Have you ever met a singer with such a compelling voice, that people would say about them "I could listen to them sing the phone book"? (For those of you born after 1990, a phone book was a large paperback listing of phone numbers for everyone in the city. NOT compelling song material.) I have… Continue reading Are You Cursed?
Okay, so there's no such school as Rhyme School (hmm, perhaps I could open one...), but there are many, many language experts from whom we have learned to rhyme, in our pursuit of better songwriting. Whether in person, in books or magazines, or online, we have learned a little or a lot about the purpose… Continue reading What They Forgot to Teach at Rhyme School
Repetition is essential to human existence. Our brains literally crave repetition in order to understand the world around us. We use repetition when we learn to talk, to write, even to walk, and certainly when we learn to sing or play a musical instrument. We use repetition to adopt a habit and to break a… Continue reading With Great Power, Power, Comes Great Responsibility, Responsibility
It's January, and as we nurse the hangover from New Year's Eve, we naturally consider how we'll do things differently this trip around the sun. It's in the song itself, even if none of us actually knows the words, or what they mean. When we ring in a new year with "Auld Lang Syne", we're… Continue reading For Auld Lang Syne
Sometimes, in the music business, we find ourselves wondering whether we're creating something that has a market, or feeling pressure to create something that doesn't feel authentic, for the sake of a bigger market, or just feeling the dreaded "imposter syndrome" because we observe another artist enjoying a level of success that we feel is… Continue reading Pass The Popcorn, Please
It’s easy to know when you have written a song – it has a beginning, middle and end. But then you begin the process of re-writing, improving every line until you have a masterpiece. So, when do you call it “done”? What Does “Unfinished” Look Like? Some simple questions to consider: Do you stand behind… Continue reading How Do I Know When My Song is Finished?
On stage and in the studio, everybody has a job to do, and you can be your best when you consider how your part supports the bigger picture. In musical arrangement, the contribution of each performer will satisfy one or more of the following: establishing or supporting the groove/rhythm establishing or supporting a counter-rhythm establishing… Continue reading Calling All Harmony Singers
Tom Jackson (onstagesuccess.com) has developed a career as a Live Music Producer. What does that mean? It means that his interest is in helping performers produce a remarkable live show. If you get a chance to see Tom speak, or to check out some of his video, don't pass on the opportunity. He has a host… Continue reading Control the Focus
Time for a little venting. Even if you're Canadian, don't ever say "sorry" to your audience. Don't qualify your performance by explaining that your song is too new for a great performance, or that you haven't had time to learn your friend's favourite song properly. If you're going to step up on stage and perform,… Continue reading No Apologies
Sometimes, there's a danger inherent with allowing the people around you to know that you are a songwriter. People who do not write songs are usually quite helpless to understand the mysterious process that allows us to create music from nothingness. And that helplessness usually leads to some very entertaining suggestions. We Are Social Creatures… Continue reading There’s Gotta Be a Song In That…
