Song: The World's Best Songwriters on Creating the Music That Moves Us (review)
2012; University of Illinois Press; Volume: 125; Issue: 497 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
1535-1882
Autores Tópico(s)Music History and Culture
ResumoSong: World's Best Songwriters on Creating Music That Moves Us. Ed. J. Douglas Waterman. (Cincinnati: Writer's Digest Books, 2007. Pp. 383, acknowledgments, photo credits.)More of a popular publication than a scholarly work, this book by editor J. Douglas Waterman and company compiles interviews with the best songwriters around taken American Songwriter issues dating back to 1984, as well as other (n.p.). As such, much of text's content contains information that is subjective because it is based on each artist's professional experience and perspective; at times, however, this produces a pristine distillate-a principle, truth, or objective fact based upon a collective subjective reality. purpose of discourse with one hundred professional songwriters is to give insight into [the] songwriters' creative processes from creators themselves, to include styles, genres, approach, expectations, lifestyles, worldviews, inspirations, and (p. 3). We are not told why these particular songwriters are chosen, as many more people make a living as songwriters or songwriter/artists. Yet, each songwriter included shares a common attribute; each has been able to etch out a living in this endeavor (p. 2).Songwriter interviews are presented alphabetically, as opposed to topically. After giving a synopsis on songwriter or band, interview is presented as a series of questions to which interviewee responds. Some interviews go on for several pages, while others are very brief. Sequencing of questions doesn't follow a particular order, nor are same questions asked during each interview. Thus, conversations give a feel for songwriters' life experiences and how they view their craftand themselves as planned questions flow into unplanned questions, wherever discussion should lead. Additionally, design of book is useful in that an alphabetized table of contents is given at outset, allowing reader to locate a specific songwriter.While there is no set list of questions, certain themes recur more frequently than others: (1) early development and musical influences; (2) questions about individual songs written or cowritten by artist; (3) advice for aspiring songwriters; and (4) songwriting process, including process of rewriting and sources for ideas. A broad array of artists from various genres appear in Song, such as Bill Withers (Soul: Lean on Me), Eddie Rabbitt (Country: Every Which Way but Loose), Questlove (an artist with a Hip-Hop band called Roots), and Ray Charles (R&B). One of best interviews on being a songwriter and working artist is with Ray Charles: The thing is to believe in yourself. You have to start that way. Because people are going to try and discourage you and tell you you don't have this. . . . [But] if you really believe in yourself, then you work toward it at that end and don't let anybody discourage you and just keep on practicing. …
Referência(s)