Joseph Habedank Shares a Little Encouragement

Posted on July 25, 2012 by

As a writer, especially a young writer, it can be very easy to get discouraged.

Back in November of last year, I had a writing session scheduled for Monday of that particular week and another writing session scheduled for Tuesday of that same week. This is something I rarely do, in fact, at that time I rarely wrote in what we call a ‘writer’s room’ at all. It was typically a very intimidating process for me and I usually preferred to write via e-mail with someone like my buddy, Matthew Holt, or in some other less formal way. However, I chose to challenge myself to write with more professional writers in town (Nashville, that is) and I booked not 1, but TWO writing sessions in the same week.

My Monday session … well… If I’m being honest … it went terribly. My co-writer for the day was a dear friend, but they just didn’t like anything at all that I was coming up with. It was a very discouraging experience for me and it was that much more obvious that this was something I wasn’t cut out for.

Later that night I was taking my wife, Lindsay, on a date and I began to tell her of my session that afternoon. I said, “I don’t think I can do this anymore, I can’t write. I’m just no good at it” – Being the sweet and supportive wife that she is, she simply said “Things will be better tomorrow.”

I was scheduled to write with two of the greatest lyricists in Nashville on that following day, Tony Wood and Sue Smith. I had written with Sue before, but never Tony. This was a dream come true for me, I was already nervous and I wanted to tell my wife; “You have NO idea how much more nervous I am after how today went.”

Well, I sat down in Franklin, TN with Tony and Sue and I sang them a chorus to a song I had started entitled “How You Hold Me” – My family was going through one of the darkest times we had ever faced and the song came from this particular time in my life. That song was written 8 months ago. 2 months ago, it was put on “hold” by Word Records for Natalie Grant. It was my first Contemporary Christian music ‘hold’ and I’m fairly certain God knew EXACTLY what He was doing. He wanted to encourage me. And He wants to encourage you. Young writers… Keep writing your songs and even if no one ever listens, never get so discouraged that you choose to put down your pen. After all, we’re writing about The Greatest “Writer” of all time and frankly, I think He’s more than worth it.

Thanks to Joseph for sharing today!

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Bon Voyage`

Posted on July 11, 2012 by

Just wanted to let everyone know that, for the next two weeks, I’ll be out of touch (Spare me the smart remarks).

Now I’m in Edmonton Canada and will be headed over to Red Deer this afternoon.  It’s hit or miss on whether or not I can get an internet signal to post.  After Red Deer we’ll be flying to Juneau, AK to meet the cruise ship.  I love you all but I’m not going to sell my family in order to be able to get online!

Here’s a quick tip for the day… Make sure whatever you write, no matter how much sense it makes and no matter how theologically sound it may be. make sure it sings well.  Some vowels are not as singable in certain places.  Write it and sing it.  If it doesn’t flow for you, it won’t flow for anybody else :)

In the mean time… Keep on writing!!!  See you in a few!

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Stuck In a Rhyme Rut?

Posted on July 9, 2012 by

Streets of gold, days of old, where we’ll never grow old, stories untold, hmmm… what else can we get to rhyme with that line?

Have you ever been stuck on a line that demanded you find a word that says what you want but also has to rhyme with the last word of the last line you’ve already written?  You recite every word known to man that rhymes but you can’t find one that makes any sense!  You not only need a rhyming word that makes sense but you also have to consider syllables AND you must make sure that the word you come up with will sing well.

My advice may be a bit simple but often we don’t think about it.  Back up and change the line you’ve already written!  Say it a different way!  You may find that you want to go in an entirely different direction.  Nothing is set in stone until you’ve stamped the tune done.  This is going to open up a whole new set of options.

Another thing to think about when it comes to inner rhymes… They don’t have to be exact matches.  For instance, lives would be a word that would serve as a rhyme for is or his.  I used the word gold at the top of this post.  One would think that the word chosen to serve as the match for gold would have to end with the letters “_old” and would also have to match in regards to syllables.  That’s not accurate.  For instance, the word soul would work as a match but you could also think about a two syllable word like ago.

Here’s something else to think about.  The song may not need to rhyme.  Take Bill Gaither’s classic, for example.  Because He Lives, I can face tomorrow.  Because He lives, all fear is gone.  Because I know He holds the future.  And life is worth the living just because He lives.  Where is the rhyme scheme in that song???

