Rethinking the Creative Process the Systems Model of Creativity Applied to Popular Songwriting

When reading the article from Phillip McIntyre called Rethinking the Creative Process the Systems Model of Creativity Applied to Popular Songwriting, one will understand just how strategic songwriting really is.  In the article, McIntyre explains how popular music looks into the psychological, sociological and terms of popular music and a songwriter will try to connect each point when creating a song to ensure it's success.  In the article, songwriting is explained as a long process that is more than writing rhyming stanza's that may stick in listeners minds but songwriting is about connecting individuals to memories, thoughts, feelings and emotions
.  For example, think of a famous artist, and think about how their songs mean more than just lyrics.  When looking deeper into Prince's lyrics, one will understand just how elaborate his songwriting skills were as he made listeners think which ultimately viewed his songwriting ability as an art.
As the song I chose to write about is Prince's Purple Rain, one will be aware of the musical excellence Prince displayed in the production of the song.  When connecting Purple Rain to McIntyre's article, one will be able to connect McIntyre's Method as his article as it is described as "the specific aim of testing the veracity of the systems model of creativity" (P. 82). What McIntyre means by this is that the song writer has a specific aim and reaches their goal of creating a song with culture, society and envision.  As Prince was able to do all of the following in Purple Rain, Prince was also able to achieve the following in almost each and every one of his songs.  Prince thought through each of his songs and wanted each song to mean something more than a melody.  I believe Prince's song Purple Rain connects best with McIntyre's model of culture and society because Purple Rain is about reaching the afterlife and meeting up with family and friends that have been missed forever.  Allowing listeners to connect with the feelings of reconnecting with their loved ones allows them to feel more safe and aware of the society around them.
As Purple Rain is more than just a song, it represents so much more.  As our class chooses a song to sing to and produce, it will mean more to each individual than it will to some listeners.  Choosing a song to produce is about finding meaning, culture and creating emotion.  Producing a song will be more rewarding than simply just listening to another artist's recording.

Example#2:
Heroes and Villains
Phillip McIntyre’s article, “Rethinking the Creative Process: The Systems Model of Creativity Applied to Popular Songwriting”, attempts to break down the creative process of writing music from an academic and logical standpoint. He claims that songwriter’s creativity is controlled by their surroundings, upbringing, and previous experience with music. Ultimately refuting the romantic claims of musical “geniuses”. (McIntyre)
This refutation of musical “geniuses” is key in the case of Brian Wilson, as he is one of the most prominent figures of popular music to be given the label of “genius”. However, McIntyre breaks down the domains which allows a songwriter to hone their craft. A big part of this is understanding the different parts of a song and what makes up a song. Brian Wilson was certainly aware of these components while working on “Heroes and Villains”, but he broke the form of the common structures of a song which permeate to today. (McIntyre) (The Beach Boys)
McIntyre spoke of “constraints”, which songwriters subconsciously felt like they were predisposed to work with. Brian Wilson was dead set on creating something that pop music had never seen before, while still managing to still be considered “pop” music. Ways in which “Heroes and Villains” strove to break from Brian’s subconscious limitations included: Using “dead air” space within song structures, using spoken word interludes, weaving together unrelated sections of music, not repeating sections, etc. “Heroes and Villains” is an example of a piece of music which can break from common songwriting study to show that human creativity cannot necessarily be placed in a box with rigid rules for creation. (The Beach Boys)
In regards to the song we are working on for the production project, “With You”, a much more rigid form is apparent. This song would fit squarely within the domains McIntyre spoke of. “With You” is written in a “verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus” structure, with an intro and outro which, along with the bridge, are variations upon the chorus. McIntyre spoke of using previous knowledge of existing songs as a base for creating new songs. This song structure is a very common one in pop music, and has been heard repeatedly since the 1950’s. This likely gave the composer insight into creating her song as to what should come when in the song. (McIntyre)
“With You,” as a composition, stays within the bounds of popular music in a safe space. It is neither daring nor does it try to stray from any conventions which form the domain of the writer’s subconscious creative process. As a result, it was pleasant and catchy enough that it was voted by the class, to be the song we work on going forward. However, McIntyre’s study demonstrates that it can pigeonholed into a creative formula, which cannot be said as strongly about more daring compositions, such as “Heroes and Villains.” (McIntyre)
References
McIntyre, Phillip. "Rethinking the Creative Process: The Systems Model of Creativity Applied to Popular Songwriting." Intellect Limited (2011): 77-90.
The Beach Boys. "The SMiLE Sessions Box Set." 2011.