Grim inspired me to ask an open ended question! (I just ate at a very fancy, crazy expensive place this weekend, and was not as impressed with the food as perhaps I should have been - I have rather "blue collar" tastes)
I sometimes compare songwriting to cooking. Almost anyone can learn to cook some basic dishes. However, some people have really learned how various ingrediients can be used to improve the taste of a dish or what foods go together to enhance each other. Some cooks choose to study under more experianced chefs or read cooking books to improve or at least to quicken their growth and knowledge - other cooks simply experiment and gradually gain a better understanding of what spices work together, etc. Some cooks are satisfied throwing brats on the grill after soaking them in beer. Some people enjoy eating gourmet foods and may try new places in search of the ultimate culinary experiance and others do not appreciate fine dining and perhaps prefer a steak and baked potato (or a cheesburger from a local bar). Neither approach to cooking (or preference to eating) is wrong of right - it is a matter of personal taste and/or perspective.
Some songwriters try to study songwriting, taking classes, reading books, etc - to learn theory and understand how to craft a song to use various components such as complex chord progressions, well thought out lyrics, etc. (flavors) to create a chorus, add a modulation, etc - with the hope of enhancing the entire compostion (the dish) - others are more satisfied with something perhaps more basic, such as a I-IV-V with out really caring about the subject matter of the lytrics, as long at the energy of the music moves them (a burger, vs. fine dining).
In both cases (cooking and writing) the approaches can be very different and the results may be different - neither right or worng nor good or bad - simply a matter of taste/perspective.
So - what other non musical comparisons can be used as a reference to songwriting?
I sometimes compare songwriting to cooking. Almost anyone can learn to cook some basic dishes. However, some people have really learned how various ingrediients can be used to improve the taste of a dish or what foods go together to enhance each other. Some cooks choose to study under more experianced chefs or read cooking books to improve or at least to quicken their growth and knowledge - other cooks simply experiment and gradually gain a better understanding of what spices work together, etc. Some cooks are satisfied throwing brats on the grill after soaking them in beer. Some people enjoy eating gourmet foods and may try new places in search of the ultimate culinary experiance and others do not appreciate fine dining and perhaps prefer a steak and baked potato (or a cheesburger from a local bar). Neither approach to cooking (or preference to eating) is wrong of right - it is a matter of personal taste and/or perspective.
Some songwriters try to study songwriting, taking classes, reading books, etc - to learn theory and understand how to craft a song to use various components such as complex chord progressions, well thought out lyrics, etc. (flavors) to create a chorus, add a modulation, etc - with the hope of enhancing the entire compostion (the dish) - others are more satisfied with something perhaps more basic, such as a I-IV-V with out really caring about the subject matter of the lytrics, as long at the energy of the music moves them (a burger, vs. fine dining).
In both cases (cooking and writing) the approaches can be very different and the results may be different - neither right or worng nor good or bad - simply a matter of taste/perspective.
So - what other non musical comparisons can be used as a reference to songwriting?