Let us never forget that music is a language. It is a form of emotional communication that, like English, can be written or improvised. Composition and improvisation are two sides of the same coin. They cannot be separated. Just like how the paperback novelist is also capable of impromptu speech.

We know that the photoshopped models that we see on instagram have negatively effected our perception of ourselves, but have we put sufficient thought into the effect that highly edited instagram guitarists can have on musicians?

The quick and dirty approach is not for everyone. Some writers like to take things slower and more methodically, fully considering each potential move. I dedicated the month of February to writing a single song that I worked on any where from fifteen minutes to two hours daily.

Whether it's Wilco's majestic album opener "Misunderstood," Grateful Dead's explorative "Fire On The Mountain," or Bruce Springsteen's "Born In The USA," the two chord song is alive and well in the world of popular music.

There are two primary variables that lurk under the songwriting umbrella: musicianship and performance. As I always say, if you can play other people's songs then you have all the tools that you need to write your own. I stand by this, but it never hurts to see what's under the hood.

Songwriting is both a practice of intellect and instinct. This exercise will help you get in touch with the power of the latter.

If you find yourself saying "I wouldn't write a song about that" more often than not, then it may be time to reevaluate the way you see the world. There is a song to be sung about everything, no matter how small and unassuming the "thing" may be.