How to Create Music That Speaks to People’s Hearts, According to Senior
There are two big truths that every musical artist needs to learn very early in their career. The first is that music is a kind of universal language and that it can speak to people beyond the words in the lyrics. There’s not a culture in the world that doesn’t practice some kind of music, and even though different cultures have developed different scales and melodies and rhythms, they all share a common appreciation for what a scale, a melody, or a rhythm is.
The second big truth about music is that people are very quick to spot someone who doesn’t have the “spark” required to become a top performer, or who is simply trying to fake their way into a musician’s career. As someone whose star has been on the rise recently, Senior is very much aware of both of these aspects of music, its universality, as well as its need for honesty. So when asked about creating music that speaks to people’s hearts, it’s only natural that honesty is the first thing that comes into his mind.
Everyone has struggles in their daily life. Hopefully, they aren’t the sort that have lasting or devastating consequences, but it’s impossible to turn a blind eye to those kinds of struggles either. Tragedies happen. People make bad decisions and are left to suffer consequences. People can become victims of other people’s actions, too. Sometimes, even an event that’s good can unleash a wave of struggles, if for no other reason than because of that fear of losing something good.
What Senior would like musicians to understand is that being open about the struggles is one of the ways to stay true to oneself and create music that speaks truthfully about the shared reality all of us occupy. It’s easy to feel isolated when there’s something bad going on, but most experiences aren’t novel; something similar has been felt before by someone else. With billions of people on the planet, something similar might be felt at the same moment by someone else, too.
Being vocal about real struggles is a sure way to create music that connects with people’s hearts. When artists put out into the world something people can attach some meaning to and identify with, they can create lifelong relationships between the music and the fans. That’s precious for artists and fans alike.
Musicians shouldn’t be afraid to look at the mundane for inspiration, either, though writing a song about doing one’s laundry and nothing else might be taking the concept too far. There’s certainly a balance to be found there, forging a way and a method to find the profound and transcendental in the mundane. Again, it’s about looking into the experiences everyone has and finding the most precious and universal thing about them that counts.
An artist who manages to speak to people’s struggles and aspirations while drawing on experiences everyone is familiar with has a lot of what they need to become successful. Adding a little talent and perseverance to the mix will create a recipe for a stunning career as a recording musician.
