losing so much of my work , I was reminded of a songwriting exercise I ’ ve heard people talk about . The challenge or prompt goes something like this : For any songs in your catalog that you don ’ t know by heart — anything still being written , or anything in your archives that you haven ’ t recorded or played live to the point of total memorization — take all of those songs , sit down with a piece of paper or a phone , refuse to allow yourself any previous record of what those songs are , and then … rewrite them from scratch using only what you can remember .
I ’ ve heard people say that this challenge reinvigorated their process and improved the craft of their songs , because the parts they remembered were the parts most worth remembering . Everything else was negotiable . Some writers have said that trying this exercise clarified their understanding of central themes and improved their lyrical focus especially , and they ultimately ended up with better songs .
I ’ ve seen this same process championed as a beneficial exercise for script writers , who pour themselves into a first draft only to throw it away . Then they write it again to see what truly stuck with them . This can help a writer of scripts or books to get to the essence of things and cut the fluff . In the realm of songwriting , however , I think it ’ s more that it gives us a chance to reexamine and reevaluate what the “ pillars ” of our songs are . And from that vantage , we can build on the strength of the foundation left behind , in full recognition of the lyrics and chords and melodies which truly spoke to us in the most essential ways . We can rebuild on those foundations in full awareness of their importance and look to complement them more intentionally with the new ideas we have yet to find .
As for me , I may resent the reason I ’ m having to take part in this songwriting challenge right now … since I didn ’ t choose the timing or anything else about it … but I can still aim to work with what I have to recreate what was lost . Or maybe something even better .
I ’ m certain that some things that I ’ ve made and loved will always be lost . But others might see new life — the remnants , fragments , and ghosts reimagined , and put back together from where I am today .
Kevin MacDougall Worship leader , published and recorded songwriter , engineer and producer . macdougall . k @ gmail . com