Join us today for a very special season finale! Today we will be interviewing 3 awesome teen musicians about their lyric writing and musical aspirations. Thanks a ton to Ben, Olivia, and Maddie for joining us today, all their info is down below!
Ben Reichard:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxwPFYM0nXYqqlbZiP3-X0Q
Instagram: @ben_reichard_music
Olivia Arner:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn6Cet0AJhr40oI9m2y6Grg
Instagram: @livvyarner
Maddie Harmon:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9M6IAXpkAuBtF4FWQCgEMA
Instagram: @maddie.harmonyy
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Teen artist, songwriting, performing, and the future.
(00:08):
My name is Ken Mears.
My name is Ben Reich.
Hey guys, I'm Olivia Arminer.
I am Maddie Harmon.
And I'm Melissa Fales.
And welcome to Writer's World.
(00:37):
Today we have something very special lined up in case you couldn't tell by the addition
of voices in the intro.
We are interviewing today three teenage writers and musicians.
Our first guest today is Ben.
Thank you for coming on, Ben.
Thank you for having me.
I'm super excited to be here.
So we've just got kind of a few questions.
We're going to ask you about kind of the generally more lyrical part of your music and that kind
(01:04):
of thing.
But, you know, our first question here is how did you decide to start writing music?
Okay, so from the time I was really young, I've always really loved music.
I remember messing around like on the piano, trying to figure things out when I was probably
like four or five.
And since then, just through, you know, learning on my own, in addition to some music lessons,
(01:26):
I've been able to get like a lot better not just at piano, but I've also learned guitar
too.
But to answer your question, really the main reason I decided to start writing music wasn't
because I wanted to like express emotions through our music or anything like that at
first.
It was really in the beginning, just about jazz.
I really love jazz and I'm fascinated with like the technical chord theory behind music,
(01:54):
which is why if you listen to like my first song, I'm Talking, the chords are actually
really cool and it sounds super jazzy.
All the words are just kind of terrible.
So because that didn't put me like effort into them.
But the reason I started writing songs was because I love jazz.
And of course, since then, I've started to put a lot more effort into the lyrics of my
(02:15):
music and actually learn to really enjoy like the expressing emotion through them side to
songwriting.
But that was definitely not the primary motivator from the start.
What was it like to put your first song out?
Okay, so I remember I was actually really excited.
I put a good amount of work into my first song and I was really curious to see what
(02:38):
other people would think.
I was actually really blown away when after I think about just a day, I've gotten over
100 listens, which compared to like real artists is like nothing.
But still for me, 100 was definitely more than I expected at first.
Okay, so a little bit coming back to the writing part.
(03:00):
So what is this songwriting process you use like?
Okay, that's actually a great question.
So like I said, it's definitely evolved, but at least right now, I usually start any new
song with some kind of feeling or message in mind.
And it usually has to do with something that's either happening in my life or an emotion
(03:24):
I've been feeling lately or maybe just something that's been on my mind a lot.
And using that, I just start.
So I let the message in the song's vibe kind of pretty much write the song.
I let it drive the songwriting process.
So I continually keep that theme in mind as I come up with everything that a song consists
(03:48):
of.
So lyrics, a melody, the chords, I just keep that theme in mind.
And it just kind of happens simultaneously all at the same time.
So using that particular theme that I come up with combined with my own knowledge that
I've learned through music lessons of lyrics, chord theory, how to create interesting melodies,
(04:11):
song just kind of happens.
I have an idea, make it into a song, and it's really just something that I teach practice.
What inspires you?
I would say anything.
So for an example, okay, just the other day, I wrote a song about being at home and sitting
outside on a summer night, just being content and feeling happy.
(04:33):
And that's literally what the song's about.
I wrote it because I love being at home and I love summer nights.
So really anything that is important to me can inspire me to write a song.
And sometimes it's an emotion I've been feeling or maybe it's just an idea that I think is
important.
Also, just listening to music is super, super inspiring.
(04:55):
So for instance, if you were to like name any of my original songs, I could probably
give you at least a small list of songs that contributed to the inspiration behind it.
Oh, really?
Yeah, I think so.
That's quite a lot of stuff to inspire you.
So curious, what are your hopes for your kind of songwriting future?
Where do you want to go with your songwriting?
(05:19):
Well, I'm definitely going to keep writing songs my whole life.
I'm never going to stop.
And at least for now, my plan is to make music my career.
Definitely not just a lifelong hobby.
