Waking up the Muse

 
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I used to think that songwriting was an innate process…a talent that you were just born with. But now that I’ve been doing it for over 20 years, I’ve realized that it’s a lot more than that. Songwriting is something that you can learn. And the process of writing a great song is not just something veteran writers do instinctively. It’s something that can be broken down into steps that are basic enough that ANYONE can do it.

That has led me into what has now become a big part of my career, which is coaching. I’ve coached songwriters through one-on-one collaboration, I’ve developed masterclasses for aspiring writers, and I’ve even taught songwriting as an employee team-building and creativity-inspiring exercise for major corporations like Pfizer and Amex. And no matter whether it happens in the boardroom of a a skyscraper, a cabin retreat in the woods, or across the world via Zoom from my own house, one thing amazes me: it never fails to be magic.

Here’s what I love most about it: I can walk into a room of exhausted, dazed-looking employees whose eyes have glazed over from days of budgetary powerpoint presentations in their annual company conference, pick up my guitar, walk them through the steps, and in a few minutes they’ll be laughing and clapping and shouting and singing along. I can sit down with someone who is stuck on an idea that they haven’t been able to flesh out for years, show them how to take it apart and put it back together again, and help them make something beautiful and cohesive out of it. I can chat over Zoom with a fellow songwriter that is caught in the spin of writers' block and creative insecurity, and give them the tools to take the “hard” out of the situation and find their inspiration again.

I used to think nothing could compare to the magic of finding that perfect line to end the perfect song. But now I’m not sure that’s true. Songwriting is a powerful process, but it’s even more powerful when it’s harnessed to inspire, heal, and teach. Even now, it’s still teaching me new things every day.

For more information on collaborative co-writing and songwriting mentorship, visit https://www.victoriabanks.net/coaching

For more information on songwriting as a corporate team-building and creativity exercise, visit http://www.victoriabanks.net/victoria-banks-teambuilding-epk

 

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