Singer Songwriter | How to Write a Song, Make Music, Song Lyrics, Music Theory, Singing Lessons

90 | Listening for a Song: A Different Kind of Ear Training for Singer Songwriters

Songwriting isn’t about coming up with ideas — it’s about learning how to listen.
In this episode, I’m sharing a different kind of ear training for singer-songwriters: one that helps you recognize song beginnings as they’re already forming — where listening becomes the skill that guides everything else.
We’ll talk about the subtle ways songs often arrive: a line that won’t leave you alone, a sound or melody fragment, a feeling that hasn’t found words yet — and why learning to listen for these beginnings can change the entire songwriting process.
Rather than forcing a song into shape, this episode explores how to notice what’s already present and stay with it long enough for the song to reveal itself. This is ear training for the creative process — grounded, embodied, and accessible, even if you feel stuck or unsure where to begin.
If songwriting has ever felt intimidating, overwhelming, or overly technical, this conversation offers a simpler starting place: attention, curiosity, and trust.
Listening is where the song begins.
 
<3 Lainey
 
Next Steps:
Book a Coaching Session: reawakenyourvoice.com/coaching
Join the Newsletter: reawakenyourvoice.com/insider
Visit the Website: reawakenyourvoice.com
Write Me: hello@reawakenyourvoice.com

89 | Vocal Play: A Gentle Doorway Into Songwriting

What if you didn’t have to think your way into songwriting — but could play your way in?
In this episode, I explore how vocal play can become a gentle doorway into songwriting, whether your songs begin with words, melody, or something in between. Instead of focusing on performance or “getting it right,” we look at how letting the voice explore can lower pressure, reconnect you to emotion, and help songs begin to take shape naturally.
You’ll learn:
why singing doesn’t have to mean performing
how vocal play supports the songwriting process
a simple practice for turning journal lines into song ideas
how singing, songwriting, and creativity are deeply connected
This episode is for singer-songwriters who feel stuck, overthink their songs, or want a more embodied, intuitive way to write music.
If you’re longing to reconnect with your voice — and let songwriting feel more alive and possible again — this episode is for you.

88 | Too Many Ideas? The Power of Choosing One Creative Practice for the Year Ahead

If you’re heading into the new year feeling creatively overwhelmed — with too many ideas, unfinished projects, and uncertainty about where to focus — this episode is for you.
So many singer-songwriters struggle not because they lack inspiration, but because choosing one direction feels risky. What if you pick the wrong project? What if you lose momentum? What if you don’t follow through?
In this episode, we explore a gentler, more sustainable approach to creative focus: choosing one creative practice instead of forcing yourself to commit to a specific outcome or project.
Rather than asking, “What should I make this year?” we shift the question to, “What is asking for my devotion?”
You’ll hear:
Why having too many ideas can create creative paralysis
The difference between choosing a project and choosing a practice
How focusing on one creative practice builds clarity, consistency, and trust
A guided listening exercise to help you tune into what wants your attention right now
How devotion to practice can naturally support songwriting, singing, and creative momentum
This episode is an invitation to slow down, listen inward, and release the pressure to have everything figured out. You don’t need to chase every idea — you only need to choose the practice that can hold them all.
If you’re craving creative clarity without burnout, and focus without force, this conversation will meet you right where you are.
 
<3 Lainey
 
Related Episodes:
85 | A Creative Year-End Ritual for Singer Songwriters: Reflect, Renew, and Reconnect with Your Voice
35 | Renew Your Artistic Vision in the New Year with This 5-Step Creative Exercise for Singers & Vocal Artists
 
Next Steps:
Book a Coaching Session: reawakenyourvoice.com/coaching
Join the Newsletter: reawakenyourvoice.com/insider 
Visit the Website: reawakenyourvoice.com
Email Me: hello@reawakenyourvoice.com

