Turn Your Testimony Into Song

Despite all the technical knowledge I try to give my students... There's something completely NON-technical that seems to make the best students. It's funny. The musician in me kinda wishes it were some cool method. Or framework. Or a formula I use that helps them grow and achieve things they never dreamed possible. Achievements like writing primary songs their ward's love. Or writing hymn arrangements that their ward choir is super excited to sing for Christmas or Easter. Or composing a...

Adding a sense of sadness is a common desire for writers of music. Sometimes I like doing this as I play the organ for the congregational singing in Sacrament meeting. But there's definitely a WRONG way to do it. A way that would confuse the congregation. Or worse, destroy the reverence of the moment. The standard add-a-little-sadness technique is what we call "borrowed harmony." But beware of 2 possible pitfalls. Allow me to explain. The basic idea of "borrowed harmony" happens when you're...

Helping you realize that you don't need CRAZY wild music-neard smarts to create wonderful music is one of my missions. Truly, if you can PLAY hymns, you can REHARMNOIZE and personalize hymns. It's very true. And there are some very easy ways to start. You don't need a music degree. You don't need any voice-leading knowledge. You don't even need to know Roman numerals or inversions or any other seemingly overcomplicated music theory stuff. It reminds me of a video I saw of Paul McCartney...

All it takes to personalize ANY hymn and make it sound UNIQUE to you, and extra-special for your congregation to sing, is simple "substitution." In fact, with just a small handful of "substitution" types, and a few other fun and easy-to-use tools, you can personalize ANY hymn. That's exactly what we're doing together next week. INTRODUCING: The 3-Day "Personalize Any Hymn By Sunday" Challenge! March 4th–8th, at 9am MT (11am ET)... which includes the BONUS Day #4. Here's what you'll...

You have an inner power. A force so bold it can move mountains. But to access it... You have to flip the switch. The switch is free. But it's not easy. It demands sacrifice. Once you flip the switch, you find your power. For example... Recently, I was chatting with a student from the last Primary Songwriting Workshop. She told me... "It was difficult, no denying it. There was hair-pulling, tear-shedding, and agonizing cries of 'I can't do this!' But after the final showcase, I was 10-feet...

On the battlefield of the artist... The writer... The composer... The creative... ...stands a knight and a dragon. You are the knight. Resistance is the dragon. Resistance's evil sidekick on this battlefield is the next most terrible enemy standing in your way. Rational thought. Rational thought gets you overthinking. Rational thought stops the creative flow state. Rational thought while trying to be creative is like trying to drive 80 miles an hour on the highway with your foot on the brake....

What keeps you from writing? What holds you back from creating the songs and arrangements you know you need to create? What will sadly keep the songs of SO MANY unsung and unwritten at the end of their lives? In my absolute FAVORITE self-help book of all time... specifically on the methods of breaking through the blocks keeping you from winning your inner creative battles... the true enemy emerges. This book is entitled "The War of Art," by Steven Pressfield. And it is REQUIRED reading for...

Oh, the danger! The trouble is... Avoiding this danger? Takes guts. Courage. Tenacity. Vulnerability. Without it? Your music will never ever be as good as it could be. And you'll never ever be able to crystallize your ideas, or your voice, or the effect of your testimony through music without it. I guarantee it. Last night, I got an email from a student of mine who had an amazing experience that helped her COMPLETELY avoid this danger. And she learned SUPER important lessons about herself and...

As I've been working hard on the libretto and lyrics for my new opera, "A Christmas Carol," I've really been inspired by Tiny Tim. And I can't help but think of him today. Mainly because I've been encountering some pretty heavy opposition from the adversary. Boy oh boy is he working hard on my, my confidence in my own abilities, and much more. It reminds me of something my Granddad Pew taught me. On Christmas Eve 2002, my then-girlfriend and I decided we should get married. It was a hugely...

Time to brag about my AMAZING students! I have, at long last, re-launched the Latter-Day Musiversity Press page. This is a platform where I am publishing the music of my hard-working, wonderful, inspired students. In this first stage of re-launching the Press, I have published over 80 beautiful primary songs composed by 26 of my students in our Primary Songwriting Workshops. I'm truly overwhelmed at this amazing body of testimony-building primary songs. I love helping people turn their...