Robin Frederick (author, Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting)
We’re heading into the holidays which is the cue for all of us songwriters to begin scribbling like mad. Holidays are a time of festivities and nothing brings out the festive spirit like songs and music! Beloved holiday songs are part of our holidays year after year after year. After a while, though, wouldn’t it be nice to hear a new “standard” or expand the old tradition to include something a bit more up to date? That’s where you come in!
Get in the holiday spirit to write your song: Be on the lookout for the details and emotions that evoke the spirit of the holiday. By using what you see and experience, you imbue your song with those touches that bring it to life. Begin jotting down ideas for your lyric. Look for fresh twists on holiday themes. For instance, when you’re shopping for presents or going to a holiday party, notice what the people around you are doing, what they are saying. How are the children reacting? What behaviors are different? What are you feeling?
Write a Christmas song at Christmastime: There’s nothing harder than writing a Christmas song in July! But that’s just when publishers and music libraries are looking for material for upcoming TV specials and films. So be ready ahead of time with what they’ll be looking for.
Write a song about a holiday that doesn’t have a lot of songs already: How about a Thanksgiving song? A halloween song? A hanukah song? These holidays each have their own special magic and yet the catalogue of songs is fairly slim (compared to Christmas, anyway).
Write a song just for your family and friends: A song is a wonderful gift to family and friends. Include their names and the details of your own holiday traditions. Play it each year to add to your special celebration of the holiday.
Leave a Reply