Finding a Songwriter's Voice
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Abstract
In this project, I document my journey as a bassist and composer of instrumental music into the world of writing song lyrics. Looking to incorporate my lifelong interest in words, literature, and prose writing into the music I create, I teach myself the craft of lyric writing via attentive listening and analysis of lyrics by songwriters whom I admire, intentional experimentation with various dimensions of lyric writing (such as point-of-view, rhyme scheme, and song structure), and the exploration of new approaches on the guitar (namely, open tunings and fingerstyle plucking) to facilitate the music I compose to my lyrics. As a result of this work, I present eight finished original songs, four of which I recorded and will release as my first EP, marking the beginning of an additional musical identity for myself as a songwriter. I document my writing process behind each song, showing the influences and techniques I incorporated into my work, my development as a lyricist through the lessons each song provided, and culminating in the method I developed for myself for writing songs by putting the lyrics first, which may be of use to other instrumentalists looking to begin writing their own lyrics.
Publication Date
7-1-2025
Campus
Valencia (Spain) Campus
Keywords
creative research; compositional processes; EP; indie music; lyrics
Recommended Citation
Baz, Itamar. “Finding a Songwriter's Voice.” Master's thesis, Berklee College of Music, 2025. https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-contemporary-performance/320.