Being grateful and giving thanks is a discipline that I try to practice daily. From a songwriting perspective, here are some things I believe all of us creative types need to be thankful for: The Believers My mom was a huge believer in me and my music. When everyone else was telling...
I can’t count the number of times I’ve been asked “How in the world do you come up with a song-a-day – every day?” Here’s the short answer on how I pull that off... Ideas I have a database that includes over 600 titles. I can always find something interesting there to...
I’ve been reading a book called “Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of “Eat, Pray, Love”, that was given to me by SongTownian Lance Sims. In the first few pages of the book, Ms. Gilbert writes... “If you argue for your limitations, you get to...
There are two common types of songwriting publishing deals that publishers make with writers. But, you don't have to limit yourself to those two options if you can think outside the box. Here are the two common types of deals plus some ideas for creative options: 1) Staff Writer Writes exclusively...
"I worked 17 years for overnight songwriting success." - Tim Hicks There's often a misconception when someone in the music business succeeds. It's easy to think that an artist became and instant sensation or overnight songwriting success. So, I thought I'd share a story of how it most often happens...
Here are some ways to judge whether you are writing “better” commercial songs. No one of these measures alone determines “writing better,” but putting all of them together gives you a pretty good sense of your progress: Are you writing more unique ideas? Look at the songs you wrote a...
One of the most popular questions we get at SongTown is "how many songs should I send to a producer or publisher?" The prevailing myth for aspiring songwriters is that “more shots equals a better chance of something great happening”. I want to dispel that myth and to explain...
One of the frequent questions we get in SongTown is "How do I write song lyrics?" Many people confuse song lyrics with poetry, but there are some subtle yet important differences. So, how are lyrics to a song different from poems? Poems are typically visual pieces and song lyrics are...
One of the most important components to reaching any songwriting goal is to know exactly what you'd like to achieve. Here is a songwriter goal-setting worksheet that I like to use to help me focus on where I am going... As you set your goals, be sure that each one...
The more accurate you are in regard to that self-assessment, the better success you will have attracting co-writers who fill in the blanks for you. 1) Be the kind of co-writer you hope to find. If you are organized and professional, then you will be more likely to attract that kind...