Songwriters’ News – Volume V, Issue 8
Meeting Dates
By Mike Rudquist
Please Note: Going forward, all online Zoom events will use the same Zoom link. Here is a member-only link to our "Member Event Access" page which has the Zoom link: https://mnsongwriters.org/activities/member-event-access
Also Note: All monthly MAS online meetings will be held within the same time frame of 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. (This does not include the Minnesota Homebrew Radio Show. See the event listing below for times.)
Monthly Mixer with Doug Millaway
Wednesday, August 6, 2025, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
This meeting allows for all types of topics to be explored and discussed as it relates to songwriting – the writing process, production, inspiration, the music business – all topics related to the craft, production and business of songwriting. This is a moderated open discussion, and participants are encouraged to share their personal experiences and expertise.
Minnesota Homebrew Radio Show with Carl Unbehaun
Thursdays all month – August 7, 14, 21, 28
Every Thursday evening from 6 to 7 pm, fellow MAS member and radio DJ Carl Unbehaun offers music written and/or performed by Minnesota musicians on his Minnesota Homebrew Radio Show. Radio station KSRQ in Thief River Falls (90.1 FM) streams Carl’s show via the Internet. On the FIRST Thursday of the month, Carl dedicates his entire show to music written by members of the Minnesota Association of Songwriters!
To submit your songs to Carl’s MAS-dedicated show or to have it played on any Thursday night, contact Carl at minnesotahomebrew@gmail.com.
To listen to Minnesota Homebrew on your devices, click here: https://mnsongwriters.org/activities/radio-airplay/.
Online Round Robin Song Share with Paul Nye
Wednesday, August 13 6:30 – 8:30 pm
This is a laid-back, come as you are type get together with fellow songwriters to share your songs in a take turns fashion either performing live via zoom or with a recorded version of your songs. Just for fun and just to get together and play. Even if you want to just join in to listen, this is the place for you!
Monthly Online Song Review Session Hosted by Doug Millaway
Wednesday, August 20 – 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
This is our general information and song review meeting. You are welcome to play an original song in any phase of its development or completion for purposes of potentially improving it based on feedback received.
Please refrain from submitting songs you do not intend to change from feedback given. You’re welcome to share those in our Round Robin Song session above.
Our review sessions are one of the best opportunities to help you learn and improve your craft. Giving feedback on other writers’ songs, and listening to others doing the same, is a great teaching tool.
You may submit your song’s audio and-or lyrics only for review up to the time of the review session. Please note, we are limited in the songs we can fit in, so you’ll want to watch for the email announcement to submit them and get it in early. Please do not submit songs prior to the announcement to avoid missing out.
We will play an MP3 of your song directly in the room. While MP3s played digitally in the room are generally easier for people to hear, they are not required for feedback. We’ll also accept lyrics only.
Find more detail, go to our Song Review Meeting page on our website: https://mnsongwriters.org/activities/meetings.
President's Message
“Let’s Get Emotional (Arc-wise)”
By Paul Nye, President – Minnesota Association of Songwriters
Question: If a song starts and ends in the exact same emotional spot…, did it even happen? Okay, that’s a bit dramatic. But drama, as we all know, is kind of the point. This month I want to talk about emotional arcs in songwriting—what they are, why they matter, and whether you can sneak out of writing one if you’re in a hurry or just not feeling it. Here are the basics: An emotional arc is the shift or progression of feeling that happens throughout a song. It’s the movement from heartbreak to healing, loneliness to connection, confusion to clarity, or even anger to acceptance. Like a story, it’s the rise and fall—the journey—that makes a song more than just a mood. It makes it a moment.
I confess to starting a song with a clever line, a cool groove, or a punchy metaphor, but if I’m honest—my favorite songs are the ones that take me somewhere emotionally. They don’t just camp in one place; they travel. In fact, it’s one of the many things I enjoy about the songs MAS members share at our monthly Round Robin (2nd Wednesday of the month). So, where did this idea come from? The specific phrase, “emotional arc,” is a relatively new technique/tool used in songwriting – about 30-40 years old) – but songwriters have used it much longer than that. You were more likely to hear, “Does it have a hook?” than “Does it evolve emotionally?” The term was borrowed from screenwriting and storytelling. But the concept? That’s always been part of good songwriting—even if it didn’t have a label. Tom T. Hall didn’t need to say “I’m building an emotional arc” when he wrote “Homecoming.” He just did it. Springsteen did it in “The River.” So did Joni in half her catalog.
But wait—does every song need one?
