The 9-Minute Songwriter Workout
These three songwriting exercises are designed to get you into the flow of writing without thinking. Your best ideas come from the subconscious, and you can tap into this with regular practice. Remember to do these exercises quickly, spending three minutes on each in rapid fire succession. I set the timer on my iPhone. Don’t judge or question ANYTHING you write...
Video Songwriting Lesson: Finding the Heart of Your Song
Finding The Heart & Soul Of your Music Takes Courage... And A Few Tricks! Multi #1 songwriter Clay Mills will show you how to find the "true heart of your song" and create music that matters. This video is part of a weekly lesson series for members at SongTown. Clay Mills is a 16-time ASCAP hit songwriter, producer, and performer. His songs have...
5 Things I Can’t Do Anything About: Life Lessons For The Music Business
Letting Go... Last week when we were trying to go to Spain, my wife and I got to the airport at 9:45 AM. Our flight was supposed to leave at 12:20. We got a little snack and waited at our gate. Then, the trouble started. They kept delaying our flight 30 minutes at a time. Finally, the plane arrived at 2:30...
An Open Letter To Young Songwriters
I write with a number of young songwriters and I can’t count the times that I have referenced an older song (80’s or 90’s) and discovered that they had never heard the song and in many cases, had never heard of the artist either. This isn’t shocking to me – I once was that guy myself. But it does make...
Songwriters And Artists: Are Your Songs Real or Really Clever?
Perhaps the most common songwriting mistake that I've seen kill a song... If I had to choose one songwriting mistake I've seen over and over in mentoring sessions through the years, it would be "writing clever instead of writing real." Throughout the entire writing process I am asking myself, does this feel real? Could this have really happened? Does this sound like something...
The 10 Co-Writing Commandments For Songwriters
Co-writing: The art of sharing your heart felt ideas with another person and trusting the two of you will create songwriting magic. This can be tremendously rewarding and often frustrating. But there are some guidelines to make this experience more often than not a great one. If Moses came down from the mountain with a tablet or two on co-writing perhaps this would...