For the past 4 years, my life has mainly revolved around kids, kids, kids! But I still, whenever I have a chance, write music. I have had a few people asking how I make albums, and how do I write songs? What is my process?
Well, those are big questions… and the answer is actually simple.
One idea leads to another. It is simply a process of building onto one little bit of inspiration that feels worthy of becoming something beautiful.
For as long as I can remember I’ve been dreaming up songs. Hearing melodies, saying to myself ‘that’s a good hook!’ My early songs were the product of a lot of noodling and playing around, often when I was supposed to be doing something else… like studying… or working! I’d write bits of poetry in notebooks or napkins and put them to melody and keep building on those little ideas. These days I get inspiration when I’m cooking, or in the car singing to the kids. I record them on my iPhone, and then when I get time, I revisit them in my music studio (when the kids are napping of course.)
I play piano and acoustic guitar, so I find chords and a fell that backdrop onto the idea, which I sometimes call a seed. I love to find a good feel for a song. I jam them out, I play what feels good. Being a mama, I don’t have a heap of free time so when I do get to play and write music (by myself), I go for it! I work on ideas that I love. When it comes time to actually demo a song I will really workshop it, and look at how it is put together lyrically and sonically. There are always things I can make better.
Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something.
I am at awe at the power of the imagination. There are so many possibilities! I follow my heart. The things that are happening in my life are the biggest lyrical inspirations. It’s much easier to write about a feeling or an experience that I know intimately than one that I don’t. I get back inside that moment in time and paint the picture.
I draw influence from listening to music that I like the vibe of, I take mental notes of song formats and instrumentation. I listen to Spotify, I have an epic playlist of songs that I love the sound of right now.
My writing isn’t always good! I write a lot more than I release, and am always looking at how my songs can be better. So many elements come together to make a song and it’s a lifetime of evolving and crafting. I have learned so much about music from private lessons, studying music at University, listening and I am forever learning.
I’d love to hear from you!!! Drop in any comments or questions below ♡
-terra
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