One of the most common questions I get is “How much furniture does my song need?” What the writer means, is “How many nouns and adjectives should my song have?” For instance, if I talk about my rusty blue Ford truck, I have painted you a picture. If I just mention my truck with no details, then you might not picture...

  As a songwriter I have been blessed with both a career I never dreamed possible and a chance to help hundreds of talented writers at SongTown level-up up their songwriting. I especially love delving into vocal melodies and different production techniques that will make a song stand the test of time. Every January I give my Melody Masterclass their first week’s...

One of the biggest things most people could do to improve their writing is to really master the art of rewriting lyrics. For my whole career, I’ve heard the saying, “Good songs are written but great songs are rewritten.” I have found that to be true in most cases. Sometimes, a song just falls out of the sky and...

Ever wonder where your favorite artists or songwriters consistently find those great song ideas? I like to think of ideas as a creative river- constantly flowing by. It may sound simplistic to say it’s purely a matter of learning to catch them. But once you learn how to find great song ideas, it really is that easy. Whether I’m standing in...

Writing and reading lessens our isolation and prods our imagination. Music makes our souls dance, and great art leaves an impression that lasts for centuries.   Over my 23 years as a professional songwriter, I’ve read just about every book on creativity I could get my hands on. I’m convinced I will never fully understand this magical, mythical experience of creative inspiration....

Yesterday during a mentoring session I was asked the question, “When did you decide to be a songwriter/musician?” I thought about it a couple of moments and realized it was never a conscious decision. It was more like music made me. Music made me a musician by always being there. When everything else failed, I could pick up my guitar and escape...