My Personal Creative Process Map for Songwriting and Music Production (Dwight McNair Cohort B July 20, 2019) Step 3 Hook/Chorus or Refrain starts to surface
Step 1 Develop the Beat/Meter/Tempo/ Rhythm
Step 2 Words/Story/Pictures
- find the beat in the body
- get a full body sense of it
- how does the rhythm fit and feel around
-what is the story idea
-what words/lyrics appear (fall from my lips)
-match the lyrical rhythms
the beat
- how fast or slow?
Step 5 Hum/Scat / SingMelodic Ideas/ Phrases/Melismas/ Step 6 Improvise/Experiment with sounds & melodies
Step 4 Synthesis (put beat, tempo, lyrical rhythms together in spoken word or rap form
Step 7 Go Back to Story Idea/Words/Lyrics & move into verses, choruses, tags and refrains form and structure appear
Step 8 Play Melodic Ideas on Keyboard
Step 11 Share with the World
Step 10 Test/Evaluate/Judge/Collaborate
Step 9 Experiment with Chords see what Harmony is emerging
Insights in to the Instruments/Graphics for My Personal Creative Process Map (Songwriting/Music Production) Dwight McNair Cohort B July 20, 2019 Step 1 All music starts with the heartbeat (Drum)
Step 5 The Trumpet represents the Melodic Lines
Step 8 Keyboard for playing melodic ideas
Step 2 The Microphone represents the Voice which was the First Instrument
Step 6 Musical Notes Symbols of Improvisation and Experimental Sound
Step 9 Piano plays chords (multiple sounds) @ once HARMONY emerges
Step 3 Drum Set represents infinite sound possibilities
Step 4 Bass Guitar is part of the rhythm section thus part of the foundation
Step 7 The Saxophone represents Improvisation/Experimentation & Melody
Step 10 Listen to Collaborate & Judge the Sounds
Step 11 Share
My Creative Process Map for (Songwriting and Music Production) Narrative Dwight McNair Cohort B July 20, 2019 Using songwriting to map one significant aspect of my personal creative process is an adventure. I say one aspect of my creative process because, I am a singer first, pianist/keyboardist second and songwriting/music producing are natural outgrowths of the first two. It is challenging to put into words and pictures, what is essentially an organic and spontaneous process. Even though, I have presented a sequential, step by step process, each step is interchangeable and doesn’t necessarily occur in a specific order. The Four 21st Century Skills-of critical thinking (problem solving) and creativity (thinking outside of the box) are reflected in steps 1-9 of my process map. Collaboration (working with others) is reflected in step 11 and communication (stating your ideas clearly) is inextricably, interwoven into every step and thus, the entire process. Mapping this process/journey requires that I must say in words and visuals what is first heard internally as bits and pieces of sound, songs and music. So this is my attempt at externalizing an internal process. I apply the 8 Artists Habits of Mind to every step and phase of my process. Without drawing on my craft, expressing, envisioning, engaging, persisting and observing as a singer/pianist/songwriter/producer, the following steps outlined on my creative process map Step1 Step 3 Step 5 Step 6 Step 8 Step 9
Develop the beat/meter/tempo and rhythm Hook/Chorus or Refrain start to surface would Hum/Scat/Sing melodic ideas/phrases/melismas Improvise/experiment with sounds and melodies Play melody on keyboard and Experiment with chords-see what harmonies emerges, would not happen. The other artists habits of mind observing, reflecting, stretching, exploring and understanding the art world are fundamental to the execution of Step 2 Step 4 Step 10 Step 11
Words/Story/Pictures Synthesis (put beat tempo, lyrical rhythms together in spoken word or rap form Test/evaluate/judge/collaborate and Share with the world.