New Songwriting Challenge
A couple of months ago Ben Whitley, a local singer songwriter, came up with a songwriting challenge. I’d been toying with the idea myself but never got one going, so it was nice of Ben to take up my slack - even if hadn’t realised he was doing that for me. o a couple of weeks ago I took the challenge up and quickly wrote a few words to go with my usual three or four chords. It was good to get something down; as other than a silly little lockdown song (Pasta Packets and Beans) I haven’t written something for ages (well, I do have a half completed one I wrote with a mate, Sam Lee - but that hasn’t seen the light of day for the public quite yet).
Anyway, last month’s challenge was to write a song about “Trains” featuring the words: Track, Ticket, and Platform. I was easier to write some words than to do a Microcosms story to be fair. Not that it’d win any prizes as it stands. I put ‘To Get Home To You’ up on YouTube in its first incarnation, which is posted below. May get around to hitting it again and giving it a revamp at some point. Needs a catchier rhythm or chorus at any rate.
It was great to see Sal write a poignant song using the prompt and memories (and paperwork!) from her brother. I know she enjoyed the challenge and Sal’s song is here:
This was the second of the songwriting challenges, the first one from January was on the theme of “Roads”, with the song to include: Street, Concrete, and Park(ing). I may go back and do that one next. The third one is yet to surface and I think Ben is a little unsure of whether to carry on with issuing the challenge; not because of my effort (I think, but because not many people have done it yet. I did say that my experience with the flash writing challenges is that it takes a good while before people a) find out about and b) get in the habit of doing it. I hope he perseveres with it for a while. If he does I promise I’ll try to write a song a month to go with prompts. Honest!
The two sets of prompts from January and February are below. Watch this space to see if I update the Trains song and/or write a song for the older prompt. And also to see if a new prompt comes along. I hope so. And if you play an instrument why nit give it a go yourself? It would be good to see you. We’ll have an album’s worth in no time.
And while you’re at it give Ben a listen over on Spotify and a follow on Insta, if you are that way inclined.
Anyway, last month’s challenge was to write a song about “Trains” featuring the words: Track, Ticket, and Platform. I was easier to write some words than to do a Microcosms story to be fair. Not that it’d win any prizes as it stands. I put ‘To Get Home To You’ up on YouTube in its first incarnation, which is posted below. May get around to hitting it again and giving it a revamp at some point. Needs a catchier rhythm or chorus at any rate.
It was great to see Sal write a poignant song using the prompt and memories (and paperwork!) from her brother. I know she enjoyed the challenge and Sal’s song is here:
This was the second of the songwriting challenges, the first one from January was on the theme of “Roads”, with the song to include: Street, Concrete, and Park(ing). I may go back and do that one next. The third one is yet to surface and I think Ben is a little unsure of whether to carry on with issuing the challenge; not because of my effort (I think, but because not many people have done it yet. I did say that my experience with the flash writing challenges is that it takes a good while before people a) find out about and b) get in the habit of doing it. I hope he perseveres with it for a while. If he does I promise I’ll try to write a song a month to go with prompts. Honest!
The two sets of prompts from January and February are below. Watch this space to see if I update the Trains song and/or write a song for the older prompt. And also to see if a new prompt comes along. I hope so. And if you play an instrument why nit give it a go yourself? It would be good to see you. We’ll have an album’s worth in no time.
And while you’re at it give Ben a listen over on Spotify and a follow on Insta, if you are that way inclined.
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