Song Club #71: Box of Tricks

If you didn't already know, every songwriter has one.

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Here is an idea that came to me via a friend who has worked with a lot of famous, successful musicians¹. It’s called a box of tricks. And everybody has one.

In any box of tricks there is probably:

• your well-honed, winning techniques (go you!)

• your preferred song structures and melodic motifs

• your musical crutches and knee-jerk go-tos

• a bunch of other things

Your box of tricks contains the creative choices you mostly tend to make—for whatever reason.

Btw, there’s nothing wrong with a box of tricks—not having one, nor using one. It’s how you show yourself to the world; it’s the honing of your voice. BUT it’s also how you start to sound stale.

Which is why this week I’m sharing a five ways to break the box.

Crack it wide open,
Lucy

‘Entry Points’