Her Name is Diane
In any profession there’s always a force that must be reckoned with. That someone makes us better simply by the virtue of us always having to catch up with them. For me, that someone was, still is, Diane Warren.
Speed Songwriting, Writer's Block and Short Cuts
I started this blog and then couldn’t finish cuz I was glued to the news. I THINK it was real news. Some of us aren’t sure of what’s real and what’s fake anymore. Facebook friends have urged me to keep doing what I’m doing. No matter what. So…with that…Sometimes I’m asked how long it takes to write a great song.
Confessions of a Serial Songwriter is now Available on Audible!
As I get older I need new endeavors. I’m not good at getting up every day and doing the same thing over and over. I want to learn how to do what I have no clue about. I want to get stuck. I want to get unstuck. I want to feel like I’m moving, progressing and growing.
A Day Without Likes
Words are precious. Every "LIKE" is a substitute for what we really mean. Don’t tell me THAT she was like…tell me WHAT she was like. I want to know. Was she blue? Was she beige? Did you hurt her feelings? Did he say nothing at all? Write me a song. Paint me a picture.
So Far Away
As it turns out, sending a kid off to college results in growing pains for Moms and Dads too. Nice to know we can still have some.
I Write, Therefore I Am
I’ve developed a latent crush on the English language—obsessed with learning new words (and I’m delighted when I actually remember their meaning the following week)! I'm having a love affair with thesaurus.com and I feel high when I discover a perfect adjective.
Born To Run
Serial Songwriters (The Bruce Springseens as well as the Suzie Smiths) have creative common threads. They just manifest themselves slightly differently in different souls. I like reading about these threads because I recognize myself as part of a larger Tribe. It’s like a link to a religion I belong to. I’m confirmed.
What's It All About?
Barbra is an actress who sings…that’s how she thinks of herself…she has to understand the lyrics in order to know what she’s supposed to be feeling.
Help! I Need Somebody, Help!
I believe great songwriters are born with some kind of songwriting DNA. But with hard work and guidance even those who weren’t given an ample dose at birth, can nurture what they were given and improve. Even go Pro.
Small Spaces
Yesterday I was off to the “studio” of a young producer, as he offered to record my vocal for a project I was working on. When I got there I realized his "studio” was his apartment with just enough square footage for not much more than a bed.
Namaste
Sleeps With Fists. I do. In the film Dances With Wolves, the Lakota Indians gave the name “Stands With Fists” to a woman who was mourning the loss of her husband and I guess she stood around a lot with fists at her side. Me? I sleep with mine under my pillow.
Topliners Taking Back The Power
There’s a new breed of "Topliner" on the scene who are charging for their valuable time and service. "I’m tired of working for free and being asked to cough up lunch money.”
Goodbye Again
Last year when I returned home to an empty nest, it was a very busy time for me. I was furiously crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s of Confessions of a Serial Songwriter. There was no time to think about 'Now What?'
I Saw The Light
My fantasy of a photo op with Todd didn't come to fruition but I DID get to hear "I Saw The Light" hard copy after all these years of listening through speakers.
Broken Record
The perception of free is a dangerous drug and the longer we believe it’s okay to use it the harder it will be to get sober.
#CarlySimon
Many artists sing about their incongruities, their longings, their insecurities. But what she said and how she said it resonated with the girl I was. She gave me my palette.
Nothing Compared 2 U
If we’re of the age that somebody’s music was the backdrop to our youth, and the one who created it moves on, it's as if our youth gets a little farther away.
Farewell CD
There was just something a bit more tangible about handing someone something that wasn’t invisible…something they could touch…that took up space.
Jump
If you’re ever inclined to take a leap toward a literary endeavor I wish you a fast computer with the latest operating system and a healthy hard drive, note taking Apps on all gadgets in all rooms (and cars and gym lockers), patient families, a partner who knows you well enough to remind you when you’re misremembering, and friends who don’t doubt you. You’re going to need them.
