NOTE: THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED AS FREQUENTLY AS WE GET NEW ACTIVITIES IN. PLEASE CHECK BACK OFTEN.

As a result of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, a multitude of communities around the world find themselves quarantined, isolating the sick and practicing extreme social distancing. Aside from upsetting the lives of so many of our fellow countrymen, these changes are transforming the ways in which we socialize and connect with our communities.

These ongoing challenges are giving rise to Baha’is finding new and innovative ways to safely engage with their community, celebrate holy days and meet together virtually. We have seen and experienced many new online activities including group devotionals, web based children class gatherings and a host of artists offering free online concerts. These creative solutions go a long way to help our communities continue to do the work of the Cause even when separated by an ongoing health crisis.

Hopefully some of the links below will serve you, your family and your community during these trying times.

NOTE: THIS IS AN EVER UPDATING LIST… AS SUCH, CHECK BACK REGULARLY FOR THE LATEST RESOURCES FOR YOUR FAMILY AND COMMUNITY. IF YOU KNOW OF AN ACTIVITY WE HAVEN’T INCLUDED, PLEASE EMAIL US VIA OUR CONTACT FORM HERE: https://9starmedia.com/contact

ONLINE DEVOTIONALS

ONLINE CHILDREN’S CLASSES & ACTIVITIES

ONLINE BAHA’I CLASSES & COURSES OF STUDY

Here are a list of courses and classes you can take online to accelerate your deepening activities.

THE WILMETTE INSTITUTE – LIVE – Offering FREE LIVE courses for JrYouth, Youth and Adults during the quarantine

THE WILMETTE INSTITUTE – Offering a range of Baha’i Study Courses

THE CRIMSON ACADEMY – A Collection of Free Study courses on the writings

STUDY THE FAITH – A Website to help you learn

how to study the writings

SOME INSPIRATION FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Here are some stories of Baha’is around the world who are continuing the work of the cause despite the challenges that a global health crisis presents.

Hope and support in Italy during a global health crisis – The Baha’is of Italy

RISING TO THE OCCASION IN A GLOBAL CRISIS: – Bahai World News Service

PAST EVENTS THAT YOU CAN WATCH AGAIN

The post Resources for Online Baha’i Activities (During The Coronavirus Quarantine) first appeared on 9 Star Media.

Be sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2 of this 3 Part series on songwriting.

Eric Harper destroys guitars. No, I don’t mean that in a ‘Jimi Hendrix – light it on fire and watch it burn’ sort of way, nor do I mean it in a ‘Kurt Cobain – Swing the guitar like an axe into the drum set’ kind of way either… Eric destroys guitars with his fingers. Literally. One look at his instruments makes you feel sorry for them… while simultaneously sparking a curiosity as to what kind of music leaves sawdust in it’s wake. Eric’s musical weapon of choice is Flamenco.. and he wields it well. 

His guitar playing and producing has graced several Baha’i albums that we love, and when we saw he was posting songs almost daily onto his ReverbNation page, we had to check it out. The songs are eclectic, as you would expect from someone who’s influences run from Heavy Metal to Flamenco. Some of his songs have lyrics, but many don’t. Eric doesn’t constrain his writing approach by requiring lyrics. His focus is to create a singularly massive music library for licensing to film and television. With the catalog of songs he has been developing as well as the songs he already has being placed, Eric is headed towards success. Sit back and enjoy our interview with Eric Harper and his song-a-day experience.

A Little Background:

How did you get into songwriting?
I got into songwriting as a natural desire to want to uplift people’s hearts. I started playing with music at the age of 7; mostly creating and experimenting with sound and notes, etc. When I picked up the guitar at age 12, I started learning other people’s songs so that I could get ideas for my own music. The first song I learned was ‘Stairway to Heaven‘ and immediately borrowed that chromatic descending harmonic structure from the first 3 chords in the song for my own music.

Who long have you been writing songs for?
I guess my first real song would have been composed around the age of 14. A full song with lyrics and all. It also happened to be the time that I realized that I have no talent for lyrics. HA! I can write a song in about 5-10 minutes but it might take me close to 6 months to churn out decent lyrics. Of course, if you’re a client and want something in one day I can always write about something meaningless like crickets, or chocolate frogs or teenage love.

