“Songwriting,” said Sting, “Is much like trying to catch a wild animal. Only you cannot kill the beast – you have to somehow trick him into being captured. And you can never use the trick twice.” He ...

Songwriting can seem like magic, and it’s true that some seem to have a gift for it. But it’s also a skill that can be learned and improved upon. The best way to learn and improve songwriting is to ...

The question of whether songwriting can be taught is valid. My answer is: “yes … and no.” After all, songwriting is a mystical process and every writer has their own unique way of navigating the ...

After years of struggle and even a few months of homelessness, Kimberly “Kaydence” Krysiuk was sure her big break as a songwriter had finally arrived. In August 2018, Ariana Grande released her fourth ...

Recording “I’m just an adventurer coming back to the homeland”: John Fogerty on the long struggle to own his songs again Artists “I remember saying to Clapton, ‘You try playing that one riff for eight ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about how creativity and communications accelerate success. Nothing takes business leaders out of their comfort zone ...

When it comes to songwriting, if you possess basic keyboard skills, you’re already 10 steps ahead of most music-makers. The fundamentals of piano playing are easy to pick up, while the piano itself is ...

On a recent mid-spring morning in Tennessee, Alex Kline is learning to live again in her Nashville home. A week earlier, Tenille Arts’ “Somebody Like That” — a pulsing, pop-friendly debut that Kline ...

Everyone knows that Taylor Swift writes her own songs — including a former boyfriend who criticized her “cheap songwriting.” He took issue with one of her tracks in particular. He also refused to talk ...

Plenty of songwriters prefer to work alone, crafting hits entirely on their own. Others find their best work comes out of collaboration with another person. Often, the connection appears innate, as ...

There are a few elements that reliably form the basis for an Alicia Keys song: heartache or infatuation, an essential tenderness and emotion made heavy with wisdom, a patiently unfurling melody and, ...