87 | From Journaling to Song Lyrics: A Simple Way to Start Writing Songs

If you’ve ever filled journals with words but felt stuck turning them into a song—or if you have music you love but freeze when it’s time to add lyrics—this episode is for you.
In this episode, I’m sharing a simple way to move from journaling into song lyrics without forcing meaning, overthinking, or trying to get it “right.” We’ll talk about how lyrics actually take shape over time, why journaling is already a powerful part of the songwriting process, and how to begin shaping words into songs in a way that feels natural.
You’ll learn:
A simple process for shaping raw language into lyrics
How to bridge the gap between words and music—whether you start with lyrics or melody
How this fits into a gentle, repeatable songwriting practice
This episode is especially for singer-songwriters who want a clear place to begin, without pressure to finish a song or have something profound to say right away.
Most songs aren’t written all at once (It can happen! Stay open to the magic!)— they’re usually written in stages. This episode focuses on one of the most important ones.
 
<3 Lainey
 
Next Steps:
Book a Coaching Session: reawakenyourvoice.com/coaching
Join the Newsletter: reawakenyourvoice.com/insider
Visit the Website: reawakenyourvoice.com
Write Me: hello@reawakenyourvoice.com

86 | What Counts as Singing? Staying Connected to Your Voice in Quiet Seasons (When You're Not Practicing or Performing)

What does it really mean to stay connected to your singing voice—especially in quiet seasons, when you’re not practicing, performing, or making much sound at all?
In this episode, we explore what actually counts as singing for singer-songwriters, and how creativity and voice remain present even when the voice goes quiet. If you’re in a slower season, returning after a break, or feeling unsure how to stay connected to your voice right now, this episode offers reassurance, permission, and a gentle reframe.
We talk about the many forms creativity can take, including listening, writing lyrics, exploring meaning through words, creative cross-training, and rest. You’ll be invited to see silence and stillness not as a loss, but as an essential part of the creative cycle—like the rest in music that allows the next sound to emerge.
If you’re longing to reconnect with your singing voice without pressure, judgment, or performance, you’re in the right place.<3 LaineyNext Steps:Book a Coaching Session: reawakenyourvoice.com/coachingJoin the Newsletter: reawakenyourvoice.com/insiderVisit the Website: reawakenyourvoice.comWrite Me: hello@reawakenyourvoice.com

85 | A Creative Year-End Ritual for Singer Songwriters: Reflect, Renew, and Reconnect With Your Voice

This episode is an invitation to pause.
At the end of the year, we so often rush forward—setting goals, making plans, trying to improve. Instead, this guided creative ritual offers a moment to stand still at a viewpoint: to look back at the path you’ve walked, to sense the artistic horizon ahead, and to listen for what wants to come next.
Together, we’ll move through a gentle process of grounding, reflection, and creative listening—using journaling, intuitive drawing, lyric fragments, and simple vocal sound. There’s no performance, no fixing, and no pressure to create anything “finished.”
Just space.
This episode is especially for singer-songwriters who:
feel tender or quiet about their voice right now
want to reflect on the past year without judgment
are craving creative renewal rather than productivity
want to begin the next year with trust, curiosity, and presence
You can listen straight through, pause when you need to, or return to this ritual anytime. Come as you are. Your voice already belongs here.
 
<3 Lainey
 
Next Steps:
Book a Coaching Session: reawakenyourvoice.com/coaching
Join the Newsletter: reawakenyourvoice.com/insider
Visit the Website: reawakenyourvoice.com
Email Me: hello@reawakenyourvoice.com

84 | How to Start a Songwriting Practice: A Creative 3-Step Ritual for Singer Songwriters

How do you actually start a songwriting practice—especially if you’re feeling rusty, intimidated, or creatively blocked? 
In this episode, I’m sharing the gentle 3-step ritual I use myself—grounding, lyric freewriting, and melody improv—to help you quiet the noise, access creative flow, and hear your creative voice again. 
Whether you’re returning to music or just beginning to explore your voice, this practice gives you a soft place to start. These steps will help you slow down, listen inward, and make space for the song waiting to come through.
 
