Finding a Voice as a Songwriter

As long as I can remember, I’ve liked music and writing. I’m an introvert at heart, but a creatively-wired person. I think somewhere along the line, probably around junior high, I discovered that I could write songs. This statement leads me to my first caveat. For those of you wanting to write songs and be successful, please know that you’ll write tons of stuff in your life: roughly 10% of which will actually turn out good and have any kind of public shelf-life. Remember that all songs you write don’t need to be out there for people either, sometimes its just the craft of writing and thinking that you do for yourself.

The first complete song that I wrote came in high school. It was called “Two Edge Night”. I had the concept, but I completely re-wrote the majority of it when my band in college was doing originals. I wrote a neat little riff on guitar, and then re-tooled the lyrics to that tune, and voila!

My favorite songwriter would have to be Dan Fogelberg, I think. He has such a knack for stories and using words to convey things in just the right times. Other influences would have to be Billy Joel, Don Henley, Springsteen, Carole King, and Jimmy Webb. As I became aware and eventually got saved as a Christian, people like Steven Curtis Chapman, Matthew Ward, and Bob Carlisle. Most recently I’ve really developed an affinity for the music of Bill and Gloria Gaither. They have written some real gems that speak to God’s Truth in some really fresh and musical ways. I’ve learned a lot in a short time from them.