The Reason For Your Life Story

"I’ll pray a hedge of protection around you because I’m pretty sure you’re on a slippery slope. I might go as far as loving on you through this season. Just sayin’." - Jon Acuff

So many times, especially as songwriters that write for church or other religious reasons, we tend to write Christiany things. Yes, it’s a word. Ok, no it’s not, but you know what I mean.

Christianese. Words that sounds good to Christians because they know them and are comfy with them with our church friends or driving in the car praise-driving. But are these the only things to write about? Does writing more Christianish songs really get the true job out of reaching people for Christ?

Songwriting Essentials: Rhyme Time

(Guest post by the inimitable Robert Sterling. Find out more about Robert here.)

The single most common Poetic Device used in songwriting is without a doubt – rhyme. Unfortunately rhyme is seemingly so simple, the beginner songwriter may assume it to be easy. (Simple is very different than easy.) Really great rhyme is a well-practiced craft.

For those of you songwriters that haven’t read my book (Shame on you, by the way.)here are some quick tips that might help you better master a part of the craft we all too often take for granted.

How to Get Better as a Songwriter

I've been right where you are.

At some point in your life, it became apparent that you could put words and music together and make a song.

People know you as a songwriter.

But for some reason, no one has realized your genius (or least no one that MATTERS!) There has been no publishing contract with Word. There has been no calls from Toby Mac because he heard your music on Soundcloud. There has been no word from Hollywood, Nashville, or New York, even though you've sent a few demos that way.

So what is the deal?

5 Steps to Songwriting Success

As you can imagine, we hear a lot of songs on a week to week basis. People ask us daily for our thoughts on their songs and we work with artists trying to help them move to the next level with their songwriting. In all this work we see a lot of the same things happening in songs. So I thought it might be good just to lay out a few things that might help beginning songwriters as well as songwriters who have been at this for a while find more success.

Fighting Writer’s Block

You're trying to put together a new album, or haven't written any music in a while, but every time you sit down to write, the same thing happens. Either nothing comes to you, or you feel like everything you come up with is so stale and predictable you can't stand it.

Don't you hate when THAT happens?

Here's a few things you can do to fight this very common problem.

What Are You Writing For?

In working with Christian songwriters, we sometimes see some confusion about the kinds of songs they write, and the uses for them. We all hear about publishing, co-writing, royalties, commercial songs vs. artistic songs, etc.

It’s hard to know which way to write to please the powers that be in the music business. But the good news is we really don’t have to, and here’s why.

What if Nobody Ever Hears My Songs?

“Every man, and for stronger reasons, every artist, wants to be recognized. So do I.” - Albert Camus 

When I was a young songwriter, long before I became a full time producer, I used to really worry that if I died no one would have ever really heard my songs. Oh sure, my family and friends knew I was a songwriter, but I fretted hard about the world not knowing my work even existed!

At that point I had probably written 400 or so songs since I was in high school. I was raising a young family, and working full time at a corporate job. But as always in my life, I was writing songs like crazy.