Nope. Some songs are intentionally static. If you’re writing a meditative chant, a worship song, a comedic tune, or a rant that lives in a single emotion (and thrives there), you might skip the arc. A good protest song might just stay mad from top to bottom. A good blues tune might be emotionally stuck—and that’s the point. But even in those songs, subtle shifts—in lyric, melody, arrangement, or vocal tone—can add depth. Think of it like this: A flat line in songwriting is like a flat line on a heart monitor. Nobody wants that.
Other arcs in songwriting?
Besides emotional arcs, you might also encounter:
• Narrative arcs (songs that tell a full story)
• Melodic arcs (how the melody rises and falls)
• Dynamic arcs (volume and energy build)
• Thematic arcs (where the meaning deepens or shifts)
All these arcs can support the emotional one—or contradict it in interesting ways. (Ever hear a happy melody paired with devastating lyrics? In my songwriting world, that’s a clever emotional sucker punch… in the best way.)
So how does one write an Emotional Arc? You don’t need a spreadsheet. Just ask yourself: • Does the singer feel the same in verse 1 as they do in the final chorus? • Is there any kind of realization, turn, or shift in mood?
• Did the listener feel like something happened?
Even a subtle shift can be powerful. I’ve written songs that don’t end with “happily ever but at least the character knows what they feel, even if they haven’t fixed it yet.
Modern examples from well-known songwriters:
• Brandi Carlile – “The Joke” moves from hurt to fierce defiance.
• Jason Isbell – “Elephant” unfolds like a short story and ends in devastation.
• Kacey Musgraves – “Rainbow” gently leads the listener from anxiety to hope.
• Lori McKenna – She just writes truth. Emotional arcs are baked in.
• Chris Stapleton – “Either Way” starts flat, but the emotional weight sneaks up on you.
Closing Thought:
I think of the emotional arc as the heartbeat of a song. Not just the structure, not just the rhymes—but the feeling that pulses underneath and pulls the listener along. Without it, a song might still be clever. It might even be catchy. But will anyone remember how it made them feel?
One of my favorite quotes about this comes from Lori McKenna:
“A good song moves you—literally. It takes you from where you are to someplace else.” And that’s what we’re after. We’re not just writing songs. We’re building bridges— between emotions, between verses, between us and the listener.
So, the next time you're halfway through a song and feeling stuck, ask yourself:
Where’s the arc? Where’s the heartbeat?
Where’s the moment when something changes—even if it’s just a little?
Then, go chase it. Okay, Just for Fun: Try This Emotional Arc Exercise.
Want to experiment with emotional arcs in your own songwriting?
I’m gonna give y’all a prompt that’s not an official MAS challenge—but just a creative nudge for your next writing session, whatever that might be:
Write a song that begins in one emotional state… and ends in another.
It could be:
• Fear ➝ Courage
• Nostalgia ➝ Regret
• Anger ➝ Forgiveness
• Emptiness ➝ Gratitude
• Infatuation ➝ Realization (…ouch)
Keep it short if you like—just one verse and a chorus. But make sure something shifts.
Let the emotional gear change be the point. And if you don’t feel it? Rewrite the ending. Bonus points if you can do it without saying the word “feel.”
Now, get writin’
Editor's Note
By Mary Kealy-Falk
Yikes! It’s August already! Well, no need for any woeismeism – (did I just create a new word?) Hope you have all had a great summer so far. Weather – pretty good,
Gardens – looking good, summer vacations – really good, Songwriting Activities – sizzling! Or I hope all of us have had “moments” that felt like this.
We will have a nice mix of MAS info, member happenings and great articles in the August issue. Doug Millaway tells us in his feature article that we don’t have to go looking for song ideas any further than what’s happening in our own lives. And if you went past Paul Nye’s article above, head back – you’ll find out all about emotional arcs and how to include them in your songwriting.
In the column “Putting it Out There”, Wayne Hamilton shares how he is updating his website content to include a 40-page mini book, a link to his teaching research into the history of American Musical Theatre and many new photos and stories chronicling his musical career. And Matthew Wilson is debuting his first EP.
In Kudos and Congrats, Michelle Rose has great news as a student at the Berklee College of Music.
So let the good times continue to roll as we wind up the summer months and take in all the best that our summer music adventures so graciously give us!
Putting It Out There
Wayne Hamilton
I’ve had a web site since the late 1990s, a skill I learned from my day gigs in corporate marketing and communication. Though I haven’t performed live since 2002, I still write and co-write songs. I also write stories in prose and share them FROM MY WEB SITE.
