Blog
Expressing from a Deeply Personal Experience
A prevailing misconception surrounding Christian songwriting is the belief that simply acquiring a sufficient amount of advice, shortcuts, and techniques can enable one to effortlessly create compelling songs that resonate with people.
In my opinion, relying on tips and tricks alone cannot replace the importance of having a deep spiritual connection with God as a committed Christian songwriter. If you possess a strong bond with God and possess excellent songwriting abilities, you won't need to resort to shortcuts or tricks. The ability to write effectively with clarity and confidence will always be readily available to you when you feel the presence and inspiration of the Holy Spirit in your heart.
The image was captured by Laura E. Part
The modern culture of instant gratification through technology has shaped our thinking in a way that makes us believe we can achieve the same level of performance as advanced AI models like CHATGPT. We have developed an expectation that we should be able to generate a highly impressive song within a matter of seconds just by providing a few prompts.
However, based on what I have observed, the songs that have a lasting impact on the world are not written by those who rely on shortcuts or tricks. Instead, they are created by skilled Christian songwriters who effectively communicate through their art. These individuals do not simply attempt to write a song randomly and accidentally end up with masterpieces like "Amazing Grace," "In Christ Alone," or "10,000 Reasons."
Even before the big opportunities arose, they were already deeply engrossed in their artistic pursuits. They dedicated themselves to continuously learning and perfecting the skills required to create impactful compositions. These compositions aimed to captivate and evoke strong emotions in listeners, possessing an indescribable allure that instantly grabs their attention.
According to professional golfer Gary Player, the more effort and time I dedicate to practicing, the more fortunate I become in my performances.
These individuals are not seeking out Christian songwriting workshops or giveaways in hopes of getting something for free. They are dedicated and passionate songwriters who are already actively engaged in their craft, constantly improving their skills and exploring advanced poetic and lyrical techniques. These are the individuals who are investing their time and effort to reach a much higher level of creativity and craftsmanship compared to most aspiring writers who seem to lack the same level of commitment.
We greatly appreciate individuals such as Matt Redman, Matt Maher, Lauren Daigle, and the Gettys for their incredible impact on Christian worship songwriting. It is difficult to imagine where we would be without Chris Tomlin's "Amazing Grace/My Chains Are Gone" in our worship repertoire. However, we tend to overlook the fact that these songwriters have dedicated numerous years to perfecting their skills and have faced various challenges in order to improve their songs and ministries.
Nobody can match their talent for bringing a catchy song title, also known as a "hook," to life, but this skill doesn't develop overnight. It takes time and effort for everyone, including the rising star of Centricity Music, Katy Nichole. She has been sharing her songs since she was just fourteen years old. Although her hit song "In Jesus' Name (God of Possible)" may seem like it gained viral success by luck, it is actually a result of years of dedication and hard work. Congratulations to Katy for her perseverance!
Ways to Cultivate a Fulfilling Inner Life as a Christian Songwriter
As a Christian songwriter, there are various approaches you can take to nurture a fulfilling and meaningful inner life. Here are three essential aspects to consider while aiming to expand your faith and convey it through your music.
Make taking care of your soul a priority. In today's fast-paced world, we often find ourselves overwhelmed with busy schedules and little time to focus on our own well-being. Although it's important to show compassion and serve others, neglecting our own need for rest and rejuvenation can lead to burnout. It's crucial to recognize that self-care is essential for maintaining our inner life, which is intricately connected to the care of our external life and physical health.
Nourish your intellect. Many Christian songwriters tend to overlook the importance of intellectual growth and mistakenly believe that Bible study, prayer, and singing worship songs are the only crucial aspects of a holy life. However, the most skilled songwriters understand the significance of immersing themselves in literature. They recognize that it is impossible to craft remarkable lyrics without first being filled with profound words. If you have not engaged in reading since college or high school, rediscovering the world of books is essential for you. Merely indulging in fear and being influenced by cultural biases through network or cable news does not suffice. If you aspire to write something impactful that can endure beyond your lifetime, it is imperative to feed your mind with exceptional literature, poetry, and other inspiring works.
Disconnect from negativity. Cable news is solely focused on generating fear in order to increase their ratings. Even channels that claim to have a Christian focus thrive on making you angry so that you continue watching and endure their sponsored advertisements. Talk radio hosts, controversial commentators, and even conservative analysts maintain their positions by attracting high ratings and sponsorships for their investors. However, the constant stream of negativity they spread is detrimental to your spirit and creativity. Take a break from consuming any form of news for a few weeks and instead spend that time in peaceful reflection, contemplating the love and goodness of God. You may find that your positive outlook begins to overflow into your creative endeavors. Negativity steals your joy and intensifies feelings of fear and anxiety. Give yourself some time off and replenish your heart and mind with the Spirit of Jesus once again.
Christian artists and songwriters such as Nichole, Tomlin, Redman, Maher, and many more, are able to create powerful music because of their deep connection with God. However, their success can also be attributed to their talent and expertise in writing Christian songs. A famous quote by Australian golfer Gary Player, "The more I practice, the luckier I get," perfectly captures the idea that honing their skills has played a significant role in their achievements.
While you are working on enhancing your skills as a Christian songwriter, it is important to also focus on nurturing your inner self. It is crucial to bring something fresh, daring, courageous, and freeing to the world through your music, rather than simply repeating the same old phrases and concepts that have been heard for years.
Please feel free to share this article with your friends. If you have any thoughts or comments, please leave a reply. Additionally, you can save my name, email, and website in this browser for future comments.
In this code snippet, the getElementById method is used to select an element with the ID "ak_js_1". The setAttribute method is then used to set the value attribute of this element to the current time in milliseconds,
Divided Into
Track us
Explore Additional Articles
Groups
Labels
Trending Articles:
Commence
Famous Audio Recordings
Characteristics
Regarding
The Courses You Are Enrolled In
Enroll Now To Receive Our Complimentary List of the Top 10 Tips for Pro Songwriters