Do you have any formal training?
Yes. I started taking piano lessons when I was seven… but that only lasted three months. (I didn’t really like my teacher.) After that, I studied drums for six years. (Ah, the marching band years! FUN!) When I was twelve, my Junior High School offered a guitar class so I picked up the guitar and started studying that as well. After the first year of classes my teacher sat me down and told me that if I just wanted to go off into a private room and practice she would give me an A for the whole year; She said she had nothing more she could teach me. Of course, I told my mom and she signed me up for private lessons with a guitar instructor named Craig Dell. The encouragement I received from my Junior High teacher and Craig Dell were the reason I stayed with guitar. At the age of fifteen my family moved to Portugal and I entered into the Conservatory of Music of Braga. Man, did they ever kick my arse! Never have I endured such intense study as I did there. I studied classical guitar for a couple years in the conservatory and then moved my studies to the Professional School of Music of Porto where I studied for an additional three years. After Portugal, I moved to Boston to continue my studies in music at Berklee where I majored in Film Scoring.

The Song-A-Day Challenge:

Tell us a bit about what made you decide to write a song a day?
Simple… Income. I have a family that I have to provide for and I’m the sole provider right now. If I don’t write, we don’t eat. I’ve been licensing my music for about five years, but nowhere near as aggressively as I am now. I had a couple experiences that changed my approach:

One: I got a nice fat check for one of my songs that played on ‘How I Met Your Mother’… and the song only played for 3 seconds.

Two: My buddy who’s been doing the Music Licensing thing for the past four years now has around 850 songs. He told me that last year he made a quarter of a million dollars in sales.

The last thing that helped me decide to pursue music licensing more aggressively is that I realized that it could actually help fund my true dream. (something super secret that is in the works) It took me a while to come to peace with the idea that my true dream probably wouldn’t be my main source of income. But once I did it was an easy jump into the music licensing boat.

What is your typical writing frequency?
I try to write a healthy balance of 22 songs a month. That way I can spend the weekends with the family. I try to start around 10 am and not go beyond 5 pm if I can help it.

When you write are you trying to achieve something or just seeing where inspiration takes you?
Both. Sometimes I have a goal in mind. Like, “Gee… I think today I want to write something like E.S. Posthumus.” Other days I just sit down and see where my fingers land on the fretboard.

When did you start your song-a-day challenge and how long are you going to go for?
I started in January of this year. (2013) And I’m up to 79 songs. I actually behind schedule because I’ve been called to travel for performances. This has taken me a bit off track, but my goal is 1000 songs in four years.

What does your typical writing process / schedule look like?
A CUP OF COFFEE A MUST!!! I can’t think without my cup-o-joe, so the first I thing I do is make myself a latte. I don’t even say good morning to my wife and baby boy until I have that coffee… Just kidding… That would be ridiculous! (No, really, I don’t say good morning to them.) Then I open up Logic Pro and start to build my idea from scratch. I usually get an idea right when I wake up, but if I don’t, I’ll pick up my guitar and noodle. If nothing comes from that, then it’s off to play video games! Yes, that’s right… video games. But I’ll only do that for about thirty minutes and then get back to the drawing board. If nothing comes to mind still, then I’ll jump-start the process by creating a generic flamenco tune.

What I’ve found to be most important is that I create something… regardless of quality. This is important for aspiring composers to understand. A composer cannot cannot CANNOT sit around and wait for inspiration to come. We have to be like those aggressive fisherman from Boston who go after the fish they want to catch. If they don’t go after the fish then they don’t get paid and that results in no income. It’s that simple. The universe is always asking “How serious are you about this?” And the response should always be “I’m dead serious”. By writing a song that I’m not inspired to write, it creates a certain kind of magnetism that draws the inspiration to me. Of course, having a good arsenal of theory in my belt helps greatly on those days when I’m just not ‘feeling it’. But from there, I find that inspiration starts to flow more and more fluidly. But I can’t stop; I always have to be writing. Every day. Every freakin day.

