WRITING
Katherine Ross graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 2015 with a degree in songwriting. After spending time in Nashville
interning at ASCAP and Warner Music Nashville, she returned home to Toronto to focus on co-writing and the Canadian music scene.
Since then, she has co-founded Toronto’s hottest new writer’s round, Write-On, that hosts four writers of varying styles each month
to tell the stories behind their songs. www.writeonsongs.com.
By Katherine Ross
Co-Writing, Collaboration
& Communities
A
s songwriters, we know that sitting down to write a song
is a creative, albeit challenging process. It is also incredibly
personal, emotional, and intimate. This makes it all the
more ironic that to make the most out of the songwriting
experience, you might just need some extra people around.
Co-writers, collaborators, and communities are often crucial for longevity
and success in the industry.
The Benefi ts
Co-writing in music is almost essential these days. Just look at songs heard
on any genre of radio; the overwhelming majority cite multiple writers.
While some of us might like the solitude and test of writing by ourselves,
the argument for co-writing is simple: two (or three or four) heads are
better than one. Co-writing invites new ideas, methods, and styles into the
writing room and constantly innovates the craft of songwriting.
While a single writer could easily get stuck in their personal style
of writing and never stray from what they know works, the addition
of new writers into a room can break that cycle and help to create
something even better.
It also helps an individual writer identify their strengths… and
sometimes, more importantly, their weaknesses. For example, some-
one who is gifted at melody might fall short when nailing the best
lyric and vice versa, but put two people with diff ering strengths in a
room? Now you’ve got a great song.
Every writer has their own individual toolbox they have worked to
collect over time. It is important to know what is in yours and what help
you need from others to complete a project. Having another person
in the writing room hones ideas, develops concepts, and spins lyrics
in new directions you normally would not have thought of. And, let’s
face it – it’s just plain fun.
There’s also one benefi t to co-writing we might not always want
to admit. Sometimes, we’re just not inspired. The time is booked, the
guitar is tuned, the pen is ready, and… nothing comes out. Every
melody feels uninspired and every lyric seems trite. Having a partner
or team on those off days can make a world of diff erence and help
get the creative fl ow back on track.
Making Connections
Finding co-writers is often compared to going on blind dates. Some might
be decent but have no spark, some might be boring and not worth a second
date, and some might be downright horrible, but when you fi nd someone
who clicks with you and who you work well with, there is nothing more
satisfying than being able to say you created something better together.
With collaboration also comes genre crossover. We’ve seen this
58 CANADIAN MUSICIAN
recently in country music, with pairings of Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus,
Justin Bieber and Dan and Shay, and Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia
Line. All of these unexpected duos have led to smash records that have
dominated both country and pop charts. Broadening the horizons
of what a specifi c genre encompasses leads to creative growth and
groundbreaking music. These sorts of collabs have been criticized by
some genre purists, but love it or leave it, there is no denying what
they’ve done for the less-listened-to genres. Working with people in
other genres will only better educate you on the industry as a whole.
Being able to write in a variety of genres, or better yet, create some-
thing that is a new hybrid, expands what is possible for radio-ready
music.
Building Community
The music industry is an amazing space to work in. It is energizing, dynam-
ic, and fi lled with possibilities … and it can also be extremely isolating.
Frankly, pursuing songwriting is hard and more often than not, friends
and family outside the industry have a diffi cult time understanding the
challenges and pitfalls of our chosen profession. Being our own boss,
making our own schedules, and hustling to fi nd new opportunities can
seem fruitless on your own.
With that in mind, being around likeminded individuals can really
give you the boost you need to keep going. Fostering a community
within this whirlwind of an industry helps ground you and assures
you that your career choices are sound and your unwavering love of
music is perfectly normal.
So how do you fi nd this community? Well, it can be hard. Writer
retreats or workshops are great for mentorship and constructive cri-
tiques of your songwriting and for professional growth. Social media
has also become more and more helpful for reaching out to potential
co-writers, for sharing your music and ideas, and for fi nding inspiration.
Finally, frequenting local songwriting showcases can be the perfect
opportunity to meet new people, listen to diff erent genres of music,
and to fi nd collaborators.
Write-On, typically held on the last Wednesday of each month
at the Supermarket in Toronto, is just that place – a community for
songwriters and artists who share their songs and stories. Attendees
are encouraged to network post-show and develop real and benefi cial
industry relationships.
Songwriting can be an elusive task. Some days are harder than
others and some songs are better than others, but there is no doubt
that creating with fellow artists leads to more innovation and more
personal growth than going it alone.