Neil Fein's Blog

My songwriting has been going downhill.

Consider that, ever since I've joined an improv/comedy group, my writing has become about the "little things" in life. There's that Song -- about getting a song stuck in my head. More -- piling up stuff for a yard sale. One Thousand Times -- listening to someone go on and on about wine. Such high drama!

Admittedly, I did produce Never Had A Brother, a pretty significant song about significant events and emotions. But this might explain why I can't get a grasp on Welcome Home, which started out as a song about the awkward, primal feelings of moving into a new house.

As I write this, I realize that this may be what the song is about -- all the different places I've moved into. What they meant at the time, and why they'e still important.

This is the point. I've become trained to perform improv, which involves getting your surface thoughts out there now. It's not thinking about just what you want to say and producing thoughtful, insightful words -- which is what I am at my best. Dance In My Kitchen, I'll Wait For You, and, yes, Never Had A Brother, this is the bar I should be aiming for.

There is a freshness I've relearned from performing improv, though. I need to find a way to keep the best of both worlds.