How does that process differ from your typical writing process?
Simple. Detachment. When I’m writing songs that I “care” about I tend to be too attached to the end result. I love the song too much. Love can actually deter you from finishing something. When you hate something it can do the same. With writing a song-a-day, you don’t have time to love or hate it. You simply have to get it done. No excuses. You’re detached from the loving or hating it. Which is actually one of the coolest things in the world. It’s very magical.

[quote] “O My brother! When a true seeker determineth to take the step of search in the path leading unto the knowledge of the Ancient of Days… He must so cleanse his heart that no remnant of either love or hate may linger therein, lest that love blindly incline him to error, or that hate repel him away from the truth.” – Bahá’u’lláh (Selections from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh p.192) [/quote]

Do you make lists of song topics which you choose from or do you just see how the day feels?
I make a list of song genres. I’m working on growing my Flamenco category right now and then off to more genres. Though if I’m randomly inspired to write a rock song I’ll go with it.

Do you co-write with others.. or is it strictly you alone?
I would love to because I think greater songs can come from people collaborating. But right now, with juggling family and the strict work schedule I have, there just isn’t time.

What has been the biggest challenge with the process?
Mixing and mastering. I’m not trained in either so I had to learn from scratch. The beauty of writing a song a day is that you learn how to do things really fast. If I can’t figure something out, there’s always a YouTube video out there with a wicked tutorial. Gotta love YouTube!

What was your biggest Ah-Ha moment during your song-a-day challenge?
Getting the kick to punch and the snare to not sound like poo. I still struggle with those two. It’s crazy how hard it is to get a kick to sound as punchy as the kick in ‘Gangnam Style‘ (for example). Sure, the song might be cheesy and silly but that kick sounds awesome!

How did writing a song-a-day affect your writing ability and/or process?
It’s taken the fear out of “I can’t do that” and turned it into “How can I do that?” One of the best examples was the song  “Pompeii” by E.S. Posthumus. I always loved that song but always thought I couldn’t write something like that. Then one day I woke up and thought “Why not?” So I did. Writing a song a day makes things not such a big deal. When things are huge in our minds it makes it hard to accomplish anything. But if you see hills instead of mountains then they’re much easier to overcome.

Was there any unexpected consequences?
Yes. Juggling family life and music life. It’s hard to put the creative mind down once it’s turned on. It just stays on ALL THE TIME and won’t leave me alone. When I’m done at 5 pm I do my best to be PRESENT with my family. That’s a very hard thing to do, as the inspiration (or Holy Spirit, whatever you want to call it) doesn’t care what you’re doing or how important playing at the park with your baby boy is. It’s just always on; Always communicating; Always sending new ideas. The good news is that, if an idea comes, I don’t have to stop what I’m doing anymore and rush to the studio to jot jot it down before I lose it. I simply tell the inspiration “Not now. I’ll come to you in the morning.” And if the inspiration isn’t there in the morning, tough. I still work.

How do you deal with burn out or writers block when you are on such a tight schedule?
Writers block and burnout to me are two different things. Writers block comes when I have no ideas. Burnout is the actual chemical affect from working too much. For writers block I use theory to get me out of tough corners. Theory can tell me to go from the minor 1st to the minor 6th and then to the dominant 5th for two beats. The rest is just mechanical. Last year I suffered majorly from burnout. I decided to quit music for a while and took up a job at Rogers (A local Canadian cellphone company) for ten months. That was a really good break. I had a great boss, made new friends, and had a great time while gaining new skills in sales! (something that I’ve never had… Though I actually still suck at sales. I mean, come on people. Do you REALLY need to buy the new Iphone 5 when you don’t even know how to text!?)

Engaging Your Community:

Why did you announce it to the world?
Because I, just like everyone else, am addicted to Facebook Compliments and Likes. Thus when I write a new song it gets upload to my Facebook and all my other social media sites and let the compliments roll in baby! (It’s vain. I know.)

Do you get your fans involved in the process?
I tried a little in the beginning (via Facebook, Twitter, and my Email List) The response time was a bit too slow to make it work. My process is so fast that there’s really isn’t enough time to get people’s help or assistance.

