JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Songwriter Message Forum Why Did You Start Writing Songs? What Made You Think You Could?

Hi, Alan,

Happy New Year!!

You win the award for offering the BEST topics here

Well...I have really enjoyed reading these responses...people here are so interesting!!

I started writing poetry when I was about 6 years old. I loved rhymes and always wrote poems that had AABB rhymes. I tended to write fantasy type poems, as well as humorous poems. When I was 7, I started piano lessons. I had this awesome teacher who also taught me theory and composing. She taught me to write a melody with chords underneath, AND to notate it! I wrote my first instrumental song when I was 8. Between the ages of 8 and 10, I wrote piano pieces only. Learning the basics about chord structure really helped. I started learning guitar when I was 8, and started writing songs with words....they were pretty simple, believe me!!

I wasn't until I was about 12 that I started writing songs that reflected deeper emotion. It was at this time that I discovered Joni Mitchell's music, which literally changed my life, and showed me the magic of using words to paint a picture and use unique imagery to convey emotion. Writing songs helped me survive adolescence and allowed me to have an outlet for my feelings. From that point on, I wrote music because I had a lot to say..and the same is true today

One more thing: I also write music because one of my life's goals is to create music for healing and charity. I have written a few songs for memorials and for specific social causes.

I hope someday to be able to use my music to raise money for AIDS and cancer research.

Emily