So whether that means being a teacher or a music artist or both, I'm not really sure
(05:40):
yet, but I know I'll be able to make it work because music is what I love.
I love that.
Thank you so much for visiting with us today, Ben.
You can find Ben on Instagram at Ben, record music and on SoundCloud and YouTube.
One of my favorite videos is your cover of Firefly, which I've gotten to see you perform
(06:01):
a few times with another guest we have coming on.
And Shilvery is dead.
And I really enjoy your original work too, which you can find on YouTube.
Do you have any closing remarks you'd like to leave us with Ben?
Just that I really enjoyed being on your podcast and thank you so much.
Thank you, Ben.
Our second guest today is Olivia Ardner.
(06:22):
Thanks for coming on, Olivia.
Thank you for having me.
All right.
So Olivia, today we have some questions we would like to ask you, especially about kind
of writing lyrics and that sort of thing.
So our first question today is how did you decide to start writing music?
Well, I've always loved music.
My whole life, even as a little kid, I would love to sing and just listen to music.
(06:45):
And I would write songs as a little kid.
And then I just kind of stopped for a long period of time.
But then it was after actually like a breakup, which sounds really cliche.
But I started writing songs again.
So that really inspired me.
And ever since then, I just continued writing songs.
That is such a fun story.
What was it like to put your first song out?
(07:08):
It was really exciting, but I was also very scared because I didn't like to sing in front
of people that much.
So I was really nervous about what other people would think.
Actually, when I was writing songs, I would do it in secret so none of my family would
ever hear me until one day, like my mom just listed in.
She's like, that's really good.
Like you should put that on YouTube.
(07:29):
And so she kind of convinced me.
So I was really scared, but also super excited.
Oh, that's awesome.
Right on.
So what is your songwriting process like?
It kind of depends.
Sometimes I'll just usually, I usually just go to the piano and then I'll just play chords
and then I'll see what sounds good.
And then I start like getting a melody and then I'll just choose lyrics.
(07:51):
And sometimes I can write songs really fast depending on the mood I'm in.
And other times it takes a really long time and I have to like work longer at the lyrics
and I just go back.
And so then I'll finish a song and then I'll like play it for my mom or my sister and I'll
ask them for any suggestions and then I'll like finish it up and then I'll record it.
What inspires you, Olivia?
(08:11):
I think everything, honestly.
I find my inspiration in stories from others and my own stories and feelings that I have
or even like movies or other people's music.
So just when I see other things in the world, it inspires me for what I write.
Right on.
So just kind of curious, what are your hopes for kind of your songwriting future?
(08:35):
Where do you want to go with music?
I really want to be able to produce music when I get older.
I'm thinking of majoring in commercial music so I can start producing music not only for
myself but for other people.
And I also would like to be able to release some of my songs onto Spotify and Apple eventually
(08:57):
except to find a way to record them better.
Nice.
Thank you so much for visiting with us today, Olivia.
You can find Olivia on YouTube at Olivia Ardert and where you can hear her new song, Why Do
I Care So Much, which I really enjoyed.
And also what I really enjoy about your stuff is how it's like a legitimate lyric music
(09:20):
video or a music video which I enjoy and you don't see.
This is also another one I really enjoyed.
I think you'll go really far.
I'm excited to see where you go.
Thank you.
Our third guest today is Maddie Harmon.
Thanks for coming in, Maddie.
You're welcome.
Thanks for inviting me.
(09:41):
All right.
So, Maddie, we've got a few questions we want to ask you, especially about kind of your
process with coming up with lyrics, not those things.
So we're just going to go ahead and start asking you those.
So our first question for you is how did you decide to start writing music?
I don't think it was really a decision.
(10:02):
It was more like just something I started to do because I was bored.
I've been doing it for as long as I can remember.
There was a specific time when it was like my mom's birthday and I was, I don't know,
maybe eight or nine or something.
And I made like a rap for her and it was the funniest thing.
And my parents actually have a recording of it and I want it burned because it was so
(10:26):
long ago and it was so bad.
But that's just kind of proof that like I've been doing it for forever.
It's just always something I've done for fun or to impress someone or like just to express
my emotions.
So it was never really a decision.
It's always just been like instinct.
Nice.
What was it like to put your first song out?
So the first thing I would want people to know is that I actually haven't really put
(10:49):
any songs out like professionally at all.
There's some on YouTube, sure.
But I think the first song that I considered to really be out was when I actually performed
it at EFY when I was 14 years old.
