Songwriting -- A Step by Step Journey

There are persistent thoughts and feelings, sparks of truth that really matter to us. They haunt us on the inside, sometimes like a moaning wind, other times they are like the fairy nymph or sprite, mysterious and playful in turns.
What I’m trying to describe here is the beauty and wonder of the words that “come” to us if we’ll free our minds to enter into the open fields of watching, and waiting; Then, writing them down. Yes, the words will come. And they should be written down. “Nothing’s better left unsaid.” A flow will follow, and with some helpful encouragement, before long the look and fragrance of poetry will have appeared before you, on the page, by your hand.
Next, we need to declare it. Poetry when spoken is heightened speech. At this point, it’s already close to the fixed twelve tones that we observe universally around the world as the building blocks of music. (the 7 do, re, mi’s and the 5 “in between” notes.) Sing it. Sing it with your voice. There is no other like it. When it’s time for performing your work in sharing time, we’ll figure out who should sing or play, whatever.
At ALT we’ll take YOUR very personal and unique words and help you sing them, from the heart and with that unique voice. We’ll help you find YOUR melody, help you “unfold” it.
And folks, to those of you who are here, partnering with us, it will turn out to be American. And if LOGRES comes down on us, all bets are off!
Sorry. I got carried away there. Actually, I'm not really sorry.
So, where were we? Oh yes. Words we have. And a melody for singing them. Now what? We want to accompany it. Keyboard, guitar. Chords. Harmonies. Much like the painter’s palette, full of color possibilities. Bono from U2 speaks of rock ‘n roll as “three chords and a song’. O.K., for starters, three chords will do. They'll give your song a good foundation and framing. I’ll help you find the right three chords for each of your songs. But almost guaranteed, there'll be more. And someone here will teach you how to play them. Together we’ll discover the “right” accompaniment for “your” song; the one that fits YOUR emerging, distinctive voice.
Next, how about we take a look at how your song can be potentially part of a “story”, one that is performed. We'll be entering into the realm of …Musical Theatre.
Until then……Leslie