Author: Josie Faith

What is a Hook?

Josie Faith Leave a comment

This week’s post is going to be a bit more informational than creative. As I’ve been messing around with my own music in the past few months, I’ve been trying to experiment with a specific aspect of my songs: the hook. Though ‘the hook’ is usually singular when people talk about it in reference to songwriting, in all honesty a song can have one, three, four, or fifteen hooks depending on what the artist is going for.

But what does this term mean? Why is it so important?

Most people associate the hook with a song’s chorus. This can be true, but it isn’t always the case. Examples of hook-y choruses can be found in many modern pop songs–these are the ones you hear on the radio and for some reason can’t get that one line out of your head. Hint: that’s probably a hook. A classic for me growing up was “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together” ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA4iX5D9Z64 ) by Taylor Swift. The “never ever ever ever”s repeat multiple times throughout the song and stick in your head for hours after listening to it. They’re interesting and memorable enough where the song becomes something you want to listen to again. They’re also relatable for many teenagers who’ve gone through similar situations to the one Swift is describing in her lyrics. This is crucial for a lyrical hook.

But hooks don’t have to be lyrical. There are musical and rhythmic hooks as well.

A great example of a musical/rhythmic hook is the classic Queen song “Another One Bites the Dust.” Though I could not repeat the lyrics back to you word for word, I can immediately identify this song if it comes on in a restaurant or supermarket or wherever else. The bass line is iconic and functions as a hook within itself. It is recognizable, reproducible, and helps a listener identify the song within seconds. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVIbCvfkO3E ) Other examples of songs with rhythmic or musical hooks include: “Sweet Caroline,” (BUH BUH BUH) and “Mamma Mia.” These both have specific musical passages which are catchy and memorable.

Hooks can be produced with percussive beats as well. The best example I can think of off the top of my head is “We Will Rock You.” ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tJYN-eG1zk ) There’s a reason Queen is such a successful music group. Their hooks–lyrical, melodic, rhythmic–are all fire. Each song stands apart from the others in a good way and is interesting within itself.

Many record labels encourage artists to focus on adding multiple hooks to a song. Lyrical hooks are the first step–you need words which people will relate with and catch themselves singing on their way to work. But the other types of hooks are just as, if not more, important. They are the small musical passages which will have a song stuck in someone’s head even when they don’t know the words. They’re not quite sure when they even heard the song, but because of the different hooks at play, it will be hard for them to forget it.

A Song for Reflecting on a Virtual Thanksgiving

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I wrote this short song in the past few days while thinking about the experiences I’ve heard my friends tell me about their own personal family Thanksgivings. Each person’s situation was a little different, but each was far from the normal holiday they are used to sharing with their loved ones. This song is somewhat personal to me, but also incorporates elements/thoughts of individuals I’ve spoken with in the past week or so.

Good Things in Bad Times:

I see the faces round the table except this year they’re all alone

And the smiles that all greet me smile at me through the phone

There is stuffing on the counter, there is turkey in the fridge

Nana’s jello’s in the freezer, I wish that I could have a dish

 

And my cousins all were waving, but my FaceTime camera froze

Now each member of the family’s frozen in a crazy pose

My sister’s fork is halfway to her mouth, my mother sips her tea

Papa’s hand is in the cookie jar, well that one’s no surprise to me

 

And we look back to yesterdays and our family face to face

Whoever said that distance makes the heart grow fonder

Can rest assured that no one doubts him any longer

 

Now seven people all are talking and I can’t understand a word

Can someone teach aunt Betty now please how her iPhone works

And despite all of our warnings, about coffee cups and Macs

Uncle Billy spilled all over his new computer that’s a fact

 

And we’re looking back to yesterdays and our family face to face

Whoever said that distance makes the heart grow fonder

Can rest assured that no one doubts him any longer

 

And it’s hard to be thankful for good things in bad times

But this is the moment to reflect on all our lives

Cause 2020 wasn’t all bad all the time

And we’re thankful for the good in the bad times

You know I’m right

 

I see the faces round the table except this year I’m not at home

but when you have a family like mine you’re never all alone

 

And we’re looking back to yesterdays and our family face to face

Whoever said that distance makes the heart grow fonder

Can rest assured that no one doubts him any longer

No one doubts him any longer

A Song for a Step Forward

Josie Faith 1 Comment

A song I wrote for election week and some of the emotions I’ve observed in the past few days:

 