There was almost a thousand people in the room who got to hear it.
And that was like that's like putting out a song for me.
(11:10):
That was pretty incredible.
I messed up, but no one knew.
And it was like life changing because the moment it was over and the fireside was over,
people came up to me and told me how much it like changed them to hear what I had written.
And that was the moment that I knew that music was one of my purposes in life.
What a fantastic experience there.
So I'm kind of wondering, what is your kind of songwriting process like?
(11:34):
I've been asked this question before.
It is literally different every single time.
Sometimes the lyrics come to me first and I write it out on a piece of paper and it
looks just like a poem.
Or sometimes I'll get this little melody stuck in my head and I'm like, oh, I've got to put
words to that.
And I'll just be humming it all day long until the right words come to me.
(11:57):
Sometimes it's kind of a mixture of both.
It's never really the same process because like sometimes I'll come up with the verse
for the chorus or the chorus before the verse.
Sometimes I'll write the accompaniment before the lyrics or melody comes first.
It's different every single time.
Well, what inspires you when you're writing?
I think the number one thing that inspires me most when I'm writing is personal experiences.
(12:21):
A lot of my songs are about specific people or events that happened in my lifetime.
Yeah, I think my main inspiration is just the people and biggest events in my life.
Right on.
Inspiration from the important things in life, right?
Yeah.
So, what are your hopes for your online career?
(12:42):
Where would you like to go with the music?
That's a hard question.
There's a bunch of different milestones that musicians can go through and they feel like
they've made it.
I honestly feel like if I can either go somewhere and someone will be like, whoa, I know who
that is, or if I could get my songs on a radio someday, that would be the coolest thing in
(13:06):
the whole world.
But honestly, right now, thinking realistically, my biggest goal is to have a song on Spotify.
I think that's when I've made it.
Thanks so much for visiting us with us today, Maddie.
You can find Maddie at Maddie Harmon on YouTube with her original song, Too Late, which features
(13:30):
someone you guys might recognize, even Wild Ones and Help to Name a Few, which I enjoyed.
And your music Instagram is, well, you know this, but they don't, is at Maddie.Harmon
with two Ys.
Harmon Yy.
Anyways, thanks so much for visiting with us today, Maddie.
(13:53):
Thank you guys.
This was super fun.
I'm honored.
Well, all right, you guys.
That was our Sita finale, and I hope that you guys all enjoyed and have enjoyed this
journey with us.
And we will be back soon with the next season of Writer's World.
We love you guys.
Teen artist, songwriting, performing, and the future.
(00:08):
My name is Ken Mears.
My name is Ben Reich.
Hey guys, I'm Olivia Arminer.
I am Maddie Harmon.
And I'm Melissa Fales.
And welcome to Writer's World.
(00:37):
Today we have something very special lined up in case you couldn't tell by the addition
of voices in the intro.
We are interviewing today three teenage writers and musicians.
Our first guest today is Ben.
Thank you for coming on, Ben.
Thank you for having me.
I'm super excited to be here.
So we've just got kind of a few questions.
We're going to ask you about kind of the generally more lyrical part of your music and that kind
(01:04):
of thing.
But, you know, our first question here is how did you decide to start writing music?
Okay, so from the time I was really young, I've always really loved music.
I remember messing around like on the piano, trying to figure things out when I was probably
like four or five.
And since then, just through, you know, learning on my own, in addition to some music lessons,
(01:26):
I've been able to get like a lot better not just at piano, but I've also learned guitar
too.
But to answer your question, really the main reason I decided to start writing music wasn't
because I wanted to like express emotions through our music or anything like that at
first.
It was really in the beginning, just about jazz.
I really love jazz and I'm fascinated with like the technical chord theory behind music,
(01:54):
which is why if you listen to like my first song, I'm Talking, the chords are actually
really cool and it sounds super jazzy.
All the words are just kind of terrible.
So because that didn't put me like effort into them.
But the reason I started writing songs was because I love jazz.
And of course, since then, I've started to put a lot more effort into the lyrics of my
(02:15):
music and actually learn to really enjoy like the expressing emotion through them side to
songwriting.
But that was definitely not the primary motivator from the start.
What was it like to put your first song out?
Okay, so I remember I was actually really excited.
I put a good amount of work into my first song and I was really curious to see what
(02:38):
other people would think.
I was actually really blown away when after I think about just a day, I've gotten over
100 listens, which compared to like real artists is like nothing.
