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Back in April, I didn’t even know I had this ability in me. Then came What the Mack? — the playful little song that opened the door to an entire creative world. Since then, I’ve been writing every single day, and the songs just keep flowing.
At first, most of them leaned into humor and quirkiness (...
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Today was one of those days where the songs just arrived.
Dancing Through My Mind came from a single phrase that popped into my head while walking through a parking lot. It turned into a heartfelt love song with zero revisions — it simply poured out.
Judge Mental was sparked by nothing more than a Yo...
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It's both for me, Wyman Brent. Sometimes my best work comes from inspiration I can trace, and sometimes the ideas appear without explanation.
Not everything has to make sense to be beautiful.
Some of my favorite songs I’ve written are built on made-up words blended with real ones — Yopa Topa, Wassa Wassa Way, Yalla Yalla Ho. They don’t follow a dictionary. They follow the music.
There’s a real beauty in letting sound and rhythm carry the fe...
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I’ve been thinking about what it means to be a songwriter.
Some writers specialize — pop, country, blues, folk. They carve out one lane and stay there. I’ve never been able to work that way.
For me, songs just arrive. Sometimes it’s protest and conscience (If I Had a Dollar), sometimes it’s tender nos...
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Kerry Kennard, thank you so much. I have an incurable lung disease though I never smoked. I do not worry about it much. Still having fun in life.
Wyman Brent I definitely don't stay in one lane....But I don't have quite the variety you do. No boxes for me either. Let the words or music flow as it desires....
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Hello Wyman,
I also shared recently how music affects me and how it inspires my work. I wanted to share with you a note I wrote here on Stage32.
I’m deep...
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Kat Spencer, I am happy to hear that. No limits.
What kind of music do I write? The honest answer? Almost everything.
My catalog covers a spectrum so wide that no box, no matter how huge, can contain it...
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Koby Nguyen, thank you very much. I believe that kindness is so much better than hatred. Kindness is so much better than indifference. I would much rather spread joy than darkness. May the best also c...
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I am curious what is your process regarding songwriting. Where do you find inspiration? Do you follow all or any of the so-called songwriting rules? When is a song complete? Do you run it past others first for critique before releasing your tune into the wild?
For me, it tends to be 50/50 inspiration and perspiration. Usually I get a lyric first, then a melody appears. I don't tend to follow rules-- it's about the flow for me.
Libby Wright, I live with what I can only describe as creative synesthesia. For me, inspiration doesn’t arrive after hours of searching or tinkering. It comes from everywhere — a shop sign, a statue,...
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Wow Wyman Brent what a gift! I love that you give your songs room to be whatever they are!
Libby Wright, you are right. I do not try to shape the songs. They already know what they need to be. I only started in April of this year. Three hundred songs in that time is not too bad....
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I’ll admit, I do tweak some lines as I write — every songwriter does. But even then, my songs are finished in five minutes or less.
I have zero time for stressing out over whether I “got it right” or not. For me, songwriting isn’t about perfection — it’s about capturing the spark.
The song shows up,...
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I agree. Self-editing is usually where my creativity dies.
Libby Wright, I do not edit for the most part. I may change a word or two quickly and the song is still written in less than five minutes. Then I send it out into the wild....
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Free range songs! Love it!
You are so gifted Wyman Brent! Love Ain't Gotta Worry- perfect for a sunny Louisiana summer day!
Libby Wright, thank you so very much. You might also like Gonna Feel Fine. Please let me know if you get a chance to listen.
https://wymanbrent.bandcamp.com/track/gonna-feel-fine...
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How do composers work remotely? Not everyone can move to LA or London. Many composers live around the world. Does this limit their chances for US and UK projects for film composers like me? Are most of them stuck doing sync and library music forever? I mean most agents and supervisors is not interes...
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Not being able to attend events in la, ny, nashville, or atlanta is limiting. networking still needs to be done whatever city your in. If you are not already a member of SCL join even if you don't have full voting eligibility (thescl.org)
I think it's about connections. Meeting people and getting your work out there. Once my daughter was cast in a TV series and the title was so intriguing I wrote lyrics and bumped it to my sons who ten...
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Azrael Arlington's post in the authoring lounge just got me thinking....Have you ever written a piece starting from a scene in your head rather than a melody? Lately I’ve been wondering how many of us compose from images vs. sounds. What’s your starting point most often—scene, mood, or melody?...
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Kat Spencer, Great question. For me, songs don’t usually start with melody, mood, or scene in the traditional sense. I’m on the extreme spectrum of creative synesthesia, so ideas come to me in a flood...
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Here is a song I wrote today. I should point out I write every lyric for my more than 250 songs. However, the voices and music are a.i. generated.
https://wymanbrent.bandcamp.com/track/aint-gotta-worry...
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It depends on the scene - smiles!
For this one competition w / short video,
Scary scene - I started with the scary sounds and built the rest around those scene places.
Yes, I tend to get lyrics first, then music, so it's often related to a theme or scene.
I don’t know the “rules” of songwriting. I never studied them. I couldn’t tell you how a bridge is supposed to fit, or what the books say about rhyme schemes. And yet, I’ve written over 250 songs — each one in five minutes or less.
Here’s the truth I’ve discovered:
Songs don’t come from rulebooks.
S...
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Seems I do the same- even with my driving.
- LoL
I understand- yes - it’s a flow when writing.
Kerry Kennard, evven with your driving? That is definitely one way to go with the flow.
I tend to let my songs come as they are, then give them a polish as needed.
Have questions about how to get the most out of Stage 32?
TODAY at 12:00 pm PT / 3:00 pm ET, we’re hosting our FREE Community Open House Webcast—a live event designed to help you navigate everything Stage 32 has to offer.
Whether you’re looking to grow your creative network, explore education or scrip...
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The Stage 32 August Open House is happening this Wednesday, and it’s completely free for any new or current Stage 32 members to attend! This is a fantastic opportunity for creatives to learn how to get the most out of the platform, ask questions live, and take part in a posting challenge where one w...
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I’ve been listening back to two of the songs I wrote today, and it’s interesting how different they hit me.
Yay Yay Yo is pure fun — a tune I can play again and again and still laugh at the insanity of it. Music needs joyrides like that.
But Ain’t Gotta Worry… that one’s something else. Every time I...
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