SAC Songwriting & Blogging Challenge: Introduction
All right! So I’m starting the Coursera songwriting course with Pat Pattison:
http://www.songwriters.ca/events/446/challenge2013.aspx
…and here’s the first post on where am I on my songwriting journey, and what I hope to get out of the course, a few hours before the first lesson begins.
My songwriting
I’ve been songwriting for over a decade. It started in my teens as catharsis; I was a very shy teenager, and there were lots of things that I felt I couldn’t talk about, so I wrote about them. At one point I wrote a song a day…though I haven’t been nearly as prolific in recent years.
There’s one thing I hope to gain from the course: write more songs!
Over the years, my songwriting journey transformed from getting things off my chest into an intensive craft. When I write a song now, I’m looking first and foremost at hooks and structure. I’m a total pop fanatic, and my goal with every song is to basically « Get to the chorus! », although, the verse and prechorus have to be hooky too! I also love layering multiple melodies in a song as it progresses, to give listeners something fresh to listen to after the verse and chorus repeat.
I also rewrite a lot more nowadays; before, I used to think that when a song is finished, it’s finished, and shouldn’t be tampered with. Now, I ask myself if there’s any way I can make the song better: give a clearer message, cut anything superfluous, better engage and transport the listener into the story, get even catchier!
Ultimately, I want to make a living as a pop songwriter. That’s my career goal, period.
My hopes, my wants
My first expectation, one that no doubt will be fulfilled, is that the course will get me closer to my career goal, by making me a better songwriter.
My second expectation is that I’ll learn about the nuts and bolts of songwriting. Pat’s mention of prosody definitely has me intrigued, and I can’t wait to learn about it.
My third expectation is finding new ways to write a song, especially when I hit writer’s block and feel uninspired!
Can’t wait to start on my first piece of songwriting homework!
Who Gives a Pop? 