“A Good Song should be a
Bookmark in Someone Else’s Memory Bank”
Good Songwriting is about COMMUNICATION. We communicate to each other on a three levels:
VISUAL, EMOTIONAL, and PSYCHOLOGICAL.
A great song should be a MUSICAL MIND BRIDGE, connecting your thoughts, feelings and images with those of the listener. This workshop is a collection of Fun, Common Sense Talking Points that will help you create Memorable Lyrics, Stories, Characters, and Melodies that will grab the Head, Heart, and Soul of the listener.
TOPICS INCLUDE:
- CREATING A “MUSICAL MIND BRIDGE”
• Create a “Mini-Movie”or Photo Album of Relatable Images to stimulate the Memory Bank of the listener.
ADVANCING THE STORYLINE - (The“ViewMaster” Technique)
• EVERY Line should Advance or Re-Enforce the Story!
RHYMES & REASON
• Beware “The PRIMAL RHYME-STER”!
• The RHYME Serves The LINE.
• Inner Rhymes - Triumphs or Traps?
PUT YOUR SONG IN MY SHOES
• Internal vs. External Lyrics.
• Don’t tell your story, SHOW It! Make me FEEL It!
- HONEY WORDS
• Use words that Trigger Strong Emotional or Visual Images.
• Find Words & Syllables that are Easy & Fun to sing.
- COMMON SENSES
• Infuse Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste, & Touch into lyrics.
- SING IT LIKE YOU SAY IT!
• Make your lyrics sound Conversational.
• Find your Character’s “Voice”.
- THINNING OUT THE WORD HERD
• Less is WAY more! EVERY Word and Syllable should have to fight for the right to stay in the song!
- WRITE AND PLAY “THE HOLES”
• The brain needs time to Process Music, Words, and Emotions.
LOSING vs. A LOSER
• Everyone can relate to losing someone/something.sometimes.
• Write about a Loser - you better have a good backstory!
I, ME, MINE
• Watch your 1st person word count.
• The Listener should feel like your story is THEIR story.
- CLUSTERING
• A simple Charting Technique that opens up your Subconscious Mind to hundreds of lyric options.
- MEN ARE FROM MARS, WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS …
• When writing, Think, Talk, and Feel Gender specific.
- WHO’S GONNA’ SING THIS?
• Branding your song for an Established Artist vs. Personalizing your Solo Artist projects
- THE TITLE TEST
• Is your title Memorable? Original? Does everything in the song point back to it? Does it summarize everything you want the song to say?
THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS
• Flesh out Characters, Locations, Emotions.
- THE ANSWER IS ALWAYS ON THE PAGE
• Don’t “write yourself into a corner” on a 1st draft.
• There might be a better title or magic phrase buried in a later lyric that gives you a fresh, more focused outlook.