New Song Preview: The Greatest Commandment

Here for your reading pleasure are the lyrics to the new recording I'm going to post next Friday. Yes I am, I really am. I'm going to edit the vocal tracks, and fix the drums, and record a keyboard part and MIX it. Though every fibre in my body rebels I am going to mix it.

Just writing this post is a commitment that I am going to finish it.


Any hoo. If it seems a little simple it cos it was written for my Church's kids group Arrows, which works with 5 - 10 year olds. Betcha can't guess what the topic was?

Musically, it's a little jazzy, but my inner guitar hero came out in his big boots and stomped around and now it sounds like Santana.

So let's see, a healing ministry song, followed by 4 pro-life songs, then a political musical hall song and now this?

Is it just me or is it getting weird around here?

The Greatest Commandment

You got to love the Lord with all your mind
You got to love the Lord with all your strength
You got to love the Lord with all of your heart & soul

This is the greatest commandment
This is the greatest one
This is the greatest commandment
To love the Lord with everything that you got

I want to love you Lord with all my mind
I want to love you Lord with all my strength
I want to love you Lord with all of my heart & soul

This is the greatest commandment


Related Posts: Other free songs by Matt Blick

Ballad Of NDC update

My latest song The Ballad Of NDC just hit 50 downloads.  Thanks to all who downloaded it - especially if you were at the gig at the Golden Fleece on Monday. I had a lot of fun, and you made my re-entry into the world of playing live easier than I expected.

If you haven't heard the song yet - you can get it here - for free

Other free songs by Matt Blick 

What Is Christian Music?

Is there such a thing as Christian Music?

What is it? Is it the sound that automatically results when a Christian musician picks up his (her) guitar (bagpipes/keytar) or is there an extra critical ingredient?

I wanted to look at this topic after seeing this post about Owl City and reading the kicking Adam Young got from some of the commenters.

This post is a departure for me because, like a bad lawyer, I’m asking you questions I don’t have the answers to.

In the last 25 years I’ve played secular music, instrumental music, Christian music and VERY Christian music – the whole gamut from hair metal through traditional Iranian bagpipe music and contemporary gospel to leading worship.

I’ve been a pagan musician, a musician who “happens to be a Christian,” a Christian musician and all points in between and I still haven’t figured it out.

So help me out. Here’s a bunch of questions. Pick your favourite(s) and give it your best shot.



1) What makes music ‘Christian’? Artistic intention? Lyrical content?


2) Can instrumental music be Christian? Is an instrumental version of a Christian song still a 'Christian' song?


3) If there’s an objective criterion for what makes a song 'Christian' could a backslider, an atheist or a Muslim write one? Could Diane Warren produce ‘em to order?

4) Is music that is explicitly Christian more valuable than implicitly Christian music, or music that is simply moral? Are Christians squandering their talents (or even dishonouring God) writing something other than ‘Christian songs.’


5) Are the rules for creating Christian music different from Christian painting? Or Christian plumbing? Why?



Related Posts: Where should worship start?
The five vegetables you meet in heaven


Free songs by matt Blick 

Behind The Song: The Ballad Of N.D.C.

The Blog Comment That Turned Into A Song

I moved to the Radford/Hyson Green area of Nottingham a couple of years ago. As I got to know my neighbours I found there was a lot of animosity towards a group called NDC that was supposed to be spearheading regeneration in the area but were dogged by allegations of corruption and poor management.

But it wasn’t till I read local news groups on the web that I realised how widespread the unhappiness with the group was. Hardly anyone in the city had a good word to say for them and many said there had been no significant improvement. I was about to put a comment on one of the blogs saying that NDC really stood for “No Discernible Change” when I had a 'lightbulb moment' and thought this might make a song instead.

Hooray For Harold Lloyd

From the start I had in mind a Music hall type song, particularly patter songs of the kind performed by Stanley Holloway. Indeed the verse came close to being recited rather than sung.

Another big influence was the music I heard as a child on Harold Lloyd’s silent films composed (I think)  by Walter Scharf. When I hear the first two lines of the chorus, I ‘see’ Harold Lloyd.

The Chorus came first pretty quickly, the verse was painstakingly piecing together chords on guitar and piano. I came up with a progression I liked for lines five and six, but Brian May liked it first (he used it in No One Like You). I got around that by splitting the chord progression between the fifth and seventh lines and inserting 3 more chords in between.

