I’m having more fun on this album than I have on any other. This week, I went back in the studio and added more harmony vocals. Did the songs need them? No. Is the record more fun now?
Yes indeed.
I used to be intimidated by writing and singing harmony parts, because I frankly didn’t think I was “good” at it. My desire to be good has a way of tripping me up. Don’t get me wrong: discipline and practice have taken me far. But they can also be limiting. Especially since some of the best ideas in art happen from just messing around. When I think back to my most special songs, they came when I wasn’t thinking about how good I could be; they came when I was open.
Reader, we can spend all the time in the world getting “good.” But real magic comes from playing around, from freeing our minds for a while and being spirited away by our feelings. As the world gets heavier, please don’t forget the importance of being light-hearted and sincere. All our most creative ideas come from this place. See you next Monday. -Em
