Category: Uncategorized

Language Uncategorized writing

Writing Tips from George Orwell

22 November 2016
One of the most incisive essays I have ever read on the art of writing is the short…
Music Songs I Love Uncategorized

The Secret Life of ‘Hallelujah’ by Leonard Cohen.

28 September 2016
The song ‘Hallelujah’ by Leonard Cohen is now thought of as a glittering jewel of genius. But the…
Language Psychology Uncategorized

I Have a Confession to Make

4 August 2016
I have a public confession to make. I have a serious problem—a profound weakness, and it only gets worse…
Keppie Coutts
Generating Ideas for Lyrics Revising Songs Uncategorized

Driving Around the Road Cones: Two Easy Strategies for Moving Beyond the First Verse

28 July 2016
Almost all songwriters I know experience a type of road block in the process of writing songs. Paradoxically,…
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Uncategorized

Congrats!

20 July 2016
Congratulations to Doris Folkens and Heather Elliot for having their song, ‘Lanterns’, place as a finalist in the…
Habits of Success Language Psychology of Creativity Uncategorized

What Can Business Learn from Songwriters?

14 July 2016
I was kindly invited by Soren Trampedach and Work Club Global, in collaboration with the Sydney-based organisation Affectors,…
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Uncategorized

30 June 2014
I was recently interviewed for online songwriting publication, “Success for your songs”. You can check out an excerpt…
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Uncategorized

Great Question

19 November 2011
Hi Keppie, I have a question. I recently had a singer adapt one of my poems into a…
with John Mayer
Uncategorized

Lessons that still ring true

16 June 2011
In 2008, I had the unbelievably good fortune to spend a whole week with John Mayer, talking about…
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Revising Songs Uncategorized

SPECIFICITY #2: Getting Specific About Images

21 May 2011
A while ago I started an article about SPECIFICITY in lyric writing (see post: Specificity #1: Getting Specific…
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Uncategorized Wisdom from Songwriters

Paul Simon on Listening to the Critics

12 April 2011
I don’t think it’s very good for a serious songwriter to pay attention to what critics say. It’s…
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Uncategorized

Science in Songwriting

2 April 2011
“Songwriting is a science based on trial and error, its success is determined by how much elbow grease…