So I remember hearing this idea from an interview with John Lennon. John was talking about keeping it real when writing lyrics more or less. He was making a point that sometimes you will hear lyrics that are sophisticated, over inflated, unrelatable, or just presented in a way that people do not communicate in everyday life; unless I suppose if you’re Maya Angelo. Hehe. His retort to that style of lyrical writing was this comment that pointed out that one doesn’t use poetry when they are drowning. They scream help! 

“When you’re drowning, you don’t say ‘I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,’ you just scream.”

I like considering the distinction he is making here. I, of course, enjoy creativity, metaphor, artistic license; all that jazz. The options are limitless and can express ideas in ways where otherwise language’s standard rules for the road may have trouble. In the book Beyond Belief: Agnostic Musings for 12 Step Life they point out, “A poem has a greater capacity than a well-crafted theory to being enemies to tears and to encourage them to embrace their foes. Feelings are so much more provocative than thoughts. Art can reach us where sound arguments can not.”

Soooo what am I going to talk about to today? I just started reading a book titled Music in Japan by Bonnie C Wade. I JUST started reading it so I suppose there isn’t much to report yet. My buddy just learned about the difference between polymeter and polyrhythm. That could be hard to articulate the difference between those two this morning. Ugh. My dog never has enough food. So I was listening to Halsey the other day. I noticed she would have what could be considered a regular melody through out the songs stanzas and choruses. But at some point in the chorus she would have a notable, but very catchy, contrasting melodic idea within this otherwise standard looking melody. I am wondering how often you can throw these left field, but catchy, types of alterations to the expected abstraction of the expected melody. I am assuming there has to be some balance so you can establish some level of melodic expectations. But, then again, perhaps long series of quirky takes on melody may come off as pleasantly creative or experimental; or even just a good melody.  So as I am considering lyrical approaches let’s do a healthy brainstorm of angles to keep my mind fresh

- These Halsey catchy melody lines - Maynard multi measure melodies carefree of rhymes and perhaps repeated - Jeff Buckley, Marvin Gaye attention to detail expression - Indian classical music embellishments - Pop song peaking melodic licks at peak of performance - Steve Nicks singing with conviction “meaning what you say” - Gospel belting and make sure your words are articulated - Peculiar melodies (b9, #11, b13) - whistle voice - larynx manipulation for change of tone - using a blend of different vowel tones - repeated rhythm patterns vs free rhythm - vibrato vs no vibrato - numerous syllables vs holding notes out - well placed rests