In Part 2 of What type of songwriter are you? we will continue to explore the different types of songwriters that you could be. In Part 1 we assumed that for the most part songwriters write songs that come from the heart. The writers who fall into this category are either singer-songwriters or writers who have other performers sing their songs for them. They write to tell their truth through their songs.
The second category of songwriter is the songwriter who can write on assignment about any subject. The subject of the song can be about any topic, an object – animate or inanimate, an event or a cause, a product, et al. Examples: pets, learning how to spell MISSISSIPPI, how to use 911, soap commercial, birthday or anniversary songs, songs about food, etc. The use of these songs can be for TV, film, radio, special events. There is usually a specific reason for the song to have been written.
These write-on-assignment songwriters develop their craft to be able to write songs about anything. They have the skills to interpret what the subject is about and then find details within it to sing about. It is a learned skill set that has to be honed constantly. It is an area of songwriting that can be lucrative. These songs can be work-for-hire situations and/or project based.
Next week – Part 3 of What type of songwriter are you? we will discuss songwriters who write for trends, to get a big hit, to have their song covered by the latest pop star.
The art of writing is rewriting. Randy Klein
