When we first started talking to Joe Marson about offering songwriting advice, he was very wary. Joe rose to prominence last year as one of the finalists of the Guitar Center Singer-Songwriter Competition, where his bluesy, soul-infused performance caught people’s attention in a serious way. Since then, he’s toured constantly and released an acclaimed EP…
Asking for criticism is a strange concept. Seeking out criticism of your songs can feel like asking someone to trample on your dreams. Like, “Hey there, here’s something I put my entire heart and soul into. I’d love for you to tear it apart for me!” … said no one ever. For someone who’s never…
Phil Elverum, based in Washington state and best known for his musical projects The Microphones and Mount Eerie, has trafficked and produced prolifically in all manner of medium: song composition and production, letterpress printing, photography, filmmaking, and last but not least endearing, a 365-day comic calendar called Fancy People Adventures. He has also effectively retained the…
Take a journey with me. Imagine this all too familiar scenario: You’re sitting at a table, looking at the empty chair across from you. Your coffee’s piping hot. You take another swig to ensure that you are properly caffeinated before you meet your friend. Your friend. Can you call them a friend yet? Is that…
[The above video and below post both cover ascending intervals. If you’re looking for help with descending intervals, check out our “Memorize Descending Intervals with This Handy Guide.”] Being able to recognize intervals in music is one of those classic hallmarks of being a pro. If you’re a singer, it means you can walk into an audition…
Toronto wunderkind Andrew Huang has about a thousand tricks up his sleeve. Every time you think he couldn’t possibly one-up himself, he pulls out yet another rabbit wearing a top hat. Most of us first found out about his spectacular ability to turn mundane household sounds into captivating beats and complicated tracks with his video covering “99 Red Balloons”…
After taking Oli Rockberger’s course The New Songwriter’s Workshop, I was left with a single glaring question about the nature of my craft. When approaching the art of songwriting, should I focus on fluidity and a singular unified message across the instrumentation, vocal style, lyrics, and tone? Or, should I let each element stand out individually…
As a former writing major, I know all too well the faults of bad criticism. It makes the writer feel bad, it makes the commenter look inconsiderate, and it doesn’t help the writing improve. In songwriting, something you’ve poured your heart and soul into, it’s especially uncomfortable to receive harsh criticism. The wrong things get attacked, and the…
Andy on my Facebook page suggested I write about finding inspiration — and what better way to start a blog about music and creativity than the very starting point of creating music. Today I want to talk about three different ways to approach finding inspiration, and in my next few posts I’ll go into detail with some tips and…
Every once in a long while, I’ll write a song where the whole arc — from conception to gestation to delivery — will feel gloriously pointed and true. I will be struck sideways with joy and awe over how exactly this gift of a song has communicated my truest, subtlest heart. But if you’re going to make…
