Saturday, June 05, 2010

Song Listening

One way to think about songwriting is to turn it around and make it "song-listening".

We're often concerned about the technical parts of songwriting...the putting together of elements, the craftsmanship involved. But if we haven't listened well to begin with--to hear what our hearts are really saying--we might be writing the wrong song.

I've been re-reading a book called "A Path With Heart: A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life" by Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield. In it, he quotes Joseph Campbell's observation that we can be "climbing the ladder only to realize it was against the wrong wall".

There are so many ladders to climb! And every song represents a pretty tall one. Which song do I embark on today? Where will it lead? To a place of greater self-awareness and peace of mind...or to a place of insecurity and competition?

Can I listen well enough to hear my true song?