In that 'emotional' way

“I believe musicians have a duty, a responsibility to reach out, to share your love or pain with others.”  – James Taylor

James Taylor, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, celebrates a birthday today.  He advises writers – whether it be of songs, poems or literature – to remember that what is artistic is really nothing more than people’s very creative and inventive ways out of impossible situations

“It is a process of discovery,” he said.  “It’s being quiet enough and undisturbed enough for a period of time so that the words can begin to sort of peek out … in an emotional way.” 

Taylor’s first breakthrough in writing songs was his hit “Fire and Rain,” and his first number one was the amazing “You’ve Got a Friend,” a recording that gets thousands of airplays each month around the globe.  He also had a huge hit with the joyful “Your Smiling Face,”  He won Grammys for all three.

“Though 'Fire and Rain' is very personal, for other people it resonates as a sort of commonly held experience,” he said.  “And that's what happens with me. I write things for personal reasons, and then in some cases it becomes a shared experience.” 

 

James Taylor turns 67 today

Here’s a link to “Smiling Face.”  Smile … and happy writing!

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giB8gZ2L6hA

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