Co-Writing Songs: Understanding The Roles In The Room
“Understanding your role in the writing room on any given day is key to a songwriter’s success.” 16 time #1 Hit Songwriter Jon Nite gave this advice in a SongTown on Songwriting podcast episode. And I agree 1000%! All successful co-writing begins with learning the roles in the room. As I start writing each day, I’m…
Read MoreSongwriters: You Must Bring Something New To The Party
I’ve played this song for several publishers and they all said it sounds like the radio, but not one took my song… Recently, while doing a mentoring session, a talented SongTownian prefaced her song she was about to play with these words, “I’ve played this song for several publishers and they all said it sounds…
Read MorePerspective and Encouragement: The Most Important Issues Songwriters Face
I write a lot about encouragement and perspective because I believe they are two of the most important issues that songwriters face at any level. For me, I stay in my “happy place” when I see progress every day. It can be the smallest bit of progress, but I need to feel a little momentum or movement in…
Read More5 Questions To Ask When You Write With An Artist
Here are five key questions you should ask each time you write a song with an artist… What kind of song are you looking for? Hopefully, they will answer more than just “a hit”, but unfortunately that’s the most common answer I get. Their response to this question can tell you a lot about the…
Read MoreHow To Weather The Ups and Downs of The Music Business
“The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There’s also a negative side.” ~Hunter S. Thompson There is no doubt that the music business is tough. But so is the “Medical” business, the “law” business, the “teaching business”,…
Read MoreIn The Writer’s Room with Thompson Square
The hit country music duo, Thompson Square, stops by the SongTown on SongTown Podcast to talk about their career, songwriting, and then perform a stellar song in-studio from Shawna’s new solo project. Kiefer and Shawna’s journey will inspire you and entertain you! Clay & Marty’s 10-day video series: This video series will help you level-up…
Read MoreSomeone Is Singing Along
I have had a number of amazing experiences because of songwriting. I’ve been able to travel the world and see places like Barcelona, Malmo, Nassau, Vancouver, and Toronto simply because I wrote songs that became hits. I’ve met and worked with people from all over the globe. Those experiences have shaped who I am and…
Read MoreWhen Should I Give Up My Songwriting Dream?
About two years after I started trying to write professionally, a friend of mine staged an intervention of sorts. He approached me very kindly and asked me how my writing was going. I told him my frustrations and I told him the truth – I didn’t have much of anything going on. He asked me…
Read MoreWriting Up: How The Pros Approach Songwriting
Clay Mills and Marty Dodson share one of the biggest mistakes aspiring songwriters make. What is “Writing Up” and why will it keep you from achieving your goals in the songwriting biz.. The SongTown on Songwriting podcast is not “tips and tricks” for songwriters. It’s real-world techniques used by top pros day in and day…
Read MoreDon’t Lose Your Songwriting Innocence
Your innocence is a major asset… One of the things I love about working with young writers and artists is just the innocence they bring to the writing process. They aren’t bitter or jaded. They aren’t worried about what radio will think (this can be good or bad). They just want to write a great…
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