Week 1 Reflection

 This week I learned a ton about the art of songwriting. I have been a musician for almost all of my life but I have only just begun to write my own compositions. I learned (mostly on my own) about song structure and a bit of music theory. I also learned about using capos on my guitar to make playing easier. Not everything happened as I would expect it to. I expected (rather naively) to have written at least a few more songs and I would’ve expected to have started recording by now. I now realize that songwriting as a beginner can be a long and tedious process. I am surprised that I was able to write a song in the first place (ironically, considering I was expecting to write more.) It always felt like something I couldn’t do, that was too far out of my reach. I thought I didn’t know enough music theory, but I’ve learned that while music theory definitely helps, all of the intricacies are not necessary for songwriting in its essence. I definitely enjoyed the process as it has been very fun to see ideas sprout out of me and onto the page as well as on my instruments. I think I will benefit immensely from this week’s activities. I now have a taste of composing and I aspire to continue writing tunes after I graduate. I now have  more motivation to perfect my instrumental techniques to make my songs sound better, which is better in the long run since I will be able to play popular songs on my instruments better also. This project is helping me to achieve my goals in the sense that I will be a more creative person. Creativity is a huge value of mine, and adding another artform to the mix is something I’m happy about. I will also, once I record, learn about recording techniques and Scott has said he will give tips on making a home miniature recording studio which I’m excited about. This recording studio I would make would allow me to continue producing music at a certain quality sound-wise. I am so happy to be doing this project, it has been the most fun I have had in a while.

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