By Scott Coner
Nashville Recording Artist, Songwriter, Performer, and Author
To me, the beauty of art
is what it represents. I don’t know very much about painting, or photos, or
anything like that. I know what I like when I see it. I know I have never wished
I had some paintings of soup cans on my wall. To be honest, I probably like the
photos of my family on the walls around my house than anything else. Like they
say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If you like something, isn’t that
what matters most?
I don’t paint pictures. I
do take photos with my phone sometimes, but for my own enjoyment. I write
songs. I hear melodies. I hear phrases. I search my
little piece of the planet for songs. I consider myself a serious songwriter
because I truly do apply myself to the craft. I don’t align myself with too
many of the publishers that look around for yet another song that “feels” and
“sounds” like the last song they had on the radio. I just trudge along doing
what I do. No matter what anybody says, I will not chase a train that has
already passed me. I think if you consider yourself any type of artist at all,
then you have to be yourself. For instance, just because Van Gogh used blues
and grays doesn’t mean another guy with a brush can bring out the same beauty
using the same colors. And just because some other song talks about how
“country” it is to drink whiskey and listen to a train, doesn’t mean I am drawn
to that theme.
I had
a conversation recently with a man from Nashville that is involved in my music
to some extent. He truly believes that in order to be viable in today’s market
that you need to listen to and study the other writers of current radio
releases. I think there is some merit to that approach. I do believe if you
copy other music, you might actually achieve something. If you listen to twenty
minutes of today’s country music, you might walk away believing this approach
is pretty popular. But, that’s not how I want to work.
I
instead believe that any genre of music needs to come from somewhere close to
the heart. I think it needs to feel good when you play it all alone with just
an acoustic guitar or piano. I think it should take you somewhere in your mind.
I like the “no-rules” approach to writing. I don’t have a pre-conceived idea of
where I want to go with a song. I follow it. It doesn’t follow me. The music
getting radio play is something I don’t spend a lot of time following either. I
compare trying to figure it all out to understanding the highs and lows in the
Wall Street market. I think if you stay true to your own sound, you might make
some headway, but I’m not certain of this. When it’s all said and done, it only
makes sense to do things your own way.
I
approach music the same way I try to approach life. I don’t compare myself to
others. I am comfortable with who I am. I write from my point of view. I live
by my rules, not someone else’s. And I strongly believe this is the direction I
must take in order to be whole. Have you ever made the mistake of looking at someone
else’s set-up and wished it could be yours? I have, but thankfully I came to my
senses pretty quickly. I have had some success with my music, but not enough to
fulfill me. I have had visions of where I want to go, and I will follow those
visions all the way to the end. Like they say, the destination isn’t the fun
part. It’s the journey. I have weak moments. I have times when I wish I hadn’t
picked up that first guitar. But, I am what I am. We are who we are.
Keep in touch!
Scott Coner is a country singer-songwriter who has worked in the studio with legendary artists such as Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown and Charlie Daniels. You can learn more about him and hear his music at his music page.
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