Verse

Weatherman said the forecast was looking cloudy
and I think it’d be safe to say that that’s been true
every word said had we the people doubting
if this was a week which we could all get through

Verse

All got out of bed on Tuesday with a purpose
then the waiting began to see who’d win and lose
each woman, man, other identifying person
was holding their breath their eyes fixed to the news

Pre-Chorus

and it took a few more days than we’d have liked
had our fingers crossed that things would turn out right

Chorus

This is a song for a step forward
a song for brand new days
I know not everyone’s happy
with the decision that’s been made
but this is it, this is now
we’ve got a woman in the white house
history is being made in front of our eyes
what crazy times for us to be alive

Verse

for now the united states still stands pretty divided
but the president elect isn’t only just for blue
to stand for all America, he’s decided
red, blue, him, her, we, them, me, or you

Pre-Chorus

and it took a few more days than we’d have liked
to learn what we hoped to know last Tuesday night

Chorus

But this is a song for a step forward
a song for brand new days
I know not everyone’s happy
with the decision that’s been made
but this is it, this is now
we’ve got a woman in the white house
history is being made in front of our eyes
what crazy times for us to be alive

Bridge

we the people of this country
face the end of a 4 year age
it’s been educational
but we’re turning the page
raise the flag

Half-Chorus

This is a song for a step forward
a song for brand new days
I know not everyone’s happy
but the decision has been made

Chorus

This is a song for a step forward
a song for brand new days
I know not everyone’s happy
with the decision that’s been made
but this is it, this is now
we’ve got a woman in the white house
history is being made in front of our eyes
what crazy times for us to be alive

Outro

what crazy times for us to be alive

 

What is Song Structure?

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During quarantine this summer, I had the opportunity to attend a webinar put on by Seth Mosley and the rest of Full Circle Music–a famous Christian songwriter/producer and his record label based out of Nashville, Tennessee. This was super exciting for me because though I’d been writing songs for many years, I had never put much thought into the standard way the music industry encourages artists to put together their music.

Seth Mosley: Image from Centricity Publishing

What I learned over the course of this webinar was that the music industry is a LOT more specific about what types of songs are produced than I thought they were. The rule-breaking singer/songwriter jams I listen to on a daily basis are definitely not the norm. In fact, as Seth said a few times, many producers and labels won’t even give a song a chance if it doesn’t meet certain specific criteria.

To help explain the most basic song structure, here is a rough draft of a piece I was working on last year. This particular song was about living far away from home. It applies to long-distance relationships, going to school out of state, or any other situation in which you are physically far from someone or some place which means a lot to you.

Songs start with a verse–each verse follows a similar (if not identical) melody:

Verse 1:
Dreaming comes easy since I’ve been gone
I close my eyes and the lights all come on
I see your face in the back of my mind
When I close my eyes there’s no doubt what I’ll find

Then comes the PreChorus. This is a short turn which builds to the chorus.

PreChorus:
It’s hard as hell to wait
Feeling the worst kind of pain

Followed by the chorus: the refrain which will be repeated multiple times. It should be clear when this starts and ends. This is often the ‘catchy’ part of the song.

Chorus:
Take hold of me
And show me the distance
From your porch to mine
Make it seem small
And save me the pity
As you write me a letter
Show me the distance
Like its nothing at all  

Verse 2 follows the same pattern as Verse 1:
Making believe like you’re just down the road
A quick walk away if I want to go home
Fooling myself into living a lie
No it’s not working, but I thought that I’d try

PreChorus again…
And It’s hard as hell to wait
Feeling the worst kind of pain

Chorus:
Take hold of me
And show me the distance
From your porch to mine
Make it seem small
And save me the pity
As you write me a letter
Show me the distance
Like its nothing at all 

Then comes the bridge: a short section of the song that differs from all the rest. This is often where a song in a major key will include a few minor chords, or where a quick-paced song will slow down for a few moments.

Bridge:
Oh the miles how they add up on the dashboard of my car
One too many state lines to cross to where you are

Then comes the Chorus again, but twice. The first is ‘down,’ played with less oomph, and the second is ‘up:’ the climax of the song.

Chorus (X2)
Take hold of me
And show me the distance
From your porch to mine
Make it seem small
And save me the pity
As you write me a letter
Show me the distance
Like its nothing at all 

Finally comes the outro. This sometimes includes lyrics and sometimes doesn’t. In the case of this song, the outro was strictly musical on my guitar.

If this information was helpful for you, or if it piqued your interest, I recommend looking into more song structure information online!

