Posts by Marty Dodson
When You’re Not Sure You’re Getting Better… Do This
By Marty Dodson, SongTown Co-Founder There have been seasons in my songwriting journey when I honestly couldn’t tell if I was improving or just spinning my wheels. It wasn’t that I wasn’t writing — I was. It wasn’t that I didn’t care — I cared deeply. But the growth wasn’t obvious. I didn’t always hear…
Read MoreHow Musical Theatre Can Improve Your Songwriting – In Any Genre!
In this episode, multi #1 songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson explore how writing for musical theatre can powerfully impact your songwriting—no matter the genre. Fresh off a successful theatre production in NYC, Marty shares key lessons from the stage that every songwriter can use to level up their writing. Learn how understanding character, story…
Read MoreWhen Doubt Creeps In: A Songwriter’s Battle with Imposter Syndrome
by Marty Dodson, SongTown Co-Founder Sometimes, I find myself staring at a blank page, not because I don’t have ideas, but because of the voice in my head that whispers, “You’re not good enough.” Maybe you’ve heard that voice too. Am I any good as a songwriter?Do I even belong in this writing room?Will people think my…
Read MoreWhy I Didn’t Quit Songwriting (And Why You Shouldn’t Either)
By Marty Dodson, SongTown Co-founder Years ago, I found myself in a place I think many songwriters reach at some point — standing at the crossroads of doubt and desire. I had poured countless hours into writing, co-writing, editing, and pitching songs… and still, I wasn’t seeing the results I hoped for. No cuts. No…
Read MoreThe 10,000 Hour Theory And Songwriting
The 10,000 hour theory… I was reading a magazine on an airplane the other day and ran across an article about Dan McLaughlin, an Oregon man who quit his job and decided to try to become a golf pro by testing out the 10,000 hour theory made popular by Malcolm Gladwell in his book “Outliers”…
Read MoreThe 3 Most Important Lines In a Song (Amateur Songwriters Miss These!)
In this week’s SongTown Songwriting Podcast episode, multi-hit songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson, break down the 3 most important lines in a Song. Master these 3 concepts and you will instantly be writing better songs! Clay & Marty’s 10-day video series: This video series will help you level-up your songs and finish them faster. CLICK…
Read MoreThe Songwriter’s Pitch To Publisher Checklist
There’s an art to a songwriter’s pitch to publisher opportunities. You can avoid many of the mistakes I made early on if you do these things when you get a chance to pitch to a publisher. 1. Before you even agree to the meeting, ask yourself “Are my songs REALLY radio/recording artist ready? Are…
Read MoreDon’t Be This Co-Writer: Mistakes Every Songwriter Should Avoid When Co-writing
Early on in my songwriting career I had enough bad/weird co-writing experiences that I acquired vast database of material to draw from for co-writing no-no’s. So here is my list of things NOT TO DO in a co-write… 1. Write down ideas that your co-writers throw out so you can use them later. When you throw out…
Read More7 Ways To Get Inspired To Write Songs (Never Run Out Of Ideas!)
In this episode multi-hit writers Clay Mills & Marty Dodson share their top 7 ways that pro songwriters get inspired to write songs. Say goodbye to writer’s block forever. Clay & Marty’s 10-day video series: This video series will help you level-up your songs and finish them faster. CLICK HERE to begin! SongTown Press Books: Mastering Melody…
Read More5 Things I Wish My Amateur Songwriting Self Had Known
If I could go back and mentor my younger songwriting self, I could help him avoid a lot of the disappointments he experienced and help him succeed much faster. So, I thought I’d share some of the wisdom I would give to him with you. Here we go: It takes a LONG time to become…
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