These three songwriting exercises are designed to get you into the flow of writing without thinking. Your best ideas come from the subconscious, and you can tap into this with regular practice. Remember to do these exercises quickly, spending three minutes on each in rapid fire succession. I set the...
Multi #1 songwriter Clay Mills takes you behind the scenes, documentary style, of his home studio set up. Clay has made it his mission to put together a studio that he can use on records where the quality will sound professional while spending the least amount of money. Join him on...
I remember sitting in my small, cramped writing studio in Nashville 10 years ago with my two best friends and co-writers, Sonny LeMaire and Shane Minor. We'd been writing together for two years, mostly because we loved hanging out with each other and creating music. No one was recording our...
Writing and reading lessens our isolation and prods our imagination. Music makes our souls dance, and great art leaves an impression that lasts for centuries. Over my 23 years as a professional songwriter, I’ve read just about every book on creativity I could get my hands on. Though I’m convince...
Finding The Heart & Soul Of your Music Takes Courage... And A Few Tricks! Multi #1 songwriter Clay Mills will show you how to find the "true heart of your song" and create music that matters. This video is part of a weekly lesson series for members at SongTown. Clay Mills is a...
Often songwriters in our SongTown classes ask, "How do I write commercial music?" They are writers who would like to have commercial success and hear one of their songs on the radio or an album. But they want to know how to accomplish this and still be true to themselves....
I remember sitting in a Mexican restaurant in, a couple years ago with the late songwriter Tim Johnson. We were preparing to play a benefit that evening for a local high school. “What’s stopping you?” Tim asked. You see, I’d just told him that I’d always dreamed of playing the stage...
"I've got nothing to write a song about." A few years ago, I was standing outside Darius Rucker's tour bus saying these words over the phone to my girlfriend. She had just asked me what I was going to write with Darius that day. Here I was outside Chicago, having flown...
Several SongTownian's have recently asked the question, "what's the best way to build a song catalog?" Here are a some key things I've learned over the years after writing for several major publishing companies and building a new catalog at each. Write, write, write! There is no substitute for this. A catalog is...
As a a songwriter, I am a “lifer.” I’ve spent many hours everyday writing with, teaching to, and in online forums conversing with songwriters. It’s not uncommon to hear songwriters say things like, “You can’t learn songwriting. You either have it, or you don’t.” Or, “This song came from my inner soul,...