By Cari Cole
Life is precious. We all collectively share it, yet we are born and die alone. And so here we are bound by gravity to ride this beautiful planet Earth through our solar system together. What are we doing with our time here? As my songwriting hero and Minneapolis homey Dan Wilson says, “What are you going to do with your free life?” (Free Life on his recent record Love and Fear.)
To become a worthy musician, one has to spend countless hours, years, decades in pursuit of one’s musicianship. That means endless practice sessions, the 10,000 hours spent by oneself shedding your scales and perfecting your practice at the expense of family, friends and a social life. It’s a rather isolated and self-involved, self-centered pursuit. So it seems like it’s all about you.
But it’s not, not really.
As a musician we have a responsibility. Because music touches lives, hearts, souls… it goes in deep. As musicians we have a platform to change lives, change minds, and so, to change the world. It’s good to ponder, because your music is bigger than you.
Once you take that leap, your music becomes less self-involved and more evolved. You realize that through your own personal joys and sorrows, gains and losses, love and heartbreak, that as you tell your story, you tell the universal story and touch the humanity in us all.
When you write about something deeply personal and at the same time universal, people will be at your feet. Take a moment to answer these 4 questions and tap into how your music is bigger than you.
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What inspired you to be a musician?
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What do you want most to say to people?
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What does your music say?
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What is your biggest wish that if you could you would change in the world?
It all starts with a song. Speak your truth bigger and more boldly. Why not?
Happy songwriting! May this be your best year yet.
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