Do you share the songs as they are written?
I upload them daily as MP3s to my Reverbnation page which in turn uploads it to all my social media sites and my website. I don’t give the songs away for free but they are for sale for only $1.29 each and half of that goes to Half The Sky Movement which helps ‘turn oppression into opportunity for women worldwide’.

What has been the response so far?
The response had been great. Many people are sharing with their friends and more and more opportunities to perform have come about as a result. In addition, I’ve had more opportunities with shows and I just recently won a Oil Can Guitar from Bohemia Guitars. Pretty cool!

Are there any things you could do more effectively next time to engage your fans?
Yes. I could write my fans more often with my email list. But I’m just so busy I could probably use a secretary or something.

Closing Thoughts:

What have you gained as a result of this effort? Will you continue any aspect of the song a day writing process or schedule?
I think I’ve gained a better concept on how to produce. As well as what it means to go after inspiration and not sit around and wait for it. I think that’s what true spirituality is. It’s the going after it. The effort. I mean, isn’t that how dreams come to life; By us going after them and making an effort? A sincere, gut-wrenching, I think this going to drive me to insanity, effort.

What 3 pieces of advice would you give to those writers who might be looking to experiment with writing a song-a-day?
Write. Write and write. And start with writing 3 songs a day. That’s how I started.

Any other advice you can offer to songwriters who are still trying to develop the craft of songwriting?
Learn LOTS of covers so you can get ideas for your own music. Then go play those covers in pubs or bars or restaurants. Feel what it feels like to be ignored. Sorry, but food always trumps music… and then it’s sitting in front of them on their plates they’re not really interested in your heavenly soul-stirring music. It will toughen you up as well as give you an idea of which songs turn people’s heads and make them stop eating their sandwiches to listen to you. It will tell you which cover songs will earn you the best tips. From there, you can use that knowledge to write your own songs that turn people’s heads.

Also… Write. Write. And then write more. Through quantity you develop quality.

Where can aspiring songwriters find outlets to sell their music and start earning some royalty-based income?
Any Music Licensing company that offers NON-EXCLUSIVE deals. Do not sell the rights to your music. I repeat. DO NOT SELL THE RIGHTS TO YOUR MUSIC!!! A few companies that are non-exclusive that I write for are:

Music Dealers ( http://www.musicdealers.com/ )
Crucial Music ( http://www.crucialmusic.com/ )
Pump Audio ( http://www.pumpaudio.com/ )
Tribe of Noise ( http://www.tribeofnoise.com/ )

A huge thanks to Eric Harper for taking the time out of his busy schedule to do this interview. His experience, in a field, which few of us have had the opportunity to delve into, is immensely valuable. We encourage you to check out Eric’s reverbnation page and listen to the songs he is posting…. and if you like them.. buy them! Roughly half of the money from each sale goes to charity.

Check out Eric Harper’s albums on 9 Star Media or read more about him on his artist profile page.

Have you ever thought about finishing up some of your rough song ideas and submitting them for a music library? How many songs do you have sitting idly on your hard drive? Songs which didn’t quite make the cut? Leave a comment and let us know if this interview has given you any ideas… If so, share them! One lucky person who leaves a comment will receive a free download of Eric Harper’s newest release ‘Ribeira’.

The post Write Time – Part 3: An Interview with Eric Harper first appeared on 9 Star Media.

Robert is one of those songwriters we all dream of becoming. His ability to put pen to paper and turn ink to words invested with power and potency and then clothe them in a heartrending melody leaves us in awe… so when he announced that he was embarking on a song-a-day challenge for the month of May.. well, we had to see it unfold. And unfold it did. In the month of May he crafted a collection of compositions which are the makings for several albums. Poignant, passionate, and personal. There was no choice but to get in touch and get him to share a bit about the process with you. Sit back and enjoy our interview with Robert Gillies and his song-a-day-May adventures.

A Bit Of Background:

How did you get into songwriting?

