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Getting To Know You
By Patricia Conroy
You can only sit for so long at your kitchen table with a pen in your hand and a blank piece of paper staring at you before your mind says, "OK, how about this?" And the conversation begins.
Songwriting is basically getting to know yourself- sifting through emotions, past experiences and influences. If you've ever been inspired by a melody or lyrics, chances are that you'd like to pass that feeling along. That's it for me. I want to make the listener feel something.
For some, the process of writing a song comes very naturally. For others, it can get to be a bit of a pain in the kitchen chair. But like anything else worth achieving, you make mistakes, fall down and get back up again. For there is nothing quite like hearing your song being played on the radio!
One thing I've discovered is that it's kind of hard to be a fair critic of your own songs. They're like your babies. You become very proud of them, and attached to them. They're an extension of you. Tough to be objective?
Once you understand "hooks", catch-phrases that anchor songs and grab the listener, you walk into a world of possibilities. You can find hooks as you're walking down the street, drivin' in your car. Hooks are waiting around every corner. Keep your ears and eyes open!
In the meantime, there will be days when the words won't come. Enter the co-writer. Here's someone you can bounce ideas off. Someone who can give you another point of view. Two heads are better than one.
But if two-headed songs aren't your cup of tea, don't get discouraged. Believe in yourself, remember the obvious, and say what's in your heart.
And while you're sitting at the table chewing on your pencil, just remember- I'm at home wearing a hole in the kitchen chair.
Good luck!
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