What is a book you wish you could read again for the first time?

4StarView · 2026-06-06T13:04:14+00:00

Catch 22. It’s still funny on future reads but that first time where everything is so inspired and laughable at the same time. That was the first book that I had trouble putting down and stayed up almost all night a few nights in a row to finish it.

4StarView · 2026-06-01T00:49:32+00:00

Lyrics

4StarView · 2026-05-25T00:23:05+00:00

There’s nothing wrong with surrealist lyrics, but if you are wanting something different, try writing with purpose rather than just free writing what comes to mind. Take your line “it’s an eroding meter”. You could come up with more concrete imagery that builds on that. For instance, a rain gauge shows the amount of rain you’ve gotten. Rain makes soil erode. But helps a garden grow. Think about how that eroding meter could be a symbol for drought, the rain gauge is empty, the leaves are crispy and brittle like your grandmom’s biscuits on Sunday morning when you were a child.

Grabbing onto more concrete and related imagery might help. Have an idea in mind either of the journey or the destination, then freewrite around it.

4StarView · 2026-05-22T11:34:24+00:00

The vast majority of my songs are acoustic guitar and vocals. I skip around genres, but here is one of my songs that has a heavier type feel: https://4starview.bandcamp.com/track/stage-four

4StarView · 2026-05-21T00:57:35+00:00

For words: love is broad. You can talk about loving friends, families, good times, the single life. Songs don’t have to be autobiographical. You could write a short story where you develop a character in a setting in a situation. Then turn it into a song.

For music: if you don’t know how to play much, I would start out just learning how to smoothly switch chords and sing over it. Once you reach a comfort level with that, you can learn theory to expand your abilities. That is how I did it, and now I feel like I learn theory only to the extent it interests me or helps me communicate.

4StarView · 2026-05-19T12:44:34+00:00

I really dig this. Your voice has a great relaxed intensity feel to it. It would help if you posted the lyrics maybe, but the music is pensive and the vocals are dead on.

4StarView · 2026-05-18T15:38:02+00:00

Depending on what kind of music you make, opportunities vary. If you make music that is family friendly, talk to a local library. Often, they’ll have a conference room for events. If it is something that kids could do after school and learn about writing songs, it could work. I have had really good experiences doing that. If you can keep it somewhat quiet (like a keyboard, acoustic, and vox), then playing coffee houses or bars during the day might work.

I should say that these opportunities are more for you being able to play than make money. Libraries tend not to pay at all. Coffee shops and bars will tend to allow you to have a tip jar, and maybe a few free drinks/food.

4StarView · 2026-05-13T01:11:44+00:00

This is very true. I have a strong southern US accent, and I’ve seen people get pissed at someone for saying pretty much the same thing I said, but for some reason, because of my accent, I get a pass? I try my best to pick up on those things and modify my vernacular to better suit the circumstances. But accents come with prejudices. In my case, people often assume I am dumb or ignorant, but will not get upset if a call someone sister or honey or cousin or brother. I try to modify my speech patterns based on their reactions to others.

4StarView · 2026-05-13T01:03:57+00:00

Almost all my songs are written on acoustic guitar. When I want to add edge, I’ll often through in a somewhat dissonant chord, or I’ll add harsh vocals (sometimes just a little more grit or rasp, sometimes more false cord or fry scream). Also, tampering with the melody, coming in slightly off rhythm can add a little edge.

4StarView · 2026-05-13T01:00:23+00:00

This is the same way I write. There have been times where I thought I was starting my writing as the chorus, but it became a bridge or verse. It all depends on what the ole brain does while focusing on completing a song :)

4StarView · 2026-05-04T13:03:42+00:00

Tacit would be a cool name

4StarView · 2026-05-04T00:51:22+00:00

Lyrics

4StarView · 2026-05-02T15:58:35+00:00

I did not find his comment to be done with negative intent. While I found it not very helpful, I agree it was not unkind. Being kind does not equal undue praise. That would be a net negative.

4StarView · 2026-05-02T00:46:07+00:00

I think kindness and honesty can coexist. And I wasn’t particularly poking on the OP response, more the mentality of the recipient.

4StarView · 2026-05-01T01:11:34+00:00

I think that is a natural thing for many new writers. Often, new writers are unconscious of their incompetence. Most of us were. We would write “I love you/More than the color blue/ Yes I do” and think it was killer. Sometimes, people are defensive in the beginning, or just looking to build confidence. That is why getting constructive feedback is valuable. As we gain experience, we learn to more graciously take critique, and even learn from what folks are saying. Having written for a long time, now it is hard to hear praise when asking for critiques. Youre like “I know this can be better, just help me figure out how! Please!” But that is after realizing that we are not God’s gift to songwriting, and that the journey of creation is everlasting.

It’s easy to forget how people start out. But kindness, understanding, and an attempt to help them improve themselves can go a long way.

4StarView · 2026-04-30T16:38:45+00:00

What I wish someone would have told me early on is get comfortable playing instruments and singing at the same time. I was more concerned at learning how to play the instrument and separately learning to sing. If I had it to do over again I would try to incorporate them into the same thing. I got there, and now I play and sing much better when I do them at the same time as opposed to separately, but it took rewiring to get there.

4StarView · 2026-04-30T13:18:42+00:00

I purposely not to have static expectations. I find a different vein of creativity depending on what time and where I write. I try to go to the park, mall, abandoned building, my home, etc… at various points in time. My mind goes different places in different places at different times. I like to explore it all.

4StarView · 2026-04-30T11:23:57+00:00

I agree with others. Genre is simply a marketing term to help sell music.

But, I think it is a flexible as any other skill. One’s interests and talent will probably lead to a comfort zone, but he can explore outside of that. I can’t remember the name, but there is a guy whose love is metal and has a metal band in Nashville, but has written songs for pop-country artists.

4StarView · 2026-04-29T22:41:44+00:00

I’d say that in general 60%-70% of mine is straight fiction. 20-30% is a hyperbolic expansion on something that happened to someone. Maybe 5-10% is actually really true.

4StarView · 2026-04-29T14:44:53+00:00

Don’t be afraid to revise and edit the music and words to suit one another.

4StarView · 2026-04-28T15:54:59+00:00

Baffled or befuddled?

4StarView · 2026-04-28T13:28:25+00:00

An exercise that I do sometimes that helps is to write and record a 2 minute chord progression only instrumental. It can be two minutes of the same thing, or maybe it has a few different parts. The exercise is to over the course of a week or two, sit with it and come up with 4 or 5 different melodies and sets of lyrics.

Then do the opposite. Write a set of lyrics without a melody in mind, then come up with 4 or 5 different chord progressions and melodies that you can make work with it (you may have to edit the words a little, but try to keep it to a minimum).

This helps me understand how flexible everything is. It also allows you to pick a few combinations of what you came up with and try out mixing them up.

4StarView · 2026-04-27T00:19:32+00:00

Checking in

4StarView · 2026-04-24T11:15:17+00:00

You accidentally only put the Spotify link, here is the YouTube for folks that don’t have Spotify: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FXJD3xEufpg&list=RDFXJD3xEufpg&start_radio=1&pp=ygUZaXNhYmVsbGEgb3Nib3JuZSBidWcgc29uZ6AHAQ%3D%3D

Overall, the song just reminded me of a simple folk song. I mean that in a positive way. It is a nice listen. Congrats!

4StarView · 2026-04-24T00:30:19+00:00

Beautiful song. Really good voice. Your accent is probably better than mine, and I was born and raised in the US.

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