Sneaky, no?

What key are we in?

The song cycles through a lot of keys. The chorus uses the standard jazz device of going back through the circle of 5ths to keep it interesting, from A – E7 – B7 – F#7.

The Verse moves through the keys of A, E, C#m, C, G, Dm then ends up back in E again.

I was unsure whether I could come up with any kind of unified melody for this sprawling backing but I got a little tune for the first two lines and realised that I could move it around to fit each progression with very little alteration. The fact that it’s endlessly transposing stops you noticing (I hope) that it’s just the same little tune over and over again.

My wife calls this my 'Billy Bragg song'. I love the example of people like Woody Guthrie who could go from writing about politics to writing love ballads and kids songs. So why shouldn't I have a go?

Power to the people (and free kebabs for everyone!).


Related Posts: Download The Ballad Of NDC

Other Free songs by Matt Blick

Homesickness, Criticism & Fighting

No it's not a report from the Together for the Gospel conference*, just 3 posts you might find helpful!

Dave Trout of (Radar Radio fame) has some good counsel for touring musicians

Jamie Brown is a font of worship leading wisdom who I need to link to way more often than I do. Ten things to say when someone criticizes you after a service is just one of the many great posts on his blog Worthily Magnify.

Lastly a great rap from Tedashii (& John Piper)



[If you're subscribed to this blog via email, you will have to click on the post's title to watch any video content (the link will take you my site).

* This is a joke.

The Shocking Truth Behind Artists Royalties

Dave Kusek* on The Future Of Music Blog drew my attention to a graphic representation of how much money artists earn from different formats like itunes downloads vs physical CD sales vs streaming services like Spotify.

It's both depressing and unsurprising and you need to check it out.

Some interpretation might help.

CD Baby will sell your CD for you for $9.99 and give you $7:50
iTunes will sell your download album for $9.99 and give you $0.94

That's right. That's not a typo. $0.94.

For an artist to make the minimum wage in the US they would need to sell 155 CDs per month through CD Baby or 1229 through iTunes.

Here's some more interpretation.

Apple are the bad guys.
 The more market share iTunes gets, the badder they will get.

If you truly want to support the artists you love, you will buy their music from anywhere other than iTunes.

(CD Baby, and others like them, are the good guys)

Take a look for yourself

* BTW I would highly highly recommend Dave Kusek's book The Future of Music. It is an incredible road map for the next 10 years.




Related Posts: Copyright mythbusting
CD Baby Podcast

The Best Music Business College Is Free

During the school holidays I’ve been creating a dedicated download page where you can browse the songs by topic, get chord sheets & mp3s demos (all free) and read story behind the song posts.

I’ve also been listening to the CD Baby Musician Podcasts and have found them incredibly interesting, thought provoking and helpful. If you’re an independent musician, whether as a singer/songwriter, a band member or a worship leader who writes songs, I'm sure there'll be things there that you’d benefit from.

I feel as though I’ve been taking classes at a music business college!

My favourite episodes have been with people who have really made the new music business (internet based, instant access, free downloading) work for them.

People like Jonathan Coulton – who wrote and released a ‘thing a week’ every for a year. Some odd experiments, but a surprising number of excellent songs. He gave them all away for free and still made lots of money.

As did Corey Smith, who grosses millions of dollars per year. While only touring locally.

Pianist David Nevue plays house parties, sells shed loads of CDs without a label even before he did any touring.

One other cool podcast is with Duff ‘Rose’ McKagan – who quit Guns n Roses cut his hair and did a degree in business, then grew his hair and formed Velvet Revolver.




Related Posts: Trent Reznor music biz lecture

Machine Music Videos

Two cool videos, both in their own ways using machines to make music

This video from American actor and director Julian Smith (a full-time maker of viral videos) takes a little while to get it's groove on so be patient and you'll be rewarded with a 'banging' tune.

The Ridiculant saw it first

And this beauty (according to some) is a genuine machine at some museum in America.

I know it looks like primative CG animation but c'mon! It must be true - I read it on the internet!

Related Posts: Tubthumping

Music for Six Drummer and an Apartment

A Blog's Life

Some little blog and download milestones

First Black President has now hit 50 downloads
Great High Priest over 75
The Eglon Song edging closer to 350
Overall downloads a little under 900

at the beginning of the month page views hit 10,000.

