ALISHA

It’s interesting how one verse, one line from a movie, friend, pastor, advertisement, magazine or song can launch an entire set of ideas & inspiring themes.  We are surrounded with messages, ideas, opinions, words in general that all have a hand in influencing what our songs will look like & ultimatly what are songs & words will say.  Your views on society, family, faith, love, abuse, friendship, trust, justice all have a strong hand in determining what you will write.  That being said…what you surround yourself with & allow to influence you are vital in shaping ‘what’ kind of writer you’ll become.  

What goes in must come out.  I think that’s the line.

My dad once told me ’Alisha, if you want to be a great writer you need to be a great reader.’  At first when he told me that I blew it off and thought to myself that if I am a ‘great writer’ my ideas and thoughts will magically appear in my own head, genius, and won’t be influenced by anything else…just me, myself and I.  Forgetting that my own thoughts, ideas and lines have all been formulated by years of observing others, reading, watching & being surrounded by my world and culture.  In conclusion…the more I study, the more I seek truth, the more I look for new inspiration from what’s around me & what’s already been writen…the better & more defined lyricist I’ll become.

I hate writing cliche things, cliche lines, cliche ideas.  But the only way I’ll ever escape my own cliched thoughts is if I dig deep and chose to think beyond my bounderies…maybe let someone else who has already delved deep into what I care about influence my pen.   Inspiring writers like C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, Tolkien, Francis of Assisi… Witty poetic writers like Shakespeare, Austen, Bronte, Whitman who have vocabulary that sparkles with colour…delve into the Bible, one of the most beautiful, challenging and awe inspiring books ever written.  In the last 3 years I’ve decided that I want to be an avid reader so I can intern become an excellent writer.

Every song that I pen should have an ounce of what I genuinely feel or think towards someone or something.  The more narrowed in I can get on my theme or point that I’m trying to portray & imply the better my song will be and the more affective it will be to other people.  Look at your song you’ve been working on and narrow it in, choose something you are trying to say and formulate the entire song around that main theme.  It’s hard to elaborate or get creative with description or imagery when you have way to many ideas all in one song.  20 mind blowing themes in one song is way beyond to much!  

Just some thoughts :)

For the last year I have embarked on a new journey of studying the art of ‘the song.’  I am far from mastering this topic but through my studies I’ve come to appreciate the process not just the outcome of crafting music.  Viewing things like finding inspiration, tweaking, writing & re-writing, being critiqued, structure & form, rhyme patterns & rhythm, arranging & strategizing musical elements in an entirely new way.  

Previous to starting my studies with Berklee College of Music (I’m a student in the Masters of Songwriting Certificate Program) I was what they call a ‘pop out the song’ songwriter. I had an idea, ran with it & didn’t stop for breath till the song was done…sometimes completed in a few nights or less.  Very little thought went into the lyrical content, little attention was given to the form & melody of the song, no strategic plan arrived in the process & very little attention went into taking the core lyric and re-writing or digging for new & better ways of articulating what it was I wanted to say and definitely NEVER NEVER a second opinion…I was far to insecure/protective in my writing to let someone else give input.  

Just like anyone who has any ounce of talent in their craft you learn that you can very easily get away with ‘not trying’ or ‘cutting corners’ still coming out with a semi-decent product or song based on sheer talent alone.  I’m not satisfied with that for myself.  That medium can define you as a songwriter with potential that’s never tapped into, a songwriter that could be excellent but is satisfied with just being ‘good.’  Ask anyone that you look up to in any field of work or craft, it took talent + devotion + study + training to obtain the title of a ‘great composer’ or ‘great anything.’

I’m not saying you can’t spin off an amazing song in 10minutes, I’m just coming to the realization that like anything, maybe a few extra 10minutes sessions (or hours & hours) would help you get from an amazing song to an exceptional one.

So this week I’ve decided to embark on a week of delving into my particular craft : writing, recording and taking time for the thing that I love the most & want to be exceptional in, music & lyric.  Armed with my Bible, random books, google, notebook, garageband, thesaurus, dictionary, rhyming dictionary, my dearest friend Mr. Nord Electro 2 & coffee I think this week has the potential of bringing forth some great things :)

In the chaos, in confusion
I know You’re sovereign still
In the moment of my weakness
You give me grace to do Your will

There is no one else for me
None but Jesus
Crucified to set me free
Now I live to bring Him praise

{Excerpts from None But Jesus, written by Brooke Fraser}