Songwriters Taking it Online
A SONA QuaranTownHall
How are you guys doing?
I do believe there will be silver linings to this hermetically sealed existence but until then…I’ll be honest…last night I was not in good shape. In fact I treated myself to an edible. (Oh and I also temporarily suspended my moratorium on vodka.) But then I woke up feeling hopeful…like I dunno…it’s happening for a reason? That “open letter” written by Bill Gates about the “spiritual purpose behind everything that happens” cheered me up until I was told it was a hoax. But who wrote it then? Maybe I don’t care. It was so beautiful.
Just when we thought things couldn’t get any weirder along comes COVID-19. As a mother I’m beside myself being so far away from my daughter who’s in the city that’s been hit hardest. If I wanted to get to her I couldn’t. It’s unnerving. As a songwriter I’m grateful that I can still work and try to keep my mind off of this separation. But this has been a game-changer as well.
That said, while we are temporarily handicapped especially if we collaborate, it doesn’t mean we have to shut-down completely. There’s always FaceTime. Or Zoom-time. (I hope you bought stock in the latter.) Long-distance collaborators (and actually not-so-long distance collaborators) have been taking it online for years. There’s software that makes virtual co-writing a no-brainer. Check out this list of creative resources/online work stations that SONA put together for us. (Oh and MusicCares is offering assistance to those of us who’ve lost work due to venue closures, festival and event cancellations. You may qualify.)
Some of you are shaking your heads. You only go virtual when you need to finish something with someone who’s since returned Down Under. But we may have to embrace online collabs for a while if we long for the sound of someone else’s voice…or guitar.
Yes, it’s true that…
We can’t go for a pre-write walk and muse about a concept. 😞
We can’t order out for pizza and debate about whether a bridge is in order. ☹️
We can’t jump up and down together when we hit that creative break through. 😳
Writing screen-to-screen isn’t conducive to the rapid-fire spontaneous exchange that ‘supports’ stream-of-consciousness toplining. 😩
What about the technical difficulties? Latency. Connection issues. Disconnections issues. 😡
The element most missing for me is the awareness that there’s no other warm body — another beating heart in the same room. It kinda removes the soul from the experience. I like the companionship. 💔
But let’s look at the bright side…
At least we can connect. 😃
Yes, we may skip the pizza but there’s coffee. And M&Ms. 😛
We may not get to take that walk but we can get right to it. Trim the fat. Cut to the chase. Get to where we need to go faster. 😚
The number of co-writers available to us is boundless if we’re willing to work from our respective spaces/studios. 🤪
Home recording software (my friend’s 12-year-old son is a pro on Spire) is so user-friendly that even those of us who never pressed “record” before can record our own vocals. We can even indulge in unlimited takes and not try a producer’s patience by insisting we do the same line over and over and over and over (just like how Paul recorded “Oh, Darlin’” — over the course of a week, by himself, until he got it right).
There’s a slew of positives. Besides, this isn’t forever.
So, chin up! Hopefully your internet has a strong signal. Reach out to friends across the pond and around the corner! You may surprise yourself…if you haven’t already.
And PS…while we’re on the subject of taking it online I’ll be (gulp) Life-Streaming (not a typo) a concert from my living room
This Saturday, March 28th at 6:30 PM PT
So if you’re West Coast grab a cocktail, put your feet up and join me. If you’re East Coast do the dinner dishes, put your slippers on and do the same. UK? I’ll do it again soon in the morning. Put it in your calendar. It’ll feel good to put something in your calendar! Q&A afterwards. Here’s where we’ll meet: facebook.com/serialsongwriter. Hope to see you there.
PSS Here’s a link to my new song “George & John” — a sonic love song to the Beatle. If you’re a fan (and even if you’re not) I think you’re gonna dig it. And if you do, please share it with someone who loved them as much as you. https://cmg.ffm.to/spgj
🧑🏻👨🏻🧒🏻🧔🏻
Stay Safe
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