December 18, 2011

Trick #63: You DO care

“Any artist who says, I’m gonna write and play what I want, and I don’t care if anybody likes it, is full of s**t.” -Quincy Jones

If you’re honest with yourself, you DO care if anyone likes your art.

It’s OK to admit that. It doesn’t mean you’re a sellout.

Marc Sirdoreus said a similar thing on this blog back in September:

You see, I understand to an extent when people say “I made this music for myself, and I could care less if you like it”, but that begs the question: “Then why did you go through the trouble of mass producing it”?

I can see that it was fun to write the song in those situations, and it was probably fun to make the demo, too. But why’d you bother showing it to anyone? Wouldn’t it have been more effective to make the creation and hoard it if you are unfettered by anyone’s reaction to your art?

December 11, 2011

Trick #59: It’s not about you

Songwriting is not about you.

The audience does not really care about you, personally. Especially not before they’ve become hooked on your music.

Songwriting is about your audience.

The audience wants to hear stories about themselves. They want to have a soundtrack for their lives. They want someone else to express something that they are unable or afraid to express. They want insight into their own existences.

Above all, they want to identify with someone.

Do not write the song about how you’re broke, how you’re trying to make it as a songwriter in the music business, and how you hate your day job.

Nobody cares. Nobody will be able to identify with that sort of song.

Well, except for those who are broke, trying to make it as a songwriter in the music business, and hate their day job.

I suppose there’s a market out there for that, but not an especially lucrative one (especially if your audience is broke).

Making your songwriting not about you does not mean you should pander.

Pandering is bad. Pandering usually comes across as “fake.” Most folks can smell “fake” a mile away, even if they can’t articulate why.

Making your songwriting not about you simply means to know your audience, and write about the things that you and your audience have in common.