Pitching songs (playing songs for publishers, artists or record label people in hopes of getting them to record or help you get a song recorded), is one of the areas where songwriters make the most mistakes.  And, those mistakes can be costly.  You don't get too many chances to make a good impression before you are put on the...

  I have received several emails this week asking about the best approach to recording song demos. There are many things that have changed over the last year since I first blogged about this. Here are a few questions to consider when demoing your songs. 1. Who will be listening? If you are playing your demo for an experienced...

  "I've got nothing to write a song about today."   I remember standing outside Darius Rucker's tour bus saying these words over the phone to a friend. She had just asked me what I was going to write with Darius that day. Here I was outside Chicago, having flown there to meet up with the tour, and I needed to write...

  Being grateful and giving thanks is a discipline that I try to practice daily. From a songwriting perspective, here are some things I believe all of us creative types need to be thankful for: The Believers My mom was a huge believer in me and my music.  When everyone else was telling me "no", she encouraged me to keep on and told...

I can’t count the number of times I’ve been asked “How in the world do you come up with a song-a-day – every day?” Here’s the short answer on how I pull that off... Ideas I have a database that includes over 600 titles. I can always find something interesting there to write. It saves time, which is crucial for writing a...

I’ve been reading a book called “Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of “Eat, Pray, Love”, that was given to me by SongTownian Lance Sims. In the first few pages of the book, Ms. Gilbert writes... “If you argue for your limitations, you get to keep them.” That hit me squarely between the eyes. I...