When I arrived at NSAI Song Camp 101 I was eager to learn. I took pages and pages of notes. The following information from those notes captures tidbits of advice and inspiration from these wonderful teachers. Even though some of the information is specifically about songwriting, it also is helpful for anyone wanting to learn how to adapt a creative mindset.
I left for Nashville Saturday, February 17, 2007 about midday. For the song camp we were told to bring three songs for critiques but, I had five songs on my CD because I wasn’t sure which ones I wanted to share. As I got to the north side of Birmingham I slid the CD into the player and listened intently.
Being around other songwriters, having classes with pro writers, and hearing live music in classes and concerts was life-changing. Some of the best advice I received was when someone told me, “The only one who’s seen the world through my eyes is me. That is special and unique.”
On the night of November 24, 2006 I decided to become a songwriter. I wrote the word “songwriting” and the date on a sticky note and put it by my computer as a constant reminder. So, I want to be a songwriter. Now What?
On the night of November 24, 2006, for some reason, I decided to become a songwriter. I suppose there were many events leading to that moment, but I had not put them together until that night. At 11:26 p.m. I emailed a friend and told him my crazy idea. I thought if I really told someone—that would make me accountable and compel me to follow through with this decision.
I am a classically trained musician with a degree in organ performance and a master’s degree in music composition. I have spent my life as a church musician. In 2006 I decided to try songwriting. It has been the most wonderful adventure of my life.
Music encapsulates objects, thoughts, emotions, ideas, and even entire worlds into a smaller, understandable, viewable—through the mind’s eye or psyche—experience. Music can also encapsulate the transcendent . . . those things which are not contained in words or images.
After I made my first Christmas CD in 2013, I was eager to make another in 2015. At this point, I was working a full-time office job, came home tired every evening, and did not know if my sophomore effort could be as good as the first.
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