But still for me, 100 was definitely more than I expected at first.
Okay, so a little bit coming back to the writing part.
(03:00):
So what is this songwriting process you use like?
Okay, that's actually a great question.
So like I said, it's definitely evolved, but at least right now, I usually start any new
song with some kind of feeling or message in mind.
And it usually has to do with something that's either happening in my life or an emotion
(03:24):
I've been feeling lately or maybe just something that's been on my mind a lot.
And using that, I just start.
So I let the message in the song's vibe kind of pretty much write the song.
I let it drive the songwriting process.
So I continually keep that theme in mind as I come up with everything that a song consists
(03:48):
of.
So lyrics, a melody, the chords, I just keep that theme in mind.
And it just kind of happens simultaneously all at the same time.
So using that particular theme that I come up with combined with my own knowledge that
I've learned through music lessons of lyrics, chord theory, how to create interesting melodies,
(04:11):
song just kind of happens.
I have an idea, make it into a song, and it's really just something that I teach practice.
What inspires you?
I would say anything.
So for an example, okay, just the other day, I wrote a song about being at home and sitting
outside on a summer night, just being content and feeling happy.
(04:33):
And that's literally what the song's about.
I wrote it because I love being at home and I love summer nights.
So really anything that is important to me can inspire me to write a song.
And sometimes it's an emotion I've been feeling or maybe it's just an idea that I think is
important.
Also, just listening to music is super, super inspiring.
(04:55):
So for instance, if you were to like name any of my original songs, I could probably
give you at least a small list of songs that contributed to the inspiration behind it.
Oh, really?
Yeah, I think so.
That's quite a lot of stuff to inspire you.
So curious, what are your hopes for your kind of songwriting future?
Where do you want to go with your songwriting?
(05:19):
Well, I'm definitely going to keep writing songs my whole life.
I'm never going to stop.
And at least for now, my plan is to make music my career.
Definitely not just a lifelong hobby.
So whether that means being a teacher or a music artist or both, I'm not really sure
(05:40):
yet, but I know I'll be able to make it work because music is what I love.
I love that.
Thank you so much for visiting with us today, Ben.
You can find Ben on Instagram at Ben, record music and on SoundCloud and YouTube.
One of my favorite videos is your cover of Firefly, which I've gotten to see you perform
(06:01):
a few times with another guest we have coming on.
And Shilvery is dead.
And I really enjoy your original work too, which you can find on YouTube.
Do you have any closing remarks you'd like to leave us with Ben?
Just that I really enjoyed being on your podcast and thank you so much.
Thank you, Ben.
Our second guest today is Olivia Ardner.
(06:22):
Thanks for coming on, Olivia.
Thank you for having me.
All right.
So Olivia, today we have some questions we would like to ask you, especially about kind
of writing lyrics and that sort of thing.
So our first question today is how did you decide to start writing music?
Well, I've always loved music.
My whole life, even as a little kid, I would love to sing and just listen to music.
(06:45):
And I would write songs as a little kid.
And then I just kind of stopped for a long period of time.
But then it was after actually like a breakup, which sounds really cliche.
But I started writing songs again.
So that really inspired me.
And ever since then, I just continued writing songs.
That is such a fun story.
What was it like to put your first song out?
(07:08):
It was really exciting, but I was also very scared because I didn't like to sing in front
of people that much.
So I was really nervous about what other people would think.
Actually, when I was writing songs, I would do it in secret so none of my family would
ever hear me until one day, like my mom just listed in.
She's like, that's really good.
Like you should put that on YouTube.
(07:29):
And so she kind of convinced me.
So I was really scared, but also super excited.
Oh, that's awesome.
Right on.
So what is your songwriting process like?
It kind of depends.
Sometimes I'll just usually, I usually just go to the piano and then I'll just play chords
and then I'll see what sounds good.
And then I start like getting a melody and then I'll just choose lyrics.
(07:51):
And sometimes I can write songs really fast depending on the mood I'm in.
And other times it takes a really long time and I have to like work longer at the lyrics
and I just go back.
And so then I'll finish a song and then I'll like play it for my mom or my sister and I'll
ask them for any suggestions and then I'll like finish it up and then I'll record it.
What inspires you, Olivia?
(08:11):
I think everything, honestly.
I find my inspiration in stories from others and my own stories and feelings that I have
or even like movies or other people's music.
So just when I see other things in the world, it inspires me for what I write.
Right on.
