MISSISSIPPI, DAY II
The next day was a workshop with Steve Leslie. It is very interesting to hear someone else teach the same thing you do but you always learn. Steve is great and was breaking down song construction. Around 30 people in the workshop, which was very good attendance. He had a couple of things that I learned that were REALLY COOL.
One of them was LIMITATIONS ARE LIBERATING!!! This was a great tid bit. I talk about the same thing but in a different way.
What that means is when we have constraints placed upon us it makes us be more creative. In other words, when you have a three and a half minute time limit, you have to get all your information in at that time. You have to pick more interesting subject matter, and find a new fresh way to present it. You have to be direct in your approach and you don't have lines to waste. Steve was very good about demonstrating what he was talking about in his own songs. Very good. And then he demonstrated a couple of hit pop songs as well, breaking them down and describing the process as he went. I've done that before also, but it is really cool to hear other people do it. You get new stuff every time.
We pretty much arrived at all the same conclusions although we differed on two main things. When I write, I write from, the first line down. He doesn't like that. he prefers to find the title or the hook and write wherever it takes him. I do somewhat the same thing, but still I start at the top and work my way down. He also doesn't like the fact that so much of songwriting has hinged on SPEED. To me, SPEED AND FOCUS are two of the biggest skills writers have to develop. The reason is that in the practical reality world, we have to write with other people. (another thing he was not crazy about although all his hits and the main songs he talked about were all co-written) we have to do this as much to LEARN the craft, as the practical application of getting songs 'out there' to the public. Writing something with an active artist is a HELL OF A LOT better than just sitting on it yourself.
So, hit and established writers will have multiple sessions a day. I have a short amount of time to spend time with a person, so I have to be fast at what I do. And I think it is important when you write to have your thought process work faster. Saves from sitting around going "DUH!!!! What are we gonig to write about?" Helps to FOCUS ideas.
We did agree on SENARIOS. He prefers to use 'song Synopsis' but it is the same thing. Writing out some notes about a subject, (for me hooking in a STYLE of song) is all important. So there was some great information.
Then it was WORK TIME.
Since about 18 of us were there doing this (a couple of Mom's in the background for their kids), we all paired up into groups of three or four to try some writing. And yes, before you say "Oh yes!!! MAB KILLED THAT!!!" Actually I didn't. Steve gave everyone titles to write, which I never particularly like doing, but can. We were given ten minutes to spit ball ideas with our group and try to come up with a couple of possible directions to go in. I of course, wrote half a song. So I kind of missed the point of the assignment. But at the very last 30 seconds, did jot down a couple of directions and one was the same as my partners. So we didn't look totally stupid, (no thanks to me. LOL! )
Steve, then talked some more about the craft, most was the same stuff we talk about here all the time. He answered a few questions, which was dead on. Again, same things we get here but not on copyrights which I was thrilled with.
Then it was back to writing. We were challenged with writing a verse and chorus in ten minutes. That I could do. I switched directions from my first verse and incorporated the ideas the other guys had done. But it was only ten minutes and even I don't write that fast. But I will say I did get a pretty interesting verse to share with the group. Was far from perfect, but did have some "MABBING" in it. The other guys had a bit of a chorus and hook so we just kind of threw them all in there. Was fun. I will probably finish it today and zap it off to the other guys and see if they like it.
Then it was time for the class to be over. I was very satisfied and happy to support someone else. Always good to get new input and be able to pass it on. THANK YOU STEVE LESLIE, was great!
MAB