Daily Tips #6

It's been a long time since the next serving of tips, huh? No need to worry! Today is the day they return! =)

Today's tip of the day is:

01. Fight the Opposition!

Fight the Opposition!

 
Now, I don't mean to start a fight with your worst enemy, aha. All I mean is to stand up for yourself and what your music stands for.

Yes, you know this already, I know. However, this is really important because sometimes the pressure can be too much. For example's sake, if you're used to writing a certain way, and every one of your listeners are used to hearing that certain style, people usually get comfortable with anything that they're accustomed to. Why can this be a problem? Let's say you get tired of this style, and for a while you want to try something different. Experimentation could allow you to reach more followers, however, in some instances, the ones that are used to that specific sound, could be driven away.

The key is to not let negative comments get in the way of how you want your music to be. You're the one behind the pen, behind the keyboard, behind the guitar, behind the computer, behind the songs. You should be the one who gets to decide what to make, as long as it's not in bad light, or bad energy.

So bottom line is, make the music you want to make, and don't be discouraged by what fans or listeners of your music may say! Cause if you're not having a fun time making the music you make, that will show in the final product. So have fun, be cautious, but not too cautious so that you lose sight of what your music is supposed to represent!

Thanks for reading, and till next time, peace out to all my drafters!

Sincerely,
Julian.

Daily Tips #5

Today's daily tip for songwriters is...

01. Write Poetry!

-You can say that this is sort of like a "part two" to the 4th section of 'Tips for Songwriters.' Sometimes when writing, and you get writer's block, it can be a really hard thing to 'shake off' per say. Another way to possibly rid your mind of writer's block, is to write poetry! 

Writing Poetry can help get rid of "Writer's block."

Now if you particularly like lyrics to a song, those words can connect to you in a way that possibly the regular spoken word, would not. However, writing lyrics is a form of poetry as well, and it's very important to remember that. 

However, if you have writer's block, writing literature and poetry on it's own, could help to free your mind and flow out ideas as well.

Why?

When writing song lyrics, you might have a distinct flow in your head that you write to, or you might want the words to come out in a certain way. It might be specific to how you want the song to be, and because of this, writing lyrics can sometimes be constricted to a certain format, depending on the structure or flexibility of the song. The reason why writing poetry on its own could help free your mind, is because there is no distinct flow for writing poetry. 

Poetry is a vast expansion of the world. It is purely your imagination. Writing freely with poetry, could be one solution to revert your mind back to writing lyrics the way you want them. Who knows? Try it out! It has worked for me! ^^

Sincerely,
Julian.

Daily Tips #4

Need some tips for the day? 
No fear! 'Tips for Songwriters' is here!

01. Having or encountering 'writer's block' is not always a bad thing.

-If you're a songwriter, then you most likely have probably encountered some form of 'writer's block.' Yes, it is annoying, and sometimes even grueling to deal with, but I assure you, there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

From my personal experiences in songwriting, there were countless times that I've encountered some form of writer's block. When it happens, you really do feel like (or at least I did) that it's all for nothing. However, every time that I pulled through and got over my writer's block, it was either the same as it was, better than before, or different all together. 

Now if you are accustomed to writing in a certain style, adopting a different style after having writer's block can make you feel a little off, or way off. An example is when this happened to me. I was so heavily a part of one style of rock that I wrote songs in, and when the opportunity came when I had to change my style of writing, I didn't know what to do. 

Blank sheet of paper (Writer's block)

Needless to say, I did it. Oh boy though, when I did, I almost completely lost track of my original writing style. Even now I am still having trouble remembering how I wrote songs before in the older format, and sometimes I wish I can revert to it, to write more songs in that style. However, even though sometimes there are cons of writer's block, there are also pros. It can lead you to new things. Perhaps a new way of singing, a new way of writing. Writer's block is a gift and a curse. It just depends how you take it, and how you look at it afterwards.

For me, it was a gift. Even though sometimes (maybe even more) I miss my old style, I have a feeling that one day it will return to me with open arms, and possibly even greater than before. Now, because of experiencing writer's block, I also have multiple styles that I can work with, and I am so thankful for that, because in the end, it just gives me more ways to hopefully connect with the world, through my lens of music and songwriting.

