A new fav songwriting book; why I stopped using "smart" plugins; help Wafaa in Gaza

Hey folks,

Welcome back to another edition of Sharing Notes! Read online here.

A new fav songwriting book

Now that my latest album is out, I'm back to the songwriting woodshed working on new material for the next one. To help spur the creative process and sharpen my skills, I've been reading a lot of songwriting books. A recent favorite has been Writing Better Lyrics. I found tons of nuggets of wisdom as well as many helpful exercises in it. My favorite saying from the book is: "You can't tell unless you show first." I also really enjoyed the sections on object writing and poetic meter. You can read my review of the book on Goodreads. If you're a songwriter, I highly recommend borrowing it from your local library, as I did via Libby.

Why I stopped using "smart" plugins

My friend and collaborator Paul Deiss Smith II’s album Time Fabric Home came out earlier this year, and I think you'll really enjoy listening to it. I certainly enjoyed mixing it, and I learned some valuable lessons along the way. Every project is a teacher, and this time my big takeaway was to stop over-processing, namely to quit "smart" plugins. When Paul sent me his revision notes after my first mix, he said something to the effect of, "It sounds great, but it doesn't sound like my guitar." I immediately knew what was the culprit. Read more here.

Help Wafaa in Gaza

For today's mutual aid spotlight, I'm asking that you please contribute to my friend Wafaa's fundraiser. I have been in touch with Wafaa for about 5 months. We met through the Gaza Verified project on Mastodon. As you may know, conditions in Gaza are still very dire. Last month, Wafaa's daughter Dima passed away from brain cancer. When she shared the news with me, she asked me, "Please pray for me to have patience." Prior to this, Wafaa lost 22 other family members to the genocide. She writes, "We have been displaced more than 10 times, and each time our bodies grow weaker from exhaustion and suffering." If you cannot give, she asks that you please share her campaign, in the hopes that someone else can give, so that she may care for her surviving children. Thank you for your kindness and generosity, my friends.

Thanks for reading! And happy Long COVID Awareness Day, March 15.

Peace,
Arend

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