Loosen up a little!!!  If there’s one thing I’ve discovered, when it comes to music is… There aren’t really any rules.  Yes things need to meter out correctly and we want our music to make sense to the listener but if you’re not careful you can get stuck in a rut by trying to play by unwritten rules.  Have fun with this!!!

One last tip on rhymes.  Google a rhyme tool.  Rhymezone is one that I’ve used from time to time.  Some people don’t like using tools like this but I don’t have a problem with it.  I always find words that I wouldn’t have thought of.  I don’t always use them but sometimes I do.  I also love the Thesaurus.  These are great tools that expand our options because they take us beyond our own capacity.  If you know everything you won’t need to use such a tool but I guess I have to confess my ignorance… I don’t know it all.

Now… go pull that song you’d given up on and take a different approach at it!  Happy writing!

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A Little Time With Scotty Inman

Posted on July 6, 2012 by

Growing up the son of a Gospel Singer, ultimately, helped shape my love for the music. I remember early in life writing or “making up” songs from time to time and singing them for the family. It wasn’t until 2002 around 19 yrs. old that I really felt the desire to write. At the time I was traveling with Phil Cross & Poet Voices. Mr. Phil didn’t realize it at the time but he was tutoring me in songwriting. Every so often he’d ask me to listen to a new song he’d written to get my opinion (as if I had an opinion! He wrote “Champion of Love”, When I get carried away”, etc) but I would let it all soak in; the changes he would make and why he was making those lyrical changes to the songs. Those moments were priceless and I’m thankful to have had them.

When Triumphant formed in late 2002 I wanted to write songs that we could sing. Many of my heroes, at the time, were doing that in their own groups such as; Rodney Griffin, Phil Cross, Mark Bishop, etc… So, me being 20 & ambitious… I went for it! Folks like Dianne Wilkinson, Rodney Griffin, Sue Smith, & Kenna Turner West have helped me greatly along the way.

Needless to say, at 20 years old, my biggest hurdle was the lack of life experiences… And still is. I’m not saying young people can’t write great gospel songs but I do believe that with life-lived experiences come even greater songs.

Many of the biggest songs in gospel music were birthed from a writer’s dark situations or pain. However, many come from the triumphs of overcoming those obstacles. Now, I’m not praying for terrible things to happen so a song will come from it but what I do pray is that God will use me, wherever I am in life, to the fullest.

I love this music, and I plan on writing and singing it, until the door closes.

Thanks to Scotty Inman for sharing a little bit of himself with us today! I certainly appreciate the gift he uses to inspire us all with the music God lays on his heart.

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Cherish The Time

Posted on July 5, 2012 by

Yesterday we celebrated our independence. We woke up with nothing on the agenda but a movie, a cookout and some fireworks. These kinds of days excite me. I love to have fun.

Me and Jules headed on over to the grocery store to get the goodies and then we picked Kimmy up and headed over to watch the newest creation from PIXAR… Brave. I would recommend it. everything they produce is worth the time.

Well, as the credits began to roll, we took off to pick up some last-minute things for the evening and I got a text from a friend telling me to have my wife read here text. She got her phone and, as she read, her face went from happy to terrified. Two little boys from our church had been involved in an accident at the lake. At that time, it was reported that they both had died. Jules had just attended VBS with them. She was in Sunday school with one of them. Our day went from busy and exciting to quiet and sad. Kimberly told Jules the sad news and she just put her face in her hands and wept.

We never know when we’ve seen someone for last time. I’m afraid we take our time together with family and friends for granted. When God allows someone close to come home, it’s a reminder that we need to cherish every moment we have with them.

Years ago I wrote a song about this very thing. Just a couple of years after I wrote it, I sang it at my father’s funeral…

Cherish The Time

Verse: Watching my boy from the football stands, the stadium’s filled with cheers. Counting the times I’ve watched him before but tonight he’s not on the field. Instead it’s his graduation and when they called his name I felt proud. As I look in his face, I can’t help but think… Did I give to him the best that I had?

Chorus: Cherish the time that you have with the ones you love. It could be last time you look into their eyes or see them smile, or say that you love them so. Who knows exactly what our tomorrow holds. Don’t let a day slip by, cherish the time.

