Songwriting in an Era of Options
When it comes to creating art, taste is everything. We often think of songwriting as an additive process, which might start with a basic chord progression and build from there. But, sometimes it is what is not included in the final product that gives the work its aesthetic quality. Today, we live in a time of excessive options. Electronic musicians often get cited for not playing instruments the traditional way, and yet the process has never been as simple as pushing a few buttons. Given all of the plugin and looping options, it is perhaps knowing what to leave on the cutting room floor that shapes the character of the modern musician. With this reality, decision paralysis becomes a real problem in songwriting. There is a tendency to fall into the trap of believing that more is always better, or wondering if something could be tweaked to make the piece … Continue reading →