The Tony’s

So last night I decided to watch The Tony’s. Actually I had forgotten they were on, all wrapped up in ‘life stuff’ of a Sunday. My mom called me shocked..”you’re not watching The Tony’s??”

 

So I turned them on..I was so glad I did. My roots are in musical theatre and the best part about watching The Tony’s is the opportunity to see bits of Broadway plays. The performances are amazing, such great singing. And such great songs.

 

Stephen Sondheim received a lifetime achievement award. I thought it was funny that he commented on that somehow when you reeeive a lifetime achievement award it signals some kind of end….as a writer he has achieved so much and written such amazing music. I wonder if he feels like me at times, that he’s just getting started.

 

The ultimate goal for me is to write a musical that will appear on Broadway.

 

   

ASCAP Expo in LA

It has taken a few weeks for me to write about the ASCAP Expo in LA.

I loved the experience. I was there doing some one-on-one mentoring with songwriters. I was given 15 minutes for each writer. 15 minutes!!!  I’m just getting started. So much to say to someone about songwriting in general and then even more when talking more specifically about one particular song. Every writer wants to believe that what they are coming up with is commercial and that the world will want to hear their song. And then the whole world will be singing it. I love talking with writers about how to make a song better. Sometimes it can be so hard, it may mean completely tearing your song apart.

I think most new writers fail to work out where they are going in the song before they start to write and rhyme. Once your brain gets wrapped around

a certain rhythm or pattern of phrase, it’s hard to break away.

I love to know where I’m going, where I’m driving, I like to say. A sort of road map. Making the time to do helps the song get where it needs to go.

There were so many wonderful opportunities to hear great songwriters

share their experiences with writing at this event. Jon Bon Jovi, Richie, Sambora, Desmond Child, Glen Ballard, just to name a few.

It was an amazing experience for me to hear Glen Ballad play “Man in the Mirror” on the piano. One of my personal “wish-I-would-have-written-that”

songs. If you don’t know the song, check out Michael Jackson’s recording of it. Moving song and performance.

If you have the opportunity to go the the Expo next year, don’t miss it.

 

Please check out my website

kirsti.com 

The creative life

I’m a Nashville songwriter.  It is a wonderful way to live life, having the opportunity to be creative for a living.

It’s so random how song ideas come. Sometimes from a snapshot in my memory, I’m triggered by some emotion long forgotten. Sometimes from an exchange I see between two total strangers, just imagining their lives together or apart, their relationship and experience with each other. Maybe they are lovers, maybe just friends. Sometimes from a conversation.

It’s fascinating to me how the mind works and how words can go together to make something magical.

There is something very romantic to me about being a songwriter. Expressing my feelings and emotions set to music, then singing the songs myself or getting another artist to put their spin on it.

I’m grateful for the opportunity.

Please visit my website

www.kirsti.com 

Songwriter Girl

I’m a songwriter, living in Nashville, living the dream as we love to say here. I hope you’ll check out my blog, let’s get into some conversations about writing. If you are a writer, I know you have a lot to say.   

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