Gary asked me this question about co-writing:
I've been writing solo for many years, and at this point am turning out good songs consistently — occasionally, better than good. It may take me 3 weeks of rewriting, or longer, before I'm satified with every line. I've tried co-writing once or twice, but so far, over the course of a 3-hour meeting, we haven't got much past choosing a title and nailing down a scenario. Lines produced have generally not been "keepers." In one case, I took a co-writer's hook home and came back with a finished song (words & music) all 3 of use were happy with. But how can I get better at writing quickly in the same room with others?
Here's what I wrote back:
I'm glad to hear you're writing successfully alone. Three weeks to create a "better than good" song is impressive. A great song doesn't really occur in time as much as it does in quality of inspiration, and it sounds like you've been able able to tap into your own deep well.
Sometimes it's taken me years to discover the perfect form for an idea, a title, or a line. But if the spark is strong it will keep popping up over and over until it's fully expressed.
Collaborator-wise, it appears you're not quite "clicking" with these particular co-writers (yet). Spending 3 hours and not coming up with much of anything sounds like a bad date, as does contributing 90% of the "keeper" material in a song.
There's a mysterious, invisible force that takes over during a successful co-write, during which all space and time disappear. You have to sort of "wake up" out of the trance at the end in order to rejoin the rest of humanity. If that's not happening with these folks, you might want to seek out some other writers.
You can't craft, contrive or construct a good song. It has to emerge organically from something real and true. Of course, skilled writers can make anything sound decent, and they can touch all the bases regarding song form, rhyme, meter, hooks, chords and melody lines. But without the heart, soul or spirit present, there's no deeper purpose to the exercise, and the song will die a death, usually sooner rather than later.
I suggest you make a list of your strong suits and weak suits, and go about finding collaborators who supplement your weaknesses. For example, I'm much better with lyrics and melodies than I am with chord progressions, arrangements, rhythms and engineering. So I seek out people who play guitar or piano/keyboards better than I do, or create cool tracks, beats or vibes that I never could have come up with. Then we go into that magical trance together. Even long-distance! In the past several weeks I've written 3 songs with people in Sweden, and haven't even spoken to or met any of them. But they're all strong where I'm weak, and vice versa.
Someone in the collaboration has to be brave enough to toss their ideas into the ring first. I am detached enough from the outcome to willingly do this, by bringing a title, a Verse and Chorus, or a full lyric to most writing sessions. If my co-writers aren't glomming onto it excitedly within seconds, the idea gets put away for later (or never). Then it's their turn!
Admittedly, ya gotta kiss a lotta frogs to find your prince (or princess). I've written with probably hundreds of people over the last 30 years, including one who I've written with for over 20 years. With some collaborators, one song was one song too many. And believe me, some of them had written massive hits! There was no logical reason why we couldn't work well together. It's just that the magic was missing. As my friend and I used to say, "It's an energy thing."
Where Can I Go To Meet Other Songwriters?
I'm constantly being asked this question by up-and-coming writers. Here's one great spot!
It gets awfully lonely writing songs in a vacuum. Most of us need to interact regularly with our colleagues to escape the inertia of The Computer or The Couch. Luckily, for 18 years now, the Songwriters' Circle has been showcasing some of New York's greatest talents, and lately they've been actively expanding the opportunities and resources available to songwriters far and wide.
Check the website out here:
http://www.songwriters-circle.com
The live version of the Circle showcases features an intimate "songwriters in the round" format, with up to 6 songwriters playing several tunes for a highly attentive and appreciative audience. Here's an excerpt from the website:
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For over 18 years, Singer/Songwriter Tina Shafer has been producing and directing the Songwriters' Circle, producing bi-monthly shows at the legendary Bitter End club, in New York City's West Village. Showcasing artists such as Norah Jones, Jesse Harris, Lisa Loeb, Vanessa Carlton, Gavin DeGraw and Chris Barron, the Circle quickly became one of the most popular music events in the city, attracting not only the best up and coming songwriting talent from around the world but also top music industry executives looking to discover "the next big thing."
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I've performed at the Circle (back the day!) and attended it dozens of times over the years, and always walk out inspired by the writers. I've also met many folks there that I later ended up collaborating with or hiring to perform on my material.
Plus, there's nothing like a roomful of hard-core songwriters to get your adrenaline pumping! In fact, the other night I literally ran out of business cards by the end of the event, which spilled out onto the sidewalk outside the Bitter End afterwards.
The Songwriter's Circle is expanding to Philly and other cities, and sponsors a contest with $15,000 in prizes. Yowzah!
So for those of you pining away for the company of like-minded souls, find a way to get to the nearest Songwriter's Circle. You can start by visiting the site to learn more details, listen to the "cream of the crop," or submit your material for consideration for a future showcase. Don't just sit there... participate!
What If There's No Such Thing
As Writer's Block?!
Recently I was asked to contribute some thoughts to a Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) session on the subject of Writer's Block.
Here's what I wrote:
My suspicion about so-called "Writer's Block" is that it actually should be called "Fear of Writing Badly." The moment you're willing to write something, anything, just to get the pen, the musical instrument or the voice moving, then voila! Your block is miraculously gone.
The problem is that we can become so harshly judgemental about what we write that it seems preferable not to write at all, thus sparing ourselves the embarrassment of writing really bad material. In response to that I say, "dare to suck!" (Pardon my vernacular.) Try writing about the fact that you have nothing interesting to write about — at least it'll get the juices flowing.
Let's say you have no real drama going on at the moment, i.e. "song fodder." On the surface, your day-to-day existence lacks the obvious peaks and valleys of romantic turmoil, life-or-death situations, and compelling stories to tell. Now what?
My advice is to delve deeper into your own experience. Make a list of the people, places and things you're truly passionate about right now. Family? Politics? A disastrous relationship from high school that you never really sorted out? We all have unique riches to share, but we tend to discount their universal appeal. My experience
