A remarkable and honest look at how one award-winning singer-songwriter approaches her craft. I am a huge fan of Mary Gauthier's music, so I loved how the chapters were divided by song and did a deep dive into how the lyrics evolved into the finished product. If you not familiar with her music, I would suggest listening to at least the tracks discussed in the book. Beyond songwriting, Gauthier weaves the story of her life into the book, and how the difficult times in her life have shaped her as a person and as an artist. She also discusses how artists like John Prine have influenced her. ( )

Some good insight and a LOT of autobiography. Not a how-to. ( )

Saved By A Song (2021) by Mary Gauthier. Let me preface this by saying I had never heard of Ms. Gauthier until this book came to my attention. My son Pat is a musician and teacher of music and I struggle to understand how his mind works. When a book comes along that offers insight of the artists struggle to create, i’m all in.
There is the background struggle, the youngster being given her first guitar and a Mel Bay manual. There is the awakening in the youngster of a love for music and a need to write what she feels, and later there is the conflict between the passion for her art and the reality of the day job needed to support herself.
A success in the restaurant business but failing in dealing with the complications of addictions, Ms. Gauthier somehow found her way back to “the Healing Power of Songwriting. Each chapter is a different song, how it came about, and how that music has aided her on her journey. For me, that was the most important part of this work. The journey the writer takes from moment of inspiration to actually staging the song and, sometimes, rewriting the piece for greater power and clarity. All songs come from within the writer as they interpret their world. It is their fluency in this special language we all can hear, but few understand, that allows the writer to present shared trauma and joy and life with others.
Here is an eye-opening trip into the songwriter’s mind and soul. This is a gem of a book and I took away a great deal of insight from it. Thank you. ( )