I'm no Perez Hilton (but then I wouldn't want to be!) but thanks to every one who stopped by, commented or downloaded a song. If you haven't checked out the new download page you should do so now.

And I've also rebranded, repostitioned and generally monkeyed about with my Beatles blog.

It's now called Beatles Songwriting Academy, and is aimed at helping songwriter (worship and otherwise) write better songs by dissecting the Beatles.  tell every songwriter you know!

A Rave Review from Robin's Right Hand Man

Nottingham blogger Alan-a-Dale* was kind enough to write a post about my new song The Ballad of N.D.C. (which you can download for free) and gave a me a mention in a follow up post too.

He rates the song  

"In the best traditions of oral history and musical social comment"

and goes on to say  

"Whilst we have songsmiths in the city who are still willing to chronicle our recent social history in such a novel, humorous and accurate way, the noble spirit of Alan-a-Dale will live on in our hearts".

 Alan, for a tree dwelling bandit, you have a beautiful way with words. I really appreciate the encouragement!

Read the post a ballad for our times

*This picture is not Alan-a-Dale, neither the real historical character (who may or may not have existed), or the character as portrayed in any film, or the legendary Nottingham blogger who must keep his identity secret for culinary reasons. 
It is in fact a picture of ya mam.


Get this song and more Free song downloads

April Fool!

Two hilarious April fool gags

Mark Driscoll writes a book that "calls us to lay down the tough guy exterior to reveal your "inner sweetheart". Read the review at Word And Spirit

And Martin Smith mobilises Christendom to push his defunct band's 13 year old song to the top of the charts with a strategy that didn't even work in 1997.

Serious, what kind of crazy genius comes up with these jokes.

Well done guys. Who says Christians don't have a sense of humour?!



Related Posts: Tithing Explained

New Song: The Ballad Of N.D.C.

More genre jumping songwriting with a Music Hall inspired, agitprop-pop satire on urban regeneration.
It's all yours - no charge, just leave me a comment.

Download FREE mp3
Download FREE Chord/Lyric Sheet
'Behind the song' post

In the year two thousand and nothing
Our Community got a New Deal
55 million pounds came from London
To fix Radford and Hyson Green
The N.D.C. were appointed to spend it
The Neighbourhood Development Company
But that’s not what N.D.C. stands for
Least not if you ask folk round here…

No discernable change,
No discernable change,
That’s what it means,
‘Cos that’s what there’s been -
No discernable change.

No discernable change,
No discernable change,
Well they came and they saw 
And spent millions galore
All for no discernable change.

 55 million quid don’t go far now
If you spend it on Alfreton Rd
The shops along there must be pricey
It’s a good job that half of em’s closed
But who cares that some’s standing vacant
When they’re boarded up so beautifully
If you need a kebab or a haircut
There's no better place you could be

 The government weren’t too impressed though
“For our money please give an account,
Is there anything left in the coffers?”
When they turned out their pockets they found-

No discernable change,
No discernable change,
Laggy bands and some sweets
And a lot of receipts
But no discernable change.

No discernable change,
No discernable change,
For only a pound 
We could buy Notts County 
But no discernable change.


 Some Nottingham folk saw it coming
They said things would come to no good
‘Cos the most famous local’s an outlaw
There's robbin’, but it ain't Robin Hood
 
Should we all take our grievances higher?
Does the blame lie at Council House steps?
If we made our voice heard next election
What outcome then might we expect?

 No discernable change,
No discernable change,
Vote ‘em in, vote ‘em out, 
When the last ballot’s counted
No discernable change.

No discernable change,
No discernable change,
Hyson Green you’ve been had, 
Radford, eat your kebab
There’ll be no discernable change


Related Posts: The Eglon Song

Sho Baraka's New Album Is Out Now!

Thats right Sho Baraka's Lions & Liars is available RIGHT NOW!
Lecrae, JAMM, Trip Lee, Tedashii are all on board.

Deluxe versions are available here. There are five versions to choose from.




For more promos and snippets go here, more information? Visit www.reachrecords.com

US peeps can get it at Walmart ($9.99 w/bonus tracks), Family Christian, LifeWay, Berean, and Mardel Christian stores.



