Songwriting?

This one has a lot of fun videos for you.

So I'm taking this pretty sick songwriting class. Well it's like a study of songwriters, the importance of songwriting, and how to songwrite, but there is no actually songwriting happening in class. Let me share briefly with you why this songwriting class is "pretty sick":

1. I find that I'm gaining a new appreciation for the art of songwriting and the people who write songs, those who write their own and the ones who write for other people. For example, my professor asked us if any of us had ever heard of Claude Kelly and we all stared at him like deer in the headlights to which he responded: "Well, tell me if this rings a bell...So I put my hands up, they're playing my song and the butterflies fly away. Noddin' my head like yeah, movin' my hips like yeah." Not only did we realize how hilarious those lyrics are when just spoken, but also that each and every one of us loved Claude Kelly.



2. I think it has almost inspired me to try songwriting. What? Yeah, I know. Every artsy kid with an acoustic guitar or a keyboard "tries songwriting." But it really doesn't seem like something that you actually have to be great at right away. And according to the book my professor wrote (which is also one of the books for a class), I realized you kind of just have to want to be a songwriter and know two chords and you are one. How convenient for me. Also, I also learned that sometimes songs just come to you once you become fairly decent. Tom Petty wrote this little diddy in 3 minutes, legit.



3. My professor is wonderful. He's a songwriter and a music journalist and all this crazy stuff. He's really passionate about songwriting and has interviewed all kinds of interesting people and songwriters. Plus, he plays some of his stuff for us and he's good. :) The class flies by so quickly because he's so interesting to listen to. Plus, we have a slightly similar taste in music, which is cool, because I love the songs he shares in class. I'm currently learning one of them on the guitar.



This one was just hysterical:


And this is my professor's award-winning song (I can't help, but feel proud of him because I think he's just the nicest guy ever):


All in all, I'm super stoked I'm in this class. Maybe I'll be a songwriter? Sweet.

What is an artist?

I don't know that I fully understand the meaning of being an artist, but I'm starting to feel more and more like I am becoming one. I'm not entirely sure that being an artist is really as easy as fitting yourself into a stereotype, but more of a way to live life with full appreciation. I honestly think that that's a big part of it: pure, honest appreciation.

I have been asked in the past who I am inspired by. I have my favorite artists, writers, musicians, performers, etc., but I feel like I'm not really inspired by all of them. However, now I believe that I am wrong.

I think my inspiration to create art or "express" comes from each piece of art form that I come into contact with. Whether I like or dislike the piece plays a part in what I create myself. I take different characteristics, combine it with my own style, and voila: Art.

As of the moment, my inspiration is being pulled strongly from two artists:

The first is David Sedaris. Sedaris' sharp wit and sarcastic writing style really hits my sense of humor. I often read his things and think about how wonderful it might be to be friends with Sedaris and have actual conversations with him. His personality bursts through the words on the page. These are things I wish to pull from Sedaris when writing in my own style. Sedaris is just a great storyteller, which is really an important part of being a good writer.

The second is Jason Mraz. I have never been more inspired by someone's words before. His musical style alone is enough to make me fall in love with him (since I'm a sucker for a boy with a guitar), but honestly, his lyrics are just wonderful. The reason I'm so drawn to them is because Mraz himself is a good writer. I read his blog whenever he posts and he just has such a healthy appreciation for everything around him. In fact, his post today on Twitter was "Sometimes I get too blind to see the beauty in the songs I sing - and I am grateful for the re-learning." I thought that was really cool. Through his blog, I get the sense that, because of his gratitude, he is one of the happiest people in the world. Now I don't know him personally (to my great dismay), but I really feel like you can get a sense of a person by what they write, which I think is pretty cool. This video shows a little bit of where Mraz gets his inspiration:

But again, no set conclusions here about my status as an artist, but I feel like I'm well on my way.