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Buzzie - On The Inside

[This post is excerpted from the Buzzie RockBand Blog.]

There are three parts to songwriting. (Of course as I write that I am challenged to keep it to three, so here goes.)

1. The music (tune, harmony, instruments, players)
2. The words (idea for the song, an image, a story, a title, a chorus that won’t let go.)
3. The recording (is the gear ready to go? I just spent 4 weeks trying to get the shock mount for my vocal mic fixed.)

But there’s a whole additional series of sub-texts for actually WRITING the song.

1. The emotional idea (something has triggered an idea in your mind, a word, a tune, a memory, a desire)
2. The energy to actually do it (oh crap, I’ve only got 10 minutes until the kids get home)
3. The courage to write a crappy song (what if it sucks?)
4. Some goal for the creation of the song (or why are you writing and recording music anyway?)

And then there are some pieces of the equation that are even more intangible:

1. What am I trying to reveal about myself?
2. Is this for fun or healing?
3. Am I singing to someone?
4. Am I performing this song to get something in return?
5. Am I full filling something by the creation of this song?

And last, as I am trying to understand, there is the BIGGER vision that pulls us along like a sail on our creative boats.

1. Am I creating a project, does it have a vision, a name, an image?
2. Do I want to perform this song, as a band, as a singer songwriter?
3. Will I get something by creating this song? How can I be loved more? Will this bring me love?

@jmacofearth

Read the whole post: http://blog.buzzie.com/archives/12

Tags: artist's way, band, band camp, buzzie, creative process, international pop overthrow, musician, rock n roll, singer, singer songwriter, songwriting