How Do YOU Create Your Art?

 

Well then.  A very excellent question has been posed to me this evening.  Though I may answer it a little bit differently at any given time, depending on the song, and the answers may change for me now and then, generally, I’m confident enough in saying that this answer comes from the bottom of my heart, and that it is an honest one, at the very least.

 

It’s a simple question, really, for any musician/songwriter/performer, or posed, a bit differently, to any artist of any persuasion.

 

“How would you describe your songwriting (or creative) process?”

 

Most of the answer, naturally, is difficult, if not impossible to ever completely explain.  I’m sure it is that way for any artist.  (Unless, that is, they have their songs written for them, and a large amount of their studio work already taken care of for them.)  Parts of the answer need to remain within my own head and heart, of course.  But, I will do my best to explain, nonetheless.  It does me good to introspectively consider it, at this dark time of the year, when our introspections are our mental work.

 

But... First, some good news!  It is okay to let you know now, as has been confirmed by our conversation last night, that it is okay to divulge my (our) plans for the new year, musically.  (And we are very excited about them, indeedy!!!)  I love that word, indeedy.  Don’t you?? INDEEEEDY!

 

My long time friend, and occasional musical cohort, Sede, have decided that it is finally time for us to work together and make some fabulous music, and do a bit of traveling and performing together this upcoming warm season.  I cannot tell you how much I look forward to this.  Once, I had a friend tell me, “You know, he plays how you sing.”  Another time, someone said to me... “I believe that the music the two of your could make together would rival anything I’ve ever heard as far as a duo could go.”  Of course, that got me thinking.  Not just recently, but from years and years ago, and ever since.  I guess I just now realized that he actually wanted to work with me, as much as I wanted to work with him, and it is a good thing to know.  So believe me, although I may play with/in other bands now and then, still work at my solo projects, here and there, and continue to write forever... at current, I am very, very much looking forward to this particular collaborative effort that Sede and I will be undertaking.  So, with that, wish us luck and love in our adventures!  If you are not familiar with SEDE, you ought to be.  Go here, with haste. >>> Sede and His Awesome Music... 

 

(Oh and btw... if you have never seen my SPELLSINGER page, albeit still unfinished, it will have some newsish updates quite soon... and we may even have a collaberative page of some sort at some point... ANYHOW, here is my music site: >>> Spellsinger )

 

Anyway, excited about the combined possibilities.  It is time for a new chapter, on this here gypsy path!

 

So, then... the question.

 

Sometimes, I have come running down in the middle of the night, at three o’clock in the morning, with a melody, or a riff, or a little piece of a song, or a line, or a lyric in my mind.  The Melody for the “Gypsy Song” was borne that very way.  I came running down the stairs, picking out the notes on the keyboard, and I just knew that it was a piece of music that I absolutely no matter what, just simply HAD to get down, or I would forget it and it would get lost. It’s that little piece of melody in the song that starts at the end of the long intro, and is prevalent throughout the song as a little hook.  That’s usually how it starts with me.  Sure, sometimes, I’ll have a very strong inspiration, and I’ll know that is a song is... eventually coming.  Like it, or not, it cannot be stopped.  I may not know how, when or where, but I’ll wait around, and eventually it rears its head.  Or at least, a part of it does.  Sometimes I have to figure out the rest of it, or let it come out through me, allow it to blossom, through me, but that is it.  At other times the entire thing comes pouring out in its entirety.  I have never, and I don’t know if I will be able to ever, just sit down, and plunk out a song, just because it’s a job.  Just about every single thing I have ever written has come about as a result of some very intense inspiration.  I do not force it, ever.  If it doesn’t feel divinely inspired, I let it go.  I have to feel... be... very inspired.  I could go for years at a time without writing anything new (and I don’t feel at all bad about doing that, because I know that I have so many other songs in the queue, awaiting their own births), until a new inspiration comes through.  I hold on to only the most meaningful pieces, to me.  They can, sometimes be fun, though, and not all are completely serious!

