Archive for September, 2008
Any Writers Wishing To Collaborate? Let Me Know!
I want to work with other lyricists, poets, writers and other wordsmiths.
Are you out there? If you are, I’d love to talk with you.
You see, I’m at the point in my songwriting where I want to start collaborating with other writers in a big way. For me, collaboration is the next step in my development as a songwriter.
I want to be able to shape songs out of different points of view and be challenged by sonically interpreting the experiences of others.
One of the main stumbling blocks I have in my songwriting process however, is lyric writing.
I know I have written a lot about this subject in earlier Songwriting Zen posts. I do write down the phrases I hear in conversation, I record my musical and lyrical ideas and I make copious lists of possible song titles but actually completing a song…
There’s my problem!
No matter how hard I try, my inner critic has a field day everytime I try to put lyrics down onto paper. It’s getting very hard to take my own advice and as a result my confidence as a lyricist is diminishing.
In essence, I’m becoming snowed under with all of my half finished songwriting ideas
It’s my hope that working with other writers will enable me to learn from them. I want to have the confidence needed to look at my completed song lyrics and say “I’m really happy with that.”
Are there any writers that want to collaborate with me? If so, contact me.
Lets make beautiful music together 
Until next time, happy writing,
Corey Stewart
Singer/Songwriter/Musician
Keywords: songwriting, songwriter, lyric writing, lyrics, songwriting zen, songwriting tip, songwriting idea, songwriting blog, songwriting resource, corey stewart
Songwriting Tools – The Singer/Songwriters Toolbox + The Creative Mind
One of my main aims with Songwriting Zen is to create an online platform to promote products and services related to the art and craft of writing songs.
These products and services will either be developed by me or come highly recommended from the huge list of songwriting products out there on the web.
Let me tell you, there is a lot of stuff out there.
In saying that, it’s with great pleasure that I introduce you to the first songwriting tool to use Songwriting Zen as its means of online distribution:
For me, Cal Williams Jnr epitomises the stereotype of the working artist.
He is totally devoted to his guitar and to the craft of songwriting. So much so in fact, that he wrote The Singer/Songwriters Toolbox as a way share his thoughts on how to create a welcoming environment for the muse through everyday life.
He is also a performer who captures your imagination and leads it on a beautiful journey through his songs.
Cal has agreed to release a sample chapter The Singer/Songwriters Toolbox called “The Creative Mind” as a FREE gift for Songwriting Zen readers and everyone interested in exploring both the creative and practical sides of songwriting.
Click here to purchase “The Singer/Songwriters Toolbox
Corey Stewart
Singer/Songwriter/Musician
Keywords: songwriting, songwriter, songwriting zen, songwriting tip, songwriting tool, songwriting idea, songwriting resource, songwriting blog, corey stewart
Songwriter Spotlight – Courtney Robb
Our next songwriter to be under the Songwriting Zen spotlight is Courtney Robb, a singer/songwriter that I personally have a lot of respect for.
She is one of those rare performers that turns a rowdy crowd into a quietly attentive audience just by the way she delivers her songs.
I’m very privileged to be playing with her at the Daniel O’Connell Hotel this Sunday for the third installment of my Sunday Singer/Songwriter Session series of gigs.
Here is how the interview panned out…
Courtney Robb
Main genre
Acoustic Pop
Years writing
About 6 years
Words or music first
They usually happen simultaneously…
Why do you write
It isn’t really a conscious decision, I write because if I didn’t write I would go a little crazy.
How do you write
I generally have to be alone to write. I get distracted very easily. Once I put down the pen, it’s hard for me to get the flow back. I tend to write at night too.
This isn’t something I do on purpose, just I feel more at ease at the end of the day. I can reflect on things that have happened and how I feel. There’s something about the night that is very calming to me too, everyone is tucked away and the streets are quiet.
What inspires you
I get inspired to write when I let myself be open to all that’s happening around me and to me. Other musicians… relationships… the world around us is a smorgasbord of inspiration but you just have to let it in.
Most important aspect of songwriting
Honesty in lyrics is really important to me. As soon as I stop beain true to myself, the song starts to become a bit contrived. I feel like if I write freely, from the heart, my audience with be able to connect to the song and to me as another human being.
Advice for beginners
Write as much as possible, whether its a journal or actual songs or letters. It doesn’t matter if it’s not perfect, the more you write the easier it will flow. Never throw anything out, you never know what gems you may find when you go back through old scribbles.
Songwriting goals
I feel like I am growing as a songwriter with each song. I just hope to be able to continue to do this.
When you really think about it, songwriting is not what we do but it’s who we are. I reckon it’s the ability to make that distinction that seperates great songwriters from good ones.
If you’re in Adelaide catch Courtney and myself at the Daniel O’Connell Hotel this Sunday.
Until next time, happy writing,
Corey Stewart
Singer/Songwriter/Musician
Keywords: songwriting, songwriter, writing songs, songwriting tip, songwriting idea, songwriting help, songwriting zen, songwriting blog, corey stewart
Getting Back Into The Swing Of Things
Hi everybody,
It’s been a full on month with moving house and all but I’m glad to say that everything is returning back to some sort of normality (whatever that is).
The house looks great, feels very comfortable and the space… Well, let’s just say that I’m feeling very content at the moment. I even picked up the guitar and started writing something for the first time in a long while.
Living in a nice space certainly increases your ability to be inspired.
Now with the move complete I’m now ready to get back into songwriting, blogging and just getting on with what life deals for me. Expect more posts from now on.
Until next time, keep on writing,
Corey Stewart
Singer/Songwriter/Musician
Keywords: songwriting, songwriter, writing songs, songwriting tip, songwriting idea, songwriting help, songwriting zen, songwriting blog, corey stewart
A Change Is In The Air – Moving House
I’ve been a little quiet on the blogging front of late and the reason for this is that I’m in the middle of moving house.
I don’t know what it is about 2008 but for me, it’s been a year of constant change. First the setting up of an office and now, setting up a house.
So far, it’s been an exciting and stressful time all rolled into one. Exciting because the house that my partner and I are moving to is a bigger house in a great location for both of us and stressful because of the sheer amount of stuff we have to move.
The positives that I can glean from this situation is that the move is going to give the both of us the opportunity to purge a lot of clutter from our lives and, by doing this is going to give us a feeling of freedom and a sense of starting over.
Sometimes to get the best of ourselves we need to purge all of the clutter in our lives, external and internal. For me, this move will allow me to re-invent my creative space just like my office has done.
This can only mean a more creative and happier me. I’ll let you know how it all goes.
Until next time, happy writing,
Corey Stewart
Singer/Songwriter/Musician
Keywords: songwriting, songwriter, writing songs, songwriting tip, songwriting idea, songwriting help, songwriting zen, songwriting blog, corey stewart
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