Players vs. Composers
It is an interesting thing being a songwriter as opposed to being a “musician”. While I am called a musician at times and can use that name, it’s not really accurate or fair to what I call real “musicians”. The difference is significant. As a songwriter, who uses a guitar as my instrument, I write my music with my guitar. I even have some decent chops.
A musician can play any style of music, usually plays an array of other people’s songs, and can jam with most anyone. As a songwriter, that’s not my craft. I can follow some basics and do remember some of the songs I used to play with my friends before I became a songwriter. But now, playing with a new progression brings on a new song.
It’s not that I have an inability to learn, music in general is not my passion. Some of it has to do with the fact that most of what I wrote when I first started writing music was too hard for me to sing and play. What I was writing was way beyond my technical skills as a performer. I also am not here to be a great musician. I’m an artist and have things to say.
I thought it was more important for me to be able to play my own material rather than concern myself with anyone else’s. That may sound dumb or even arrogant, but some of my early songs took me more than 2 years to get down to the point where I could play them and sound decent. I’ve had to work at having talent, it didn’t just come naturally.
Because of that it’s also pretty easy for me to tell when I’m dealing with a real musician as opposed to a composer/songwriter type. I can hear it in recordings. That’s why producers are so valuable to people like me. Some people, like Prince, are blessed with being both, musician and composer. I’m not one of those kinds of writers.
The good thing about being a songwriter is that there are a lot of musicians who don’t write and like to find new things to get their chops on. Standards are great, but most of what can be done on a standard has been done, so it’s not like a stretch the way getting on a new song can be. That’s where some very cool magic shows up.
I’m lucky that I’ve been graced with talented musicians to play my music with. The chemistry between musicians is one of the most heart-felt things around. People who don’t normally connect in that way in their hearts with people find musicians to be very magnetic and intriguing. We tune in without even realizing it. It’s just natural.
I’ve said before, that if you put me in a room with 1000 people and there was only one other musician there, I would end up talking to the musician. Music people tend to exist on multiple levels in the third dimension. Other kinds of people do it to, but we seem to have our own wavelength here.
Blessings!
Laura
If you want to hear a magic connection, listen to “Tell Me” in the online store at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry
A musician can play any style of music, usually plays an array of other people’s songs, and can jam with most anyone. As a songwriter, that’s not my craft. I can follow some basics and do remember some of the songs I used to play with my friends before I became a songwriter. But now, playing with a new progression brings on a new song.
It’s not that I have an inability to learn, music in general is not my passion. Some of it has to do with the fact that most of what I wrote when I first started writing music was too hard for me to sing and play. What I was writing was way beyond my technical skills as a performer. I also am not here to be a great musician. I’m an artist and have things to say.
I thought it was more important for me to be able to play my own material rather than concern myself with anyone else’s. That may sound dumb or even arrogant, but some of my early songs took me more than 2 years to get down to the point where I could play them and sound decent. I’ve had to work at having talent, it didn’t just come naturally.
Because of that it’s also pretty easy for me to tell when I’m dealing with a real musician as opposed to a composer/songwriter type. I can hear it in recordings. That’s why producers are so valuable to people like me. Some people, like Prince, are blessed with being both, musician and composer. I’m not one of those kinds of writers.
The good thing about being a songwriter is that there are a lot of musicians who don’t write and like to find new things to get their chops on. Standards are great, but most of what can be done on a standard has been done, so it’s not like a stretch the way getting on a new song can be. That’s where some very cool magic shows up.
I’m lucky that I’ve been graced with talented musicians to play my music with. The chemistry between musicians is one of the most heart-felt things around. People who don’t normally connect in that way in their hearts with people find musicians to be very magnetic and intriguing. We tune in without even realizing it. It’s just natural.
I’ve said before, that if you put me in a room with 1000 people and there was only one other musician there, I would end up talking to the musician. Music people tend to exist on multiple levels in the third dimension. Other kinds of people do it to, but we seem to have our own wavelength here.
Blessings!
Laura
If you want to hear a magic connection, listen to “Tell Me” in the online store at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry
posted by Laura Cohn @ 1:50 AM
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