Spice Girls 2012

The basics of songwriting can be categorized into 4 sections. Song structure, chord progression, lyrics, and melody. This order is not a set in stone way of writing a song. For me, each song has come about in different ways, some processes more than others. Sometimes I get a melody stuck in my head. Sometimes I think of a lyric line that leads the way to becoming a whole song.

There are many songwriters who can write great melodies and have the song structure and chord progression tie together beautifully, but their lyrics brings the song a few levels down. So remember that songs are not just musical notes, but are words that are sung.

First, what is considered to be bad lyrics? Bad lyrics are a set of words and phrases that contain no variety and fail to stir up an emotion from the listener. Bad lyrics are also words and phrases that have been overly rehashed. Some of these turn into cliches. How do cliches occur? They are repeated over and over again and begins to have less and less power each time it gets repeated. Then when someone hears these cheesy lines, they internally cringe, sometimes even without realizing that they are cringing.

Why do you think people don't listen to Backstreet Boys or Spice Girls anymore? I'm sure there are a few people who still listen to Backstreet Boys, but for the most part, people don't listen to it not only because of the evolution of music but also because of the lyrics. Here's an example by the Backstreet Boys from a song called 'Everybody'.

It is interesting that often when we read about the death of a famous person, we sometimes personalize it. We reflect on how that person has touched our life, what impact the person has had on us, and what memories we have that connect with the person's name and the person's fame.

I have to confess that I was never really a big fan of Opera, but that did not stop me from being a fan of the vocal talents of Luciano Pavarotti. One of my strongest memories of Pavarotti was his connection to my childhood barbershop. For more than two decades, I went to the same neighborhood barber. He was the only barber in a small shop he owned, was of Italian descent, and he absolutely loved the tenor's voice. It was in my neighborhood barbershop that I first became aware of the magnificent voice of Luciano Pavarotti. For years I would get my hair cut while listening to the voice of Pavarotti. Sometimes it would be on televised videotape behind the barber's chair. Often, it would just fill the air on audio tape. The shop has been closed for many years, but the memory of it felt vivid when I heard of Pavarotti's passing on September 6, 2007. .

I never got the chance to see Luciano Pavarotti in person. I never saw any of his performances live. I never met the man. However, I have enjoyed many of his performances over the years on television and on audiotape. Certainly many others did as well, as Pavarotti has been the best-selling classical artist, with more than 100 million records sold since the 1960s. Opera lovers surely treasure his recordings with soprano Joan Sutherland. He recorded the first classical album to reach No. 1 on the pop charts. In addition, Pavarotti was able to promote his tenor's voice in popular music. He can be found in the music collections of Elton John, The Spice Girls, Sheryl Crow, and Liza Minnelli and has shared the stage with rock and pop singers, including Elton John, Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, and Bono of U2, to raise money for charities.