4 answers
Michelle
Student
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
1
Question
Asked
750 views
How do I get started with songwriting?
I don't seem to know where to start and all of it just seems a little scary, so some guidance for me would be appreciated. I want to go into a career with music because I know how much it helps me and I want to be able to use it. Not just more me though, for other people too. I want to be able to give people that same feeling that I get when I listen to music.
4 answers
Joseph Robinson
Song writer
1
Answer
Orange City, Florida
Updated
Joseph’s Answer
First I'd start by building a base of what you want the song to be about and work around that secondly you gotta find a beat to match the tone of the song and after you find the beat go into phase 3 where you have to start finding the lyrics you don't find the lyrics the lyrics find you just start giving with the beat and flow will form naturally then find what the main focus for the story is and base the lyrics off that then you got a song
Build a base
Find a beat
Find the lyrics
Find the flow
Make the song
Joseph recommends the following next steps:
Michelle M.
Entertainment Industry
1879
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Michelle !
I was happy to see that you have an interest in writing music and lyrics because music is very important to people. It is important for so many reasons as you truly recognize. There are so many different ways to get into songwriting but for now, I would suggest that you keep composing the songs and build up a large collection. Record your work or have a friend sing the songs and keep all the files in your computer. Find a way to meet singers and musicians in your area and explore what they may be doing as far as networking groups or workshops.
Without knowing how old you are, I would than advise taking music and creative writing classes in high school for a basic foundation before going forward. I would than highly advise enrolling in a local community college for an Associates Degree in Music. The reason I suggest this is because you will meet so many singers and musicians who are also studying and they will prove to be valuable supports and sometimes can share opportunity information with you. Your professors will also be a source for opportunities, too. The college experience may also help you deal with feeling apprehensive or, as you've mentioned, scared. Give it some time and you will be sure to grow.
I also want to mention that unfortunately, as with many performing arts careers, there are some scams out there that are to be avoided. I will provide a link below which will touch upon some of the scams that are out there. My own advice to you: never pay anyone to produce your music and never pay to enter a contest.
Most of all, in everything you do have fun.
https://www.tunedly.com/blog/classicconssongwritersface.html INDUSTRY NEWS - SCAMS IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
https://blog.sonicbids.com/is-it-a-scam?hs_amp=true WAYS TO TELL IF YOU ARE BEING SCAMMED BY A MUSIC COMPANY
I was happy to see that you have an interest in writing music and lyrics because music is very important to people. It is important for so many reasons as you truly recognize. There are so many different ways to get into songwriting but for now, I would suggest that you keep composing the songs and build up a large collection. Record your work or have a friend sing the songs and keep all the files in your computer. Find a way to meet singers and musicians in your area and explore what they may be doing as far as networking groups or workshops.
Without knowing how old you are, I would than advise taking music and creative writing classes in high school for a basic foundation before going forward. I would than highly advise enrolling in a local community college for an Associates Degree in Music. The reason I suggest this is because you will meet so many singers and musicians who are also studying and they will prove to be valuable supports and sometimes can share opportunity information with you. Your professors will also be a source for opportunities, too. The college experience may also help you deal with feeling apprehensive or, as you've mentioned, scared. Give it some time and you will be sure to grow.
I also want to mention that unfortunately, as with many performing arts careers, there are some scams out there that are to be avoided. I will provide a link below which will touch upon some of the scams that are out there. My own advice to you: never pay anyone to produce your music and never pay to enter a contest.
Most of all, in everything you do have fun.
Michelle recommends the following next steps:
Thank you so much for all of the advice. I'll be sure to look into whether we have a creative writing or music-producing class I could take next year at my high school. Thanks for the links! I'll look at them as soon as I get a chance. Also, I'm 14 by the way, I started high school a few days ago. Anyways, it's nice to meet another Michelle. I've never met anyone with the same name as me before. I hope you have a nice day Michelle!
Michelle
You are so welcome, Michelle ! Best wishes to you in high school ! Also, when I was in high school, the name Michelle was so popular that I had about 5 girls named Michelle in most of my classes ! LOL !
Michelle M.
Jose Garcia
Singer
46
Answers
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Updated
Jose’s Answer
Hello Michelle,
I wish you well in your endeavors to find meaning and for what you want to do with your life. I suspect it's exciting yet painful in a sense at the same time to have urges to do well but not really know in which direction to take things. We all go through it and I think this is the stuff that life is made of so that we can feel challenged to get things done.
I sing and want to incorporate rapping as another way of expressing myself. What has helped me which I suggest to you is to personalize your writing. This means to get ideas flowing, begin to write about things you are already going through, that is what you think about is going around you. Lately, I've been listening to a song called, "Where is the Love" and when I try to rap to it (feeling the beat as the person named Joseph who gave you an answer) I think about what it is I want to say in reference to what I see is needed in the world. Therefore, when you write, let's say you see a certain injustice in the world which you want to do something about, that is what you would base your thinking on and believe me the ideas and words plus the emotions will flow because it's really just an outpouring of your being. Keep in mind the other responses you received to love what you do remembering always what it is you want to get across to your audience as well as keeping in mind it is also beneficial to learn about your craft. You will do just fine. Here's wishing you the best!!!
I wish you well in your endeavors to find meaning and for what you want to do with your life. I suspect it's exciting yet painful in a sense at the same time to have urges to do well but not really know in which direction to take things. We all go through it and I think this is the stuff that life is made of so that we can feel challenged to get things done.
I sing and want to incorporate rapping as another way of expressing myself. What has helped me which I suggest to you is to personalize your writing. This means to get ideas flowing, begin to write about things you are already going through, that is what you think about is going around you. Lately, I've been listening to a song called, "Where is the Love" and when I try to rap to it (feeling the beat as the person named Joseph who gave you an answer) I think about what it is I want to say in reference to what I see is needed in the world. Therefore, when you write, let's say you see a certain injustice in the world which you want to do something about, that is what you would base your thinking on and believe me the ideas and words plus the emotions will flow because it's really just an outpouring of your being. Keep in mind the other responses you received to love what you do remembering always what it is you want to get across to your audience as well as keeping in mind it is also beneficial to learn about your craft. You will do just fine. Here's wishing you the best!!!
Nicolas McKissack
Independent artist
72
Answers
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Updated
Nicolas’s Answer
That's exactly why I started writing music, to inspire. Then I found out writing music took away the inspiration I got from other artists, so I sold my studio. I no longer am interested in even listening now that I did it, so be aware of that. However, I think it's imperative you write out your dreams though. Become a writer by listening, reading, and speaking. These three things will create a "flow" for you, and I'm sure you won't lose interest. That is only something personal that I went through, and maybe quit because it was not getting views. Although great myself at writing poetry and music, I would recommend practicing skills through coursework admissions. That's really what I did, and have a couple books of my poetry ready to be published!
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