Magic and Beauty — The Importance of Maintaining Your Childlike Sense of Wonder and Awe
Published 5 days ago • 3 min read
HOUSE OF ABANDONED POOLS + CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC
TES11
Hello Reader,
The following is an excerpt from a Songwriting 101 course I am developing, though I believe the subject matter applies just as well to everyday life, no matter what your purpose is. Your thoughts and comments are encouraged and hoped for.
Magic and Beauty — The Importance of Maintaining Your Childlike Sense of Awe and Wonder
Why are you writing songs? What is it that draws you to such a monumental challenge?
Maybe it's easier for you, but I find songwriting quite difficult at times, even after years of working as a songwriter and composer.
Writing music is like solving a crossword. The answer is in there, in the clues, but it can be a mirror to your own shortcomings. Exaltation comes from a sense of accomplishment, but that is a hard-fought victory. Most of what I write is flawed, inadequate. It takes practice and dedication, just like any other discipline. It's the constant revisions, repeated attempts, and dogged determination on a daily basis that bring success.
At the same time, you can't force it. You have to have trust, faith, and belief that it will come. Be open to it and be patient. The harder you try, the less likely it will work. And even then, know that whatever you create will be judged as good, bad, irrelevant, genius, or fine, and that is not in your control.
But therein lies the value, the sense of purpose. Nothing worth doing is generally easy. And if it were, we would grow tired of it. Actually, to clarify, coming up with melodies, lyrics, and chords can be the easiest part. It's the editing, the chipping away at the block of marble to bring the song into its best version that can be the challenge.
More than anything (and I’ll probably come back to this a lot): PLAY—like a child. Keep your childlike (not to be confused with childish) sense of awe and wonder. Magic and beauty are your best friends, and they can be happy, frightening, morose, uplifting—or all of those emotions at once. Music can make you feel emotions you didn't know you had. They are already there… you just don't know it until the right music (or any art form—but let’s be honest, most likely music) brings them to the surface. It is crucial, for any kind of artist, that you maintain your sense of childlike awe and wonder. Without it, you die (not literally, but perhaps sooner).
You already have a symphony of sound ingrained in your subconscious psyche that you gleaned from time spent inside your mother's womb, and from this you can create just about anything. But even so, we exist in shadowlands—everything you create is a mere shadow of an ideal. You create because you are hoping to peek behind the thin but impenetrable veil in order to get the slightest glimpse of godly perfection. Or you just picked up a guitar to meet girls. It depends on your motivation.
As a songwriter (or human), do you have an understanding of the value of magic and beauty, adventure and mystery, awe and wonder, virtue, and a true north on the moral compass? If not, then dig in—it will show through in your writing, your work, your relationships. Songwriting and composition are as much about personal virtue and philosophy as anything else. It's like a religion, a set of values. In screenwriting, the characters are only potentially as smart and moral as the people writing the script. This applies to songwriting as well. Your personality, your values, and your intellect will be reflected in your craft. Luckily, you can define and hone your sense of self through songwriting.
If this piques your sense of adventure, good. We will build your muse toolbox to maintain inspiration and analyze the more nuts-and-bolts aspects of the process.
This Week at The Escaping Society
This week's featured song in House of Abandoned Pools is “Sunny Day.” Keep an eye out for the original demo and the b-side remix
In The Conservatory, I'll be posting a detailed analysis video for John Williams' "Adventures on Earth" from E.T. — The Extra Terrestrial as well as a side by side comparison of the orchestral mockup I made in Logic Pro.
Want to Chat Music (or just chat)? If you’d like to go deeper into music, creativity, composing or songwriting, I offer private lessons and discussions over Zoom.
$75.00
45 Minute Zoom Call
Let's talk for 45 minutes. You can ask questions, talk about Abandoned Pools, take lessons on guitar, electric bass,... Read more
