Iāve never been good at math. I quit my calculus class with Mr. Wensloff to join the show choir. Had I paid more attention, I wouldāve learned this lesson sooner. In fact, you probably already know it. Have you ever heard of the Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule? Here is the basic […]
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A memoir, a how-to book, and a classic novel. Three books I read last month, and I recommend them all. (Although, I suppose recommending a classic novel is sort of like recommending trees or silverware. Not that helpful, but a good reminder they exist.) Save the CatĀ This is a book about screenwriting for screenwriters.
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You say public recognition is fleeting. But would you have continued your path if no one was listening to your songs? – John Hi John – No, I suppose I would have found something else to do career-wise. I imagine I would still write songs, but without hope of earning a living through them. Recognition,
Iām a songwriter. The plan wasnāt to start painting. But in March of 2020 I started watching Bob Ross in the afternoons with my kids during lockdown. The more I watched the more I couldnāt stop watching. In a way, painting and songwriting are very similar. Theyāre both saying one thing using a confined space.
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If you donāt mind me asking, how did you go about getting your first record produced? Davis Hi Davis – I don’t mind at all. I was 22, in college studying English, playing gigs whenever I could. I really just wanted to pursue my music. But how do you do that? I didnāt know anyone
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Finding your unique songwriting voice is really just a continuation of the stuff youāre already doing, but simply editing it down and changing its form.Ā If youāre having trouble finding your unique songwriting voice, imagine your brain as being a giant rain barrel. The top is open. Everything you take ināexperiences, reading, watching TV, whateverāis
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This question comes from Phaedra (age 6) whose dad relayed her question. āDid you really do the things you sing about doing as a kid in āAmazing Incredible Thingsā? And who is Samson?ā Phaedra Hi Phaedra – Those are great questions. I sing about doing a lot of unbelievable stuff in āAmazing Incredible Things,ā donāt
(From Aaronās bookĀ On Songwriting: Practical Tips and Insights from a Decade in Music City) Whenever Iām stuck on a song, I imagine my dad and me in the Beltrami Island State forest in northern Minnesota. Growing up, thatās where weād go on the weekends to hunt partridge. My dad didnāt own a pickup truck, but
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We celebrate Pizza Friday every week (here’ why) and Heidi makes these breadsticks. Itās her own take on the Olive Gardenās copycat recipe. Try it out and let us know how it goes! Ingredients For the dough: 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 3 tablespoons
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What inspires you to write songs? Louise Hi Louise – Iām inspired to write songs by many things and it changes as I get older. I think I began writing songs (age 16) to express stuff going on inside of me that I couldnāt put into words. I wasnāt a very good communicator. Plus the
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