listening
What Hemingway Can Teach Us About Listening (And Writing Better Songs)
“When people talk listen completely. Don’t be thinking what you’re going to say. Most people never listen. Nor do they observe… You should be able to go into a room and when you come out know everything that you saw there and not only that. If that room gave you any feeling you should know […]
Should Songwriters Have Eclectic Taste or a Signature Sound?
Once you’ve made the decision to really listen to music as a songwriter, the next question usually pops up pretty quickly: “What should I be listening to?” Should you go deep into the genre you write in? Or should you open the floodgates and take in everything from Mongolian throat singing to glitchy lo-fi hip […]
The Art of Listening: Why Songwriters Must Be Music Fans First
When people ask me how to get better at songwriting, one of the first things I say is: “Are you listening to enough music?” Not just having it on in the background, but actually listening. It sounds simple, almost too simple in fact, but listening to music with intention is one of the most underrated […]