Pain Leads to Great Songwriting

I have a confession to make. I'm a total Gleek, a fan of the Fox hit show Glee. I love how the series uses so many songs from my growing up years and showcases vocals not just for singing the lyrics but also as harmony, rhythm, and musical arrangement. The kids on the show get to express themselves through song, deal with many emotions and experiences, and have fun in the process.

In a recent episode, they took at crack at writing original songs for their regional competition. Lead characters Finn and Rachel talked about what it takes to write about what you know while also coming from a place of emotion. Finn said Rachel was only dealing with her "easy pain" and not emotionally connecting like she could when she sang other people's songs. Cut to their glee club teacher, Mr. Schuester, who after listening to several of his students sing their original songs declares "the greatest songs are about hurt."

While I don't believe that's always the case, I can relate to pain being a catalyst for creative expression. Many of the songs I've written over the years have been born of tragedy and painful experiences. And I, like Rachel in the show, poured my heart onto notebook pages.

Oh, sweet pain. What is it about this particular emotion that lends itself to great songwriting? In thinking about my own experience, here's my thoughts on the matter:

1. Pain allows us to identify what's important and not important, helping us gain clarity in less than ideal circumstances
2. While we may react to pain initially by shutting down, there are opportunities to move past pain by feeling and expressing it
3. Sharing our pain helps us feel better, both in releasing it and in knowing we're not the only ones who've ever experienced it

Rachel was able to tap into her deeper pain when was faced with the harsh truth of love and betrayal by the girl stealing Finn away from her. She performed her original song "Get it Right," one of two original songs that led their team to victory at regionals.

So while you may not be ready to showcase your pain on national TV, you can begin by writing down your experiences and just letting whatever comes to mind flow onto the paper. You might be surprised at how you feel when you do. And who, knows, you just might get a great song out of it.