I am a songwriter but I think of myself more as an explorer. My songs are usually products of a bigger exploration into a musical idea or technique, but there is also a definite influence from my emotional / intellectual state which can be heard in the songs.
As I went to an open mic night last night and listened to a gorgeous girl wailing the words "I don't even know mysellllllf" I thought, is it healthy to keep throwing ourselves into varied emotional states when we sing a song that we wrote in a moment of passion? What happens when the song no longer represents you, is it appropriate to keep spreading that message if it no longer rings true for you?
I guess the good thing about recording as a medium is that it is a defnite snapshot of a moment in time, it is HONEST it says in this moment this song was REAL to me, I was feeling strong feelings when I recorded this! Here is a snapshot of a person in this particular emotional state! 
When we give a recording of ourselves to the world, we are giving them something really unique and precious. 
In a world where people need to turn up at work the next day, us human beings have become accustomed to compartmentalising our feelings, packing away our grief and sadness, wrapping it into a neat little box and then shelving it... The thing is, if we don't allow ourselves sufficient time to eventually deal with that little package of emotion, we might find that our shelves get full of these packages, until our shelves are sagging under the weight and our feelings start to overflow in ways that are not healthy... in the form of outbursts, conflict and self destructive behaviours - or even just complete collapse. 
Songwriters play such an important role. We allow ourselves to experience those sadnesses, we immerse ourselves, and after swimming around in those depths, we resurface with lots of 'gold' that we have discovered on our journeys inward. When we put this 'gold' into our songs, we bring this gold to our listeners, so that instead of having to immerse themselves in their feelings, instead of having to unpack everything and get 'lost' for days; listeners can just listen to our songs and have their feelings validated in a manner of minutes... the medium of music is a universal language of rhythm (we all have a heartbeat), pitch (frequencies of vibration), and melody (variations in pitch), and soul/spirit;  this multitude of access points, speaks to listeners in a manner that is more immediate than just verbal language alone... Listeners can listen to songs, and experience the 'gold' of understanding for the duration of the song.. for the duration of the song, a listener opens up the lid on their boxed and compartmentalised feelings... they have an opportunity to look at, examine, and experience their emotions in a safe manner, being guided by the song... hearing that another human being has experienced such similar feelings, validates the experience for the listener, lets them know that they are not alone in feeling this stuff... As the song comes to an end, and gives the listener a sense of closure, they can close the box back up... secure the ribbon, put their feelings back on the shelf for next time... They have managed to safely engage with their emotions, without having to be immersed and grieving or sadness for days at a time.

Also, the people who help us songwriters create these precious moments, and deliver these to you so neatly 'wrapped';  are so important. They spend hours behind the scenes editing and ensuring that the recording is the best representation possible.
I've been very fortunate to record with Sean O'Sullivan @ highway 9 Productions, Terry Hart @ Maestro Productions and Bohdan Dower. 
I owe so much to these people who have helped me develop my craft... and thank them from the depths of my soul and heart, for their diligence and support in the creation of my music recordings.

Jill Meehan's journey as a celebrated Australian Singer Songwriter began in her early childhood in the nineteen sixties & continues to be a major part of her life story. Jill Meehan has released multiple albums at festivals and venues all over Australia and she is a gifted songwriter with an ability to communicate stories from a unique and engaging perspective! Jill will often be found travelling all over Australia to play the next gig - Don't miss your chance to witness this beautiful singer do what she does best! Visit her website www.jillmeehan.com.au for more info on her up and coming performances and to buy her Albums!

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