Songwriting - Week 5

Week 5. This came round quick!!
(And meaty apologies for the late arrival of this blog)
So starting from the top...

Monday Monday, no longer is it a dreary, weary effort to haul myself from my bed and face a week at work in the same chair, saying the same things on the phone, wearing the slight vacant expression on my face. Monday is Funday! Woo har!
Although to be fair, this Monday wasn't actually the typical bouncing girl going into uni - was a bit of a weird day - woke up a bit sad with no apparent reason really. And this in itself was confusing.. but what would normally seep into a grim week was over by 10 mins into the seminar (About 10:10.) So this was nice !!

Because how could Motown not cheer any one up??! Marvin Gaye to Diana Ross, beautiful soulful melodies, and being able to lose yourself in music that I only then realised had been such an inspiration to me. I found I was improving my listening. Cos we figured there's listening, then there's listening... I love both. Ooh I hope this course doesn't ever stop me from the 1st kind of listening - the kind without too much analysis, concentration or agenda. But then I'm really enjoying being able to listen - because there is just so much to listen for - and I guess its the kind of thing where the more you put in, the more you get out. (I may just apply this to every aspect of my life from NOW!)
So anyway, apart from the listening and the listening.. (could I say this word any more?!) we looked at a lot of songs written by Dozier and Holland - and the style of writing and the structure's seem to have some general themes running through - e.g. pre - chorus? what pre-chorus?! Or maybe just a line or two at the most? Fantastic momentum, rhythm and sometimes such simple honest lyrics. Varying structures from A-B-A-B-A-B to A-A-A-A-A ( Where did our love go - Holland, Dozier, Holland) and before I knew it, lunchtime arrived and I was in a much better frame of mind.
Tuesday (My busiest and by far my favourite day) Solo songwriting - where for the 1st time - I felt comfortable with my song - I didn't have the irritating desire to make endless apologies and excuses about the song. On The Edge was played to eager talented ears and helpful nice constructive things were said.

Tuesday tottered along with 3 an a half hours spent learning recording techniques, drum programming and general 'logic' madness. And another guest lecturer gracing us with his presence was publisher Andy Grahame whom, with a wealth of A&R, Publishing and Management experience answered question after question. These Industrial Context lessons have multiple effects on me... On one side, its reassuring, inspiring and makes things that little bit clearer about the music industry. On the other side, some harsh realisations rain down, and it seems that its a cut throat place to be. Rejections, struggles and instability seem to be inevitable. Perhaps necessary? Songwriting at a high, commercial, successful level, it appears may well be something so so few songwriters wil be able to achieve. But I kind of feel that's okay. After all, isn't it sometimes the hardest things in life, the things that are most worth having? (Something like that anyway...!)

Wednesday was jam day. And no not the raspberry variety. Grand Piano, a fantastic big space with many a guitar and oodles of talent floating in and out of the lovely chapel arts centre. And even a bit of opera and a spot of ballroom dancing, (and no not the serious variety!)

Thursday was the 1st open mic I have done in maybe a year or so... and it was good!! and surprising not as scary as previous ones I had done. The eccentric host even participated with a spot of harmonica - lovely stuff!!!

So to wrap up then...

With every week that passes - I try to remember and take in everything I can, because I have a feeling taking this MA could be the best decision I've ever made

And P.s Is it just me that has to mutter 'Never Eat Cake Eat Sausage Sandwiches And Remain Young' when spelling 'necessary'??! ( I even had to mutter it again then!)

Thank you for your time - these blogs, (as random, odd and occasionally zzzzz as they are) are quite important for me to do. I think. So thank you for reading!

Love from the
edible, eligible, evenly empathising, eggcup with a touch of eiderdown xxx