God is in control, and His plan for me is not the one I would have expected. After a four-year hiatus from recording, I’m in the early stages of planning my next album release.
In the words of Timothy Keller:
“God will either give us what we ask or give us what we would have asked if we knew everything he knows.”
Seven weeks ago, I began a weekly livestream on my YouTube Channel and on Instagram, showcasing my process for creating songs—everything from riff and melody generation, lyric writing, and harmonization to developing ideas, writing strategies and more. Each video is archived on YouTube. Go check it out!
Tune in every Monday night at 7 PM Central at: youtube.com/jaymathesmusic
The livestream started as a way to allow my backers on Patreon to get an exclusive look behind the scene of my songwriting process. I’ve never before shared my music in this way—nor have I ever seen anyone else do it (though I’ve now been told that Taylor Swift does it…). For those who like and listen to my music, this provides just an extra little taste of my creative process. But I want it to be more than that.
For young songwriters or aspiring artists who are struggling with what the songwriting process might look like—or should look like or could look like—I want these videos to perhaps be a place for these songwriters to see “oh, so it’s okay that I XY or Z when I write…” The point is, there is no one right way to create a song. Artists of all disciplines are first subject to their cultures and the information they take in, their education and even their genes. And songwriters are dependent on specific tools of the trade: vocabulary, cultural capital, music theory, and musical training.
So come join me! Every Monday night at 7 PM Central. On YouTube and Instagram.