I can’t count the times that I’ve heard a songwriter blame their lack of success on the radio, publishers, a “closed circle in the music business”, A&R people who “can’t hear a hit”, bad co-writers, just plain bad luck and the list goes on and on and on. While any of...
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...
One of the things I love most about being a songwriter is that it is one of the few things in life that you can never totally "figure out". You can always write a better song than you wrote today. There's always some new melodic trick or turn of a...
Most songwriters find themselves in a complacent "comfort zone" from time to time. Personally, I find myself at times resting on a little plateau of my own making. I work really hard for a stretch and then I coast for a bit. When I find myself coasting, here are some...
Networking seems to be a common struggle for songwriters. Many creative types are just not very social and we tend to be introverted. That can make it hard to really build the team you need to help you get your songs heard and placed. So, here are 4 ways this...
I believe that the scariest moment in songwriting is the moment before you start. Most of us have voices that play in our heads. Those voices often tell us that the task at hand "can't be done". "You aren't good enough". "You can't handle this".... you know the drill. ...
In a 20 year music career as a songwriter, I've shot myself in the foot so many times that it's amazing I can walk. I thought I'd share some of them to help YOU avoid doing the same thing. Here are some of the worst "shots" I've taken in...
Lately, I've run into several interesting situations with "first use" song licenses, so I thought I'd try to educate and enlighten just a bit here. Copyright law allows the copyright owners to control the FIRST recording of any song. After that, a compulsory license kicks in. After the first...
Even those who have written thousands of songs could benefit from reviewing the basics of what a beginning writer does when writing their first song. Every now and then, someone joins SongTown who is just trying to learn how to write that first song - to turn their own...
Hi, are you a songwriter? I’ve had people come up to me and introduce themselves in a setting where I suspected that they were also songwriters. When I ask if they are songwriters they say, “Not a real songwriter – I’ve never had anything recorded”. That always breaks my heart. I believe...