Some of the best bonding experiences are those where you had a good laugh with pals. If you are in a band or have a co-writer, try to find fun, non-musical things you can enjoy together to blow off steam so you can center in on your music when you are writing. Find excuses to vent, especially ones where you can yell or scream together-roller coasters are fun, and often laughingly scary, but so can be a round of disc golf. Go see a good movie, or sit and laugh at a funny show after practice when everyone is winding down-earlier taped shows of "Ren and Stimpy" or "The Simpsons" were favorites of some bands I was in, but try to let these be after practice fun, not be the reason practice is late, or doesn't go off at all. This way, you end practice on a high note, even if things didn't go well, and can go home with a smile and have something positive to write more music about, if nothing else.
So try to take a lighter view of songwriting. Sure, you may feel like a fake forcing yourself to laugh at first, but after a while, just like learning guitar, you will feel more natural doing it the more you practice. With a positive attitude, too, and the ability to look at things from a funny viewpoint, you may find you suddenly can do things you before talked yourself into thinking were impossible. Whining may make for good blues, but a lot of folks don't like to listen to a whiner. The life of the party is usually a welcome sight, though.
So just keep writing, and keep having fun!
©2004 Cindy Lee Haddock
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