Performing Songwriter

Songza Music Search Engine – A Quick Review

Thanks to Mike B at GarageSpin I came across a neat little website called Songza through an article he wrote called “Songza – Music Search Engine & Band Self Promotion”

In the article Mike goes into more detail about the workings of Songza, especially the self promotion for artists and bands component of the site.

If you are a performing songwriter looking to expand your online music marketing opportunities then you need to have a look at what Songza has to offer.

I know I will.

In a nutshell, Songza is a music search engine that allows you to create a playlist of your favourite songs. Using Songza is really simple. The steps to follow are:

1. Create a profile
2. Search Songza
3. Listen to song
4. Add to playlist

The interface is very easy to operate and because of this, you’ll become addicted to this site very quickly.

If you want to have a look at my Songza playlist you can find it here.

Until next time, happy writing,

Corey Stewart
Singer/Songwriter/Musician

Keywords: songwriting, songwriter, songwriting tip, songwriting idea, songwriting help, songwriting blog, corey stewart

Tags: Corey Stewart, Creativity, lyrics, music, song, Songwriter, Songwriting, songwriting blog, songwriting tip, Songwriting Zen, writing, zen

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008 Performing Songwriter, Songwriting Promotion 4 Comments

Performing Your Own Material Is Good For You

Last night I played at The Dan as part of the Sunday Singer Songwriter Showcase gigs that I’ve been organizing and I tell you what, it was a fantastic feeling being able to play my own music again.

I would go as far as saying that it was a cathartic experience.

For a couple of years now I’ve been making a living playing covers either as a solo performer, duo or as a band and when I first started going down this path I thought that I would be able to play covers and at the same time, write and perform my own songs.

It hadn’t worked out as I thought it would.

I’ve been able to keep writing songs and keep Songwriting Zen going however, as I relied more and more on cover gigs to generate income it became a real challenge to find the time to slot in gigs that showcase my music.

I made a conscious choice early on to put my original gigging on hold and concentrate on covers for a while. Now I had to start setting some boundaries and adding time limits to this choice I made.

Hence the creation of the Open Mic @ The Dan and the Sunday Singer/Songwriter Showcase gigs. It’s a way of creating opportunities for my own music that otherwise wouldn’t be there.

I love performing my own songs. I love the two way communication between myself and the audience and I love the feeling I get when everything just clicks into place.

Last night was one of those nights.

It was a cathartic experience because I realised that in the time I had been making a living playing other peoples music I really missed playing my own songs. With last nights gig I was able to make up for lost time.

Today I feel really happy. The ultimate test of my songwriting is the reaction I get from an audience. It might not be for every songwriter but it is for me and with last nights gig I’ve proven to myself again that playing my songs is good for my soul.

It’s something that I must do as a songwriter.

As a songwriter I think that it’s really important to find and/or create outlets for your music and lyrics to be seen and heard by someone other than yourself whether it be live, recorded or on paper.

I mean, what’s a song if it has no-one to communicate itself to?

Until next time, happy writing,

Corey Stewart
Singer/Songwriter/Musician

Keywords: songwriting, songwriter, songwriting tip, songwriting idea, songwriting help, songwriting blog, corey stewart

Tags: Corey Stewart, Creativity, lyrics, music, Songwriter, Songwriting, songwriting blog, songwriting tip, Songwriting Zen, writing, zen

Monday, July 28th, 2008 Performing Songwriter No Comments

Necessity Is The Mother Of Invention

I want to share with you all a story which is an example of turning a raw deal into a wonderful songwriting situation.

I was doing this outdoor solo gig at a tennis club. It was a great little spot. I was on the roof of the club with about 150 others and covering my part of the stage was one of those huge outdoor umbrellas weighed down by two 60 kg weights.

Things were going really well. I had finished my first set and was downstairs having lunch when all of a sudden, one of the organisers of the gig said to me with a pained look on his face.

“Corey I think you should come upstairs and have a look at what’s just happened”

My heart sank. It didn’t sound good.

Sure enough, a freak gust of wind had toppled the umbrella onto the PA system which, in turn landed on my Maton acoustic guitar snapping the poor thing in half.

The show went on and all in all it was a very good show. However, I was faced with a very sad truth. I was without a guitar.

The first thing I said to myself was ‘how am I going to write songs?’

Lots of other things went through my head as well but I calmed myself down and made a deal that I would not freak out. I am going to make this situation something of a learning experience and see what happens.

It was time to get out of my comfort zone.

As it turned out I had nothing to worry about as it almost always is the case with these sort of things. I borrowed guitars from friends for the shows. Rehearsals turned into songwriting sessions because there was only one guitar between two people.

In one session we wrote or finished off three songs. How productive was that!

Instead of relying on my guitar to drive my own songwriting, it forced me to write lyrics and hum melodies into a tape recorder. I was using my voice recorder on my mobile phone and my answering machine a hell of a lot more as well.

I started carrying around a notepad again and stopped myself anywhere to write down whatever idea came into my head at the time.

Eventually the money to replace my guitar came through and I bought myself a beautiful Taylor 324-CE-L10 Fall Limited Edition Acoustic Guitar.

I am now in songwriting heaven. The amount of playing and noodling that I have been doing has been insane.

That doesn’t take away the fact however, that for two months I was without a guitar and I made do very nicely thankyou.

