Songwriting

To me, the key to developing a voice as a songwriter is process. Even though many artists and fans of artists use this word like it is this mysterious unknowable force, I believe that like an instrument, process is something that can be discovered and even learned. In Songwriting lessons with me, we will engage with and attempt to refine your process as it is and maybe even reinvent it along the way. For everyone this will be different, but this work often entails study of the work of great songwriters the student admires, lyric writing exercises, study in harmony and melody, as well as arrangement and orchestration.

Another myth I hope to dispel with students is the myth of “inspiration”. While inspiration is absolutely a force necessary for most good writing, I think that it is often surrounded by misconceptions. Aspiring writers may think that the songwriters they admire just “feel it” and sit down and crank out an amazing timeless song, or that in order to write they must feel some kind of connection with this mystical force. In contrast to this, I believe that much of what a songwriter does is laying the groundwork for this “inspiration” to happen. Allotting a little time every day for creativity and using exercises and listening to get your creative juices flowing is a must. I was once told a story that Neil Young in his prime would write one song every day, and each year or two he would put out an album of 10-12ish songs. That means that of the 12 beautiful songs Neil would write he would also write about 350 duds, songs that weren’t perfect, songs that might have been just plain bad.

As a teacher I encourage my songwriting students to dispel with the pressure of “inspiration” and of perfectionism to just find the exuberance and joy of the creative process, and in doing so we almost always write some fun and interesting songs. In my teaching I also try to stress the importance of your voice as a songwriter! I am always trying to work in the service of you and your song, helping to expand and build your work up, rather than knocking it down and trying to make it fit my standards of taste. For most people songwriting is incredibly personal, and I try to always respect the uniqueness of my students' thoughts and feelings as well as the sacred nature of what we do as songwriters. The way everyone thinks about the world is different and I firmly believe songwriting is a great way to reaffirm and celebrate that. I am excited to help you discover your voice as a writer and bring your creativity to life!

Evan’s experience with songwriting:

I started writing songs when I was thirteen to play in my first rock band. Since then I have contributed songs to most of the groups I’ve been involved with. Stylistically I have written in a wide variety of genres, Instrumental Jazz, Neo Soul/Hip Hop, Experimental, Folk/Singer Songwriter, and Indie Rock. Notable recorded examples of my songs include, “Yee” (track 2) and “Yeeeee” (Track 5) from Glitter Glam’s Album Yee (2018) and “The Body” and “The Time” from Fallow Land’s album Slow Down, Rockstar (2019). My song “The Body” has even had write ups in indie publications such as Talkhouse and GetAlternative. My largest songwriting project to date has been my debut solo record Don’t Cry (2022), a collection of 9 original songs I wrote and recorded between 2019 and 2021. I have also studied Poetry with noted novelist and poet Laura Kaziskche and poet Aaron Van Jordan. To me songwriting is like solving the puzzle of the self. Ideas, thoughts, and feelings emerge from the subconscious, and a songwriters job is to try to use the songwriting craft to organize and make sense of these emergences. I am most fascinated by songs that seem to speak to the truths of existence in a way that feels novel, almost like an experience or a feeling that you didn’t know there was a word for.