MEET NEWSONG MUSIC FINALIST MAISCÉU

Jimmie: There was a pretty wide mix, from jazz to Brazilian music. I distinctly remember a lot of Dave Brubeck, Baden Powell, and James Brown. 

 

 

Mostly self-taught. Although my family is very musical, they do not have a formal musical background. Growing up, my mom and siblings liked to sing, and my dad, who now studies piano, used to play guitar and got me started on the guitar with a few chords when I was younger. In my teens, my neighbor and great friend Daniel started playing guitar, and we would teach each other songs and share music. This is when I started developing my musical tastes, branching out to other artists, styles, and developing songwriting. Music continues to play an important role in my life, whether it’s to regulate my emotions, inspire me, or connect with others. 

 

What is the first song you wrote that you were proud of, and why? 

 

Although not my first song, the song “Madrid” I composed helped me realize that I need to trust my musical instincts more often. This song helped me understand that if I try to control the songwriting process too much, I will feel stifled and frustrated. This could cause me either giving up on an idea that could turn out to be a great song or block out new ideas due to the creative constraints we can put on ourselves.  

 

 

There are a few different ways that I compose music. The most common process is to find a great-sounding chord, chord progression, and/or open tuning on the guitar that sparks an excerpt of a melody. I pull that thread to see where it leads me, revealing a melody, harmony, and rhythm. The final part of the process is to create lyrics that fit the mood of the song and match the melody. Too many times I’ll give the song a title before I write the lyrics, making it challenging to write something related to the title. Composing usually happens at night, in a quiet corner of the house, with a recording device close by to capture my ideas.