I sit everyday, practically, and work on songwriting. I’m not sure that there are any secrets in becoming a songwriting success except to write, write, rewrite, listen to other writers, take advice, write, write, learn, chip away, take advice, write, write….. not what you wanna hear, huh? I don’t blame you. It’s tough work. Anything that’s worth doing is hard work. If you think you’re just gonna sit down and be a genius though, you’ve got it all wrong. Bill Gates worked hard while taking advantage of the great opportunities that opened up to him, Steve Jobs, aka workaholic, was the same way, David Foster (known as the hardest working man in showbiz) rarely took a weekend off, and so on, you get the point.
Ryan Tedder is a modern day songwriting success. I know a lot of people that knew or knew of Ryan when he was living here in Nashville years ago, and they all say the same thing… he was always working, pushing, and trying to get somebody to hear his latest song/work… even to the point where he was a little irritating sometimes, but hey… it paid off. He didn’t just show up one day and magically have the ability to be the front man of ‘OneRepublic’ and write hits like “Apologize” or Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love”. No… he worked his rear off. However… hard work is just half of the story… ready for the other half?
Work to your strengths. Don’t try to be somebody/something you’re not. You’ve always heard that you can do whatever you put your mind to, right? How’s that working out for you? ‘American Idol’ is proof that that’s some of the worst advice ever given. We have to be honest with who we really are and how we’re really built. Pay attention to your strengths and develop them to the best of your ability… take Master classes, watch YouTube lessons, write, write, take music lessons, listen and take notes from some of the greatest songs written throughout history, etc. And be persistent… once you’ve figured out your strengths, and you’re being honest with who you are and what you really have to work with, ENDURE. PERSIST. DON’T GIVE UP…
Your day will come. Just keep pushing forward. I look forward to hearing your stuff on the radio.
LWood