 

Once, I spent a couple of hours in the back of my pickup truck, up under the big sycamore tree on our land, where I wrote the “Land of the Sidhe,” in its entirety.  It was absolutely divinely inspired.  I was so pleased to have it when it was completed, and I felt so blessed to have it.

 

Another time, I spent many, many hours in a beautiful garden, and wrote, and played, and sang, over and over and over, a song that I wrote to my daughter, a song called “Light Glow.”  That, was another one that came to me through a very illuminated, divinely inspired light.  But... as blessed as those songs are, not all that come through are light and love.

 

Standing on my back porch, angry about the way that woman, and my beloved Goddess, has been treated throughout the centuries, “Black Goddess” came to me.  It was full of energy, and definitely not friendly,.  But I felt so empowered after writing it, that it was such a release.  I feel that way after singing it, too.

 

I guess part of the question was, what comes to you first, the lyrics, or the music? 

 

For me, that can be different every time.  Usually, it just starts with the idea, itself.  I’ll get the idea, or thought in my head, and from there... maybe I’ll start humming a lyric.  Just a line, a sentence.  A word, even.  Usually, accompanied by a melodious piece of music back behind it.  Then, I’ll have to figure out, more fully, what sort of music really goes along with it.  That is where I have had my technical troubles, here and there.  I am really so much more of a songwriter and a singer than a musician... though I can certainly figure out chords and work out simple rhythms to accompany myself when I need to.  Ultimately, though, I’d love to just... sing.  That said, much music has come through my head and heart.  Much melody, much rhythm.  I can hear it all, symphonies with many parts, amazing things with layers of color and tapestries that are intricate as the imagination can possibly be.  I just can’t play them all yet.



In this day and age if technology, it is simple enough to be able to grab the cell phone and record a line or two when need be, and that can be a very handy thing indeed(y).  But sometimes, I'll admit, I'll still write the song out on staff paper, as much as I am able to.

 

Although a lot of my songs may seem a bit dark, or even sad, somber, or full of longing, lost love and sorrow, there is usually, if you listen closely, a light of brightness and hope within there somewhere.  (Not always, but usually.)  I have had a hard time writing the more upbeat, fun, tunes, they just don’t seem to be what comes to me in a spell of inspiration, most times.  I would like to, though.  I would like to be able to branch out... to write at least one song of every genre, with every emotion possible.  I’ve even, as much as I normally joke that I detest the style, been working on writing a sort of a rappish, hip hop kind of thing... but it’s really just for fun, and we’ll just have to see.  Most of the songs I end up with seem to be more along the lines of older, more classical feeling rock, progressive, magickal and mystical in feel and tempo... journeys into the depths of the Otherworlds.  I love rock and heavy rock, even metal... and would love to see some of my songs grow into something like that.  Pop isn’t really an outlet I’ve been able to explore too much... though I would have fun doing some more exploration with any style.  Genres and styles aside... that isn’t really what it is about, I suppose.

 

Without a doubt... when the worst times of my life have happened, or the most intense, or the most magickal, fearful, magnificent, then that is ultimately when a song comes through.  I think that if I weren’t able to express it in this way, through writing and singing about it, and had to find another way to deal with the emotions, I may potentially be in big trouble. I remember one time, at a recording session, someone said to me... “Remember, that this is going “out there” into the Universe.  It could be out there for a very, very long time.  Make sure that it is something that you want out there.  Make sure it is coming from your heart, entirely, and that it is the best, and the most beautiful sounding thing that you can possibly make it.”  I’ll never forget that.  So, even if a song comes to me that I’m not sure I’ll like in the long run, I’ll try to give it a chance, because I know that it wanted to be born for some reason.  But, if I am going to put I put “out there,” it truly has to be something that touches the heart and soul.

 

I see music as a blessing... an art, a way of life... a piece of my heart.

 

I hope that answer has some meaning, and is able to shed some light on the question.

 

I may not write a song every day, or even every season... but when it comes to me, I know it is going to be a good one.  I know that I will really try to nurture it, and make it as special as I possibly can... because it could be around for a long time, after I am gone.

 

How do You do it?

 

;-)