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songwriting evening - where to start?
I have already posted this in songwriters circle but then realised that was maybe not the best place to post it -
I am organising our first songwriting evening for our worship group - we have never done this before and have no idea what the best way to go about it is. I was wondering if anyone could give advice or even an outline of a songwriting evening/workshop you have been to. There will be people with no experience to people who have written and sang their own songs in church. We are unsure as to whether it should be a bring and share your already written songs or a collaboration to try and come up with a new song or??? The evening is really just a kickstart to what we hope will become a long term regular get together so if we get it wrong we will hopefully learn from it and continue on but we would obviously love to get the best start possible. All your thoughts would be greatly appreciated - thanks!
I am organising our first songwriting evening for our worship group - we have never done this before and have no idea what the best way to go about it is. I was wondering if anyone could give advice or even an outline of a songwriting evening/workshop you have been to. There will be people with no experience to people who have written and sang their own songs in church. We are unsure as to whether it should be a bring and share your already written songs or a collaboration to try and come up with a new song or??? The evening is really just a kickstart to what we hope will become a long term regular get together so if we get it wrong we will hopefully learn from it and continue on but we would obviously love to get the best start possible. All your thoughts would be greatly appreciated - thanks!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Elman Authement on -
Wow, sounds dangerous! I admire your courage though. I'm assuming everybody on this team is already working together in harmony as per the vision of the Pastor, worship leader, etc. If people come with their own agendas, it might not work.
Collaborating is a give and take situation. You can't allow someone's "other" idea make you feel as if yours was inferior and on the flip side, you cannot look at the "unexperienced" person's idea as foolish either. Let's face it, if they're unexperienced and unknowlegdable about something, you may get something that lacks quality.
I've always approached this like this: If I bring an idea, a half a song, whatever it may be, it's something I've already started and working on, then it's my song and I'm inviting people to take part in collaborating with me. If I use any part of their idea, they automatically become a cowriter with me but that doesn't give them control over the song. If another person gives me another idea for lyrics, they become a third owner regardless if the first partner gave more lyrics. I don't devide it 40-40-20 %. You know what I mean? But these two cowriters can only offer suggestions as to what to do with the song. I still have control as to what I accept or not. It protects me but it protects them in the same sense if they bring a song. I can only offer suggestions to them on their song. It's theirs, I'm just thrying to cowrite with them now.
On the other hand, if you all come to the table with nothing and everyone agrees beforehand that everyone is a writer regardless of their contribution, then all people would have to agree on every lyric. If you can't all agree, then just take that lyric and put it aside for another song. It may still be able to be used somewhere. You could vote on a lyric but that could still cause division.
You may find out there are some people you can collaborate with better than others. That happens.
If you choose to make everybody a songwriter regardless of their part on your "uncompleted" songs, then more power to ya. It's your choice.
Does writing a lead solo or a bass lick warrant a songwriter part? Legally no. I did have my guitar player write a guitar part that literally changed the face of my song so I gave him a songwriter part with me but it's actually my own choice. I have hired a studio musician to do that and he may have come up with a cool part also but that's what he was hired to do. As he always tells me, "That's my gig. It's what I'm hired to do." The song was already written when I got to the studio.
Just make sure beforehand that there is a clear understanding as to the guidlines you guys choose and it'll leave out room for disagreements further down the line.
blessings and have fun.
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