Related Posts: The Sho Must Go On


[If you're subscribed to this blog via email, you will have to click on the post's title to watch any video content (the link will take you my site).

Slowing Down

Posts here might be a little more irregular over the next two weeks. I'm off work for a fortnight (yay school teaching!) so, as well finding some roses to smell, I'm hoping to spend some time doing some of the following

• Set up a more user friendly page where you can get all my song downloads in one place
• Rebrand my Beatles blog
• Rerecord one or two of my best songs so far or
• Write one or two new songs or
• Finish one of my many unfinshed songs.
• Go crazy bananas networking across the blogosphere like a crazy bloggin' fool

wish me luck!


Matt

Behind The Song: One Three Nine

Like the other pro life songs I wrote last summer, One Three Nine was written and recorded in little over a week. I found with this song especially that having a time limit was freeing, forcing me make snap decision rather than getting mired in chasing elusive possibilities.

I’ve wanted to chop up a classical composition and use the chords to create a new song for a long time. As ‘Ase’s Death’ by Edvard Grieg is almost entirely chords I thought it would make an ideal starting point. The original piece, from the play Peer Gynt, is a lament and seemed like a good match for the lyrics.

I spent two days sifting through five different recordings and chopping them up but the process proved too complex because I wanted to change the time signature from 4/4 to ¾, put it in a lower key, discarded one section and invert the remaining two. So in the end I borrowed the score from the public library and played all the parts in myself on a mini keyboard. In between trips to the library I worked on the song by playing the chords as best as I could on guitar.

The lyrics are a paraphrase of Psalm 139: 13-16

Each stanza contrasts the view that the unborn are human beings made in the image of God with the view that they are ‘things’ that we may remove and dispose of as we see fit.

You knit me together there, my maker
Deep in my mother's womb
But they found the place where you hid me
And dragged me out.


There in the hidden depths you wove me
Such intricate handiwork
But they unpicked each strand, in clinical
Man-made light.

Download the FREE mp3
FREE Chord sheet
Read the full lyrics


Other pro-life songs
Your Difficult Decision
Salt Water
First Black President

Write Like Newton

A blog I'd recommend you check out is Sound Doxology. This from a nice post called Worship leaders imitate John Newton

Newton speculated in his Preface, “The late Dr. Watts, might, as a poet, have a right to say, That it cost him some labor to restrain his fire, and to accommodate himself to the capacities of common readers. But it would not become me to make such a declaration. It behoved me to do my best.” What Newton is saying, is that Isaac Watts was so skilled in his composition of hymns that he had to “labor” for his ‘usefulness’. Where Newton strived to be his best, Watts did his best not to do his best! Why? So that he might be useful to the lowest in the flock, or in this case “the capacities of the common readers”! That is a beautiful picture of what the heart of a worship leader should look like!

Read the whole thing


Want more John Newton? Check out Cardiphonia's Newton's Songwriting 101



Related Posts: Me & Isaac Watts are starting a bowel movement
part one and two

OK Go Again, Jazz Police & Beatles vs U2

I know Wednesday is in danger of becoming the OK Go appreciation day on this blog, but if you've seen the Rube Goldberg Machine video for their song This Too Shall Pass (and why on earth wouldn't you have seen it?) then I know you'll be interested in the new feature on their site. An interactive floor plan of the machine with videos, photo & 'did you know' sidebars. 

Unleash your inner geek.

Zach Nielsen posts more in a day than I do in a month but still manages to gig with a jazz trio. Now he has a dedicated website with free mp3 downloads. Try a tasty Message In A Bottle starter then head over to the audio page for the main course.


For the songwriters among you there's a post on the blog after 909 looking at why The Beatles were so prolific and why U2 aren't. It's called Blessed Are The Limited.

Related post: Songs in the key of Z

Can Universal Records Save The CD?

Here's the latest episode in the major labels attempt to their own sorry necks. What's the 'hail mary pass'?

Sell more CDs.

 Seriously.

Yep, dinosaurs aren't renowned for their smarts. The story would be funny if it wasn't for all the artist who have the misfortune to be shackled to a major liability label.

Reuters reports...

Universal are testing of a new pricing structure designed to sell most new CD releases at $10 or less at retail [bringing] CD prices more in line with what consumers pay for digital albums at online retailers like iTunes and Amazon.


