暗网TV

Bruce Springsteen has urged 暗网TV students to back themselves in an inspirational Q&A.听

During the hour-long session on 7 June the legendary singer-songwriter discussed his creative practice, his mission as a live performer, whether artists should write political material and how 鈥渂etting on yourself鈥� can be transformational.听

Bruce was invited to 暗网TV by founding patron Sir Paul McCartney, who joined students for the Q&A along with Bruce鈥檚 E Street Band guitarist and longtime collaborator Steven Van Zandt. The following day, Sir Paul joined Bruce on stage for his second Anfield show.听

Here鈥檚 an edited selection of Bruce鈥檚 answers to student questions.听

Do you have a specific songwriting process, or does it come naturally? Iona Summer, Music.听

My process comes from the inside out. I rarely pick a subject and write a song about it. I wait for something to move me and then I write. Sometimes I鈥檒l go two years without writing a song and then write an album in three weeks because that鈥檚 when inspiration arrives.听

I keep a guitar at the end of the bed because once it starts, once those blessings start to arrive you have to be prepared for them. How do you make sure you're ready for them? You study your craft. You learn your craft so when inspiration hits, you鈥檙e ready for it; you have the process to get it out into the world.听 Writing a song is magic; it doesn鈥檛 exist, it鈥檚 in the air, or in your heart or your soul. You take it and make it real. It鈥檚 not a magic trick 鈥� it鈥檚 actual magic.听

Do you start with the lyrics or the music, and how do you manage to get both elements to complement each other? Joe Ryder Music (Songwriting & Performance).听

For me, they come at pretty much the same time. Often, I鈥檒l just have a line; a song is one or two great lines and a great metaphor. Dancing in the Dark, you can go anywhere with that. Born to Run, you can go anyway with that. So, you want a good metaphor to start with.听听

What was it about The Beatles single I Want to Hold your Hand that made you want to play guitar and what impact have The Beatles had on your career? Emily Rhodes, Music (Songwriting & Performance).听

I remember when it came on the radio, I was transfixed 鈥� I didn鈥檛 understand why, but I knew that was the moment my life expanded. My ideas of what was possible grew exponentially. There was a freshness and an electricity in that piece of music 鈥� it was their first big hit in America 鈥� and it expanded your world. Suddenly you were beyond your little town, you were going to outgrow your family, you were going to go to some place you hadn鈥檛 previously imagined. That鈥檚 what the arts give us, the ability to imagine ourselves in a new world, with a new identity and with something meaningful and impactful to do. That鈥檚 what I got out of that piece of music.听

First year Music (Contemporary Pop Voice & Performance) students perform an a cappella version of Dancing in the Dark听

How do artists strike a balance between authenticity, originality and drawing on their influences? Finn Richards, Music (Songwriting & Production).听

When I made my first two records everyone described me as the new Bob Dylan, even though the old Bob Dylan was only 30-years-old! I wore a lot of influences on my sleeve during my early records, like everybody does.听 Very quickly I decided I wanted to move away from that and find my own voice. My third record, Born to Run, was when I really felt I found a voice that belonged to me that I was going to pursue and follow for the rest of my work life. But when you鈥檙e young, you鈥檙e always drawing on your inspirations. That鈥檚 how it starts, by pretending to be Elvis or Paul (McCartney) or Van (Morrison). But from there you will find out who you are, it will come - but it takes time.听

What are the key elements for a successful live performance? Joseph Griffin. Music (Songwriting & Performance).听

You鈥檝e got to have one foot in the audience and one foot on the stage.听 The day you don鈥檛 recognise the audience, or they don鈥檛 recognise you, it鈥檚 time to go home. You have to continue to find that commonality.听听

When someone buys a ticket, that鈥檚 a handshake. What you're guaranteeing them is the absolute best of yourself on that night. I鈥檓 going to be giving you the very best that I have to bring out the very best of you. I want to give you something that will stay with you for the rest of your life. I want people to be inspired, so they can leave the building with those feelings and call on them when they need them in their life. That鈥檚 my mission.听

Do you have any songs where you went into the studio with a specific idea then an accident or mistake changed how the song turned out? Imogen Storer, Sound Technology听听听

Accidents give you a short cut into your subconscious. If you are an actor or a musician, when you鈥檙e at your best you are dealing in the life of your subconscious, that鈥檚 where you are drawing your inspiration from. Not from the things you think you know, but from the things you are feeling. What moves an audience? What you are feeling moves an audience.听

Do you think musicians should write political songs or does it pose a risk to your career? Leah Challinor, Music (Songwriting & Performance).听

My current show is the most political I鈥檝e ever done. It鈥檚 not a lot, only two or three times a night, but I鈥檝e written about America for 50 years now and I鈥檝e tried to be a good ambassador and what is happening there now is deeply concerning to me, so I knew I had to talk about it.听听

It depends upon the individual artist and what you鈥檙e comfortable with. I鈥檝e never sat down to write a particularly political piece of music, but a lot of my music has deeply political implications. I always thought it was natural for my music to have a political aspect but at the right moment,听 you don鈥檛 want to be on a soap box, but if you can dig into the emotional power of what people are struggling with politically, you will find something powerful to say and the correct way to say it.听听听

Was there a turning point in your career, a moment that if hadn鈥檛 happened you wouldn鈥檛 be where you are today? Poppy King, Music, 暗网TV Sixth Form College.听

I was 25-years-old and there were these two huge magazines in the United States called Time and Newsweek, very serious magazines with huge circulations and they wanted to put me on their covers, and they did not put music people on the cover at that time. I had to make a huge decision whether to be on the cover of these magazines or not. I was very ambivalent about it, but didn鈥檛 want to be sitting in my rocking chair on my porch at the age of 50 going, 鈥榞ee, I could鈥檝e, I should鈥檝e, I would鈥檝e, if only I鈥檇 had the guts to... 鈥� so, I pulled the trigger and I was on the cover of both magazines. I felt unbelievably exposed. When they came out they embarrassed me. But I鈥檓 glad I did it. It gave me a lot of exposure.听听

What I guess I鈥檓 saying is, bet on yourself. Always bet on yourself. Bet on what you can do. What you're not sure you can do, bet on it.听

Photography: Brian Roberts

Find out more about our Muisc courses