Byron Hill - On Mistakes

Byron Hill - On Mistakes from Music Starts Here on Vimeo.

Process or Product?

A few weeks ago, fellow songwriter Kyle Nelson asked this question:

     "Which please the heart and soul more: the product or the process?"

I believe that only by enjoying the process can we ever enjoy the product. I've seen enough people experience success who admit that it wasn't all they thought it'd be. How in the world could a #1 Billboard hit not be enjoyed, you ask?

In a lot of ways, when we see the process as only a means to the end product, we build expectations that set us up for one of two things: either we don't meet the goal, and are disappointed, or we do meet the goal, and are relieved. I don't like either of the two outcomes, because neither are positive.

However, if we focus on learning how to enjoy the daily, moment-by-moment process of creating art, any product (whether the mere completion of or success of the art) is an added bonus. I don't want to focus so much on the end goal that I lose the enjoyment and thrill of the creative process.

Keep writing,

Ben


------ Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Successful Songwriter

A successful songwriter is a creator who enjoys what they do and is enjoyable to work with.

My experience has been that over time expectations, fears, doubts and busyness gradually pile up on what initially drove us to writing music. Joy fades like good vision: without regular check-ups, we can lose sight of our initial purpose and excitement of creating. How do you keep things in check?

Keep writing,

Ben

Quote of the Day - Mark Twain

"The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work."

- Mark Twain

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Questions - Why?

This is the most important question you will ever answer when it comes to your pursuit of the craft of songwriting:

Why do you write songs?

In my experience, the initial reason why I began pursuing music can tend to gradually be covered up by many things: my expectations, what others are asking of me, busyness of life, fear of creating, procrastination, self-doubt, etc. It takes a great amount of intentionality to keep the initial love for music out in the open.

We as human beings seem to always be looking to the next great thing to save us. In my pursuit of music, I've fallen into the trap of filling my mind with a list of "if only"s.

If only I could open for this band, then...

If only I could get a meeting with that record label, then... 

If only I could get a publishing deal, then...

In my mind, a successful songwriter is someone who enjoys writing songs, and is enjoyable to work with. You don't need any industry doors to open for you to be a successful songwriter. If we focus on enjoying the process, I believe we will create more beautiful art, and industry doors opening will be a by-product.

In the end, all that any of us can ever claim is that we either enjoyed the ride or we didn't. I'd rather be a happy songwriter working a side job than be constantly worried about filling a shelf with awards.

Keep writing,

Ben

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

"The Loneliest Day of My Life..."

“That was the loneliest day of my life,” said the songwriter. No, it wasn’t because his wife left him or his dog died. It was because he wrote a song that just made it to #1 on the Billboard Country Chart, and this is a true story. How could he be lonely, you ask? It’s because he had been looking forward so much to that day that when it finally came he didn’t know what to do next.

You know what comes after the next step? The next step.

Keep writing,

Ben

Scheduled Inspiration

“How is it possible mark your calendar to be inspired?” I often get asked this question when I tell people what I do four, and sometimes five, days a week.

There's nothing more draining than showing up somewhere like a co-write and feeling like you've somehow failed because you don't feel inspired or creative. I've been there. And I learned something very important as a result.

At first I thought the key was coming up with some profound musical or lyrical idea to bring to every co-write. But I quickly ended up with more co-writes than "profound" ideas.

Thankfully, one of the days that I was short on ideas was a day where my co-writer and I ended up writing one of my favorite songs to this day, "Bare Feet" (track #2 on my EP, The Way I See Her). What I came to realize was that, instead of my initial song idea delegating the direction, in this situation the song grew organically as a truer collaboration.

I've actually erred on the opposite side of the spectrum, showing up to co-writes more often than not without any song title or lyric idea. But I've also realized there's a certain level of creative accountability that comes with taking ideas to co-writes. If I know I want to take an idea, then I'll keep my antennae up for things that inspire. And as John Wooden said, “Failing to prepare meant preparing to fail.”

So to answer the original question about marking my calendar for inspiration, I do it by showing up ready to be inspired rather than showing up pre-inspired. And that mindset keeps the anxiety levels way down.

Keep writing (and preparing),

Ben

Five Times

I recently wrote with a guy who had written a song that was recorded by one of the most successful female country artists of our time. We met at his place where he had a room dedicated to writing and recording. In addition to some family photos, I noticed a plaque hanging on one wall, congratulating him on the sales of over 5,000,000 records. Our conversation went something like this:

Me: “What an accomplishment!”
Him: “Yeah, my wife encouraged me to put it up, but I think it needs to come down.”
Me: “But why wouldn’t you want to display that?”
Him: “Because it just reminds me that I haven’t done it since.”

You see, he had written that song about five years before the day we got together to write. It made me sad that he must come into that room five days a week to create, but immediately feel the pressure not to fail again.

Photo by rafaelmarquez. Used with permission.

I realized that it is my human tendency to always be looking forward to the next thing. I naturally am always focused on reaching the next mountain peak. But I believe the key to enjoying a career as a songwriter is to write songs because you enjoy writing songs, and for no other reason. Everything else is icing on the cake, including a big hit or a #1 song.

When I think about looking back at the end of my career, do I want to remember being happy five times (when I made it to the mountain peaks)? Or do I want to remember being happy five times a week?


Keep writing,

Ben

10 Steps to Success...or Failure?

Photo by Kevin Dooley. Used with permission.

Possible Levels of Success:

1. Write a song
2. Get a songwriting deal
3. Demo a song
4. Get a song on hold
5. Get a cut on an unsigned artist
6. Get an album cut on a signed artist
7. Get a radio single on a signed artist
8. Get a song on the Billboard charts
9. Get a #1 song on the Billboard charts
10. Do it again

The inevitable truth is that every songwriter will achieve a certain level. However, most of these steps are only 1% of the life of a writer. 99% is the daily process of writing the songs. So which of the two should we focus on enjoying?

Keep writing,

Ben