"We think it will really bring new life into the physical format," Jim Urie Chairman/CEO Universal Music Group Distribution says.

Lost. For. Words.

The plan is to reduce UMG's cut to $7.50 or less & put suggested retail prices on CDs, ranging from $6 to $10. This will cut Universal's profit by about $2.50 per CD.

UMG is betting that it can offset the loss in revenue per CD with increased sales volume

(fat chance)

and the rollout of greater numbers of higher-priced, higher-margin deluxe editions of albums.

Maybe, but not enough to claw back what they're giving away.

Rueters suspects that UMG will try to reduce CD costs, like less elaborate packaging on standard single CD releases 


Removing one of the reasons people choose physical over digital? Won't that drive more people to iTunes?

or placing fewer songs on albums in order to reduce mechanical royalty payments to songwriters.

Fewer songs? Less royalties? AKA stiffing the public & stiffing the artists.
Business as usual.

Read the whole thing



Related Posts: The Album Is Dead
Trent gives it away

Should We Pursue Excellence In Musical Outreach?

Updated 23/03/10

Here’s the scenario. You live in a hip city, a bustling metropolis if you will. You are reaching out with the gospel to cultured people, artistically and aesthetically switched on. They’re not just urban they’re urbane. So what music are you going to use in your outreach? Or more to the point what level of quality?

Isn’t it obvious? These aren’t X-Factor loving binge drinkers you’re trying to win. You’re reaching out to discerning people. Surely you need cutting edge music performed by top quality musicians, industry-standard sound gear, maybe even stage lighting. Anything less will turn them off. Won’t it?

The thing is if you go through most people’s playlists, CD rack or vinyl collection you'll probably find nestling among the multi-platinum perfectly produced classics some of the following

Punk
Early folk music
Blues
Grunge
Field recordings
Rock and roll
Live bootlegs

What characterises many (but by no means all) artists in these genres is poor recording quality and a 'rough and ready' level of technical proficiency. But something in them connects with the hearts of people, sophisticated and simple. And maybe that same thing would connect them to the music played in your church.

But what is it?

Leave me a comment...



Related Posts: This is sooo wrong #2

New Song: One Three Nine

One Three Nine is in many ways the most unusual song I've posted here. It's a pro-life song, the music is from a classical piece by Grieg called Aase's Death, it's my first song with no guitar and the lyrics are a paraphrase of psalm 139 intercut with a response from the point of view of the unborn.

(For more info read the 'Behind the song' post).



Download the FREE mp3
FREE Chord sheet
Read the full lyrics


Almighty God, my maker
You formed the depths of me
Like wolves they came, encircling
Eager to tear me to pieces
You knit me together there, my maker
Deep in my mother's womb
But they found the place where you hid me
And dragged me out.



Other pro-life songs
Your Difficult Decision
Salt Water
First Black President

One Three Nine: New Song Preview

Sneak preview of my 4th & final pro-life song.
Music: Edvard Grieg, melody & lyrics: Matt Blick.
mp3 posted Friday 19 Mar 10

One Three Nine

Almighty God, my maker
You formed the depths of me
Like wolves they came, encircling
Eager to tear me to pieces
You knit me together there, my maker
Deep in my mother's womb
But they found the place where you hid me
And dragged me out.


Almighty God, you made me
So fearfully and wonderfully
But fearlessly, so callously
See how they chose to unmake me.
Your works are wonderful, my maker
That I know very well
The horror of things evil men do
I know that too.


Almighty God you saw me
In secret you made my frame
But openly, so publically
They broke me before I was finished
There in the hidden depths you wove me
Such intricate handiwork
But they unpicked each strand, in clinical
Man-made light


Almighty God, you saw me
My body as yet unformed
They saw me too, thier hearts unmoved
Labelled me something sub-human
All the days you ordained for me Lord
Were written down in your book
But still their decree stood that not one
Should come to pass.



Other pro-life songs
Your Difficult Decision
Salt Water
First Black President

Writing Songs With - Stephen King

All A Songwriter Needs Is A Door

Here’s one of many things I’ve gleaned from horror writer Stephen King’s excellent book On Writing and transposed from books to songs.

“The space [where you write] can be humble…it really only needs one thing: a door you are willing to shut”.

