Michael W. Smith Quotes

The bass line is the anchor for me. I started with the bass, and either doubled that and then added the harmonies, or sometimes added my own harmonies that I've always wanted to sing on the song. And then it just went on from there - singing violin parts and trumpet parts and just trying to emulate the sounds of the instruments.

I like to always do my best to make music catchy, so I think a very catchy melody is cool.

We really like having songs where we think the arrangement is just as important as the melodies, even though they're typically not.

I love to work with producers who are very good with their chord progressions.

I write the music, produce it and the band plays within the parameters that I set.

But there's a thin line between songwriting and arranging.

The basic idea is always constructed around piano or guitar and a voice, that's what we live and die by, because if you build up from that foundation, it's going to be strong.

We knew we wanted to put a lot of melody into it - a lot more than what we did on our first album.

When I think of Morricone, more than his using a specific instrument or a specific sound, it's his way of approaching music that sticks out.

For me it always comes down to what is a good song and I'm very old fashioned in the way that I like to make songs that have something classic about them whether you can play them with an orchestra or an electro synthesizer or an acoustic guitar.

I love making music. I love being involved in arranging music. It's very natural to know what I want to hear next and come up with ideas that are variations of what might be good.

Composing music is hard work.

I had a really pleasant time composing music for 'Raaga.'

It was important for the first piece of original music that I release to have a timeless feel because that's the type of music I want to make.

I was obsessed with harmonies and how to put songs together in lush soundscapes. But I don't know what it was all about, really.

I've been writing music since I was a teenager. I play keyboards. I'm not much of a player, but I can write. That will come along. I'd like to do a musical.

I write music to both the situations and the lyrics in plays.

I don't like to overcook songs.

So writing a song is much harder than doing a classical piece for me, because in a classical piece, I can just let the mood dictate what's going to happen.

Melodies are important. I always kind of pride myself on my melodies.

I consider myself a composer.

I think it's his perception of knowing how to make a record build, keeping the integrity of the song in the music and really adding a lot of musical elements to compliment my voice and to compliment the song.

I can write hundreds of songs on simple power chords.

When you sit down and write a song, you kind of have the idea for the song, and you sit there at the piano and you kinda just write it. And then of course later there's some dinking around with it and changing some stuff.

I write music every day.