7 Things... Part Seven: Write in Seasons

I am glad that I've never experienced the frustrating experience of 'writer's block'. I know many people who have - going weeks, months and even years without being able to write any songs. In fact it is the opposite for me, I simply don't have the time to write all the things I'd like to write.

So as I was thinking about why my ability to write remains constant and is not particularly seasonal (it is only seasonal is so much that I may have 'seasons' with more time devote to it - rather than ever being unable to write a song) - and here are a few things which I think help me 'keep the tap dripping' in regards to writing songs:

A lot of Scripture & a lot of prayer: the more I read the Bible and the more I pray the more songs I have to sing. And that really is as simple as it sounds...

Devour what inspires you: I listen to a lot of new music; I read a lot of books; I read a lot of comics; I watch TV and Film that inspires me - when you cram all that creativity in often it wants to get out again!

Write for writing's sake: When I was co-writing once in the middle of writing the song the other person was getting a little frustrated that I wasn't bothered that the song wouldn't be that easy to sing in church - they said "It's not a painting to hang on my wall". I've since thought about it and I now think I should have replied "No, it hangs on Jesus' wall". I write because I like it. I write because I want to. Whether or not I choose to sing them at church, is frankly, up to me.

Invest: Time & money. We all wish we had more of them. There will always be more important things to spend it on. Always more noble ways of using your resources. But I find value in creativity; value in being inspired; value in wasting time writing songs. It's a different kind of stewardship.

hope all these posts have helped

dg

7 Things... Part Six: Making songs 'Unique'

Again, I certainly value the idea of being yourself as a song writer. But sometimes you can think that what that means is to be completely individual and idiosyncratic.

Now this a temptation I can fall for... especially in a bid to escape the 'narrowness' of modern worship. I love diversity and personal expression and I'm committed to local expressions of worship. But one thing has been nagging at me recently...

If you do things your own way then you have to do it on your own. And not only is that hard to do, it also isn't always totally satisfying.

And there can be real joy in collaboration. Finding common ground with others is a liberating and precious experience.

Sometimes, in a bid to sound like no-one else, I can ignore the parts of my writing which sit near by what others are doing. I can seek so hard to avoid familiarity and find a unique, even idiosyncratic place that I can forsake the message in the music. Expressing individuality rather than expressing the very thing my heart wants to say.

For example, so many modern worship songs overuse terms like "Holy" "Glory" and "Worthy". Then out of a desire to avoid their potential for cliche, and to remain unique, I can dismiss their use altogether. Though actually what my heart often wants to say is precisely that: "You are Holy, God"

I neither want to be obsessed with making my songs 'Universal' (to please everyone) or 'Unique' (asserting my individuality). I just want to articulate accurately what my heart wants to say. No matter how universal or unique that may be.

“Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.” C.S.Lewis

dg

7 Things... Part Five: Making songs 'Universal'

Now I genuinely like the 'Universal & Unique' rule to writing worship songs (usually attributed to Brian Doerksen) - it speaks of connecting with many people whilst still being yourself... but in recent years the value of songs being 'Universal' has been taken a little too literally.

I have commented many times on what I call 'McWorship' - the phenomena of being able to step into a church in London, Seattle, Cape Town, Phuket, Sydney, Rio or Basingstoke and here the sames songs sung in virtually identical ways - as if all our churches were CCM franchises.

So I have begun to value a song's ability to be local far above its capacity to be universal.

I am now concerned more with whether or not my song will connect with my church and its relevance to what God is doing amongst us. Whether or not the song relates to churches in Melbourne or Mississippi seems like a pretty irrelevant question.

Unless of course you want to be a globally successful worship song writer. And apparently a lot of people do.

dg

7 Things... Part Four: Working Hard on Songs

You get an idea for a song and then you work, work, work until it is perfect, right?

Not for me.

The 10% inspiration, 90% perspiration rule has never worked for me. If anything I'd reverse those percentages around... I find that when I 'work' at a song, trying very hard to make it better, where I end up is a place where I need inspiration to improve it; inspiration to finish it; inspiration to enjoy it.

Many times I've spent hours working hard at my songs only to end up with something I can't stand the sound of. And how do you know when a song you don't like is finished? Is it when you REALLY hate it? It makes no sense.

This is how I work now: I only work on songs I am enjoying and feeling inspired by; I only do it for as long as I am enjoying it and feeling inspired by it; when I hit a creative brick wall I will try something else instead, safe in the knowledge that my song will still be there if I want to work on it again.

Of course there are moments where perseverance and effort is required to get a breakthrough in a song you want to finish. But if that is your predominate experience of writing you will be good at problem solving not song writing. Do a Sudoku instead.

Song writing should always be a delight before it is a discipline.

dg

7 Things... Part Three: Write for my Church

When finishing a song or choosing which of my songs to use I definitely think a lot about my church; where it's at; what it can cope with; what would be helpful...

But when I'm writing, when I'm creating the song, I don't write for my church. I write for my King.

That sounds very holy of me, doesn't it? But I'm not trying to get a semantical one-up against other song writers, I've just noticed that other writers can be so consumed with trying to write what will work for their church that they can lose sight of what will bless their God.

And all good worship songs, and I mean ALL of them, are written to worship Him. Getting it to work at church...? That comes later.

dg

7 Things... Part Two: Consult a Theologian

If journalling is the first rule then this is heralded as perhaps the most important.

Give your songs to a 'Theologian' to critique.

I've never done that. Not once. Not even for a line. And I think I've managed to avoid serious heresy and half truth.

In fact I've always preferred the approach of becoming a theologian, rather than 'consulting' one. I've preferred to do the reading myself; forming an orthodox theology, with a solid Christology at its centre. And that is without being a natural academic myself- I never much enjoyed academic study (I don't even have a degree!) - but when it comes to personal theological development I've always tried to take the initiative.

Which is why I've never felt the need to get a Theologian to tidy up my songs - I try to write songs that don't need tidying!

And that is what I encourage other writers to do - read; study; do a course; become a good theologian

dg

7 Things... Part One: Journalling

KEEP A JOURNAL!

Rule number one of being a Worship Song Writer.

Keeping a journal or diary can have many benefits... if you are that way inclined. Recording your thoughts and prayers (and answers to prayers) is something many people enjoy and some even find it invaluable.

I've never really gotten into it. At my house there are a number of nice books with notebooks which have the first and second pages (perhaps third, if you're lucky) with journal entries but then just blank pages. I guess then I just forgot, or didn't have anything to say or couldn't be bothered.

So I've never done journalling well. What I have done though, is song writing.

Rather than record my ideas in a book I naturally try to write songs out of those experiences and ideas that inspire me - even if the song does not end up being a 'congregational' one... perhaps this is one of the reasons why I apparently write 'a lot' - in a conversation about how frequently I write another writer was astounded to find out I wrote (conservatively) 'a couple of month'... I've never thought that was a lot!

One of the reasons my journals stayed empty is that it all ended up in songs... so if you want to write more songs maybe try journalling less and song writing more... what's the worst that can happen? (cue Dr.Pepper music)

dg

7 Things Worship Song Writers Do That I Don't (& Why)

I am starting a new mini-series: '7 Things Worship Song Writers Do That I Don't (& Why)'

After talking to a lot of writers over last couple of years and really thinking about how I write songs I've noticed that I do things a little differently - not necessarily better, but different. Mostly they are things you are told to do in song writing seminars that I don't do... for various reasons...

Hopefully this will be helpful to other writers or want-to-be-writers...

Here goes!

dg