Write With The Door Closed

Stephen learned this from newspaper editor John Gould who told him, “Write with the door closed. Rewrite with it open.” Meaning a songwriter should try to write the first draft of his/her song “with no help (or interference) from anyone” and then rewrite with the help of feedback from others.

He recommends finishing the song as quickly as possible saying, “If I write rapidly…I find that I can keep up with my original enthusiasm and at the same time outrun the self-doubt that’s always waiting to settle in”.

Once the first draft is finished “[let it] rest and go to work on something else.” Resist the temptation to go back and repeatedly listen to the demo. You want to be able put it on in a few weeks and hear it with fresh ears, the way your audience will.

Rewrite With The Door Open

When you start seeking objective advice the first person to ask is yourself. If you’ve been good and not put the song on heavy rotation on your mp3 player you should have gained some much needed objectivity (or at least a tad more than you had when recording it). Make notes of possible corrections, revisions etc, but don’t do anything about them yet.

Now get a few trusted people to give you feedback. There are two types

Factual. If your grammar or theology or anything else is objectively incorrect - change it, without delay or argument.

Aesthetic. Look for consensus. Do they all hate the chorus? You probably need to change it. Does everyone has a problem with a different aspect of the song? You don’t need to change anything unless you want to. And if some people love the part that you hate or haven’t noticed that 'horrendous' note in the pre chorus maybe you need to let that go too.

The 'get the first draft finished as fast as possible' approach is new to me. I have to confess that struggling over a song for ten years has felt like a badge of honour for me, but perhaps it's the most insane example of multitasking ever attempted. I'll let you know how it works for me.

What's your method?

How does Stephen's advice differ from your approach?

Has this post inspired you to try anything different?

Related Posts: Songwriting with Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg

Lessons from U2's coffee table

Keith & Kristyn Getty songwriting seminar

Behind The Song: Salt Water

Watch Part Two here

Salt Water was my first attempt at a pro-life song written in the summer of 2009. I had seen a video on Youtube of prolife activist Gianna Jessen who is remarkable not only for her courage and outspokeness but also for the fact that she herself survived a Saline abortion at 7 1/2 months that left her with Cerebral Palsy. Her story stuck in my mind and galvanised the desire to speak in defence of those had not lived to tell the tale as Gianna had done.

'Instillation abortion' is one of the less common methods used to abort babies often late term. Saline solution is injected in to the amniotic fluid turning it poisonous, burning the baby inside out.

I tried to imagine what a baby would feel in the womb, both during an unhappy pregnancy and then during abortion. I’m very aware that this makes the song difficult to listen to but I tried hard to write as sensitively as possible about what is, after all, a horrific subject.

The final verse is paraphrase of And Can It Be by Charles Wesley

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
fast bound in sin and nature's night;
thine eye diffused a quickening ray;
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;

To echo his language was a spur of the minute decision that felt right at the time.

The song moves through five different keys, starting in the Lydian modes of E, A & G in the verse. Then E minor and E major in the chorus, returning to E minor for the coda.

The chorus chords are ones I had for a long time using them first in a song called Mark 4:14 and later an instrumental called Funeral Dirge For A Dead Ex-Girlfriend. Hopefully they’ve found a permanent home here.

Download the free mp3
Free chord sheet

Related Posts: other pro-life songs

Your Difficult Decision
First Black President



[If you're subscribed to this blog via email, you will have to click on the post's title to watch any video content (the link will take you my site).

The Amazing OK Go!

I'm a fan of Mutemath and their amazing videos but American band OK Go blow MM out of the water with two incredible videos for the song This Too Shall Pass.

First the Rube Goldberg machine version which is nuts. Some clever editing makes it look like a single take but even so it is a work of certifiable genius. If you want to know more there are a series of 'making of' videos - here's part one.



You'll have to go to Youtube to watch the Marching Band version but believe me, it's worth it. Then why not get a free mp3 of the marching band version from OK Go's website.

If you like what you see this band deserves your love - they have parted company with thier record company today but I'm sure that is EMI's loss.

Zach saw it first

Related Posts: MuteMath - Spotlight
Mutemath - Typical


[If you're subscribed to this blog via email, you will have to click on the post's title to watch any video content (the link will take you my site).

