New Year, New Music: On Resolutions to Write More Songs

I'm generally not one who loves New Year's resolutions. But, I am one who believes that manifesting what one wants requires a solid plan, an intention in line with one's personal values, and an unshakeable commitment to change.

With that being said, I'm not resolving to write more music this year, and I have several reasons for that...

First off, I never ever want my songwriting to feel contrived. Music is not something I want to have deadlines for. I never want to feel like I have to churn out a certain amount of songs in a certain amount of time in order to "keep fans engaged" or even "pay the bills." That's why I have a day job. That may also be one of many reasons why I'm not (nor will I probably ever be) even marginally well-known as a musician outside of my small Upper Valley VT/NH community.

Even here, I'm more of a background accessory to those younger and hungrier than I (they can have the crazy musician's hours, I've put in my time). I spent the better part of 2020-2022 hustling for crumbs off the music algorithm and came out of it with a mountain of anxiety and (I like to think) a better mindset about what's really important about making music,

...and (spoiler alert) it isn't social media followers or Spotify plays.

For me, songwriting must flow. It's something that has meaning for me - and doesn't have to have meaning to anyone else. Sometimes it does, and that's when it's magic. People have listened to my music and cried happy tears. That's the stuff of life, right there. That's real human connection. But it's not like that all the time, or even most of the time, and that's how it should be.

Second, setting a songwriting quota simply isn't in line with my values or priorities. I like to think I'm old enough now to know a few things about myself (not about much else really, just myself) and I have big plans that will be requiring most of my time and energy this year in order to bring to fruition. I know that if I try to squeeze in some sort of auxiliary songwriting agenda, I'm most likely going to spiral down into dangerous levels of overwhelm...which, coincidentally is not conducive to writing meaningful music.

So, if you're working on a monthly plan to write x amount of new songs this year, I say "Godspeed!" - better you than me. I wish you all the best in your endeavors, and there is plenty of great advice out there to get you started. If I do happen to write something by chance, I'll be sure to let it sit around for months before doing anything with it and perhaps unveil it at Crossroads Open Mic in SoRo some inconsequential evening.

Meanwhile, I'll be listening to my intuition more in 2025 and doing my absolute best to live each day more presently.

Here's to our mutual success!