Article by KIA
How do you tap into your authentic truth and write music that touches and inspires? Here our are 5 Tips On Soulwriting.
1. Who are you writing for?
Have you ever noticed that when you write for others it’s easier somehow?
I can agree, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it. There are a lot of different approaches to combating perfectionism and/ or insecurities at certain moments.
I’ve been doing a lot of research in the past few years on combining Neuro-Linguistic Programming with Music to find some different approaches on desired/undesired behavior: shift your perspective and try to put yourself into the position of writing for someone else for example, or shift completely as if you are the other person and you’re writing their experiences with their emotions, or try to be conversational, what would you say if it was a person standing in front of you? A one on one talk.
2. Where Do You Start From?
This could be many different things.
For me it depends a little bit on what kind of song I’m writing -but sometimes I don’t know this yet- so it gets a little blurry here. Don’t be afraid though, because this is the beauty of writing! This is the creative part. I always say everything starts with a thought, a fantasy, an idea.
Think outside the box.
Sometimes it’s just one word that comes to mind, but that one word creates a whole world. Make a mind map and go play around with it! Or you have an amazing hook melody that pops in your head in bed at 3:30am that you just need to record quickly on your voice memo. Or maybe, you have such strong feelings about, and you just need to get it off of your chest, write it all down! Because here is your dose of inspiration given to you on a silver platter.
3. Let It Flow
Sometimes words, melodies or chords come to us…
and it seems like out of the blue. That’s the moment to let your music flow and let it write itself. Most of the time we don’t even realize when we’re in a flow. It is when time passes by and all of the sudden you realize the song is done. Great right?
4. Metaphors vs. Conversation
Metaphors are a wonderful way to strongly say something without actually saying it.
And I don’t mean this in a passive aggressive kind of way. In my opinion, it symbolizes something other than “direct” conversational talk. But there’s a fine line when using metaphors. My tip: Don’t overdo it! Conversational talk is something that people can easily relate to, so make sure to find the right balance in your songs.
5. Own It!
During my conservatory period there were a lot of misconceptions about writing such as: if you’re a singer, you need to write all your own stuff.
Hey, it’s absolutely cool if you can and choose to do so, but if you look back in history, this wasn’t a thing. There were actually two separate jobs: the songwriter and the singer. So never get discouraged by stubborn, inexperienced musicians saying something like this.
I have written songs by myself, but I truly prefer to work with different writers and get their creative input on it. Different producers create different productions with new, fresh sounds.
The importance of it all is to own your songs.
And by “owning it” I mean being confident in the end phase of the piece of art you’ve just created hopefully for the rest of the world to hear.
Summary
Remember who are you writing for, where you are starting from, let your art flow, keep it real by balancing the conversation and metaphors, and always own it. Writing is a wonderful art, and it’s our special gift to the world. How will you use these ideas in your songwriting? I’d love to hear from you.
Article by KIA
