On Legacy
August 23, 2008
2 CommentsThis is the true joy in life, the being recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.
I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.
~George Bernard Shaw
If you want to be notified the next time I post something, sign up for email alerts or subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
(1 votes, average: 4 out of 5)
Loading ...The concept is this:
To be a good, competent songwriter, it will take 1,000 hours of practice. If you want to be a great songwriter, it will take 5,000 hours.
Winners are made, not born. So forget about talent. Talent is a gift for concentration, dedication, and a simple desire to keep getting better.
Become a peak performer, an expert, through hours and hours of deliberate practice.
(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5) Loading ...Most Inspiring 30 Minutes I’ve Invested In A Long Time
January 25, 2008
5 CommentsWith subtle accompaniment by longtime friend Herbie Hancock, and a slide show that has opened the minds (and pocketbooks) of CEOs across the country, artist and youth activist Bill Strickland tells a quiet and astonishing tale of redemption through arts, music and unlikely partnerships.
(4 votes, average: 4.5 out of 5) Loading ...Rewriting Song Titles For Practice And Inspiration
December 22, 2007
0 CommentsHere’s an exercise I love to do when I need inspiration for song titles. If nothing’s coming naturally, this trick can really get the creative juices flowing. Even if I end up using nothing that I come up with, I find that within a day or two, one of my ideas will trigger something completely different, usable, and inspiring.
The idea is simple. Rewrite song titles.
Song titles are great starting points. Song titles are often the hook. Once you’ve got a great hook, just about any competent or interesting verse will complete the song. So starting with a song title or hook gets you about 80 percent of the way there.
I have many sources that I go to, various iTunes top 10 lists, Billboard charts, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll, and many others. Even if you come up empty, it’s great practice and gives you insight into the songwriting of whomever you choose to emulate.
Take the following example, “I Will Dare” by The Replacements. If I begin by keeping the same syllables but looking for opposite meaning I get something like “You Won’t Dare”—keeping close to the original—or “You Won’t Risk.” Both of those titles give me ideas to develop into complete songs.
“After Midnight” by Eric Clapton becomes “Before Noon.” Beginning with “I Love Rock ‘N Roll,” first charted by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, you could change it to the shocked and rhetorical question, “You Hate Rock and Roll?!” Or keep the content similar but change the style of music to “I Love Dance Punk.” “Long Tall Sally” by Little Richard could become “Big Bad Brady.” I found that name using a baby name finder.
There’s no rules to this game. But you can set up some guidelines or directions to get you started. With “Long Tall Sally,” I tried to keep the song’s original alliteration. With “After Midnight,” I looked for the opposite meaning—even though after midnight and before noon refer to the same 12 hours. 
I often like to keep the same syllables since most great titles come with a built-in infectious rhythm. Internal rhymes, alliteration, content, any literary device can be kept, manipulated, or left behind.
I like to do little exercises like this whenever I’m running out of ideas or I’ve got a little down time. They grease your creative gears and give you plenty of material to work with. And they’re pretty easy to invent. Have fun and let me know what you come up with!
(2 votes, average: 4.5 out of 5) Loading ...Brian Eno’s Oblique Strategies For Your iPhone
July 23, 2007
3 CommentsIn an attempt to hack their creativity and artistic output, Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt created a deck of cards they called the Oblique Strategies. Whenever they came up against a creative dilemma–and especially while under a moment of pressure or deadline–they would pull a card and follow the directions.
I’ve used this technique constantly in my creative pursuits. Whether it be composing, arranging, or songwriting, the Oblique Strategies have helped to keep me in a state of creative flow.
I wanted to create a mobile version since I find myself sans computer a lot now that I have my iPhone. This online version of the Oblique Strategies will work on any browser even though it’s optimized for iPhone.
Check it out and bookmark it if you like it: Oblique Strategies
(1 votes, average: 4 out of 5) Loading ...