Here Comes The Sun
While innocents asleep in bed
Troubled thoughts are in my head
And as I wrestle with the moon
I put to paper words and tune
And pray that my hero will come soon
Here comes the sun…
Are You Curious?
Most people believe that:
a) They are have little or no creativity
or
b) That creativity is a talent given to a select few.
In contrast to that, it is my opinion that we all have the creativity gene within in us. And so, rather than seeing it as a talent, what if we viewed creativity as a skill, one that could be nurtured and developed by anyone?
Want to know more?
One Song & One Small Audience
Between the ages of 18 and 26, I sent song after to song to music publishers around the world. With absolutely no feedback or interest I had just about given up. Then, by taking a step back from ambitions and lofty pipe dreams, I discovered one of the keys to songwriting success.
Write what you know, to who you know.
Are You on The Wrong Tracks?
Tracks are like a band-aid or a painkiller. They offer short term solutions. They are ideal for people who are focused on creating the big event experience. Again and again and again.
Making the plunge away from Tracks might be a scary proposition.
Some people need a hybrid approach.
Me, I like a the scary notion of taking a group of musicians and singers out on stage, without a track or a fixed arrangement or plan… so that every song becomes a moment in time, never to be repeated again. Priceless.
Community & Creativity
Last week I had the pleasure of working within a community of musicians, singers, songwriters, producers and mix engineers in Greensboro NC. The melting pot of Jazz, Folk, Hip Hop, Rock & Blues influenced artisans is creating a very healthy environment for new ideas and new music. Just hanging out with them for the week injected new life into these aging musical veins of mine.
It was a timely visit because I had just been listening to a podcast in which Brian Eno discussed the nurturing effect a healthy community can have on art, music and innovation.
The Fearless Performance
One part of my brain tells me that there are people out there in the audience, but the other part of the brain gets all relaxed and, not being able to discern any of the actual eyes or faces of audience members, sets frees me and, makes me absolutely fearless.
It is surreal I grant you. But if you ever get a chance to perform on a large stage, the bright lights hitting your face, the hidden energy in the room in anticipation of for your first song, you’ll know what I mean.
Great Musicians Love Playing Great Songs
One of the benefits of working in LA as a songwriter is being able to work with musicians, engineers and producers who are gifted story tellers themselves. And it still amazes me how invested these people are when they work on the songs of others.
Against The Flow of Traffic (Pt-1)
“The person who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The person who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever seen before.”― Albert Einstein
One afternoon, on my way down to Dana Point from Hollywood, driving with the flow of traffic at around 80mph, 4 lanes across and no end to the line of cars before or behind me, I had this flash of thought…
Against the Flow of Traffic (PT-2)
Don’t always move with the flow. Turn around, face the opposire direction. Now what can you see?