To hear more specifically from Grammy winner Seth Mosley, and to hear a bunch more of his personal songwriting tips, check out this video! This advice applies to most popular genres on the radio, not just Christian rock! (Also disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Seth, I simply have learned a lot from him 😊)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9-grJlZkt8

Can’t say it? Sing it. (#1)

Josie Faith Leave a comment

Hello, world. Or hello, Michigan. Really just hello to whomever happens to be reading this. My name is Josie, I’m a current senior at UMich studying English and Spanish with a minor in music, and this is a weekly glimpse into the chaos of my mind.

As to why I am writing on arts, ink:

For as long as I can remember I have been most easily able to express myself through written words. I’ve been anavid reader and writer since I was about six years old, and have taken my passion for writing in many directions since then. Poetry, prose, forensics, stage, and screen acting are all avenues I’ve pursued in some way, shape, or form throughout the last fifteen years or so of my life. However, from very early on, one particular way of expressing myself fought its way to the top of my list of passions.

Songwriting.

I first picked up a guitar at age 8 after 4 years of piano lessons. Within a few months, I wrote my first song–a simple 3-chord children’s song I called “Sun is Shining.” (My mom still whistles it while she does house work and such sometimes). From that moment on, I was hooked. I was never a diary kid. I didn’t see the point in writing all my feelings down on a page that no one would ever read except me. So instead, my guitar became my notebook, and my lyrics became my diary. I wrote about what moved me, the things which made me feel emotions strong enough to need to sing about, and people I met along the road of life who helped to change me in some significant way.

 (9-year-old me)

When I was feeling lost in middle school, I wrote a song called “The Road to Nowhere.” When I was facing challenges in high school I wrote a song called “Wings” whose chorus read “I will take my wings / and I will learn to fly / so if I ever fall / I’ll fall knowing that I tried.”

(The picture below is from a small concert I gave at a local sub station where I played a few of my original songs for the first time. It was one of the moments I can remember which solidified in my mind that music was the one thing which could make me truly happy.)

I wouldn’t be an angsty young adult if I hadn’t written some sappy young love songs too. My relationships have forever been immortalized in the words of an embarrassingly long Word document of songs on my computer.

But why is music so important to me?

In the words of the introduction to the book I wrote on musical role-modeling in high school, “Music has gotten me through the good times, the bad times, the horrible times, and all the times in-between. It’s been something I can fall back on when life gets hard, and it’s led me to some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met, and I’ll ever know. It’s created opportunities for me of which I wouldn’t have had otherwise, and has always managed to put a smile on my face. It’s a part of me I wouldn’t trade for the world. Music nurtures, it teaches, and it grows inside a person until it’s an irremovable part of you. It allows you to believe more firmly in yourself, and helps explain so many situations of which you otherwise couldn’t explain. It’s a feeling you get deep inside—a joy of sorts that reassures you no matter how bad things may seem—how sad the song—those things will resolve. They’ll end on a happy note.”

My biggest role model growing up was my choir director in high school, Mr. Brusubardis. He was famous in our Wisconsin small town for saying really deep, intelligent things to his students. In fact, somewhere I still have a poster my friends and I made my senior year of our favorite quotes of his. But the one thing I remember him saying constantly was that music is a universal language. You can sing in English, Spanish, Greek, Yiddish, or complete nonsense syllables, and people will be able to understand what you’re trying to tell them through the emotion you put into the performance. In many cases, you don’t have to know which are the ‘right’ words to sing when you perform a song. You don’t have to spend hours painstakingly picking out the perfect words; you can just let go, be in the moment, and share what you feel inside with other people. Even if they cannot literally understand you, they will emotionally.

Because of this fact, I would like to welcome you to my 2020/2021 arts, ink blog: Can’t say it? Sing it. 

I’ll be posting about the songwriting process, sharing some of my own work, perhaps featuring other writers I know, and doing my best to relay meaningful information about music I’ve had the pleasure of learning in the last few years of my life.

I had the opportunity to work and learn within SMTD as a voice major my freshman year before switching to a music minor, have done workshops and masterclasses with relatively well-known musicians, and have spent over 12 years now crafting my own personal songwriting style. I also have participated in choral groups, 20+ musical theatre productions, and Michigan A Cappella for 4 years now. I’d be happy to answer any questions about any of my experiences!

Thanks for taking the time to read my slightly-long-winded introduction, and I look forward to posting in the weeks to come!