Cowriting in the age of Coronavirus

CO-WRITING IN THE AGE OF CORONAVIRUS

We’ve all had our lives affected in some way by the covid-19 crisis that has swept our country.  For me, as a musician and songwriter, it has virtually upended many of my activities.  Live music performance with my band, or as a single, is simply not an option right now.  Going live on FB and doing YouTube videos only go so far.  

I have continued writing songs every day, and I continue to co-write with other songwriters in Nashville.  Here are some suggestions and ideas for you to consider if you currently write, or plan to write, with others in separate locations.

First, there are several tools you can use to connect with co-writers.  I’ve used Skype, Facebook Messenger, and Zoom for remote “face to face” writing sessions.  Google is rolling out a tool similar to Zoom as well. The visual aspect seems to help in making communication better.  I’ve also simply used the old-fashioned way of simply talking on the phone.  It’s a little more difficult if there are three or more people.  I much prefer the more personal feel of seeing the people I’m working with. 

Google docs is another effective tool, part of the Google suite of apps.  It allows each writer to see the draft lyric at the same time and to make additions or edits on the fly.  It’s very much the same in use as MS Word, with a few minor differences.  There are other programs to do this, but this one is pretty much universally available and very easy to use.  I have two windows open during a session, one with whatever video feed I’m using and the other with the draft document.

The music side of the process is a bit different.  I find that all the writers will generally have an idea of how the melody, tempo, and groove of the song could be constructed.  I’ve found the best way to work through this remotely is to record the ideas in MP3 format and share with each writer.  This gives everyone time to get a feel for each other’s ideas, and often generates other useful ideas.  When that’s done, we get together in video conference to discuss likes and dislikes.  This generally surfaces one approach that stands out.  Sometimes it means combining parts of two or more ideas, but it is a way to unify ideas.  It’s much easier to pull together the working draft from there.

Here’s a few tips to help get through the process with less confusion and time:

•  Do your homework.  Be prepared to offer ideas to move the project along
•  Be considerate.  Not everyone communicates the same way.  Try not to dominate discussion or let another participant do so.  If it’s a large group, consider designating someone as a facilitator to keep things moving and ensure everyone is heard.  It’s a good idea to establish some ground rules at the outset.
•  Set realistic timelines and stick to them.  It’s easy for ideas to fall through the cracks without follow up in a reasonable time.  Plus, many songwriters (and other creative types) I have known are not always the most organized, so a little nudge can help.
•   Make sure of consensus before moving on.  Don’t leave friendly differences of opinion to simmer and become big problems later.  Either take care of them immediately or get agreement to resolve later.

  You get the idea.  It may take several get togethers to come up with a final song everyone is happy with.  But the results can be pretty amazing!
 

Hope this helps you along in your writing journey!

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