Olivia Rodrigo’s simple songwriting advice stays with Matt Cornett

Years after their time together on “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” Matt Cornett says one piece of advice from Filipino American pop superstar Olivia Rodrigo continues to shape the way he approaches songwriting. While promoting his latest project, “Every Year After,” the actor reflected on the creative guidance he received from his former

Photos from oliviarodrigo and mattcornett/Instagram Years after their time together on “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” Matt Cornett says one piece of advice from Filipino American pop superstar Olivia Rodrigo continues to shape the way he approaches songwriting. While promoting his latest project, “Every Year After,” the actor reflected on the creative guidance he received from his former co-star, who encouraged him to never let a musical idea slip away. Cornett recalled that when he first started experimenting with writing songs, Rodrigo suggested making the most of the voice memos app on his phone.

Rather than waiting for inspiration to strike again, she advised him to record every melody, lyric or passing thought the moment it came to mind. According to Cornett, Rodrigo described those recordings as a “vault” of ideas or an archive that songwriters can revisit whenever they’re trying to complete a track. Even the smallest fragments, she explained, could later become part of something much bigger.

The actor recently spoke about the advice during an appearance on “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” where he admitted that his own collection of voice notes has taken on a life of its own. Although it started as a space for songwriting inspiration, he joked that it now also contains everyday reminders, including notes telling himself to pick up his cholesterol medication. Cornett and Rodrigo developed a close friendship while filming the Disney+ musical series , where they portrayed E.J. Caswell and Nini Salazar-Roberts, characters whose relationship became one of the show’s early storylines.

Despite the series ending, the two have stayed in touch and continue to exchange messages years later. As Rodrigo’s career evolved into one of the music industry’s biggest success stories, Cornett has remained vocal about his admiration for her artistry, particularly her songwriting. He has previously shared that he looks to both Rodrigo and fellow “HSM: The Musical: The Series” co-star Joshua Bassett for advice as he continues exploring music alongside his acting career.

The post Olivia Rodrigo’s simple songwriting advice stays with Matt Cornett appeared first on INQUIRER.net USA .