MisterMyGo

I love guitar porn!!! My current collection (from left to right): Duesenberg Imperial, Gordon Smith Gemini, homemade Strat copy, Framus archtop, Sada Yairi acoustic. The basses propped up in the corner are an Italia Mondial and a 70s P-bass copy. My old Yamaha APX that has been badly abused.

It's very easy for people to scoff at shows like X Factor, but I think that, in principle, TV talent shows can be an important part of the musical landscape. It's a good opportunity for talented vocalists to get some exposure and millions of people are entertained by the shows so there is some value in the format. My main gripe with it all is the lack of emphasis on creativity. If you look back through the history of popular music, a lot of the most beloved artists haven't necessarily had the most stellar voices but have invented an original sound that allows their personality to shine through. Contestants on X Factor always seem to end up sounding like generic cabaret singers and the same old songs get regurgitated from one series to the next. I've always thought that there would be big demand for a TV show where the contestants would be asked to write a new song during the week and then perform it on the weekend live show. There could be acts from a variety of different genres and the audience would get to hear something completely fresh every week. I realise I've kind of rambled there without actually answering the question that was asked in the thread title, so here goes: What have I learnt from X Factor etc.? You don't get anywhere in life without taking a gamble on something that might scare the hell out of you. The lucky few who have had success through appearing on these shows have fought their way to the top of the pack in a competitive environment. A lot of people miss out on opportunities in life because they lack the courage to stand up and be counted. The 'journeys' of the contestants are often portrayed in quite a mawkish fashion but there are inspiring stories there of individuals who come from nothing yet grab their opportunity when it's presented to them.

Don't worry Tom I'm pretty thick-skinned, so absolutely no offence taken. I just find it much easier to make progress when I focus on the positives and work on the songs that I truly love rather than spending too much time struggling with things that aren't really going anywhere. After all, I mostly make music for my own enjoyment so if I'm going to dedicate time to recording tracks it's much more pleasurable for me to play the tunes that move me the most. Stuart.

I never sit down and say, "Right, today I'm going to write a song". I've always found it important to wait for inspiration to find me, rather than chasing after something that isn't there. I might be washing the dishes, walking round a supermarket, mowing the lawn or lifting weights, at some point an idea will start to form. Most often it's a combination of lyric and melody, maybe a rhyming couplet with a tune that naturally gels with it. It's only at this point that I will pick up my guitar and start to to flesh the song out. I will then generally write the song in one sitting, if I'm struggling to generate enough ideas to finish it then it usually gets ditched and I move on to the next idea. The next step, for me, is quality control. I write the lyrics in my notebook (I never notate the melody) and leave the song for a week or two. If, when I return to it, the melody bursts back into my mind and I can remember exactly how the song is supposed to sound then it's a good song and worth keeping. If I look at the lyrics with a furrowed brow and can't recall the tune then it must have been a load of rubbish and it gets thrown on the scrapheap. I think one of the most important aspects of writing is to have the courage to dispose of ideas that aren't working, they clog up your mind and can prevent you from exploring new avenues.