Three Great Songwriting Tips from the New Jared Anderson Interview (Available Now on The Song Revolution Podcast)

Unless you just haven’t been paying attention, you already know that Jared Anderson has written some really important songs. There’s Rescue, then Amazed, and Great I Am, just for starters. His work with Desperation Band out of New Life Church in Colorado Springs has been at the forefront of modern worship for the last two decades and continues to impact the world.

In this episode of The Song Revolution Podcast, I had a chance to get to know some of the real stuff in Jared’s life and was surprised that he hadn’t set out to be a world-famous worship leader and songwriter. His authenticity was apparent from the start and we had a few good laughs along the way. I wanted to pass on a few songwriting tips he shared, so read on, pilgrim.

Expect songwriting to be a lonely road. “There’s been like a loneliness and a sadness that has come along with [songwriting]… there’s been a suffering along with the resurrection… like, you don’t get resurrection without death… it’s the joy and the suffering that come from the same place, and I don’t understand that but I know it to be true… that you will encounter should you choose to engage it…”

Be bold and courageous and write your life. ~Jared Anderson

The creative life is notorious for its struggles with loneliness, rejection, and even worse if left unchecked and there are no easy ways around it. Jared gets honest in this episode about his own struggles with the pressures of notoriety and public ministry. Realizing that this road can be filled with struggles is a great way to prepare for it and deal well with it.

While this doesn’t seem like a typical songwriting “tip,” it just might be one of the most valuable ones you’ll get.

Why we all need coaches if we hope to grow. Asking ourselves what the inner motivations are that drive us in our songwriting is key and having a coach helps us do it. No one gets to the finish line alone and Jared has been surrounded with a great team at New Life Fellowship, including multi-talented songwriters, producers, and creatives Jon Egan and Glenn Packiam. Coaches and mentors have walked the road before you and have wisdom that can shortcut your process and bring greater results in a much faster way.

Jared understands the value of being surrounded by great people, including those who have wisdom and gifts to bring he could never create on his own.

Loving the process more than the product is essential to your success. If you’re not into songwriting for “the long game,” you’re probably in the wrong place because songwriting requires lots of patience and time. Jared proposes that the process God takes you through to write is much more valuable than the end result because God uncovers who you are as a person in that process with the goal of purifying and making you more like Jesus.

“Be bold and courageous and write your life,” Jared says,” because that’s all you have in the end…” Sound advice from one of modern worship’s most prominent, if not reluctant, voices. Find Jared at jaredanderson.com and on Twitter and Instagram @jaredanderson.

You can listen to his entire podcast HERE and check out over 30 episodes of The Song Revolution Podcast with contemporary Christian artists, producers, publishers, and prominent songwriters who share a wealth of information and inspiration to help you in your songwriting journey.

John Chisum

John Chisum is a pioneer in the Christian music business, serving alongside people such as Bill & Gloria Gaither, Twila Paris, Paul Baloche, Don Moen, and many more. As President of Nashville Christian Songwriters, John seeks to empower Christian songwriters worldwide to discover and fulfill their call to write.

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