NonFiction Peeling Your Onion - How To Succeed Creatively

How To Evaluate Songs for your personal listening Library

SONGWRITING:
Tightly written,
deep insight into a basic human theme,
instantly accessible central image,
singable,
memorable,
prosodic (words fit with music),
extra points for strong characterization, drama, comedy, emotion, or dramatic structure:
Examples: Luka, Send In the Clowns, One Of Us

PRODUCTION:
Evocative of a deeper or higher Truth
yet recorded in a basic timeless way.
Unique or the highest example of a particular style.
Examples: Toys Theme, I Am A Town, Luka Sledgehammer

CLASSICAL/FILM MUSIC:
Of a tonal or melodic character that is unique or exemplary:
Examples: Adagio For Strings (barber), Ravel Bolero, Debussy Clair De Lune, Copland Appalachian Spring and Fanfare for the Common Man, Forrest Gump Theme

Ask yourself,
How much will my artistic life suffer if I never hear this song again?
Can I leave this piece behind and not significantly regret it?
How happy/proud would it make me if I made a piece like this?
If this were my work, on my deathbed, would I count it as one of my best accomplishments ?
If I had to choose, would I rather hear this piece of music EVERY DAY for the rest of my life, or NEVER hear it again?

You can rate songs using the rating system:
5 stars: perfect
4 stars : great
3 stars : good/ok
2 stars : passable
1 star : not for me

Only listen to the 4 and 5 stars.
Yearly scan the 3's for a gem you might have missed.
Totally forget about everything else.

NEXT: When Others Want To Take Credit For Your Song

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