Corey Stewart
“We wrote it in about five minutes”: Interrogating the myth of the quickly-written hit song | MusicRadar
Claims that masterpieces have been written in minutes abound, and many (upon further inspection) are revealed to be not as cut and dried as their writers claim. The article from MusicRadar, titled “We wrote it in about five minutes”: Interrogating the myth of the quickly-written hit song, authored by Andy Price, delves into the popular […]
Don’t Think Genre, Think Personality — Andrea Stolpe
I remember a simpler time, when it was easy to identify the genre of the song streaming through my iPod. When a friend said they liked pop, I knew that meant Madonna and Michael Jackson. Classic rock meant Steve Miller Band or the Cars. In my small world, taste was polarized and listeners less likely […]
Five Reasons to Keep a Songwriting Journal
If you’re a songwriter and you’re looking for ways to improve your skills, one of the best tools to add to your arsenal is a simple one: keep a songwriting journal. The article from The Essential Secrets of Songwriting blog, titled “Five Reasons to Keep a Songwriting Journal,” delves into the significant benefits of maintaining […]
The Five Pillars Of The Songwriting Process
NB: Republished with permission from Corey Stewart Online A process is defined as “… a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular goal.” As for a songwriting process, that goal is of course the completion of a song from start to finish. Songs are what makes this music industry go round and the […]
Songwriting 101 – The Chorus
Songwriting 101 is a series of posts about song formatting and structure. Every couple of days, I’ll be writing about the different individual elements that make up a song. Please bear in mind that these are my definitions and interpretations of the different parts of a song structure. There are no hard and fast rules […]
5 Things That Songwriters Can Learn From Authors (And Vice Versa)
What can songwriters learn from authors, and vice versa? The idea of learning across different creative mediums isn’t new but the beauty of creation resides not just in one’s particular artistic sphere, but in the ability to draw insights from diverse disciplines. As songwriters, we need to realise that the art of storytelling isn’t confined […]
How to Avoid Clichés in Writing Christmas Songs
Avoiding clichés in writing Christmas songs can be a challenge, as many of the traditional themes and imagery associated with the holiday have been used countless times before. However, with some effort and creativity, it is possible to create a fresh and original Christmas song that avoids the most common clichés. The blog post from […]
10 Places To Find Inspiration For Songwriting
Finding that spark that starts off your songwriting process can be pretty difficult at times so when I came across an article called 10 Places To Find Inspiration For Songwriting, I was really intrigued to see what it had to say. On finding songwriting inspiration the article states that… “Songwriting can be a somewhat tricky venture. […]
10 Ways Of Discovering Inspiring Titles For Your Songs
As songwriters, we often find ourselves in search of that perfect phrase, that one line that not only encapsulates the essence of our songs but also resonates with the listener, beckoning them into the narrative we’ve woven. Finding inspiration for song titles can sometimes feel like a quest for hidden treasure — elusive, yet immensely […]
Crafting Confidence: A Songwriter’s Guide to Beating Self-Doubt
The main thing that destroys the creativity in any songwriter is their own self doubt. We all have it and we all deal with it in our own individual way. I find it strange that the things we take for granted were initially invented or created by individuals who were confident, courageous and passionately determined […]