Writing Songs With - Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg

Welcome to an occasional series of posts gleaning songwriting tips from unusual sources. Can a worship songwriter learn anything from horror writer Stephen King? What can a prog-rock band learn from The Goon Show? Find out in the next few weeks, and read on to see how YOU can shape future posts...

Do It Yourself (For Now)

Films are made by casts of thousands, even tens of thousands. One in every 25 New Zealanders worked on Lord Of The Rings in some capacity, so the legend goes. Alongside the extras and assistant to the third assistant directors are a core team of incredibly talented people who carry major responsibility in their own right.

But Peter Jackson didn’t begin by moblising a whole country to his vision, kick-starting the tourist industry and driving down unemployment. No, before Richard Taylor & Weta Workshop had been set to work making a single Hobbit ear, Peter Jackson was mixing foam latex in his mother’s food mixer and baking alien heads in the family oven for Bad Taste.

And before John Williams entered Steven Spielberg’s life (no doubt preceded by a menacing Cello leitmotif) Steven was composing his own score for the 1964 film, Firelight, on the clarinet. Both directors did these roles out of necessity rather than choice and were happy to make way for more talented men or women when they arrived, but in the early stages they did everything. When Jackson needed a steadicam (RRP $40,000) he built one (for $20). When the Nazis in Escape To Nowhere needed matching shirts it was Spielberg who got dye on his hands.

Music has a smaller but no less essential crew. To get a song from an idea to an audience you probably need at the very least a songwriter, a singer, musicians, a producer/engineer, a publisher, and a publicist. Who are you going to get to do all those jobs? Long term – who knows? But short term I’m pretty sure it will be you. Some of these roles you’re gifted in. In others you’re hopeless. But it doesn’t matter. You have to do them anyway, at least till you can pay someone or talk ‘em into doing it for nothing. And that may be never. 

What I’ve learned from Steven and Peter is there are jobs to be done and they ALL need to be done. You can’t work doubly hard at some and ignore others.

• It’s pointless writing great songs if you never record them.
• Pointless making great demos if you never get anyone to listen to them.
• Pointless being a master publicist with no songs to promote.

Until your dream team (and the funds to pay them) arrives do the best you can. Study if you have to. But remember as you struggle with SEO, or Pro Tools, or playing the drums that incredible projects like The Two Towers or Close Encounters only exist because something came out of Steven’s Clarinet and Mrs. Jackson’s oven.

Over to You. 

Is there anything you’ve learned from someone outside of the music business that has really shaped your songwriting? A preacher, sports coach, cookery expert, business mogul? Maybe even a fictional character? Leave me a comment – who knows? It might be worth turning into a guest post?

Other posts in this series

Stephen King

Related Posts: Why Pixar's Pete Docter feels like God

Why Weird Al is a great example for worship songwriters

New Song: Salt Water

Salt Water is the third of four pro-life songs I'm posting through February and March.

Download the free mp3
Free chord sheet
Behind the song post

All the light,
All the light that I can see
I can see through you.

When you walk,
When you walk my world trembles
And moves with you.

When you sing
Your breathing embraces me
But you haven't sung
Since the day you found out I was here.

I'm not a twinkle in his eye,
I'm just a little star inside
The universe of you.
Let me shine, let me shine.

Keep me safe inside,
I'm not ready yet.

Read the full lyrics



Related Posts:
Behind the song: First Black President
  New song: Your Difficult Decision

Five reasons for writing pro-life songs

Wed News & Links

Future gear, fancy drummin', loops, lists, & gritty rappin'

Bob Kauflin has a helpful song list on the second coming
and another on the resurrection.

If you use loops in your worship band Kyle Campos of Our Rising Sound can produce them for you. For example, check out his band playing God Of This City live. You can also get lots of loops from his site for whatever you want to donate.

Streets Of New York - DJ Official feat. J.A.Z. & Magellan




You want to see amazingly sychronized highly flammable, yet curiously effeminent mock sword fighting drummers? You got it!

And finally, I gotta get me one of these...

I particularly like the Creative Difference Engine & Decade Selector.

The Future of music book saw it first



Related Posts: more links

Salt Water - New Song Preview

Here's the lyrics for the third  (& probably most controversial) of my pro-life songs. Download the free mp3

Salt Water

All the light,
All the light that I can see
I can see through you.

When you walk,
When you walk my world trembles
And moves with you.

When you sing
Your breathing embraces me
But you haven't sung
Since the day you found out I was here.

