Nashville songwriters Steve Moakler and Stephanie Lambring walk through the process of making a song and doing it for a living.
Video Rating: 4 / 5
I’m asked quite often to share my songwriting process! It’s a little unpredictable, but here it is. I also discuss what it took to write my new song, “Math”,…
Video Rating: 5 / 5
I don’t have any problem with the video, I just feel REAL old watching it.
Is it me or does everyone here look 17? Probably just me…sigh. Oh,
wait, that might make a good song…?
Such an inspirational video.
Thank you for the upload.?
And also people playing very nice acoustic guitars.?
Everything he said helped me so much, and everything she said annoyed the
hell out of me. ?
I don’t know what you people are talking about, both of these Songwriters,
are extremely talented….
ARE YOU GUYS HIGH?
Get real?
I write from the heart more than I can write for other things I feel
about. But it helps to know something about what you write. So personal
experience becomes the best place to start. I have some songs up now I
wrote. And some are about me & some are about others. And you can see the
difference in how a song sounds by the feeling you can put into it by how
you feel about the message in it. Rap & Pop is for certain people. Same as
Rock & Country. So don’t turn Country into Pop. Don’t turn Rock into Rap.
Twisting these differences in these examples give us music that becomes
undesired as a label. Country sounds Pop to me now. So my songs sound
Country. As this is where the roots belong. If I write rock, it is going to
be rock. I hope you all understand. We are speeding up as a society. Slow
down. But don’t drag it along. I also have a dragger. And to me, I don’t
like it that much, But I’ve been told it’s a pretty good song. Song it’s up
to you. The people. And your time is everything. When trying to know what
people want. Give it to people. After all. It’s only time. Put your heart
into anything you write. I’m trying to find mine again. So if you listen to
my songs. Keep that in mind.?
I WANT that song that girl was playing the one where she was like nothing
is harder than the truth, but what is the name of it??
Thanks Cassidy, I’m a songwriter and can relate to what Steve and Stephanie
describe as their process. Songwriting is a curious animal, sometimes
easy, sometimes tough. Some songs are a hard write and others write you.
My biggest ah ha moment was when I realized that all songs deserve
credence, from Motzart to Jay-Z, no exceptions. There is always something
to be gained. Well done, nice documentary and great songwriter choices.?
I actually liked his song?
The comment below this is totally not even worth acknowledging. Life boils
down to kindness, compassion, respect, and perspective – none of which they
seemed to offer in this moment. Having both a piano performance degree,
and having taught Performing Arts for the last 16 years, I commend you on
your video and will be showing it to students in my song-writing course
this trimester. So, thank you. ?
Interesting checking out the channels of most of the negative commenters.
Most don’t have any of their own songs posted. Show us what you’ve got!! I
have my own songs up, and you know what? I have a lot to learn. I’m not
going to claim they’re great. I’m learning. I’ve learned a lot here from
Steve and Stephanie, and I’ve learned more about writing by listening to
Luke’s and others’ songs as well. Well done everybody. Thank You. We’re
all on a journey. Unfortunately some make themselves feel better by pissing
on other’s creative work instead of humbly working on their craft… and
THAT my friends… separates the pros from the amateurs. ?
I’m not a songwriter but I can appreciate how much emotion and talent it
takes to put a song together. How can anyone negatively criticize anyone
for trying and showing how they try? It is a process like so much other
“STUFF” that happens in life. Anyone who puts emotional “stuff” here for
the masses to see has humongous bravery.?
what song is playing on 0.35??
Ummm – u need a better map cause NE is further away than KS!?
i like his 28 or so minute song….very very very good stuff.?
Cassidy you have a beautiful voice – and a pretty snazzy guitar 🙂 Steve I
like your shoes and your writing – not necessarily in that order.?
Taylor?
Does anyone know what make the girl’s guitar is???
Here’s a Documentary on Songwriting Worth Repeating: a documentary on
songwriting?
So Inspiring! ?
loved it?
I wish I would have stayed in Nashville and pursued songwriting,…….I
never got the chance….good luck u guys you sound pretty good to
me..godbless tina?
Great songwriting documentary! ?
Hey thank you so much for this amazing documentary.?
