Write A Song That Excites You – Always Write Inspired
Learning to write inspired… One ordinary Tuesday, I drove to a co-write with really low expectations. My co-writer, Jason Matthews, and I were going to try to finish a song that I wasn’t really in love with. We weren’t writing inspired, but we had decided we would finish it, so I drove to his house.…
Read MoreTop Songwriting Biz Tips: Avoid These Mistakes
Songwriters Marty Dodson and Clay Mills share music biz tips for writers and artist. Don’t make these mistakes! 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 Writing : Check It Out The Songwriter’s Guide To Mastering Co-Writing : Check…
Read MoreBetween The Rhymes & Songwriting
Songwriters & Rhymes Last week I wrote with a talented young songwriter who was obsessed with finding a fresh, new rhyme at every turn of the songwriting process. “Surely we can use a rhyme here that no one’s thought of”, he said, several times. That got me thinking after the session about rhymes and my…
Read MoreSongwriters: Learning To See The Big Songwriting Picture
Often, I see songwriters who are caught up in the trees that they can’t see the forest. They spend their time looking at the minutiae (I’ve always wanted to say that word) that they lose sight of the big picture. For instance, in my SongTown Lyric MasterClass, I spend six weeks teaching students a framework…
Read MoreOvercoming Writer’s Block: 5 Pro Techniques To Get You Writing Again
At least twice a week I get an email seeking advice on how to overcome writer’s block. For many songwriters the worst part of the whole writing experience is just getting started. Those times when we sit down to write and nothing comes out. We feel like we have nothing to say. Well here are…
Read MoreSongwriters: Learn To Speak Music Business
Lots of songwriters in SongTown just want to become better writers for their own pleasure – and that’s awesome! We love helping people get more out of their writing just because it makes them feel good. Another significant group in “Town” is trying to write commercially and break into the music business. If that’s your…
Read MoreHit Producer Daniel Ross Shares His Track Building Philosophy
Daniel Ross is a Songwriter and Producer at Big Machine Music Publishing. His songs have been recorded by Morgan Wallen, Jake Owen, Chase Rice, Eli Young Band, Granger Smith, RaeLynn, Seaforth, Robert Counts, Troy Cartwright and more. Production credits for Joey Hendricks, Lauren Weintraub, Austin Burke and more. In this video Daniel shares his proven…
Read MoreSongwriters: Are You Still Writing Mostly Ballads?
One of the biggest “ailments” I see when I mentor songwriters is that they are writing WAY too many ballads. It seems like many of us default to slow songs. While a well written ballad can be very successful and meaningful, there are also many reasons it is NOT a great idea to write…
Read MoreReal Songwriting Is Not Fast And Easy!
Let’s talk… This morning several ads popped up on my Facebook feed for things like… Learning To Write Great Songs In Just 3 Days, Writing Songs Really Fast, or Earn A Hundred Thousands Dollars In First Year For Writing Movie Songs…oh my… I must be the slowest songwriter on earth…I’ve been a professional writer for 25+ years and still learning everyday to play guitar, write better songs—and…
Read MoreClay and Marty React to Viewer Comments
SongTown co-founders and multi #1 songwriters, Clay Mills & Marty Dodson, give their reactions to viewer comments. Heartfelt, funny, and always real. 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 Writing : Check It Out The Songwriter’s Guide…
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