I Own This Town: The Overconfident Songwriter
I read a post on social media recently about a guy who said that he walked into a certain PRO (BMI, ASCAP, or SESAC) “like he owned the place” because he knew that his songs were better than anything they had. When he demanded a meeting on the spot, they escorted him out of the…
Read MoreMastering Co-writing: Strategies to Overcome Obstacles and Avoid Breakups
Cowriting songs can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to end in a breakup. Clay Mills & Marty Dodson share strategies to overcome obstacles and avoid breakups when writing music together. Learn from real co-writing scenarios and master the art of collaboration! Adding More Heart To Your Songs : Online CrashCourse Change the way the…
Read MoreHow To Write Commercial Songs – Without Selling Your Soul
Often songwriters in our SongTown classes ask, “How do I write commercial songs without selling out?” They are writers who would like to have commercial success and hear one of their songs on the radio or an album. But they want to know how to accomplish this and still be true to themselves. They…
Read MoreSongwriter Karma: The Truth About Giving and Receiving
Karma and song critiques… I occasionally have people come to me and say “I don’t put my songs up in the SongTown forum for critiques by my peers because it seems like so many people there are so ‘green’ and the advice I get is not usually helpful.” What they are actually saying, in a…
Read MoreExercising The Songwriting Muscle
My very first publisher used to read me this quote. Over the years it has always served as a constant reminder to keep my songwriting muscle in shape…. “Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers,…
Read MoreGreat Songwriting Works In All Genres
As co-founders of SongTown, Clay Mills and I have had a lot of success as writers in the country genre. But we pride ourselves on using techniques that work in songwriting in all styles. Many people assume that we are “country songwriters” and that what we teach only applies to country music. This is a false assumption.…
Read More9 Things Skilled Songwriters Do Differently
So, what does it take to be a world-class writer? Early in my career, a Hall of Fame songwriter offered me an invaluable piece of insight. He said many people make it 95 percent of the way to greatness, but very few finish the last 5% of the journey. That statement has fascinated me, and…
Read MoreNavigating the Rollercoaster: Life as a Songwriter
Clay and Marty discuss how songwriters can survive through the tough times and stay creative. Help is available for the down times through: Better Help: Website MusiCares: Website Porter’s Call: Website Adding More Heart To Your Songs : Online CrashCourse Change the way the world hears your songs! 🔥 In this 3-week immersive songwriting course you will learn…
Read MoreThe Loop/Keys/Vocal Worktape
Hit Songwriter Clay Mills is a ten-time ASCAP awards winning songwriter/producer, penning #1 hits for Darius Rucker (“Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It”), Diamond Rio (“Beautiful Mess”), and Kimberley Locke (“Fall”). Along the way collecting Grammy Nominations for “Beautiful Mess” and Trisha Yearwood’s “Heaven Heartache and the Power of Love”. Clay has had over…
Read MoreSongTown – The Power Of Community For Songwriters
When I first started writing songs I was obsessed with listening to records. Songs and sound just turned me on. I was thoroughly engrossed with my favorite artist. I read books about Bob Dylan, I read liner notes and interviews with the Eagles. Deep down, I felt I was part of their world through their…
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