Songwriters: How To Increase Your Chances If You Live Outside A Music Center
As a mentor and coach, I am often helping many songwriters that don’t live in a music town. Here are my ideas for increasing your chances of success as a songwriter if you live outside a music center: 1) Visit as often as you can. Even if it’s just once a year. Some wisely planned…
Read MoreWe Wrote 15,000 Songs (Here’s What We Learned)
Multi-hit songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson have written 15,000 songs over their careers. These are the most important keys they’ve learned for writing great songs and hit songs. 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 MoreMelody Hacks For Lyricist Songwriters
I have been primarily a lyricist for almost 25 years. To survive that long in the music business, I have had to stretch my boundaries to come up with ways to evolve my lyric writing along with changing music landscapes. Over those years, I’ve developed what I like to think of as melody hacks for…
Read MoreWhat Makes A Song Great?
I’m often asked the question, “What makes a song great?” So, here are the answers, in my opinion: A great song will usually be relatable and relevant many years after it was written. So let’s take a look at what makes a song great… A great song connects with people. Timeless songs connect to millions of…
Read MoreInterview With Emily Shackelton: Songwriter to the Stars
Join Clay Mills of SongTown as he sits down with multi #1 songwriter Emily Shackelton to discuss her incredible 16-year journey to success in Nashville. Emily shares the highs and lows of her career, from moving to Music City with big dreams to finally landing her first No. 1 hit after a decade of hard…
Read MoreIs Songwriting A Dream or A Plan?
In a mentoring session the other day I was helping a young songwriter who felt like she was really floundering around in pursuit of her dream. She talked about how frustrating it was to tell whether or not she was making progress and how difficult it is to tell what she should be doing differently…
Read MoreFree The Song Within (Bringing Clarity To Your Songwriting)
Learn why clarity in your songwriting is the number one way to break through the noise and impact your listeners. Hit writers Clay Mills and Marty Dodson talk about how to chip away and edit your lyrics and melodies to write the strongest song possible! Clay & Marty’s 10-day video series: This video series will…
Read MoreYou’re Only As Good As Your Next Song
I read an article with Adele after she had broken the record for the biggest debut for an album ever. She was asked why it took her 4 years to come out with a new album. She had recorded more than another album’s worth of songs in the meantime and scrapped all of it to…
Read More5 Ways To Improve Your Songwriting Instantly
There are some simple steps you can take to improve your songwriting instantly. Try these steps to see a dramatic improvement overnight: 1- Write with someone who is strong where you are weak. Years ago, my mentor told me to identify my strengths (honestly) and to let him know what I thought I was world class…
Read MoreAvoid Burning Bridges As A Songwriter (Pro Advice)
Multi-hit songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson explain correct music business etiquette when when working with artists, labels, and managers. In today’s songwriter podcast episode learn what NOT to do in 5 key situations; so that you avoid burning bridges as a songwriter. Clay & Marty’s 10-day video series: This video series will help you…
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