There is a myth in music that the most talented people work alone, and for the longest time, I bought into it. I would hear John Mayer talk about sitting down and writing one of his biggest hits in an hour. I would read liner notes of artists playing almost every instrument on a record, and I thought that was the pinnacle of success in artistry.

For me, that was a really discouraging way of thinking. I’ve wasted so many hours sitting in my room by myself trying to write a great song or produce an amazing track. While I can create things on my own, I do it better with other people involved, and it’s more fun. Still, I thought going it alone was the way it was supposed to be.

Living in Nashville has started to change that view for me. Nashville is a very collaborative town. Many of the best songwriters prefer co-writing instead of working alone. Having the best group of musicians that can work together to make a project work is often preferred.

I’ve come to realize that collaboration nor working alone is necessarily better than the other, but for me, collaboration has proved to be the most productive and enjoyable method.

Do you prefer working alone or collaborating? Let me know in the comments.