Deborah Collins
Don’t look now, but Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. This year, consider getting your main squeeze something truly unique – a love song written by you!
Swallow Hill Music instructor Deborah Collins is teaching a workshop specifically designed to help you tug at your lover’s heartstrings through song. She filled us in on what students can expect Write a Love Song for Your Valentine, which takes place on Saturday, February 4 from 1-2:30 p.m. at our Lowry location.
What inspired you to offer this workshop?
This is the first time I am offering this, and thought it would be a really fun workshop for everyone who has wanted to write a song as a Valentine’s Day present, but needs a little help getting started. What could be more romantic? It’s such a perfect idea, but pretty hard to do for the first time. I’ll spend half of the workshop going over lots of tips and examples to write a good love song. We’ll use the second half of the time to workshop your ideas! If you don’t have any ideas, I will help you get there.
You’ve been writing songs since high school, do you remember any of your love songs from those days? Care to share any details?
Love was so fleeting back then, every song I wrote about relationships was a break up song! I didn’t even try to write a love song until I met my now husband. Now I write love songs all the time, mostly about my two daughters and how much I love them!
How has your approach to writing a love song changed from then to now?
I realized love songs don’t necessarily need to be about romance; they can be about love in a more general and still be special and specific at the same time.
Do you have a favorite love song? Any guilty pleasure love songs you’d like to share?
My favorite popular love song is probably “Your Song” by Elton John and has been my favorite since I was a little kid. I remember hearing it come up on the radio in the back of our family station wagon and thinking, does it get more romantic than this?
Finally, what songwriters do you turn to when seeking inspiration for writing a love song?
James Taylor writes and covers some really wonderful love songs. Motown hits can also give great inspiration!
Write A Love Song For Your Valentine takes place on Saturday, February 4 from 1-2:30 p.m. at our Lowry location. You can register for the workshop here.