I'm not a twinkle in his eye,
I'm just a little star inside
The universe of you.
Let me shine, let me shine.

I'm not an earthquake come to shake
All you worked so hard to make
But you can burn me, you can break me.
Keep me safe,
Keep me safe inside,
Inside.
I'm not ready yet.

I hear the sound,
I hear the pounding of life
Coursing wild through you.

All you feel,
All you fear in your heart,
I can feel it too.

When you laugh
I feel your laughter shaking me
But you haven't laughed
Since the day you found out I was here.

I'm not a twinkle in his eye...

I awake.
My kindly prison flames with light.
It feels like time.
Is it my time, my time to arrive?

Salt water burns my skin,
Salt water burns my eyes.
(Though I've never seen your face,
Even so I love you)


© Matt Blick NeverbornSongs.Com 2009
For, and with thanks to, Gianna Jessen.

Download the free mp3
Read more about the inspiration for and writing of Salt Water

Related Posts: Five reasons for writing pro-life songs
Behind the song: First Black President
Behind the song: Your Difficult Decision

Behind The Song: Your Difficult Decision

Read the lyrics
Download free mp3
Download free chord sheet

Your Difficult Decision was the last of the pro-life songs I wrote last year. Having set myself a goal of writing four during the school summer holidays I found myself having to squeeze writing time in between leading rock band workshops. The song started in a deserted school playground, taking an acoustic guitar out during lunch hours.

The initial premise was that choosing to have an abortion is often spoken of as having to make a difficult decision with the implication being that because it is so heart-rending it is above criticism. But with every decision there is the possibility of making the wrong choice. But that idea fell by the wayside, as did the original angle for the whole project, which was to write from the point of view of the unborn. Your Difficult Decision ended up being ‘narrated’ by an impartial observer. Sometimes a song has it’s own idea of what it wants to be and you can bang you head against the brick wall or just let it get it’s own way.

The whole thing was a struggle to write and record. I finished recording it just before midnight on my final day but had to go back a redo it from scratch later anyway.

I really had my doubts about the degree of moral neutrality in the lyrics. It’s not child centred at all and there is nothing in the song that even hints that abortion is killing a person until the final lines “It’s your decision…Baby don’t get a say, but you can ask her someday if she thinks you made the right decision.” Even the ‘two people’ in the bridge whose fate is being decided could be misconstrued as being the mother and father, when they are actually the mother and child.

Writing songs like these can seem like an attempt to be holier than thou. I have nothing to be proud of. God has given me, against all odds, a stable family life with four kids and a wife who is far better than I deserve. But as a young man I would have made the man in this song look like a saint. I wouldn’t have promised my support “whatever you decide” while secretly crossing my fingers that my partner would choose an abortion. I would have actively campaigned for it and threatened my complete lack of support if the pregnancy went full term. I wanted the freedom to live in a totally self centred way, without having to consider the needs of anyone else and abortion was for me the final get out of jail free card. God showed me incredible mercy in not giving me the opportunity to add this sin to my many others.

I pray God would use this song to help somebody make the right decision.

Read the lyrics
Download free mp3
Download free chord sheet


  Other Free songs by Matt Blick

Related Posts: Five reasons for writing pro-life songs
Behind the song: First Black President

The Sho Must Go On

Sho Baraka is one of the best Christian rappers out there. Not only has he got the same strong doctrinal underpinning to his rapping shared by all his Reach Records stablemates, he's a heavy hitter like Tedashii and he tops off the brew with a sense of humour. Here's a few recommendations for you to check out.

First up you want to get Sho's FREE mix tape Barakology. The flavour varies from the out and out silliness of the Serious Rapper Skit and the Intro to the epic track Glorious.


Sho recorded a great interview for christianmanifesto.com which you can download here.


Sho's Prodigy-influenced track Chaos is one of the standout songs on DJ Official's Entermission album. I'll be reviewing the album and giving away a free copy soon, but if you can't wait here's where you can download the track, the album or buy the CD.




Lastly Sho has a new album Lion And Liars out soon. Don't let the freaky artwork put you off ( if you aren't the lions doesn't that make you the liar Sho?).




Related Posts: Tedashii: Identity Crisis review
Lecrae Don't Waste Your Life video (starring Sho Baraka)



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