Attention!! Up and coming country singer/songwriter alert!!
Penny Burke is a very good friend of mine and an awesome country singer/songwriter (she has turned me into a fan and that is a hard job to do). I invited her to do the songwriter focus test and these are the answers that she came up with.
PS: Take particular note to the answer she gives for the 'how do you write' question....
Name: Penny Burke
URL: www.penny.com.au
Genre(s): Country
Years writing: I've been writing songs for three years now. Although I did write my first song when I was 15 I never really took it seriously until 2001
Words or Music first: Every time I start a new song I never really follow any kind of regime or formula. Every song is initiated differently. That is, I may have a melody running around in my head, which is followed by the lyrics and vice versa.
Other times I talk to people and get ideas from stories told by them. I may hear a one liner that I will write down for future reference and on the very rare occasion, lyrics and melody happen all at once and I have a song within half an hour.
Why do you write: I write out of necessity. I need to expose the music that is inside me. I need to expose the thoughts and stories inside my head. I want other people to be able to identify with the lyrics that are in my songs just I identify with other peoples songs.
I also write because I really enjoy it. I revel in the fact that I am creating pieces of art that are mine. I hope other people can do the same.
How do you write: I don't always write a song in one sitting, it depends on how I feel about it right from the beginning. Just like other songwriters I have several songs that I have started but will probably never finish.
I find sitting at my computer, guitar in hand and RhymeZone on the screen really works for me. If I get stuck for a line or a word RhymeZone is a big help and can sometime spur me on to write the next verse or chorus just from finding the right word.
Every now and then I have the Country Music Channel on the TV in the background for extra motivation. I look at the artists on the TV and it inspires me to be the next one up there.
What inspires you: My emotional state of mind, the environment around me, the people in my life, media, my children and other peoples life stories. Even if the story about their lives is five minutes long, as long as it touches me I can feel the need to sing about it.
Most important aspect of songwriting: Feeling the song is the most important aspect. Actually I'm having trouble answering this question :)
Advice for beginners: Just do it. Give it a really good go and don't hold back. Get as much advice from as many different people and sources as you possibly can. For a start Corey's site is amazing. I find myself referring to it quite often
Main strengths/weaknesses: My main weakness was having belief in myself. It is only in the last couple of years that I have learnt to embrace the fact that, if you don't believe in yourself it's hard to get others to do the same.
Having such great friends like Corey and the many other musicians I now know has been a real eye-opener for me. They have given me faith in myself and the music I create, so much so I have taken the first step and recorded my first EP.
Songwriting goals: To write when I first have the idea. Record any melody I may hear in my head. I would love to write with other artists to see what creation two (or more) minds can come up with.
Like I said before - Just do it, get on with it and give it a real good go!!
Just do it, get on with it and give it a good go. I think I might just do that. It's good to get a kick up the bum from friends sometimes. I don't know if I could have put it more plainly and simply myself.
Let me do a summary of what Penny had said.
1. Let the song flow naturally, be aware of the different ways a song can be created and use any of those ways to get the song down. After all, getting the song from ether to paper is the most important thing to be doing at that time. Feel the song, don't force it.
2. Talk to people, actively listen and get involved with your life, live it to the full. You never know where a song might just pop up.
3. I loved the way Penny said that she needed to "expose the music, thoughts ans stories inside her" great songwriting comes from within, become in tune with whats inside you, your inner artist not your inner critic.
4. Revel in the songwriting process itself. See it as a means to a glorious end.
5. Look everywhere for ideas and inspiration. The world is world of infinite ideas.
6. Believe in yourself and allow others to do the same. When you are networking associate with other for who they are first, not what they can do for you only.
7. Don't be afraid to collaborate, sometime two (or more) heads are better than one.
8. Just do it, get on with it and give it a real good go!!!! (theres got to be a song in there Penny)
Until next time, happy writing,
Corey Stewart
Singer/Songwriter/Musician
Keywords: song writing, songwriting, songwriter, singer songwriter, rss feed, songwriting tip, songwriting help, songwriting technique, songwriting idea, songwriting resource, songwriting blog, free songwriting tip, penny burke, corey stewart