So just kind of curious, what are your hopes for kind of your songwriting future?
(08:35):
Where do you want to go with music?
I really want to be able to produce music when I get older.
I'm thinking of majoring in commercial music so I can start producing music not only for
myself but for other people.
And I also would like to be able to release some of my songs onto Spotify and Apple eventually
(08:57):
except to find a way to record them better.
Nice.
Thank you so much for visiting with us today, Olivia.
You can find Olivia on YouTube at Olivia Ardert and where you can hear her new song, Why Do
I Care So Much, which I really enjoyed.
And also what I really enjoy about your stuff is how it's like a legitimate lyric music
(09:20):
video or a music video which I enjoy and you don't see.
This is also another one I really enjoyed.
I think you'll go really far.
I'm excited to see where you go.
Thank you.
Our third guest today is Maddie Harmon.
Thanks for coming in, Maddie.
You're welcome.
Thanks for inviting me.
(09:41):
All right.
So, Maddie, we've got a few questions we want to ask you, especially about kind of your
process with coming up with lyrics, not those things.
So we're just going to go ahead and start asking you those.
So our first question for you is how did you decide to start writing music?
I don't think it was really a decision.
(10:02):
It was more like just something I started to do because I was bored.
I've been doing it for as long as I can remember.
There was a specific time when it was like my mom's birthday and I was, I don't know,
maybe eight or nine or something.
And I made like a rap for her and it was the funniest thing.
And my parents actually have a recording of it and I want it burned because it was so
(10:26):
long ago and it was so bad.
But that's just kind of proof that like I've been doing it for forever.
It's just always something I've done for fun or to impress someone or like just to express
my emotions.
So it was never really a decision.
It's always just been like instinct.
Nice.
What was it like to put your first song out?
So the first thing I would want people to know is that I actually haven't really put
(10:49):
any songs out like professionally at all.
There's some on YouTube, sure.
But I think the first song that I considered to really be out was when I actually performed
it at EFY when I was 14 years old.
There was almost a thousand people in the room who got to hear it.
And that was like that's like putting out a song for me.
(11:10):
That was pretty incredible.
I messed up, but no one knew.
And it was like life changing because the moment it was over and the fireside was over,
people came up to me and told me how much it like changed them to hear what I had written.
And that was the moment that I knew that music was one of my purposes in life.
What a fantastic experience there.
So I'm kind of wondering, what is your kind of songwriting process like?
(11:34):
I've been asked this question before.
It is literally different every single time.
Sometimes the lyrics come to me first and I write it out on a piece of paper and it
looks just like a poem.
Or sometimes I'll get this little melody stuck in my head and I'm like, oh, I've got to put
words to that.
And I'll just be humming it all day long until the right words come to me.
(11:57):
Sometimes it's kind of a mixture of both.
It's never really the same process because like sometimes I'll come up with the verse
for the chorus or the chorus before the verse.
Sometimes I'll write the accompaniment before the lyrics or melody comes first.
It's different every single time.
Well, what inspires you when you're writing?
I think the number one thing that inspires me most when I'm writing is personal experiences.
(12:21):
A lot of my songs are about specific people or events that happened in my lifetime.
Yeah, I think my main inspiration is just the people and biggest events in my life.
Right on.
Inspiration from the important things in life, right?
Yeah.
So, what are your hopes for your online career?
(12:42):
Where would you like to go with the music?
That's a hard question.
There's a bunch of different milestones that musicians can go through and they feel like
they've made it.
I honestly feel like if I can either go somewhere and someone will be like, whoa, I know who
that is, or if I could get my songs on a radio someday, that would be the coolest thing in
(13:06):
the whole world.
But honestly, right now, thinking realistically, my biggest goal is to have a song on Spotify.
I think that's when I've made it.
Thanks so much for visiting us with us today, Maddie.
You can find Maddie at Maddie Harmon on YouTube with her original song, Too Late, which features
(13:30):
someone you guys might recognize, even Wild Ones and Help to Name a Few, which I enjoyed.
And your music Instagram is, well, you know this, but they don't, is at Maddie.Harmon
with two Ys.
Harmon Yy.
Anyways, thanks so much for visiting with us today, Maddie.
(13:53):
Thank you guys.
This was super fun.
I'm honored.
Well, all right, you guys.
That was our Sita finale, and I hope that you guys all enjoyed and have enjoyed this
journey with us.
And we will be back soon with the next season of Writer's World.
We love you guys.
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