I started dabbling in songwriting when I was 15. I was listening to a lot of Jurassic 5, High & Mighty, and Hieroglyphics, and I was so blown away by the word-play and delivery that I wanted to experiment and see if I could mimic it. It wasn’t until I was 19 and I was going through some pretty heavy things that it emerged as a true form of self-expression, a way of working through how I felt by getting it out through art.

When did you write your first complete song?
I wrote my first song in 2005, so we’re looking at almost 8 years.

Do you have any formal training?
Yes, both as a musician and as a songwriter. I started out with piano lessons when I was very small, trumpet lessons at 8, and I began to teach myself the guitar at 17. I was accepted to study at Berklee College of Music when I was 21, and studied both guitar and songwriting when I was there. It was an amazing experience.

When you write, are you trying to achieve something or just seeing where inspiration takes you?
A bit of both, unless I have a specific song topic in mind. I find that I generally start with the intent of just writing a song, almost like arriving at my workshop, getting my tools into order, and looking at a large chunk of marble. Sometimes the raw inspiration will tell you exactly what needs to be done with it, and sometimes you have to just start working to figure it out. It might start with an idea in the shower, some words and a melody that arrive and suggest a direction, or it might start out as me sitting down to work, and just writing, beginning with a stream of consciousness in writing.

What (technically) does your typical process look like?
I’ll generally try to have a specific place that I’ll write, at least once things really get moving. Things usually start as soon as I step in the shower, which means I shower pretty quickly as I’ll want to jump out and get the idea down ASAP. If things are a bit slow I tend to employ the Pomodoro Technique to put the pressure on (working in 25 minute blocks of time), but once the engines kick in, I’ll be in the song for as long as it takes – minutes, hours, even days. I’ve pulled so many all-nighters just to get something finished.

What did your songwriting frequency look like before you began your song a day challenge?
Before this month, it was fairly sporadic. I would go from 5-10 a month, to 5-10 a year. When I was most most focussed I was typically writing around 30 to 40 a year.

The Song-A-Day Challenge:

Tell us a bit about what made you decide to challenge yourself to write a song-a-day?
My friend, Danna Richards, invited me to join her in doing Song-A-Day May, along with several other writers. Danna made a name for herself on YouTube writing a song a day for an entire year. I was honoured to have been invited to be a part of it, so I jumped on board immediately.

What did you hope to gain from the process?
Initially, I was fueled by the prospect of the creative challenge; I thrive on challenges. But as I thought about it more, I realized that a project like this could have a major affect on me. Songwriting requires me to reflect on myself and the world around me, and I was going to be doing a lot of digging and contemplating. When you are reflecting that much, you can’t help but encounter an element of transformation.

How long will your song a day experiment last?
I started Song-A-Day May on May 1st, so I still have a few days to go. At this point I’m about 2 songs behind, so I have to play some major catch-up to finish on time.

How did the process differ from your typical writing process? (more than the fact that it happens in a day)
This month the focus has been on getting to the gist of a song as quickly as possible. If I have an idea already, or inspiration for a song, that’s great, but if I’m feeling a little dry I literally just start writing about anything. If I’m doing nothing it’s like standing still expecting to go somewhere. In this project it’s better to go anywhere than nowhere at all, better to write a song I don’t like than no song. One of my favourite methods of getting the creation station going is writing a silly song – one of my favourite silly songs so far is called ‘Things That I Can See From Where I’m Sitting’. It felt like a cop-out, but it got things going and turned out to be pretty funny.

Do you make lists of song topics which you choose from or do you just see how the day feels?
If there’s a topic that seems right for the day (Mother’s Day, a friend’s birthday, the Yaran), then I’ll focus on that. If not, then the mood of the day will take me along for the ride.

Do you co-write with others.. or is it strictly you alone?
I’ve collaborated with others both in writing and in arrangement. I wanted to do it to not only expand my own ideas as I realised I could get caught in a pattern, but it also helps take a little pressure off.

What has been the biggest challenge with the process?
The biggest challenge so far has been getting back into writing after feeling like I’ve burned out. It’s happened a couple of times – I’ve either completely spent myself emotionally, or invested a ton of creative energy into a recording, and I wake up feeling over it. It’s like running a marathon and hitting the wall. Totally exhausting.

