|
|
|
|
As a songwriter who lived outside of Nashville until a year ago, I would
follow a plan that really helped me stay focused and stay on my songwriting
journey. I called it simply, “Do one thing a day for my songwriting.” Those
“things” have enabled me to develop a great network in Nashville of friends
and industry professionals, to be prepared when I moved to Nashville with
the craft and business of songwriting, to write better songs on my
songwriting journey, and to really keep my songwriting goals focused over
the years prior to moving to Nashville.
One thing a day includes making a phone call or e-mail to a songwriter to set up a co-write session, or an industry professional to ask a songwriting business question, or someone in the workshop to discuss an upcoming event. Or, I might make plans for my next trip to Nashville, plans for an upcoming workshop meeting and guest speakers for the local events, or contact the media for those local songwriting events. Sometimes I would talk to a couple of out-of-town or out-of-state friends who are on the songwriting journey to share ideas, goals, challenges and successes. Sometimes a call would be needed to say hello to someone whom I haven’t spoken to for a while, who always encouraged me in life, and to share what was going on in my life, even thought that friend was not a songwriter. They are (and still continue to be) great, positive friends who believe in me.
Other kinds of one thing a day include opening
my hook-book to write a hook that I had just found reading a book, a
conversation overheard during the day. Or, I might find a hook from
watching a movie or TV, from the preacher’s sermon, a newspaper, or magazine.
Sometimes, the hook “came to me from the sky,” or wherever those
hooks come from, and seem to find our songwriter’s antenna, move
into our head, and then down our arm onto the paper. I also
open the hook book to review ideas I’ve written in it, to see if
I could write another verse or chorus to something I had started previously, and
maybe even complete a song in my hook book.
I
might play the guitar or keyboard – even for a couple minutes a day - which
is another excellent thing to do that may inspire an idea. I learn
another melody that can lead to a song, learn a new chord or strumming pattern,
or work to improve a song that I’ve written. If I
have more than a couple minutes, then I play the instrument and visualize
myself playing my songs to an audience, a concert hall, one of
our local venues, or playing live in the venue of that is my ultimate
goal.
One
thing a day also includes reading
just a chapter - or even one or two pages - of a songwriting book a day to increase
my songwriting skills. Hey, folks – we all know what our favorite
room to read is – so go ahead and have a songwriting book in there at all
times! If I read a little before going to bed, I often make it
a songwriting or industry publication for my bedtime stories. I read
the “how to” songwriting books, biographies about people in
the songwriting or music industry, or any book or industry magazine that enables
me to learn one thing per day. It’s is a great investment for my
songwriting journey.
Some
other things that I did while still in Charlotte, and
you can to, is to attend and get involved in the local songwriting
community. I was the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI)
coordinator in Charlotte, North Carolina, from 1996 – 2002. I
was fortunate to have two great co-coordinators for the last year in Charlotte,
as I had my condo on the market and was making plans to move to
Nashville. I know from personal experience that it’s great when songwriters
ask what they can do to get involved with the local songwriter workshop.
I
highly recommend networking in your local community by attending the music events and
singer/songwriter nights. This is an excellent place to meet new co-writers and
friends that have the same interests as you and inspire new songs.
One
thing a day should include time to review your goals. I wrote my goals down and placed them
where I could see them every day. I still do this. That way, I can
pause for a minute, look and make sure I have done one thing that day for my
songwriting journey. Visualize your goals happening with your songwriting. But,
the most important thing for you to do each day is – Have Fun on Your
Songwriting Journey!
Doak
Turner is a songwriter in Nashville. A frequent contributor to www.musicdish.com,
www.songwritersconnection.com
,
©Copyright 2003. Barbara Cloyd
All Rights Reserved
Web Hosting by Eagle Web
Development
