The Power of Yes One day I was co-writing with a new artist and another writer. For the first three hours, the only words the artist spoke were I think we can beat that. The other writer and I were busting our butts trying to craft something great and all he had to offer was that he didnt like what we were doing. To top that off, he said it in a very passive aggressive way. He was not a part of the we trying to beat that in any way. Finally, I was worn out. He said it one too many times. I set down my guitar, picked up my computer and said Ok, you beat it and Ill type. He responded You dont have to get mad, I just want our song to be great. I explained that in order to make our song great, he had to contribute, not just criticize. And I explained that two of us had been working hard all morning while he offered nothing positive to the process. After an awkwardly long silence, he said How about we just start over with a fresh slate? I was tired. I was frustrated. And I was just a tad angry. So I said, No, you can either tell me what beats what we have here, or you can beat it as I pointed to the door. He looked at what we had, thought it over, packed his stuff and left. The other writer and I finished the song minus his name on the lyric sheet. This experience taught me the positive power of yes and the destructive power of no. These days, when someone throws out a line that I dont like or I KNOW wont work, I try to say Yes, but what about this? I try to validate their effort, to give them positive feedback and to throw out an alternative that I think makes our song better. I have seen how hard it is to be creative when someone is shutting things down and raining on the parade at every turn. Thats no fun. And it KILLS creativity. Make sure that you are SLOW to say NO and quick to say Yes. Thats a recipe for better co-writes, better relationships, and better songs. Write on! Marty Dodson Co-Founder Songtown Songwriter/Producer/Corporate Trainer
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 14:00:00 +0000
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