From Lyrics to Music: Inaugural Post
Hello all.
Some of you have read the pilot run of 'From Lyrics to Music', and from what little I've heard, enjoyed it. All things considered, it wasn't much of a pilot (much less a successful one), having only spanned three entries. However, following the beginning of a new collaborative project amongst writers,'merfl', I've decided to revive this personal endeavour for a proper writer's run through December. Following the official 'launch' of merfl, entries will be cross-posted to my notes on Facebook and my personal blog.
The inaugural post is as follows.
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Songs are more than the sum of their parts, and to judge them on the merit of their individual components would be to do them a disservice.
All too often, however, before we even begin making sense of lyrics, it is the music which gives us our first impression of a song. The impression invariably stays, and we are often tempted to judge a song entirely on its immediate appeal. I don't set much store for that. Is there, and should there be a justification for assessing songs, and even entire genres on such a basis? Even if there were, the greater injustice would be that in doing so, we risk precluding songs which require an appreciation that begins with the lyrics.
In a generation where 'good', commercially viable music is often defined by heavy electronic beats and ready-made hooks and riffs, we run the risk of forgoing good music in our ignorance of good lyrics - or, should I say, good songwriting.
"From Lyrics to Music" is a series on good songwriting which begins with an appreciation of well-written lyrics.
Do stay tuned.
[fin]
Some of you have read the pilot run of 'From Lyrics to Music', and from what little I've heard, enjoyed it. All things considered, it wasn't much of a pilot (much less a successful one), having only spanned three entries. However, following the beginning of a new collaborative project amongst writers,'merfl', I've decided to revive this personal endeavour for a proper writer's run through December. Following the official 'launch' of merfl, entries will be cross-posted to my notes on Facebook and my personal blog.
The inaugural post is as follows.
-----
Songs are more than the sum of their parts, and to judge them on the merit of their individual components would be to do them a disservice.
All too often, however, before we even begin making sense of lyrics, it is the music which gives us our first impression of a song. The impression invariably stays, and we are often tempted to judge a song entirely on its immediate appeal. I don't set much store for that. Is there, and should there be a justification for assessing songs, and even entire genres on such a basis? Even if there were, the greater injustice would be that in doing so, we risk precluding songs which require an appreciation that begins with the lyrics.
In a generation where 'good', commercially viable music is often defined by heavy electronic beats and ready-made hooks and riffs, we run the risk of forgoing good music in our ignorance of good lyrics - or, should I say, good songwriting.
"From Lyrics to Music" is a series on good songwriting which begins with an appreciation of well-written lyrics.
Do stay tuned.
[fin]
Labels: music
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