Songwriting Club

by D.O.

Not long after I started playing guitar a decade ago, a desire was birthed in me to not only become able at guitar playing, but also to write original songs to ably play on that guitar. I’ve only successfully (used very loosely) written one song in those ten years, and I did so because I was issued a challenge by Matt Graham to write a Christmas song (an edict inspired by Sufjan Stevens). That song went on to be played in both of the only two shows the Christmas Unit of Family Singers ever played. Not since those wintry nights of intense musical fusion have any D.O. originals been heard.

Not long after I moved back to Dallas and into the room that once belonged only to Scott, I learned that he too had an unfulfilled desire to write songs. He’d thrown some lyrics together here and there in the past, but nothing that ever really amounted to a 2 and half minute coherent musical thought.

Then, a few weeks ago, as if by divine providence, I came across a little gem on the Rabbit Room by one of my favorite living songwriters, Andrew Peterson. He wrote about a group of which he’s a part called The Weaklings, which encourages (yea, even requires) it’s members to write a song on a set topic in a given amount of time, in an effort to increase their already well-developed skill. Their group is inspired by a group called the Inklings, whose members included such folks as J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.

So, inspired by these and other great talents, Scott and I decided to force ourselves to write a new song each week. We immediately decided that a song a week was a bit too ambitious, and lowered the bar to a song every two weeks. We told a select few of our friends about the idea, and they verbally committed to the group. So with that, the Songwriting Club was formed.

And Songwriting Club’s first topic: Phone books.

Now that Songwriting Club has a topic, we also have a dead line. June 23rd will find us gathering around with our guitars and unveiling songs to one another. And if you’re lucky, you might get to hear (or at least read) the fruits of my labor on that day as well, though I make no promises.

If anyone feels inspired to join this non-elite group from far off, registration is currently open. Come ready with your phone book song on the 23rd.

(Creativity has the potential to inspire creativity, it seems)