The experience showed me that:

1. I wasn’t using all of the songwriting tools at my disposal
2. I was relying on my guitar too much to create ideas for songs
3. I can make things happen from nothing
4. Lyrics and melody make a song, not arrangement

They were powerful lessons which I’m very thankful to have learnt. It wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t go through the pain of loss. We all have inside us the power to get things done and to create things out of nothing.

Get out of your comfort zone and create without consequence.

Until next time, happy writing,

Corey Stewart
Singer/Songwriter/Musician

Keywords: songwriting, songwriter, songwriting tip, songwriting idea, songwriting help, songwriting blog, songwriting resource, corey stewart

Tags: Corey Stewart, Creativity, music, Songwriter, Songwriting, songwriting blog, songwriting tip, Songwriting Zen, writing, zen

Wednesday, April 16th, 2008 Performing Songwriter No Comments

Never, Ever Apologise For Your Performance

“Never say sorry. If you have to apologise for what you have done on stage then you shouldn’t be up on stage in the first place”.

That was one of the first pieces of advice that I received after my very first solo performance. I can’t remember who said it to me but I am forever in their debt.

Performing songwriters who say sorry about their performance on stage is a real pet peeve of mine. Just picture this

I’m in the audience listening to a songwriter give their all. At the end of their performance they say something like “whoops, sorry about that”.

By saying sorry about their performance they’ve just ruined a special moment for me. Unfortunately this happens a lot, even with experienced performers who should know better.

I dont know why I feel that way when it happens but, I do know that it is an unnecessary and unprofessional thing to be do.

We have all heard the phrase “you only get one chance at a first impression” before but it’s so very true. The last thing you want to do is put off your audience by proving to them that you’ve no confidence in your performance.

Here are three reasons why you never apologise on stage:

1. It’s not the mistake you make but how you get out of it.
I have made some gigantic mistakes in my time performing but a great test of a true professional is the way that they get themselves out of a mistake.

Audiences love it when a performer takes something like a mistake and turns it around to their advantage.

2. More often than not, the audience wouldn’t notice the mistake anyway.
As you are playing your own music, the audience has no point of reference as to how your song should sound. Any mistake that you make could sound like part of the song to someone who has never heard it before.

Unless you are playing to an audience of finnecky musicians you don’t have anything to worry about. By saying sorry you have bought the un-noticable mistake to the audiences attention.

How silly is that?

3. It doesnt promote a healthy attitude towards making a mistake.
We are human beings and therefore we will make mistakes. A lot of great ideas come from mistakes and little glitches here and there.

Embrace your mistakes, learn from them and laugh it off, or at least smile. The audience will be right there supporting you every step of the way.

Just remember, if you become agitated and/or overtly nervous because mistakes have been made on stage, guess what your audience will also feel?

The same as what you’re feeling. Not an impression that you want to leave the crowd with.

Until next time, happy writing,

Corey Stewart
Singer/Songwriter/Musician

Keywords: songwriting, songwriter, songwriting tip, songwriting help, songwriting blog, songwriting idea, songwriting resource, corey stewart

Tags: Corey Stewart, Creativity, lyrics, music, Songwriter, Songwriting, songwriting tip, Songwriting Zen, writing, zen

Friday, April 4th, 2008 Performing Songwriter 2 Comments

What I’ve Learnt About Songwriting By Playing Covers

I love playing covers as much as playing my own music. The main reason for this is that by learning to play covers that have been hit songs themselves, I’ll learn how to write my own songs better.

Here are some ways that learning covers has helped my songwriting process:

I learn different song formats, song structures and chord patterns.
I expose myself to singing different melodies, and lyrical ideas.
I spice up my guitar practice regimen.
I maintain my musical theory knowledge by learning a song by ear.
I get to know my favourite songwriters more by learning their songs.
For every song I learn other ideas come up for my own material later on.

The trick with playing covers is that you don’t do them like the original.

I readily admit I don’t like hearing a cover done in exactly the same way however, if I hear someone do a cover in their own way, in their own style, I get hooked everytime.

Some performing songwriters I know feel that playing covers is selling out to your art. I don’t agree. I mean who is going to say that Jeff Buckley’s version of ‘Halleujah’ by Leonard Cohen was a sell out on his part?

I think it’s one of the most beautiful performances of any song I have ever heard.

Of course, your goal as a performing songwriter is to play your own songs as much as you can. I mean, there is nothing more satisfying than people actually being touched, moved and inspired by what you are saying.

However, an amazing thing happens when you add the occasional cover song in your repertoire. The audience becomes closer to you.

I cant tell you how many times a quiet gig becomes a great gig after I play a well chosen cover. Every other song I play afterwards sounds like music to their ears (pardon the pun).

“Selling out” is a term used by people who wish they were in the same position as the other musicians they are commenting on. Jealousy rears up its ugly head often in the music industry.

If you keep focused on writing your own music and learn a few covers (at least for research purposes) to break your songwriting process up a bit, you will have better gigs, become a more well rounded player and you will be a real hit around the odd campfire or two.

I believe playing covers only affects your ability to write songs if you allow it to.

Until next time, happy writing (and playing),

Corey Stewart
Singer/Songwriter/Musician

Keywords: jeff buckley, leonard cohen, songwriting, songwriter, performing songwriter, songwriting tip, songwriting help, songwriting idea, corey stewart

Tags: Corey Stewart, Creativity, jeff buckley, leonard cohen, music, Songwriter, Songwriting, Songwriting Zen, writing