There is nothing more valuable in learning the art of songwriting than simply putting in the time and hard work. Experience in different musical styles and genres will open up things that you did not even know you liked. A great example is the story of our recent discovery Rhythm Rug.
The man behind the project is David Barkie. Hailing from upstate New York he dove headfirst into the music world by opening a studio storefront at the age of 18 with a few friends. Since David was also living there he had tons of time to experiment with the equipment and just write and record the sound that would pop into his mind. The wide variety of influences that he was exposed to, such as Earth Wind & Fire, Pink Floyd, Jackson 5, Mos Def, and Erykah Badu became the start of the Rhythm Rug project.