What was your biggest Ah-Ha moment during your song a day challenge?
The biggest eureka moment that I can think of so far, off the top of my head, is when I came up with the final line of ‘Saviour in Late ’85’. Sometimes the final line or conclusion of a song will fall right into your lap, and it just feels so right. It’s hard to explain, but it really feels like a miniature revelation.

How did writing a song a day affect your writing or your writing ability and/or process?
It’s made me a faster and somewhat more effective writer. The whole process was like a bootcamp in songwriting. I’m also identifying patterns in my writing a lot faster, so I’m getting better at writing outside of my comfort zone and exploring new styles.

Were there any unexpected consequences?
Mental fog. Seriously, trying to play shows or interact with people this month has been pretty hilarious.

How do you deal with burn out or writers block when you are on such a tight schedule?
Dealing with burn out is a mixture of endurance and forgiveness. I have to be able to know when it’s right to keep writing, and know when I should take a break. In terms of writer’s block, I don’t believe in it. What studying songwriting has taught me, and what this month of songwriting has taught me, is that writer’s block is easily fought will a little detachment and the will to change creative directions. If I’m feeling stuck, I tend to find it’s because I’m trying to force something.

Engaging Your Community:

Why did you announce it to the world?
Firstly, I thought it would be a fun experiment for people to witness, something a little different. Secondly, I write songs for people to listen to, so I wanted people to know that they’d have something new to listen to each day. Lastly, it keeps me accountable. The more people are watching and engaging, the more it keeps me on task.

How are you promoting your song a day series? Do you get your fans involved in the process?
Though YouTube has been my main outlet, I been using Twitter and Facebook to promote the project. I try to get my friends and fans involved as much as I can, either by asking for ideas, words, or even for them to get involved by playing instruments along to the songs.

Do you share the songs as they are written?
Yep, through YouTube, daily. I toyed with the idea of using Soundcloud, but I wanted people to get as much of the experience as possible. I’m going to poll my fans at the end, asking them what their favourites are for putting together an EP.

What has been the response so far?
It’s been enormously positive. I’m seeing more engagement and conversations in each video and update than I have before. It’s been generating discussions on song topics, songwriting tips, and I’ve even had musicians/songwriters lending their feedback.

Are there any things you could do more effectively next time to engage your fans?
I think sticking to a timetable would help. That way there would be an expectation of material at a certain time of day, and a feeling of consistency.

Closing Thoughts:

What have you gained as a result of this effort? Will you continue any aspect of the song a day writing process or schedule?
I’ve definitely learned that I’m capable of turning out more material than I realised, and that it’s perfectly alright to write ‘bad’ songs along the way. In terms of continuation, I know I’d like to work on keeping up a weekly output for my fans.

What 3 pieces of advice would you give to those writers who might be looking to experiment with writing a song-a-day?
– Firstly: Write fearlessly. Don’t edit as you go, let the words flow out, even if you’re not immediately satisfied with the results. Judging your work before it’s even finished coming out is like judging a mine by it’s first cartload.
– Secondly: Start early in the day and take your time. That way you’ll have the idea rolling around in your mind even when you’re not directly focussing on the song.
– Lastly: Make sure you’ve planned to take enough time out of your day to make this project a success. Expect to have a reduced social life, but majorly increased brain activity. Seriously – it can get hard to slow your brain down after 3 weeks of solid songwriting.

Any other advice you can offer to songwriters who are still trying to develop the craft of songwriting?
If there’s one thing that’s really helped me get a big grip on writing, it’s been studying other people’s songs. That being said, there is a fine balance between learning about people’s writing and copying it. Learn how people achieve certain effects. If there’s a part of a song that makes you feel a certain way, try to figure out how the songwriter did it – what was the chord progression? What shape did the melody take? Was there a lot of rhyme, or was it fairly free flowing.

We want to thank Robert for taking the time to do this interview and to encourage you to check out his YouTube page. His song-a-day-May challenge resulted in so many great songs that we just couldn’t fit in this interview. You can find Robert Gillies YouTube page HERE and even though his SADM challenge is over, he has embarked on Tune-A-Tuesday-June… so you can keep listening to the fresh goodness.

