A 1.5-hour panel featuring Sarah Tout as the Moderator and songwriters François Tétaz and Ricky Maymi as part of the panel. Both of these songwriters have provided a lot to think about in terms of approaches to songwriting. I got some good input from this panel that I have listed below.
Why write songs?
Tétaz likes the stories people have. He sees songs as a conversation about emotion and is drawn to them.
Maymi on the other hand is interested in the creative process as he finds it therapeutic. He is ambitious to take over the world with song.
Where do you start?
Tétaz has two ways in which he starts the process of starting to writing. He will write in collaboration with others and write kernels of ideas. The kernels do not necessarily end up in song form.
Maymi collaborates with artists when writing songs. He has the belief in the shared experience with artist
Do you know when you have written will be a hit?
Tétaz doesn’t know if he has written a hit song. He goes on what feels right, feels like a good idea. Thoughts about why the song exists and what the person is trying to express.
Does songwriting have rules?
Rules are kind of like sign posts, according to Maymi. The reality is it depends on the venture. Major record labels do implement rules for songwriting.
How do you deal with writers block?
Maymi believes writers block is a byproduct of rules. He doesn’t have writers block due to the help of collaboration.
Tétaz spends a lot of time on his ideas. As he collaborates a lot he steps into their writing process, which doesn’t allow for writers block. It puts it out of his comfort zone.
Aleighsha Glew 