Bach - "Sleepers Awake"

At a recent wedding, the bridesmaids entered to this beautiful Bach song. Pay attention to the counter melodies throughout the song. One of my favorites!



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Roots, Shoots and Fruits

One of the best metaphors for life and creativity is the plant. Specifically, I like to focus on three elements: the roots, the shoots and the fruits.

The roots anchor the plant and provide the life-giving nutrients required to sustain growth. In creativity, this involves understanding who we are (our identity) and why we create (our mission).

The shoots are the channels through which the nutrients travel. In creativity, this involves understanding how our identity and mission plays out in everyday life (our vision).

The fruits are the outcomes and end result of the growth caused by nutrients from the roots traveling through the shoots. In creativity, this is the song or painting or short film at the end of the day, directly influenced by our identity, mission and vision.

Are you at a place where you're enjoying the fruit?

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 Perfect Nanny

I just watched a documentary about the Sherman brothers, who, among many other famous Disney titles, wrote the music for Mary Poppins. What's not to love about the rhyming of this song?



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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!

Leather Craftsman

I had the chance a couple weeks ago to drop by a leather shop where Gordon was picking up a personalized guitar strap for a friend. The moment you walk through the door, there's a party in your nose. To me, few things smell as good as the aroma of rich leather.

We commented on how great it must be to take in the smell all day, and to our surprise, the craftsman said:

"I don't really notice it anymore. Sometimes I get a shipment of new leather in and a get a whiff of it, but not every day." 

I wish for his sake that he could have the same experience every morning walking into his job as I did that day.

May we never stop enjoying the normal aspects of creating music. 

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!

SongbirdCamp.com 2.0

I'm proud to announce the new and improved SongbirdCamp.com!

Songbird Camp Preview

We stopped by Deer Run Retreat today, and thought you'd like to see this.

"Lost" Coldplay Cover by Alyssa Bonagura

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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!

Co-writer Characteristic #5 of 10: Discipline

Discipline sounds scary. Maybe it reminds you of getting being sent to the principal's office. Or maybe it sounds restricting. Who wants to do something they don't feel like doing?

Once you get into the habit of writing, whether alone or with another person, you will inevitably encounter days where you wake up feeling like you don't want to create.

In that moment, you have an opportunity to either follow your feeling (and cancel your co-write) or to show up. In almost every situation, the right choice is to show up. You may feel uninspired until you sit down at the piano; until you talk to your co-writer; until you play around with two dead-end ideas.

Dictionary.com defines discipline as an "activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill; training."

It reminds me of high school basketball off-season, where we were encouraged to attend optional weight-training sessions at 8:00am on Summer mornings. Who wakes up wanting to go subject themselves to something they don't feel like doing? The dedicated. Be dedicated, and don't be afraid to show up even when you don't feel like showing up.

Keep writing (and showing up),

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!

Electric Bluegrass

From the show at 3rd & Lindsley last night:

Mosaic @ 3rd & Lindsley

If you happen to be in Nashville, please come out to 3rd & Lindsley this evening at 9:30 to hear full-band performances of songs from Ricky Skaggs' album Mosaic.

There may be a special guest...