Songwriting….and practice…..and more songwriting…
I have been focusing on songwriting for the past few weeks. Also general practicing as well. Sometimes as a working musician, I don’t always take the time to actually practice. That sounds ridiculous, especially as I look at those words I just typed, but it is the truth. How the heck have I been able to maintain a career as a musician for 27 years (and counting) without a regular regimen of practice. Well, I guess sometimes I get caught up in the gigs, in whatever I am doing at the moment.
But as I have gotten back to regular practice, it feels great. I do some practicing, then I start writing. I find that it somehow makes the writing a bit easier. As a songwriter, I sit down to write something, and there is always a fear that “maybe you can’t write another song”, “the last one you wrote was your last!”. But, you just sit down, start playing, start singing, write down a word or phrase, and it just starts happening. It’s the great big secret of success of just about anything, and here it is: Just START DOING IT.
One thing is for sure; if I don’t sit down and consciously make the effort to write, then I won’t write. I’ll just go about my day, the sun will rise and set, and no song. Gotta do the work. For me, it’s a labor of love. It’s not always easy, and sometimes it;s really frustrating. But it’s always rewarding at the end. And that is both for the practicing and the writing. They both have their rewards.
Okay, back to work……
Here’s to music and it’s healing power…
-Jamie