Everything You Wanted To Know About Songwriting - Webinar with Jason Ingram

Webinar Notes

We started our webinar with Jason Ingram by talking about some of the songs that he has co-written with others. Some are part of the One Sonic Society release Make A Way, a collection of songs written by Jason Ingram, Paul Mabury and friends that have been previously recorded on other projects.

The questions was asked by Ryan Dahl, "Give me your first impression about this song or relationships". Jason responded with some great background about the songs, their co-writers and how they came to be. Each of his responses gave great insight into the writer that Jason is and how his has championed others in the craft of songwriting.

Great Are You Lord - recorded by All Sons & Daughters and also included on the new OSS release

• David said that he would love to write a song that helps their church lean more into worship. That when they would lead it, it would cause people to stand up and worship.
• There is a quote that impacted Jason that helped to really focus this song. "Worship is simply giving God His breath back" - Louie Giglio
• Jason felt like if we could all just understand what worship is, that we would know that we are pouring back on the Lord what He put in us. Knowing that the breath in our lives has been God's gift.
• We did not know how well the song would do or if it would accompish what we wanted it to, but we went for something that would help people understand worship more.

Forever Reign - recorded by Hillsong and also included on a previous OSS recoding.

• This song was co-written with Reuben Morgan. Reuben feels like a brother that I did not meet until late in life. We crossed paths about 6-7 years ago and became friends straight away. Forever Reign was born out of a friendship.
• It also represented a moment in my life where I had been asking God for songs for the church. I had had success with CCM radio songs but the aware I always wanted was to walk into the back of the church and hear something that God let me be apart of writing. That reresents the place where God uncorked that prayer.

Tell us about the Passion Band World? (Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, Jonas Myrin)

• Those are pinch myself days. It blows me away to call guys like that friends and write songs with them.
• Of the group Chris was the first one I became friends with and we wrote a few songs together for it. Then he invited me down to write for a Passion conference. That really was an amazing and overwhelming process of gathering in a room that was pastored and shepherded by Louie Giglio. We were asking God for the songs He wanted us to write for the church. Out of those time those guys have become really good friends.
• Matt, Chris, Jonas and I connect once a year and we write in the Europe.

Come Love Jesus (Even So Come) - released originally on a Passion Band record and included on the latest OSS project.

• This song was so-written with Jess Cates and Chris Tomlin.
• Jess Cates actually was given this song more than 10 years ago. It was a time in his church where they were really pressing into something greater. They did the David fast - 40 day fast. Jess was hoping a song would come out of that time and the first version of this song came to be. They sang it in their church but nothing more came of it.
• Almost 10 years later, in a writers room Jess brought that song back to the table and we really worked on it to become what it is today. 10 years later, after being faithful this song finally came to the church like this.
• This was an example of patience. Not every song makes an instant appearance. Jess trusted God with it and now has seen what God has done with it.

As we moved deeper into our time with Jason, he started sharing about his writing over the years and how initially we really struggled to find a feeling of worth getting songs out. "I felt like God does not need my songs." He used a beautiful example of how he now sees writing.

Jason shared that the first song he wrote was for his girlfriend (now wife) as a way to communicate his love for her.  The motivation was not because of anything else but that he was going to play this love song for his girl to hear. There was no other purpose other than pleasing her and communicating his love to her. The song was only for her to hear and so nothing else mattered.

Jason says "Recently, God nudged me and reminded me of that moment in time. He and said you need to write from that place." A place where our only motivation is to give our songs back to Him, not for the approval of others. Dig deep and write the best you can all for that moment when you get to sing it to the Lord. This is the place Jason tried towrite songs from.

Q&A

Q - Do you know a song is a hit when you write it?
A - No - I don't think you know it when you write it, I think you know it when you lead it. Pull it out in a service or in a group. Even in a small group of people singing a song, there is something that becomes apparent when a group of people are singing it. We become aware of those sections that don't work in a group.

As a songwriter, you love everything you write and you think it is good. But sometimes you need to walk away from it and lead it in a group environment. Walk away from it and if you come back to it and it is still strong, leave it and let the song be finished.

Q - What Is One Sonic Society?
A - We needed a name for when we (Paul & Jason) went out and lead worship and taught at other churches.
One - Locking arms with the church. We are coming around songs that are already part of different platforms. (Our records are our versions of the songs we have contributed to other projects with our own spin on them).
Sonic  - Sound
Society - The church

Q - Chad - Love leading songs that don't have octave jumps.  Are we moving out of that season?
A - All of us writers. We need to be fighting to be out of that season. There are times in a song when that can really accomplish a lot. We are all being mindful of trying to keep songs within a doable range so that anyone with a one octave range can lead our song.

Q - Aimee - When writing songs for a local church, do you try and capture the season your church is currently or your own personal season?
A - Yes, that is really helpful and it can really provide framework for writing. Understanding the season you are in really can help the church stay present in one thing.

Q -Katie - Is there a certain environment you create or routine you keep up that you'd recommend for us in writing songs for our congregations?
A - Picture your congregation. I picture a group of people singing what I am trying to write. The biggest thing is picture leading the song. That can be really helpful. Visualize what is would be like to teach the song

Q - Paul - I currently write CCM, Congregational Worship, and Country and live in Baton Rouge, LA. I also play piano/guitar/bass/MD at my local church, and am working with other local mega churches to expand the reach of these worship songs outside of our own doors, but somehow, I genuinely feel like I'm not getting the saturation needed to "be heard". I come to Nashville once or twice a month to do co-writes, mostly country, but I'm really not sure how to "get involved" in the national worship scene.
A - The best place to be even if the goal is to have your songs reach broader, is to be in your local church and serving it well. Are you singing your songs in your local church. If not, then that needs to be where you are singing them.

Use social media. Post your live version to Youtube or FB. It is a lot easier to share a song when people can see how it is being sung. Then it is really just saying God Your will, your way, open up the doors. Just constantly surrendering it to the Lord.