The bottom line is for this tip is, don't be scared of having a writer's block, because sometimes having a 'block' in your way, can lead to having a 'greater and broader view' of yourself in the end.

Sincerely,
Julian.

Daily Tips #3

Just wanted to throw a couple tips out there to help you guys out! 

01. If you're a songwriter and accustomed to a certain style, don't be afraid to branch out and explore! 

For me, I can't even count how many times that I've changed styles over the course of my songwriting. Well, I probably could, but that's besides the point, aha. When I was younger, I would listen to every single genre, every song, and watch every music video. Since dancing was my first musical passion, during the times I would listen to a song, I would never care about the genre, because I never thought that I would ever portray writing in a single genre of music one day. My mind was very open.

That's why I was so surprised that after I would write poems, I dove right into writing rap material. I would try to write a rap song, after every poem I wrote. 

(Not to say the raps were that good either, aha). 

 

Me (Julian Wilson) standing outside my High School

However, after my first, original song "Don't Run" was recorded and released, my entire outlook on writing music changed. It's as if I went through a metamorphosis. It actually felt amazing. Since "Don't Run" was a rock song, after its release, it managed to open my eyes to a whole new world, (not an 'Aladdin' reference...or was it? =P). 

Very soon after that, I found myself being able to write both rap and rock material for music. After that, I even started to dive into writing different styles of both rap and rock, as well.

It just goes to show that sometimes through experience, it can change your life for the better. Just remember, if you're accustomed to listening to a certain genre, or writing songs a certain way, remember that if you take a risk you don't think you should take, it can end up being a gift, rather than a curse. That's the one thing that everyone should take from this Draftboard post! ^^

Sincerely,
Julian.

Daily Tips #2

Hello all,

This is the second official post, for "Tips For Songwriters!" Here is an important tip to help out all you songwriters and creators out there. =P.

01) Never be afraid to show your 'true' colors. "Keep your strange." 

What do I mean by "keep your strange?"

Brandon Boyd of rock band, Incubus.

In an online video interview with 'Renman Music & Business,' Brandon Boyd tells young aspired musicians, to keep their "strange." By this, Boyd in other words, is telling young musicians and bands out there, to never change how they perform, how they act on stage, how they make music, because there is only one 'you.' Someone out there, and many people will appreciate it. Keep your heads up, and keep your strange! =D

Here is the online video interview: 


Sincerely,
Julian. 

Daily Tips #1

Hello all,

This is the first post for this section of Draftboard. "Tips for Songwriters," is a little section made to help out artists. Here are some starting tips to help you out, if you're a songwriter:

01) It's okay to edit a song, and re-edit. If something doesn't turn out the way you want it to the first time, don't worry about it. Nothing in life is perfect. Not even something that you visualize in your head.

02) If you feel afraid of what someone else might feel about your work, just remember that some of the world's most influential artists in music, have felt the same way as you do, and have still went on to produce and inspire fans with their music. Some songs they were even scared of putting out there, for fear that fans might not like what they've done.

An example of this, is vocalist, songwriter, and musician, Chester Bennington, who belongs to the rock groups, Linkin Park, Dead By Sunrise, and Stone Temple Pilots.

Chester Bennington (Linkin Park)

In this article, Chester Bennington tells 'Channel V' that he initially did not like Linkin Park's hit song, "In The End." Instead, he expresses to them that he originally 'hated' the song, and did not want to be on their debut album 'Hybrid Theory,' which was the best selling-debut album of the 21st Century. 

Here is the link to the article:

Chester Speaks

Today, "In The End" is considered to be Linkin Park's biggest song, hit, and most recognizable staple of their music. 

P.S. So just remember, even if you don't like something you made, and you're too afraid to show it to the world, remember that in the end, it could turn out way better than you previously thought. For all songwriters, that's "One thing, you should know."

Chester Bennington in Linkin Park's music video, "In The End"

Sincerely,
Julian.