Check out Robert’s debut album ‘Astronaut’ on 9 Star Media or read more about him on his artist profile page.

Next up, in part 3 of our three part series on songwriting, we profile another Bahá’í songwriter who has been using the strategy of writing a song-a-day for a whole different reason and with amazing results.

Which song of Roberts SADM series is your favorite AND why? Leave your comments below! One lucky person who leaves a comment will receive a free download of his debut album ‘Astronaut’!

The post Write Time – Part 2: An Interview with Robert Gillies first appeared on 9 Star Media.

[quote] “It is incumbent upon the children to exert themselves to the utmost in acquiring the art of reading and writing…. Writing skills that will provide for urgent needs will be enough for some; and then it is better and more fitting that they should spend their time in studying those branches of knowledge which are of use. As for what the Supreme Pen hath previously set down, the reason is that in every art and skill, God loveth the highest perfection.” – Bahá’u’lláh (from a Tablet-translated from the Persian) [/quote]

Becoming a good songwriter is hard work… becoming a great songwriter can be excruciating. Perhaps that is one reason that so many aspiring songwriters fall short of excellence. But what if there were a way to break open the doors, shake off inhibitions, and develop your craft in a fraction of the time that it typically takes? And what if you could build your fan base at the same time? It sounds too good to be true… but perhaps it isn’t.

[quote] “… set to music the verses and the divine words so that they may be sung with soul-stirring melody in the Assemblies and gatherings, and that the hearts of the listeners may become tumultuous and rise towards the Kingdom of Abhá in supplication and prayer.” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Bahá’í World Faith – Selected Writings of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá 1976 edition, Pg. 449) [/quote]

Doing Time…

We all know that achieving excellence takes time.. often a very long amount of  time. In his book “Outliers”, Malcolm Gladwell purports that the amount of time needed to become an expert in any field is around 10,000 hours of practice. Put into practical terms: A songwriter who spends 8 hours to write one song, one time per week will spend 24 years writing to get to those 10,000 hours. Now I’m not saying that the 10,000 hour rule is fixed – sure, some achieve excellence in less time, some take longer, and others find shortcuts to propel them forward. We want to explore the latter. I’ve never been a fan of ‘paying dues’ or ‘playing by the rules’. Those who think outside of the ‘norm’ and cut their own path tend to be the ones who make the rules everyone else follows.

[quote] “It behoveth the craftsmen of the world at each moment to offer a thousand tokens of gratitude at the Sacred Threshold, and to exert their highest endeavour and diligently pursue their professions so that their efforts may produce that which will manifest the greatest beauty and perfection before the eyes of all men.” – `Abdu’l-Bahá (“Selections from the Writings of `Abdu’l-Bahá”, sec. 127, p. 145) [/quote]

Clearly, exertion is still a necessary component, but there are ways to expedite the process. One possible shortcut I’ve run into time and time again over the last several years is that of writing a song-a-day. I know, I know… for the writers who care about crafting each and every word, those instrumentalists who toil over every note, and for those of us who are so concerned with everything being perfect before we move on, this idea is terrifying. But perhaps this is actually a solution… a steamroller that can help flatten many of the hurdles on our journey to greatness. Essentially, when writing a song a day, we act as a professional songwriter would… but long before we have the chops and skills of one. This introduces pressure into the equation… and perhaps that can make all the difference. Its a radical idea that bears some experimentation… one which could possibly shave 1000’s of hours off that 10,000 hour rule… or at least compress it into a period of a few years as opposed to two and a half decades.

Turning Up The Heat…

Lets look at the idea of pressure. We see examples of pressure working to make amazing things happen in the world around us. Coal + Pressure = Diamonds. If you want to bake something… you put it in the over for 1 hour at 350f and let it bake… but you can dramatically speed up that cooking process simply by applying pressure. Ever heard of a pressure cooker? What once took an hour, now takes minutes. The physical world around us can offer great lessons on how similar spiritual and emotional forces work on our own development.

