Finding your voice/genre

Songwriting, songwriters, etc

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linziellen
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Re: Finding your voice/genre

Post by linziellen » Sat Mar 22, 2008 11:13 am

Hi Vikki, Ibanez,Must have been typing at the same time! Thanks Vikki, those are wise words. If I'm honest I have never listened to much of the type of music you write but hearing you, it's so obvious you are in your element and it's bloomin good stuff lol!This is mind boggling but makes perfect sense at the same time. I have to go concentrate on MY voice. I have such an accent it makes me cringe, see I can either sing like I"think" I should which is quite nifty and people tell me so or I can sing without trying, which is like rough country meets Derbyshire girl Something else that's gone through my mind, how long do you work on a song, perfecting it, pulling it into shape until is suits you and you're happy to sing it? Imagine it takes you a whole year, maybe more...you send it into TAXI because you think it's the tops and they return it because it's dated - shock horror!? Has this ever happened to anyone?Seriously are you guys getting any sleep? I'm not lol! Nah I'm sleeping enough but other than evenings and late nights what else is there? I've even taped my songs to the bathroom wall to read and sing while brushing my teeth!Oh look at all that snow, TAXI will be clogged with Lindsey posts if this keeps up!Thank you so much all of you, you guys/this forum is the "icing on the cake" getting my first forward will be the cherry Me!

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Re: Finding your voice/genre

Post by hummingbird » Sat Mar 22, 2008 12:26 pm

Quote:Imagine it takes you a whole year, maybe more...you send it into TAXI because you think it's the tops and they return it because it's dated - shock horror!? Has this ever happened to anyone?Yes, it's happened to me. Not that they returned it because it was 'dated', but they returned it because it wasn't at the level it needed to be. My idea of "the tops" needed to be revised, lol. OTOH, if a song is 'dated' but is otherwise good... there's bound to be a niche for it in film/tv.Ever thought of blogging, Lindsey? Set yourself up on blogger.com -http://theshysinger-songwriter.blogspot.com/ and share your journey PS - sleep? what's that. I don't have no time for sleep
"As we are creative beings, our lives become our works of art." (Julia Cameron)

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Re: Finding your voice/genre

Post by geo » Sat Mar 22, 2008 8:35 pm

Hey guys... throw my 2 cents on the fire...I take a slightly different approach, I haven't completely switched over to Taxi mode, I just write what I want... not necessarily the way to Taxi success but it's what works for me. I don't spend a lot of time now listening to music other than my own.... when I started out I did, taking apart the structure of a wide variety of songs from a wide range of artist... U2, Bob Marley, Steel Pulse, The Clash, The Eagles, Doobie Brothers ... just about every song I liked got the once over... it wasn't until Taxi that I was able to put the proper terms on what I was doing (I referred to my pre-choruses as breaks, didn't know what AABA meant... etc) but I took these lessons and developed my voice, my style.I don't write a song saying "Let's write a song like...." instead as the idea for the song starts to take form I start to envision what I think it should sound like... actually the song kinda decides that.... an example:I was doing a song writing exercise.... writing a song based on reworking a cliche and came up with this as a chorus...You're all bark, baby, no bite,You talk a good game but you run from a fight.And you think you're all that, well honey that's alright,But you better think again cause your man is texting me tonight.Even though it was written on guitar and I'm a rock guy by the time I finished these four lines I knew the song needed an R&B/Hip Hop treatment (Rihanna is actually singing it in my head )... do you see what I'm trying to say? I think each journey we take is different but as the cliche goes it's your destination. You have to decide on what do you want out of songwriting... me, I always wanted to write songs, it's all about creation with me. As far as developing your own voice, just write.... don't worry about ala's, don't try to sound like anyone, just write... but start envisioning the finished product, even if you don't have the ability to put it all down. Concentrate on structure, having a good lyric, strong hook (a good repetitive lyric is always a good way to go ) and have fun... after all it music, not work.... Geo

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Re: Finding your voice/genre

Post by davewalton » Sun Mar 23, 2008 10:19 am

You start the most philosophical discussions! I guess the short answer is that once I really found out WHERE I was musicially, then it was easier to settle into that (to some extent) while at the same time moving to improve. My first discovery of WHERE I was musically (through Taxi critiques) was that my style was "out-of-date New Age". OK... so it wasn't very easy to settle into THAT but at least it gave me a starting point to where I could improve from there. I guess at that point I decided that I wanted my music to basically be "orchestrally centered" and that I also wanted to include ethnic elements as well as electronica elements. So over a period of a few years that's where I am now.Now that I'm "here", I also know that my composing style lays on the simple side as opposed to being on the complex side. That's good for lots of reasons, it's served me well and continues to do so but I'd also like to become a little more complex for certain things. So I've got some work to do. That's just one of the things I work on. Being a "composer" is a lot different than being a "songwriter" too. It's expected that I should more or less be a musical chameleon and it's pretty much a requirment... I have to be able to do "cartoon music" as well as "high octane", peel-you-off-the-ceiling music.For a songwriter, having a wide variety of styles is great for film/tv... certainly gives you more opportunities. For being an artist seeking a recording contract, I think that you just have to write from the heart, go with what comes out and improve on that using all the tools available (Taxi, songwriting books, seminars, conferences, forums, etc). I think that to a great extent, the "sound" of a songwriter... that comes from whoever it is that is producing the album. Give one of your songs to the guy/gal that produces Dolly Parton, it'll sound one way... give that same track to the guy/gal that used to produce the Ramones, it'll sound another way. Same song (chords, melody, lyrics) different "genre" depending on who has control over it.

