The recording artist and professor Mike Errico discusses his new book Music, Lyrics, and Life: A Field Guide for the Advancing Songwriter (Backbeat Books, 2021), with Joseph Planta.

Music, Lyrics, and Life: A Field Guide for the Advancing Songwriter by Mike Errico (Backbeat Books, 2021). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Music, Lyrics, and Life

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.

The book is called Music, Lyrics, and Life: A Field Guide for the Advancing Songwriter, but it’s not just for songwriters. The book is a highly readable, engaging, often amusing book about what it’s like to write songs; and music lovers too will glean something useful from this book. Mike Errico, the book’s author joins me now. He looks at what makes music sound the way it does, by breaking down the habits that all good, prolific, and keen songwriters have. He looks at what makes the songs we like as enjoyable as they are, and his advice to writers, like journaling always, make for good advice for life itself. Mike Errico is a recording artist, writer, and lecturing professor. He has composed for film and television, and released critically acclaimed work, as well toured internationally. His writing has appeared in publications like the New York Times, CNN, and the Wall Street Journal, among other outlets. He teaches songwriting at universities including Yale, Wesleyan, and NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. His Twitter handle is @mikeerrico, and his website is at www.errico.com. This new book is published by Backbeat Books, which is an imprint of Globe Pequot. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Mike Errico; Mr. Errico, good morning.

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