I don’t care if you’re a professional songwriter, part time
musician, someone who dabbles, or someone with NO musical inclination
whatsoever, you need to write a song about your life. There is no more
engaging, cathartic, spiritual or inspirational experience you can have then to
put words together that symbolize your very existence and then set them to
music. Here are the Top 5 reasons
why:
1) Nothing creates an emotional experience quite like music.
Is there anything that stirs our soul, evokes emotion, or brings us together like music? It’s not called the universal language for nothing. Music has a way of touching each of us like nothing else can. Using it’s most basic definition, music is nothing more than a vibration that resonates with our own vibrational nature. We may appear to be solid, but in actuality our bodies and minds are just vibrating energy, so we are tapping into the root of our own existence by creating music. We shape and form the very stuff that life consists of.
2) What better legacy to leave for your kids, grandkids, and their children?
We are only here for a short while. Even if you live 100
years, your stay is brief in the grand scheme of things. Wouldn’t it be nice to
leave your children and everyone that comes after you something as simple and
meaningful as a song? Amid the hustle
and bustle of modern life, paying the bills, going to work, and repeating the
process over and over again, most people feel a need for something
deeper—something they want to leave behind. Wouldn’t it be nice to encapsulate your own
thoughts and emotions and leave them for future generations?
3) The process itself will be something you never forget.
You will never feel more alive then when you are creating something that comes from your heart and soul. It stirs within you dormant energy and inspiration, and makes you view life on a completely different level. What’s even better than the finished song is the act of creating, shaping, and molding it into a piece of art. When it is complete, you will have an immense amount of pride and satisfaction, but the process itself can be life changing.
4) Writing about your life gives you clarity.
Most of us are too busy (so we think) to sit down and truly define our own thoughts, feelings, and emotions about life. We have a vague and blurry concept about our own existence that rifles through our minds on a daily basis, but it’s sort of like a film reel speeding by at hyper speed that we can’t quite put our finger on. Writing a song about your own life forces you to choose specific words and ideas that allow you to glimpse into your own mind. You may even be shocked at some of the things you uncover. We get so caught up in surface thinking—picking up the kids, finishing things at work, running errands—that we spend precious little time crystalizing our own thoughts, which gives life meaning and depth. The more clarity you have, the more you start each day with purpose and passion.
5) You don’t have to be a musician or songwriter to write a song.
3) The process itself will be something you never forget.
You will never feel more alive then when you are creating something that comes from your heart and soul. It stirs within you dormant energy and inspiration, and makes you view life on a completely different level. What’s even better than the finished song is the act of creating, shaping, and molding it into a piece of art. When it is complete, you will have an immense amount of pride and satisfaction, but the process itself can be life changing.
4) Writing about your life gives you clarity.
Most of us are too busy (so we think) to sit down and truly define our own thoughts, feelings, and emotions about life. We have a vague and blurry concept about our own existence that rifles through our minds on a daily basis, but it’s sort of like a film reel speeding by at hyper speed that we can’t quite put our finger on. Writing a song about your own life forces you to choose specific words and ideas that allow you to glimpse into your own mind. You may even be shocked at some of the things you uncover. We get so caught up in surface thinking—picking up the kids, finishing things at work, running errands—that we spend precious little time crystalizing our own thoughts, which gives life meaning and depth. The more clarity you have, the more you start each day with purpose and passion.
5) You don’t have to be a musician or songwriter to write a song.
You might be thinking, “All of this sounds wonderful Dave,
but I have no musical or lyrical talent whatsoever!” That’s completely okay,
and here’s why:
At some point in the near future I’d like to build a deck onto the back of my house.
I’m not very handy, and I have no idea how to build one or even how to get started.
So what will I do? I will reach out to someone who’s already built a deck or had one built for them. I will check out designs that I like, talk to some professionals, and most importantly—confer with my wife. Right now, the only thing I know for certain is that eventually a deck will be built onto my house, and when it’s complete I will enjoy it, and that’s all I need to know. You can use this same process to write a song.
At some point in the near future I’d like to build a deck onto the back of my house.
I’m not very handy, and I have no idea how to build one or even how to get started.
So what will I do? I will reach out to someone who’s already built a deck or had one built for them. I will check out designs that I like, talk to some professionals, and most importantly—confer with my wife. Right now, the only thing I know for certain is that eventually a deck will be built onto my house, and when it’s complete I will enjoy it, and that’s all I need to know. You can use this same process to write a song.
Talk to a musical friend, or a friend of a friend, someone
with some experience, and ask them how they write songs and ask them to give
you a hand. For someone who has the experience and knows what they’re doing,
it’s not a difficult process. You might want to start by thinking of places,
people, words, ideas, or emotions that mean a lot to you. Write them down on a
piece of paper or a Word document and add to it as more ideas come. Next, think
about what type of emotion you’d like to convey, and what type of music is best
suited for that. Would your life be a country song? A slow song? A psychedelic
jam? A heavy metal tune? A ballad? Reggae? Pop? Jazz?
What type of music or genre resonates most with your life?
Once you have discovered these things you are already half way home. If you still think this is impossible, feel free to email me and I will help you get started. I know the profound impact that music has had on my life, and I want you to feel that too, if that’s something that you truly want. I don’t believe that musicians are the only people that can write songs about their lives any more than I believe carpenters are the only people that can have their own decks. Start thinking about your life and how you could set it all to music. It’s an experience that you will never forget or regret, and I would be happy to help you do it.
Email me at dtieff@gmail.com
What type of music or genre resonates most with your life?
Once you have discovered these things you are already half way home. If you still think this is impossible, feel free to email me and I will help you get started. I know the profound impact that music has had on my life, and I want you to feel that too, if that’s something that you truly want. I don’t believe that musicians are the only people that can write songs about their lives any more than I believe carpenters are the only people that can have their own decks. Start thinking about your life and how you could set it all to music. It’s an experience that you will never forget or regret, and I would be happy to help you do it.
Email me at dtieff@gmail.com