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Re: Finding your voice/genre

Post by linziellen » Tue Mar 25, 2008 9:22 am

Thank you guys, I'm on a right downer at the moment. I've managed to get lost in it all, I've not been singing, playing or even writing properly these last couple of days it seems to come and go every few weeks and then I tend to jump back up again with another thousand ideas...here's hoping...

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Re: Finding your voice/genre

Post by geo » Tue Mar 25, 2008 9:34 pm

Quote:Thank you guys, I'm on a right downer at the moment. I've managed to get lost in it all, I've not been singing, playing or even writing properly these last couple of days it seems to come and go every few weeks and then I tend to jump back up again with another thousand ideas...here's hoping... Try breaking your routine.... also a little break every now and then is good for the ears (I think)... Geo

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Re: Finding your voice/genre

Post by silvercord » Wed Mar 26, 2008 12:37 am

well now that you've got ur piano, maybe its time to seewhat feels good with your playing and your singing..now you have both instruments, piano and voice to start exploring what feels right!

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Re: Finding your voice/genre

Post by linziellen » Wed Mar 26, 2008 10:01 am

Hello...me again! I have made a HUGE discovery/breakthrough which at the time I reacted coldly to, however I'm now...pretty much buzzing! I've always been a fan of Indie/pop/rock and lots in between but haven't managed to fit my voice to any of it. I managed to pull it off but didn't feel comfortable. Even my writing style has closely followed the above genres but only the very occasional song has slipped the net and I've sung it 100% from me. OK I said I kept my ears open to all kinds of music but when I caught wind of the words - "soul, funk, blues" it kinda made me cringe and took me back to childhood which made me think along the lines of old and dated! However earlier today I took the plunge and typed "Soul Music" into my Youtube search field. I fell straight into a lady called "Alice Russell" and " PING " as soon as I heard her voice I said "that's me"!!! I felt confused but so relieved to think that this might be where I can lay down that bloody jigsaw piece with the funny edges I never managed to fit into the picture - there she goes!Now what?!? I need to down my Sherlock Holmes outfit and investigate because this is one genre I know nothin about! I'm off to look into the likes of Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Jill Scott?! Does this mean I can wear yellow shoes and dresses with big buttons, I hope so!!!Thanks for hearing/helping me out guys,Off I go again...into the world of jazz, funk, hip hop and soul...

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Re: Finding your voice/genre

Post by michael11 » Wed Mar 26, 2008 10:38 am

Quote:Hello...me again! I have made a HUGE discovery/breakthrough which at the time I reacted coldly to, however I'm now...pretty much buzzing! I've always been a fan of Indie/pop/rock and lots in between but haven't managed to fit my voice to any of it. I managed to pull it off but didn't feel comfortable. Even my writing style has closely followed the above genres but only the very occasional song has slipped the net and I've sung it 100% from me. OK I said I kept my ears open to all kinds of music but when I caught wind of the words - "soul, funk, blues" it kinda made me cringe and took me back to childhood which made me think along the lines of old and dated! However earlier today I took the plunge and typed "Soul Music" into my Youtube search field. I fell straight into a lady called "Alice Russell" and " PING " as soon as I heard her voice I said "that's me"!!! I felt confused but so relieved to think that this might be where I can lay down that bloody jigsaw piece with the funny edges I never managed to fit into the picture - there she goes!Now what?!? I need to down my Sherlock Holmes outfit and investigate because this is one genre I know nothin about! I'm off to look into the likes of Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Jill Scott?! Does this mean I can wear yellow shoes and dresses with big buttons, I hope so!!!Thanks for hearing/helping me out guys,Off I go again...into the world of jazz, funk, hip hop and soul... Blimey!!!! (bet you don't hear that alot where you live!!! )Lindsey I have never heard of Alice Russell before but if you sound anything like that you should get off your derriere and get your music out there.Michael.
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linziellen
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Re: Finding your voice/genre

Post by linziellen » Thu Mar 27, 2008 9:38 am

Lol "Blimey" I still use it all the time, it hasn't caught on over here yet but I'll keep working on it!I have a lot of study to do, I've no idea how to write soul music but from what I've heard so far some of it is pretty repetitive.I've been listening to all sorts of soul from the 1950's and 60's, tonight I'm going to move into the 70's. I keep trying Amy Winehouse out but she's a bit dark for my likings. Alice Russell certainly holds the torch so far, she's fast turning into my hero!I checked out your music, pretty cool Lindsey

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