A lot of writers find that their lyrics or melodies or both tend to fall into familiar ruts.  I have found myself reaching for the cell phone and singing a line into it that after a little reflection sounds musically like something I've done several times.

To be fair, I realized that the choruses of several Rascal Flatts songs co-written by Jeffrey Steele have the same starting point -- a fifth to octave tonic.  So, even the pros do it and probably don't lose any sleep over it.  Besides, I really like the songs and the repetition doesn't bother me.

I had a song idea this weekend that is truly a mold-breaker for me.  It is kinda sorta a modern folk song with an odd form C/V/C/V/C and instrumentation that is out of the ordinary for me.  Odie Blackmon suggested these mold-breakers to get going in a different vein that the patterns we normally fall into.  Song title is "Where the Pines Meet the Southern Wind" and I should be posting a worktape of it pretty soon.

I posted last time about getting songs and/or lyrics out in front of peers to get a different pair of eyes and ears, a different mind and different slant on my work.  This craft is a tough one.

I have been working on a song -- the working title is "Make A Better Man Of Me" -- that tells the story of a man whose relationship with his wife (which personifies how the responsibilities of life, taking care of your wife and kids, keeping your promises) has helped him grow up from a self-oriented kid to a self-sacrificing man.

The first iteration had a good bit of "pictorial" lyric but was shy on background about what had changed to "make a better man of me."  After some re-writing, I have taken care of that, but lost some of the pictorial "color".  Arrggh!  Trying to tell a complete "story" in 32+ lines is tough work!  I appreciate the comments of my peers.  They have never failed to help me write a better song.  Sometimes, though, the "getting there" is a rough go because of the extra help from my friends.

There is a lot to be said for co-writing -- which is the de-facto standard for country music today.  While I haven't officially co-written with anyone, I have gotten my songs or lyrics in front of people who had suggestions on different wording, arrangement, etc.  Without a doubt, two (or more) heads are better than one.

On the other hand, I have read an interview with a Nashville studio owner who has the opinion that the co-writing ecosystem, for all it's benefits to artists and writers, has also had the unintended consequence of watering down individuality and creativity.  It has leached out the distinctives of particular writers' styles and made for a cookie cutter approach to cranking out hits.  I guess you might say it is the old art vs money issue revisited in yet another form or fashion.

Add to that an interview on GAC with Miranda Lambert.  It was obvious -- and she so stated -- that the songs she was proudest of were the ones that were solo writes.  They were truly "hers".

I realized last night that in setting up my site, other than some vague references to my late wife, Cindy, I hadn't put a link to her memorial.  I have corrected that omission and it is  now on the Links page.