Perrie Young?
This is almost my songwriting process exactly. It’s so hit and miss for me,
it’s like sometimes I can sit down and write a song I like in two hours and
others I’ll work on for days and hate them and give up! ?
I always make the same mistake when I’m songwriting – I get stuck on one
line and refuse to move on until I find the perfect words… I’m gonna try
your method of filling in the blanks later on the next time I’m writing!
😀 ?
I wrote a symphony that my high school orchestra played at our end of year
gala. It was a very weird piece and I knew some people wouldn’t like it,
but I wanted to put it out there anyway because it meant so much to me. In
the end, I’m glad I got it out because I was then able to go to school for
music composition before leaving school to work for PETA. I’ve always
sucked at writing lyrics though… ?
I appreciate this so much. As a songwriter I totally relate to all those
struggles and dealing moods and “daring to suck”.
Thanks for making this video. I definitely hope to push myself to write
more. ?
I like the idea of creating the shell and filling it in. I’m trying to
think if that is how I work when I’m writing poetry. Usually I write from a
specific idea or image (or sometimes a line that really stands out to me)
and then I keep working on it until it seems to gel. I can’t describe it
well! I haven’t been writing much at all lately. I wrote some songs when I
was a kid, but not something I’m into now 🙂 I’ll let you do that for us!?
I’m a pianist and I’ve always wanted to write a piano solo piece that I can
call my own. Every time I start with an idea for a melody I get stuck and
can’t get past the second or third measure without getting frustrated by
the whole process. I always learn new songs written by other great
composers and players and just wish I could write something just as
awesome. I’m definitely going to keep trying though. ?
Great video 😀 I think your process makes a lot of sense. I almost always
start with an idea for a song before anything else, usually a story I want
to tell. I enjoyed Math a lot and I wanted to make TFIOS song sometime
before the movie came out, but I had the same problem. I was too anxious
that it wouldn’t be fair to the book, or seem like it was making fun of it,
or just trying to exploit its fame. So more than likely, I won’t be writing
a TFIOS inspired song at all 😛 But we’ll see.?
Notebooks upon notebooks of lyrics since I was around seven years old.
Before kindergarten I would sing random songs I made up off the top of my
head. I’ve still been writing lyrics whenever I think of something new. I
rarely add music, but I went back and added music for a few of my latest
songs from 2011/12, so I kind of work backwards. ?
I’m more of a poet then songwriter but I feel the same way when writing
poems. I have to be in a certain mood to write and other days I have bad
writers block. It made me feel better when I realized it’s ok not to write
something great everyday. Patience is the best thing. Great video Lauren!?
I’ve never written a song before, actually it’s been a while since I’ve
even played music! I used to play piano all the time and I’ve hardly played
at all in the past year. I’ve been thinking lately about daring to suck and
not being afraid of failure… that is definitely something I’m struggling
with! There are lots of things I want to try, but I get scared that I’m not
going to be good at them at first, or even more scarily, at all. ?
I’m asked quite often to share my songwriting process! It’s a little
unpredictable, but here it is. I also discuss what it took to write my new
song, “Math”. ?
THANK YOU LAUREN. I just got inspired to write a song that had been lodged
in my brain for over three weeks and I just got the lyrics and melody on
paper. It’s so hard to write sounds, and I totally get that sometimes it
just works and other times, you just can’t do it.?
More branding videos please.?
I don’t really have a process, everything kind of just comes out in one big
mess that I just rearrange into an actual song if that makes sense but I
think I’ll try filling in the gaps next time!?
I write songs for a living and it is always a different process. A
different difficulty. A different song.?
Your songwriting process is so similar to mine and my friends! We always
start off with something small and build it up. I write some lyrics, she
builds a melody, I edit/add lyrics, it’s all good!
We write nerdy songs too! My fave is our TFiOS song “You’re the Girl” I
think, again because the source material is so awesome!?
What I love about you, Lauren is that you are so genuine and honest. Also,
I admire how well organized your thoughts are. Much love!?
I try and song write, I’ve filled half a journal book with lyrics and
nothing has really clicked, I know I should expect this but it’s
frustrating when I can’t find something new and that sends some kind of
signal off inside !?
Kelp??