Abdu’l-Baha has an amazing quote which both addresses frequency and to some degree the idea of pressure:
[quote] “The more difficulties one sees in the world the more perfect one becomes. The more you plough and dig the ground the more fertile it becomes. The more you cut the branches of a tree the higher and stronger it grows. The more you put the gold in the fire the purer it becomes. The more you sharpen the steel by grinding the better it cuts. Therefore, the more sorrows one sees the more perfect one becomes. That is why, in all times, the Prophets of God have had tribulations and difficulties to withstand. The more often the captain of a ship is in the tempest and difficult sailing the greater his knowledge becomes. Therefore I am happy that you have had great tribulations and difficulties. For this I am very happy — that you have had many sorrows. Strange it is that I love you and still I am happy that you have sorrows.” Abdu’l-Bahá (Star of the West, vol. 14, no. 2, p. 41.) [/quote]

The idea of being immersed in a sea of tribulation and becoming better as a result makes sense… much more than immersion in books on theories and techniques. Though study has it’s place in the process, nothing can make someone a true expert in any field but through immersion and pressure. (whatever that means for the field of work they are in) Abdu’l-Baha uses a very interesting word choice “The more often…” which seems to imply frequency. If you encountered a storm once in every thousand times you went out, you could never say “I encounter storms quite often”.. but if you encountered storms in five hundred out of a thousand times… well.. I think you get the idea.

From The Real World…

Okay.. so the idea of why putting yourselves in a high pressure situation where you act as if you were already a prolific writer seems to make sense… right? – But are there any real world examples of aspiring writers who do this? Can we cite some examples, statistics, or other data which will back up an idea which seems too hard to do?

Absolutely.

Here are a couple examples from the secular world.

Meet Jonathan Mann

Jonathan has used the strategy of writing a song-a-day to significantly speed the development of both his writing chops and his fan base. How long has he written a song-a-day for? He is now up to song #1610! Yes… almost four and a half years of writing a song-a-day. If you start from video #1 and skip forward through time you will notice the improvement in his craft. Though most of his songs are quirky and comedic in nature, the changes in his skill level can be felt. His production chops improved, his writing improved, video production skills massively improved, and notice the video view count? Yeah… his video counts fluctuate, but a few of the videos have been viewed in the millions of times.. many with well over a hundred thousand views… his song-a-day challenge has helped him build a fan base simply by working daily at improving his craft and posting the result online. Oh.. and did I mention being featured on major news and TV shows? Yeah, very cool for his career. Now imagine the type of improvement you could have, and the fans you could generate by adopting this same method but all while writing songs in a style that moves your heart. (WARNING: Some videos contain objectionable language)

Say hello to Kirby Lauryn

Kirby Lauryn is a singer songwriter from Nashville who set out to write a song-a-day for an entire year. Every day she released another amazing song on YouTube with her gorgeous voice and R&B flair… but she never was able to finish her year of posting a song-a-day to YouTube. Kirby’s songs were getting too much attention, she got so many interviews, and so many key people in the music industry heard her music that she got signed to a major publishing deal, which she announced on day 302! Unfortunately, for the listeners, all the songs she wrote and posted on YouTube have been set to private (except her announcement of the deal, which is the video we have posted above)… most likely so the songs can be shopped and placed with artists. You can check out her EP (the songs are not from the song-a-day series) here.

Introducing Danna Richards

She has embarked on making songwriting her 9-5 job by writing and releasing a song-a-day. She also happens to be a good songwriting friend of one of our interviewees! (Extra Credit if you can figure out who he is and post it in the comments below)

Next up, in part 2 and part 3 of our three part series on songwriting, we profile two Bahá’í songwriters who are both striving for excellence in their craft by employing the challenge of writing a song-a-day.

What are your thoughts? Have you tried to write a song-a-day? song-a-week? What was your experience? We want to hear from you!

Please leave your comments below.

– Photo of songwriter courtesy of Nico Sanchez
– Thanks to JB Eckl for refusing to let me skip a comma

The post Write Time: A 3 Part Series on Songwriting first appeared on 9 Star Media.