Author: Marty Dodson

There is a famous quote by Michelangelo that says “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” That is a beautiful description of what songwriters must learn to do. We get a song's big idea and we see the “angel” inside it. So...

  There seems to be a lot of confusion out there over the question "As a songwriter, how do I submit songs to the music business?" The truth of the matter is that there is no one way to "submit" songs to the music business. When you simplify the "song submission"...

I don't know how many times each week I hear the words "It's impossible". The ridiculous part of it all is that the things they are saying are "impossible" are not impossible at all. Well, let's just do a little songwriting myth busting! "It's impossible to get a song cut...

  Pitching songs (playing songs for publishers, artists or record label people in hopes of getting them to record or help you get a song recorded), is one of the areas where songwriters make the most mistakes.  And, those mistakes can be costly.  You don't get too many chances to...

  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?”  Learning how to write a new song every day can seem like a daunting task. Here’s how I pull that off… Coming In With Ideas I have a...

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...

People often ask me if I KNOW that I've written a hit song when I finish it.  The answer to that is a resounding "NO".  I generally know when I finish a song whether it is great or just good.  Beyond that, so much goes into what makes a hit...

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...