There was this scene in a cartoon my son was watching where two kids wanted to be rock stars. They started writing a song but realized they didn’t have enough life experience to say much in their lyrics. So they went out and started doing a bunch of things to expedite the process. I laughed […]
On Songwriting: If You Lack Life Experience Read More »
Hi Lori – I like to play this one. Here’s a little video of me showing it to you.
AMA: “What type of guitar do you like to play the most, for its sound?” Read More »
Inspired by one of her friends, my wife Heidi started taking one second videos every day. Little snapshots of life. I recommend you try it (I am, too). It’s helping me notice the beauty in the ordinary. Here’s Heidi’s latest 28 seconds:
One Second Every Day Read More »
While painting, Bob Ross famously used to say to his viewers, “We don’t make mistakes, we just have happy accidents.” I want to point out something obvious: We don’t have happy accidents unless we make mistakes—and you can’t make mistakes if you aren’t taking action. When’s the last time you had a happy accident?
On Songwriting: Happy Accidents (or Action-dents) Read More »
The other day she texted, “What’s your most popular song?” I told her it was “Making All Things New.” Then she made this really great printable.
My Sister Ingrid Made This Cool Printable Read More »
My dad is an electrician. Naturally, I call him when I have an electrical problem. He’ll troubleshoot with me over the phone, and I understand him for a little bit. But then he slips into jargon and electrical-speak and I have to have him explain what he means. When it comes to wiring a house,
On Songwriting: Breaking the Curse of Knowledge Read More »
AMA: “If you could only listen to digital music or vinyl records for the rest of your life which would you choose?” Ali Hi Ali – I’ll answer this solely as a listener. If I answer as an artist and songwriter, I might put myself out of a job! I was going to say digital
“Did you enjoy jazz band in high school? What did you gain from that time, as far as a musician and songwriter?” Rachel Hi Rachel – I smiled when I read your question because I never was in jazz band in high school. You and I grew up in the same small town, so maybe
Songwriting isn’t about theory. Many professional songwriters don’t even read music. I’m one of them. We often don’t know the names of the chords we’re playing on guitar or piano. What many of us do know, however, are numbers. Numbers are based on the shape or position you’re in rather than the key. They give
On Songwriting: Instead of Theory Learn This Read More »
I’ve never been good at math. I quit my calculus class with Mr. Wensloff to join the show choir. Had I paid more attention, I would’ve learned this lesson sooner. In fact, you probably already know it. Have you ever heard of the Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule? Here is the basic
On Songwriting: The 80/20 Rule Read More »