What Made You Compose Music?

I started writing my own music and lyrics around 13 years old. I've never had any formal training, never even read a book on it. I taught myself how to play guitar and piano. Guitar came incredibly easy for me, but not piano. I still suck, but with midi, you don't need to be good anymore. :)

I always did it because it filled a void inside me and it felt really good to create something that made you feel good when you listened to it. I never really did it for fame or money. I guess the closest I came to having any kind of 'career' in music so to speak was, I was asked to join the Oxford Boys Choir in high school. All I remember is some guy with a British accent came to our school and they interviewed all the students that our music teachers thought were talented. My parents never heard of them so they wouldn't let me do it.

I still have the first song I wrote and recorded. I listen to it now and I think I played better back then. Heh. I also have the very first recording I made when I was 12. Bungalow Bill by The Beatles, fake British accent and all. It's hilarious.

Guitarhacker said it best, "play and write what you love." There's nothing wrong with doing covers of songs either. You can learn a lot by trying to emulate what you hear.

Sometimes songs just come to you and they flow right out. I wrote a country song called Lisa in 10 minutes while watching the Grand Ol' Opry on TV one Saturday night. It's funny where you're inspiration comes from some times.

I played it at practice one night and the guys loved it so we did it out that weekend. People went crazy for it. They asked us for tapes of it and sometimes we'd have to do it 3 or 4 times a night. Ah the good ol' days. It didn't even have a bridge, just three verses and three choruses, but yet people liked it. It was the words more than it was the music. Kind of an apologetic song.

Bub.