This CD reflects the eclectic journey of songwriters Vikki Flawith and Michael Kavanagh, their passion for music and their struggle to portray meaningful stories in word, in voice, and in melody.
Canadian songbird Vikki Flawith (known as "Hummin'b [+]This CD reflects the eclectic journey of songwriters Vikki Flawith and Michael Kavanagh, their passion for music and their struggle to portray meaningful stories in word, in voice, and in melody.
Canadian songbird Vikki Flawith (known as "Hummin'bird" to many of her friends) has this to say about her songwriting journey...
"I think we all have our own way of working... and I think the manner in which we create really depends on the inspiration of the moment. My old method of writing was to sit with a notebook & pen and my guitar, and just start playing... I'd fool with different chord progressions and just sing whatever came to my mind until I found a scrap of lyric that resonated with me. I'd continue, improvising melody, lyric and chord progression. During this process the most important thing to me was how the song "felt". The vibrations and energy in my body as I sang were most important... if I was moved in some way, if I had tears in my eyes as I sang or if it made me laugh or feel good, then I wrote it down. Say at that point I had two lines I really liked. Then I'd sing those two lines and improvise a line after them. I'd continue to improvise until I found the next line. Sometimes that next line would come two weeks later... but I'd keep mulling around with what I had until inspiration hit for the next part.
Other times the whole thing would just flow out of me in one sitting. (Nice when that happens - but you can't force it, it comes when it comes, you have to have your antenna up and immediately run to write it down or record it in some way... or sing it over and over in the hopes that you won't forget it before you get home cause it's really hot and is really and truly the perfect next line.)
Obviously the organic response of my inner spirit was and is a big part of this writing process. The sensations within me as I play and sing are my touchstones, my guides to what is "working" for me.
As I put these songs out for feedback, I received critiques that my melodies were meandering (I come from a classical background, I thought repetition within a section was boring) and that the sections in my songs lacked sufficient contrast, my songs were usually too long (5 to 6 minutes long). I began to understand that my organic process was vi
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