Inside Songwriting: Getting To The Heart Of Creativity

by Jason Blume

Book Overview

A rare look from "both sides of the desk" by one of the only songwriters to achieve the distinction of having songs on the Country, R & B, and Pop charts all at the same time. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0823083616
• ISBN13: 9780823083619
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 0.5" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

The book’s structure is right up my alley!

When I flipped through this book, the structure looked familiar. Part memoir, part insight, part practical exercises. My first thought was “This is like ‘Writing Down the Bones’ for songwriting.” (I carried WDtB everywhere I went for years and developed my journal writing with it.) Then I looked at the back cover and WDtB by Natalie Goldberg is mentioned in the blurb! This is the kind of instruction book I learn best with. Personal, relatable stories mixed with insightful thoughts and a heaping helping of practical exercises to get me going. I will probably spend a couple of years or more with this book rereading and doing the exercises multiple times each. It worked for me before for prose writing! (As an added bonus, the copy I received is signed!)

Finding Great Ideas for Songwriting - Especially when you have writer's block!

Jason Blume's book about songwriting was very helpful about six months into learning about music and songwriting. The chapter about "Finding Great Ideas" really help me when I had a writer's block

A "MUST" HAVE

The book was a quick read and I totally enjoyed it - but things really shifted for me when I went back and did the exercises. I wrote two of my best songs as a result of one of the exercises. The author's insights about "Reaction Songs" "Holds" and "Independent Pluggers" really opened my eyes. It gave me a whole new perspective on where the bar is - just how good it has to be and on finding a market for my songs. This book is excellent for someone who knows songwriting basics and is looking to get to the next level. (PS. If you need to learn the basics, this author's 6 Steps book is definitely the best.)

Excellent book!!!!!!

This is an excellent book that shows people how sometimes you have to "think outside the box" to achieve your goals. This isn't a "how-to" of songwriting, but an inspiring read that helped me rethink ways to approach my songwriting goals. Learn the basics and then you must read this one.

INSPIRING !!!!

I LOVED this book - spent the whole weekend reading and kept getting ideas for new songs as I read. Very inspiring and encouraging. But you need to know that although it includes exercises and lessons this is not a "How To" book. It explores issues of opening yourself up to your fullest creativity, overcoming writers' block, rewriting, and it tells what it's really like to work as a professional songwriter. The chapters about how to get a staff writing deal, finding your identity as an artist, finding a market for your songs, and what to do if your songs are "better than the crap on the radio" were things I really needed to know. I found the book to be very honest and thought provoking. Loved reading about the author's personal experiences and learned much about how to deal with similar situations. The goal setting exercises are helping me to overcome my own roadblocks to success better than anything else I've found.If you need to learn how to structure and craft a song read 6 Steps to Songwriting Success. It's the best songwriting book available for that. But if you're looking for inspiration and lessons that go beneath the surface you'll love this book. The book's message is to be who you are and that you can be successful by writing songs that really come from your heart.

Powerful book....

I enjoyed reading Blume's newest songwriting book. It's not a "how-to" like his first one, but it's filled with lessons about the music business. The chapters about staff writing, getting publishing deals, and other behind-the-scene looks at the business side of the music business are invaluable, as are the creative exercises included throughout. But maybe the best thing about this book is that it's so real and honest. It's message is to write from your heart, and that success is possible - and also, that success is not necessarily measured by Billboard chart positions and money in the bank. Bottom line: I'll read this book again and use the goal-setting exercises over and over to keep myself focused on what I need to accomplish. I recommend it for every songwriter and for anyone interested in what's involved before you hear your song on the radio.