SONGWRITING
MANY STREAMS MAKE ONE RIVER | Alexander MacDougall
Collaboration in songwriting exists in all genres of things to say? Does the process make for
of music, and from all record labels producing creating more songs? Is it easier?
and distributing music. Music history is replete
with songwriting teams whose music has Well, it just may in fact, allow writers to speed
impacted up the artform of songwriting and crafting.
our
culture.
Lennon/McCartney,
Richard and Robert Sherman, Goffin/King,
Having
George and Ira Gershwin, Rodgers and Hart/
Hammerstein, and countless other partnership
multiple
voices
adding
to
song
fragments, existing “almost finished” songs,
“Little Things with Great Love”
or even helping to polish an “almost final”
have graced our airwaves and listening devices song, seems to be a valuable tool in moving
for almost 100 years. along the process. Proverbs 27:17 states, “As
iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens
Within the past 15-20 years, we’ve witnessed
another”. (NIV)
the dynamic of song collaboration more and
more within Christian music and worship song
circles. One of the best examples I can readily
The process of collaboration also allows for
another perspective or musical influence to
cite is 2017’s “The Porter’s Gate”. This project “Wood and Nails” not only allows for song collaboration, but also coming together on “The Porter’s Gate”, forging (credits) on Crowder’s recent release, “I Know
the production and artistry collaborations make a new river… “Little Things With Great Love” A Ghost”, you will identify many songwriters
for one of the most remarkable and touching and “Wood and Nails”. and numerous producers on the project. Such
be involved. When reading between the lines
worship projects in recent years.
Consider just two examples of different streams
70
diversity does not always work, but in this case,
So why do so many songwriters today embrace it definitely does! The pool of musical influences
collaboration? Is it because they have run out is rich and interesting.
April 2019
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