That SHOWS page also includes stories of how I created
– A web site about the history of American musical theatre
– A web site about my contributions to St. Paul;s History Theatre
And telling stories about MAS “endorsements”, which no longer exist (and why)
And having one of your songs adapted into a playscript
And telling stories about Christmas videos with Paul Folwell for NWCT television
And showing videos from a 1980 performance of Side By Side By Sondheim
And much, much more…
In other words, using your PAST to tell your story…”
Wayne
Tom Mobry
Hello everyone!
I am heading into the studio to do some recording and hopefully get at least an EP done by fall. I haven't had as much time to write as I would like but being able to get out and perform for audiences has been such a thrill.
I have been inspired by so many fellow Songwriters and this community we all live in has been so supportive.
On August 5th, I have the privilege to perform at The Savage Tap Songwriters Showcase sharing the stage with Tony Ortiz, Dan Lunzer, and Joel Sax.
August 7th I will be playing at The Uptown Farmer's Market with Dan Andreasen (sax player extraordinaire)
August 9th I am sharing a show with my best buddy, Tim Goodwin at Keepsake Cidery in Faribault.
And every Tuesday I host Live music at The Savage Tap in Savage, Minnesota. It's a Nashville Rounds the first Tuesday of every month, followed by an Open Mic the next week, then a Songwriters Spotlight highlighting local songwriters, and then another Open Mic the following week.
Other than that, I am not doing much.
Hope to see you out there playing your music!
Matthew Wilson
I finally have some news to share for the newsletter. I’ve launched a crowdfunding campaign to support the recording of my debut EP—my first professionally produced project—and I’m really excited about it. I’ve already recorded the first track, "Apple Wine," with producer Mike Davidson in Boston.
I’m including the campaign link here in case the newsletter is able to include it:
https://funding.plaiddogrecording.com/brooks-wilson
I’d love for fellow MAS members to check out the song! I welcome any feedback, and of course, if anyone feels moved to support the campaign, I’d be deeply grateful—but no pressure at all. I’m currently over 82% toward my goal and hoping to cross the finish line soon. If successful, I’ll head back to Boston in the fall to record the full six-song EP.
Also, I’ll be performing at Sociable Cider Werks on Tuesday, October 14 at 7:50 p.m. as part of their Artist Showcase. I’ve been playing at open mics around the Twin Cities—most often at Sociable and Plum's—but this will be my first featured set, and I’m really looking forward to sharing a mix of originals and covers, including songs from the upcoming EP.
Kudos and Congrats
Michelle Rose
Hi! I graduated with a 4.0 GPA with a master’s degree in Songwriting from Berklee College of Music and attended their graduation ceremony on June 26th in Boston! I'm looking forward to putting my education to use!
Finding Song Prompts in Life’s Little Moment
By Doug Millaway
You don’t have to wait around for inspiration to strike like lightning. Some of the best song ideas come from the stuff that’s happening right now—awkward encounters, unexpected twists, and those weird moments that make you laugh out loud when no one’s watching.
The secret? Start paying attention.
Let’s look at three everyday life lenses that can unlock new songwriting prompts: humor, conundrums, and coincidences. Let’s face it, we’re all walking comedy routines half the time. You trip going up the stairs. You wave back at someone who wasn’t waving at you. You send a risky text to the wrong person. The list goes on…
But these moments? They’re prime songwriting material.
Funny things are universal. They make people feel seen and lighten even heavy topics. Plus, humor helps songs stick—just ask anyone who still remembers the lyrics to “King of the Road” or “Stacy’s Mom.”
We’re full of contradictions. We want space, but we don’t want distance. We crave change, but we resist letting go. Those inner tug-of-wars? Song gold.
Here are two obvious conundrums to get your wheels turning:
“I want someone to truly know me—but I keep hiding who I am.”
“I complain about being busy but freak out when I’m not.”
Songs that explore emotional contradictions feel honest. They show vulnerability without having to solve the puzzle—and that tension
Some moments make you pause. Maybe you hear your old friend’s favorite song—and then they call. Or you stumble across a note you wrote years ago… that perfectly applies to today.
These coincidences might be random. But they feel meaningful—and that’s where songs live.
Here are two obvious ones you’ve probably encountered:
“I dreamed about someone I hadn’t thought of in years—then ran into them at the store.”
“I was thinking about quitting, and then a stranger told me to keep going.”
When the world seems to line up just so, it sparks questions. That curiosity makes for compelling songwriting.
This article is filled with little song seeds—lines, contradictions, scenes, and emotions. Can you spot them all?
Here’s your challenge:
Find three “Easter eggs” in this article. Choose one and write the first verse of a song using it as your prompt.
Then… share it with someone. Or at least your dog.
You don’t need a perfect story or a big idea—just a moment. The song is already waiting.
Now go catch it.
Doug Millaway
Mill Away Publishing
Blind Owl Studio
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