Verse: I woke up last night about three a.m., I got up and walked around. I opened the doors to the bedrooms where my children once laid their heads. Tonight they’re in other cities with their families all tucked away. As my knees hit the floor I asked the dear Lord, “Please bless us with another day”, and it seemed like I heard Him say…

Chorus: Cherish the time that you have with the ones you love. It could be last time you look into their eyes or see them smile, or say that you love them so. Who knows exactly what our tomorrow holds. Don’t let a day slip by, cherish the time.

Bridge: Every precious life is like the stars we wish upon. One day burning bright, the next day sadly gone. You need to…

Chorus: Cherish the time that you have with the ones you love. It could be last time you look into their eyes or see them smile, or say that you love them so. Who knows exactly what our tomorrow holds. Don’t let a day slip by, cherish the time.

As of this post, one of the children was revived and is now on life support. Although it is in the news, I don’t feel at liberty to mention the names of the children or their families but God knows all of those involved. Please say a pray for them today and cherish those whom God has placed in your own life.

Update… The child who was on support has passed away. Keep these families in your prayers.

* If you would like to receive a copy of Cherish The Time, mail me at povrotty@gmail.com.

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Demos for Dummies

Posted on July 3, 2012 by

The one thing every writer dreams of is having his or her song chosen and recorded. I don’t suppose there’s a feeling quite like hearing all of those things you heard in your head when you were creating that song finally come to life. I’ve had several cuts and it’s still as exciting today as it was the first time.

In order for your songs to ever be considered, you are going to have to get the song demoed. I’ve had folks ask me just how far they need to go in regards to the demo and I have a couple of ideas that might help you in creating an effective demo.

  • Keep it simple – You can go overboard and make the demo too good. What do I mean by that? An artist who is in the process of looking for music will tend to stay away from over-arranged, over-produced demos. You need to understand that the artist is looking for songs that he’ll be able to make his own. When you provide a disc that has a song with big intros, key changes and huge endings, it gives the artist the notion that the song has already been done. Strip it down and make it simple.
  • Make it quality – Now, understand that stripped down doesn’t mean it needs to be low quality. Instruments need to be tuned and singers need to be on pitch. If you aren’t gifted in these areas, you’ll need to spend a little money having one done. If the guitar, piano or soloist is out of tune or off pitch, no matter how good the song might be, it probably won’t make it past the first verse.

I believe these two points will up your odds in getting your song heard. if you are wondering who you can get to create demos for you for a reasonable fee, email me. I might be able to help you out there.

On a different note… Thanks to Daniel Mount for allowing me to be a guest on his blog today. The post I wrote for him will be exclusive to his site. Go check it out.

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Don’t Chase Rabbits

Posted on July 2, 2012 by

Everybody’s familiar with the preacher who strays from his sermon and goes to chasing rabbits.  He might have set out to preach a word on grace and forgiveness and, before you know it, the message has turned to tattoos, shorts in church and what version of the Bible is the “Real” word of God!  He put the rifle away and pulled out the shotgun!  It causes one thing… Confusion.

For one to communicate a clear and concise message, that one has to be organized in His thoughts.  I’m not saying every word that a preacher preaches should be scripted but I am saying that he should stay on track if he plans on effectively reaching his congregation with the message.

This is no different when it comes to writing a song.  It’s more than choosing a theme to write about.  After you’ve established your idea, it’s extremely important that you think through the song.  What exactly do you want to say and how do you want to say it?  If you make the mistake of haphazardly jotting down every word that has to do with your idea and using it just because it rhymes, your result will be a song that has no substance.

Ask yourself a couple of questions…

  • What is the central theme that I want this song to deliver?  It’s important that you not stray from what you intended your song to say.  Every lyric should somehow support the theme.  There are many wonderful elements one can refer to as a Christian but that doesn’t mean they all belong in the same song.  Be diligent in staying true to the subject!
  • Who am I trying to reach?  – You HAVE to know your audience.  Is it a song that is aimed at anyone and everyone who happens to be listening?  Is it a song that targets sinners?  Is it a song written for the redeemed?  Why is this important?  Because, dependent upon for whom the song is written, the verbage you use will differ.  If you’re trying to reach someone who doesn’t know the Lord or the things of God, he may not be familiar with certain terms.  Keep it on the level of the one it’s designed to reach.

That’s just a couple of things that could help you land on track and stay there.  The last thing you want is a song that wears the listener out yet takes him nowhere!  Leave those rabbits in their cages.  Identify what you want to say and say it clearly.   Believe it or not, this will make your songwriting experience a good bit easier.

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