, a short one or two sentence bio featuring your recent accomplishments, and a call-to-action (“would luv to schedule a time to meet for coffee in the coming weeks”). Follow-up e-mails are ok, but make sure to wait 10 business days before sending.
Meet irl. Showcases around major music cities or shows in general are great places to meet music industry folk. If you’ve been doing your homework, you might recognize an agent or publisher or writer in the crowd. Music people love music shows. Don’t be afraid to say hi and offer to purchase someone a drink.
Ask friends for intros. Look, we all already have some sort of network. Do your best to exploit it! Offer introductions to your friends in exchange for introductions to people in their network. Let’s support each other as we spread our nets wide and far.
Roles in a Room
The ultimate signifier of a great session is of course a great song. As all great songwriters know, your role in making that great song happen varies from session to session. You need to be able to read the room, evaluate your co-writer’s strengths and weaknesses, and then insert yourself accordingly. Let’s go over a few roles that a songwriter can play in a room.
The driver. Sometimes you’re in a room with co-writers or artists whose vision isn’t necessarily strong. They may lack concepts or courage; either way, they leave a power vacuum. In these instances you can save the day by taking the lead. Come prepared with song concepts, Chord progressions, or reference material and make that song happen.
Assist. In other instances, the other writers or artist may come to work fully inspired. In these instances, try to get out of the way. This is an especially good route when artist is driving the ship. Make suggestions when they’ll enhance the song but don’t fight too hard for your lines. You’re more likely to a get a cut with an artist the more they pour themselves into a song.
Vibes. It’s strange to say this but not every successful songwriter is acutely gifted in the melody and songwriting department. Some of the writers at the top of their game are considered “vibe guys.” I know - its crazy. There are those of us who truly exist to keep the energy positive and industrious.
Co-equal. The best situation, in my opinion, is when someone’s strengths compliment your weaknesses and vice versa. For instance you might be a great melodist and your co-writer might be a great lyricist. In these situations - unlike the former three - there’s not so much of a power imbalance. You will both be responsible for the success of the song. These situations work best when BOTH songwriters are able to evaluate each other’s strengths and let the other take the lead when necessary.
January Songwriting Challenges
Christmas just happened but its also right around the corner in terms of the music industry. Get ahead of the curb and pen a song that you can release around the holidays in 2023. Bottle up that Christmas magic we just let go of.
Not every artist is a great singer - in fact, some artist can barely handle an octave of range in their repertoire. Write a song that - at most - has a 5 note range. It’s important to have songs in your catalogue that literally ANYONE could sing.
Crickets chirping at night. The wind rustling through the leaves. Use your phone microphone to record the sounds of the great outdoors. Use this as a piece of texture in your next production.
Set a timer for a half hour. Write an entire song within that time constraint. Restriction can be our greatest friend!
Take a listen through one of your favorite albums. Imagine the artist is set to release a deluxe version of the record. Write a song that would work as a selection for that deluxe edition.
Key changes are going to come back - eventually. Be on the forefront of that future trend. Pen a song with a key change at the end.
Not every song needs lyrics. Sometimes it’s all melody and randomized doo and doh syllables. Write a compelling song that is explicitly melody and syllabic nothings.
In our capitalist environment, we often see a great lyric travel from a song to the front of a t-shirt or tote back. Write a song with quippy lyrics that could be repurposed for such products.
Watch an episode of your favorite television show muted. Pick a scene and imagine yourself a song that could play over it.
Write a song at midnight alone.
Master your craft.
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