Tools of Songwriting

By Todd

Education Music

What's Tools of Songwriting about?

Tools of Songwriting is a website and podcast geared towards giving people the tools that they need to express themselves through writing their own music. It's for beginner to advanced musicians and will have simple, understandable, and practical tips for everyone.

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Tools of Songwriting episodes:

08.24.2023
Episode 12: Art Is Just a Choice
Today's episode is about simplifying your art into small choices. I talk a bit about one of my favorite movies of all time and about how terrible I was in art class as a child. I hope it helps you in...
04.27.2023
Episode 11: Tristan Dougherty
Tristan Dougherty is a folk musician in Richmond, Virginia, whose songs combine meditative, finger-style guitar playing with warm, illuminative lyrics. He's been a huge support to the Richmond, VA songwriter community over the past few years. On today's show, he...
02.09.2023
Episode 10: Mackenzie Roark
Today I have a very special guest on the show. I'm here with Richmond, VA musician Mackenzie Roark. Mackenzie has a cool country sound in the vein of songwriters that I've always admired like Lucinda Williams, Gillian Welch, Whiskeytown, and...
01.19.2023
Episode 9: Analog vs Digital
In today's episode, I talk about my writing process and the idea of being creative in an analog vs digital way. They're both useful, but I've found, that when I sit down at the computer the ideas can just dry...
09.11.2022
Episode 8: Mindset
In today's episode, I talk about the amazing book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" by Carol Dweck. I think some of the ideas in that book can be really helpful when you're writing songs. Here is the infographic that...
12.16.2020
Episode 7: Word Vomit
On today's episode of Tools of Songwriting, I'm talking about word vomit and how useful it can be to songwriters. I've been doing it off and on for years and it always helps me clear out my brain so the...
10.15.2020
Episode 6: Mitchel Evan
On today's show, we have my friend, Mitchel Evan. He's a Richmond, VA musician who plays solo and with his band Mitchel Evan and the Saboteurs. Mitchel shares some really great insight into his writing process and his journey as...
08.18.2020
Episode 5: Judith Avers
On today's show, we have my friend, Judith Avers. Judith is one of my favorite people and has really helped me out over the years. Not only in songwriting, but in how to navigate the music business. She's played music...
08.06.2020
Episode 4: Jeremy Davis of Elonzo Wesley
Jeremy Davis fronts the Charlotte, NC band Elonzo Welsey. I lived in Charlotte for 5 years and Elonzo Wesley was one of my favorite bands from that city. Jeremy's soulful southern voice reminds me a little bit of My Morning...
08.03.2020
Episode 3: The Resistance
The resistance is a term from one of my favorite books The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. I was looking at my bookshelf the other day and this book popped out, like it has countless times before. A big...
07.30.2020
Episode 2: Jay Patton
Tools of Songwriting is a website and podcast geared towards giving people the tools that they need to express themselves through writing their own music. It's for beginner to advanced musicians and has simple, understandable, and practical tips for everyone....
07.28.2020
Episode 1: Steal Like a Pro
Today's songwriting tips come from one of my favorite books of all time by Austin Kleon called "Steal Like an Artist" I grew up thinking that artists were just completely original and if you borrowed anything from anyone you weren't a...