VOCALS
Micah Barnes is a singer , songwriter , and vocal and performance coach . He travels between Toronto , New York , and Los Angeles on a regular basis to work with clients and also offers private sessions online . His Singers Playground performance workshops , which he developed at The Highways Performing Arts University in Santa Monica , CA , have helped thousands of artists deepen their skill sets as performers on both sides of the border . www . singersplayground . com .
By Micah Barnes
Developing Your Own Material ( Being Willing to Suck )
We ’ re not all composers , but we all know a good song when we hear one . Maybe that ’ s what stops us from taking those first awkward steps towards developing ourselves as songwriters ?
The first couple of songs we write can feel tentative , unformed , and generally leave us feeling like we ’ ll never become songwriters , with our first attempts unfinished and unheard . That ’ s normal and a natural part of learning a new skill set ; it ’ s really challenging to compare our first attempts with our favourite songs . We ’ re bound to come up short ; however , there are some ways that we can deepen our craft and get better at it … if we are willing to suck for a while .
No One Gets There Overnight !
The key is to know your emotional life well enough to be able to boil your feelings in a given situation down to a few simple lines . Many a great song has been born when a singer trusts their collaborators enough to bring a few snatches of lyric to a musical composer , producer , band mate , etc ., and allowed them to help finish it into an actual song .
Sometimes , we can stay in the process and help steer and shape the outcome ; sometimes it ’ s best if we get out of the way and let the more experienced “ professional ” finish the job . That doesn ’ t matter ; what matters is that the final product will have some of our emotional life in its DNA . That will make the song feel closer to our emotional centre and much easier to perform !
We Deepen Our Skill Set Over Time
If we are going to become composers , there will be a drive to do better , to learn the craft , to co-write with more experienced composers , to learn the tricks , etc .
Practical Coaching Advice : Breaking the Negatives
Because we haven ’ t “ finished ” songs that we feel proud of , it stops us from investing in the journey . BUT , in truth , the only way we ever get there is to actually begin ! Those few tentative steps we take are the most important ones . Here are a few suggestions to get you moving :
• Keep a “ lyric ” journal by your bed . Fill it with your dreams and as-of-yet-unprocessed feelings . Grab a hold of any pieces of lyric that float in for you first thing in the morning . Write and DO NOT worry about whether or how it might become useful as a song .
• Read poetry to discover the power of language separated out from music . Dive into the world of the word and discover your affinity to expressing through language .
• Learn to play some simple songs on the piano or guitar and get used to singing to an instrument that you are playing . That will go a long way towards allowing and nurturing your first tentative composing efforts .
• If you can ’ t seem to finish songs , bring them to a more experienced collaborator and pay attention to the way that they help build the final song from simple building blocks .
Songwriting looks hard , but is , in fact , very simple . It ’ s all about trusting your instincts and following your heart . Of course , the more experience you have at “ problem solving ” during the process , the easier it gets ! Most importantly , though , you will never get to your destination unless you start your journey !
32 • CANADIAN MUSICIAN