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Janeva

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Posts posted by Janeva

    My Live Set In The Woods

    in Musician's Lounge

    Posted

    Hi Sean

     

    I hope you don't mind but I moved this video to the Musicians Lounge which seemed the most appropriate place than the Song and Recording Critique forum for this collection of songs. 

     

    It's always good to see your videos - glad everything is going so well for you  :)

     

    Jan

    I'm Totally Stuck With My Writing For Years Now.

    in Songwriting

    Posted

    Hi

    My main advice would be to try to stop being too self critical and comparing yourself to others. You will always have influences from your favourite bands but your music needs to come from within yourself and it will, if you allow it.

    As David mentioned above, there are plenty of musicians here who often upload short pieces onto the Song and Recording Critique forum so why not give that a try? There are also plenty of people here who have collaborated over the internet, which could be another option for you.

    Above all - never delete anything! Think of all your music, even the shortest snippets of ideas, as pieces in a jigsaw and that piece of sky you are searching for may already be there if you look carefully enough :)

    Good luck :)

    Jan

    Do We Take Lyrics Too Seriously?

    in Songwriting

    Posted

    An interesting question........! I have to agree with what John has said regarding the genre. Personally, I prefer deep and meaningful lyrics - but this hasn't always been the case!

    I remember owning a small collection of singles as a small child - typical singalong stuff kids love - 'Yummy Yummy Yummy' (I've got love in my tummy :) ) by Ohio Express, 'Sugar Sugar' by The Archies. Then I really started listening to the words of songs and spent my pocket money on such gems as 'Meet Me On The Corner' by Lindisfarne and 'Streets Of London' by Ralph McTell - I remember we had a whole school assembly dedicated to that particular song. I was reminded of this recently when I actually heard 'Sugar Sugar' playing on the local radio - after 43 years that's got to be a success!

    I am always fascinated by the late Andrew Gold's 'Lonely Boy' and how a song with such an upbeat melody can reduce me to tears every time I hear it. If I wasn't a native English speaker I wouldn't even know it was a sad song. Reading the lyrics to that song, I doubt many people would have used such an upbeat melody - but it works so well.

    I must admit that I would probably struggle to write down all the lyrics to some of the more recent songs I claim to like - probably because these days I struggle to read the print on CD covers. To sum up I would say, whilst melody is probably most the important to me - I do love a good story and if I can hear it, feel it or even see it I now consider that a bonus.

    Member Ratings, Topic Rating & Likes

    in Introduce Yourself

    Posted

    Huge congrats to MODERATOR JAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

    Thank you, Daren

    Being a non-musician here, I keep expecting to be booted off the forum, never mind being made a Moderator, so I really am honoured. :)

    (ps. I tried to post my reply with two 'smileys' but I got a message saying I had used too many emoticons - thanks for those!)

    Jan

    Writing Titles

    in Songwriting

    Posted

    Hi

    I must admit I do it all the time, not just for titles, but for ideas for lines from conversations I have, mostly with colleagues in the office.

    It must be quite disconcerting though when my eyes glaze over and I reach for a post-it note to scribble something down and all the time pretending I am still listening..... 'uh yeah, oh really, oh right.....' It's very bad manners - but I do believe that yesterday's conversations are tomorrow's lyrics :)

    Regards

    Jan

    • Like 1

    Good Ways To Say...

    in Songwriting

    Posted · Edited by JanHutchinson

    Hi

    If you wanted to use four syllables in an argument situation - you could maybe say something like this:

    Listen to me!

    Don't be this way!

    I told you so!

    You know I'm right!

    I think you're wrong!

    Hope that helps.......women are good at arguing.....

    Jan

    The Line You Wish You'd Written

    in Musician's Lounge

    Posted · Edited by JanHutchinson

    'I never thought it would happen with me and the girl from Clapham' (Up The Junction) and 'I've come across the desert to greet you with a smile, my camel looks so tired it's hardly worth my while' (Take Me I'm yours) Difford/Tilbrook - Squeeze

    :)

    Song Title Association Game

    in Musician's Lounge

    Posted

    This Town Ain't Big Enough for The Both of Us - Sparks

    I saw this band play this song live - quite by accident - when I was on a school trip visiting a historic house (a Tudor building no less) - they were filming outside and I'm sure I saw the foundations of the whole place shaking :)

    A Question For Non-Musician Lyricists

    in Songwriting

    Posted

    And I think those rhythmic challenges are where the idea for this topic were sprung. It's important for lyric only writers to remember that they aren't just writing words, that music lies behind it all, with beats and timing and rhythm. For me, the easiest way to write is to an existing melody. Just a la, la, la with the melody and guitar adds to the creative process. I don't know if a musician can find help from reading or singing the words to write music from. I know I have collaborated like this in the past but Alister did say that was the first time he had written using the lyrics first. So, i got the feeling that isn't the preferred method. Which is also something an aspiring lyricist should consider when seeking a collaboration partner.

    Ok, I guess I got a little off topic.

    MP

    Yes, I do actually prefer to write lyrics for existing music but we manage to work using both these methods. I suppose once the partnership and methods of working become established then things become easier. I have certainly found this to be the case.

    Regards

    Jan

    A Question For Non-Musician Lyricists

    in Songwriting

    Posted

    Hi guys!

    I am not a musician but I do tend to have an idea of a 'melody' (in the simplest of terms) in my head if I am writing lyrics from scratch with no music.

    Any melody I have in my head, however, stays right where it is! Having my own melody just helps with the writing for my own purposes but the musician I write for then composes his own music.

    Once he has composed the music he might ask me to lose a word from one line or add a word to another etc. I have no idea of the acutal melody until the demo recordings :)

    What Inspired You To Write Songs Or Poems?

    in Songwriting

    Posted

    Hi everyone!

    I'm quite new here and quite new to lyrics writing.

    I always enjoyed writing as a child, I would write stories and even short books with individual chapters. As an adult, I more or less gave up any kind of creative writing and the only 'writing' I did was for college and university essays etc. which were all factual and required very little imagination!

    I started writing again only recently and quite by accident. I offered to help a musician friend, whose first language is not English, with his lyrics. The rest is history (a short history!) and I now write his lyrics for him :)

    My only regret now is that I did not start writing earlier, but better late than never I suppose :)

    • Like 1
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