<3 Lainey
 
Next Steps:
Book a Coaching Session: reawakenyourvoice.com/coaching
Join the Newsletter: reawakenyourvoice.com/insider
Visit the Website: reawakenyourvoice.com
Email Me: hello@reawakenyourvoice.com

83 | 3 Essential Practices Every Singer Songwriter Needs to Overcome Creative Blocks

Feeling creatively blocked — like there’s a song or idea trying to reach you, but life, doubt, and mental noise keep getting in the way?
This week, we’re talking about how to quiet the noise so you can finally hear your creative voice again. Whether you’re returning to music, beginning a new season, or sensing a shift in your artistry, the whisper is always there… it’s just hard to hear when everything else is louder.
And I’ll be honest — this episode wasn’t the one I planned. I tried recording it several times, but nothing flowed. Too much noise, too much pressure, not enough space. So instead, we’re talking about exactly that: what dissolves creative blocks and brings you back to clarity.
You’ll learn three essential practices every singer-songwriter needs when inspiration feels far away:
Journaling — clear the clutter and reconnect with your inner voice
Vocal Improvisation — play, explore, and find melody without pressure
Creative Play / Artist’s Date — spark inspiration and reset your creative system
Plus, I’ll share a simple journaling prompt — “The Song You Haven’t Written Yet” — to help you uncover what’s been trying to come through.
If you’re overwhelmed, stuck, or longing to reconnect with your creativity, this episode will help you find the quiet you need to hear yourself again.
 
<3 Lainey
 
Next Steps:
Book a Coaching Session: reawakenyourvoice.com/coaching
Join the Email Newsletter: reawakenyourvoice.com/insider
Visit the Website: reawakenyourvoice.com
Write Me: hello@reawakenyourvoice.com

82 | Why Reawaken Your Voice is Becoming Singer Songwriter (My Story & What's Coming Next)

Today’s episode is the beginning of a new era for this show. I’m sharing the personal story behind my creative return: how I left the classical world, lost my voice for years, and slowly found my way back through songwriting — the practice that became my refuge, my bridge from silence to song, and the doorway back to my true artistry.
I’ll talk about the identity shift I resisted for so long — calling myself a songwriter — and how claiming that truth changed everything. And I’ll share why this podcast is rebranding to Singer Songwriter: to honor the work I’m here to do, and to better support the artists who feel the creative stirring to sing, write, and reclaim their voices again.
If you’re an aspiring singer-songwriter or a returning musician finding your way back, this episode is your invitation into a new season of your creative life.<3 LaineyNext Steps:Book a Coaching Session: reawakenyourvoice.com/coachingJoin the Newsletter: reawakenyourvoice.com/insiderWrite Me: hello@reawakenyourvoice.comVisit the Website: reawakenyourvoice.com

81 | How Your Voice and Songwriting Practice Evolve Through Creative Seasons (Vocal Breakthrough Series Pt. 6)

Every artist goes through seasons — moments of quiet, growth, bloom, and renewal.In this final episode of the Vocal Breakthrough Series, we explore how your voice and songwriting practice evolve through creative cycles, and why finding your voice isn’t a one-time event — it’s a lifelong spiral of discovery.You’ll learn how to recognize your current creative season, trust your natural rhythm, and move through phases of rest, inspiration, creation, and sharing with more ease and confidence.In this episode, we’ll explore:
🌑 Winter: Resting, healing, and reconnecting with your voice🌱 Spring: Reawakening your inspiration and songwriting ideas☀️ Summer: Creative expression, sharing, and vocal confidence🍂 Autumn: Integration, refinement, and artistic maturity
Whether you’re in a season of quiet reflection or vibrant creativity, this episode will help you honor where you are, trust your process, and feel grounded in your ongoing artistic evolution.
✨ Plus — an announcement: Reawaken Your Voice is evolving into a new chapter:🎙️ Singer Songwriter: Sing and Write Your Own Music With Confidence.I’ll share what’s coming next and how this shift reflects the deeper roots of this creative journey.If you’re ready to deepen your voice, strengthen your songwriting practice, or move through your current creative season with support, you can book a 1:1 Vocal Breakthrough Session at reawakenyourvoice.com/coaching.<3 LaineyNext Steps:Book a 1:1 Coaching Session: reawakenyourvoice.com/coachingJoin the Insider List: reawakenyourvoice.com/insiderVisit the Website: reawakenyourvoice.comEmail Me: hello@reawakenyourvoice.com