The Story Behind The Hit Song: Must Be Doin’ Somethin’ Right
My biggest hit so far (by far) has been Billy Currington’s “Must Be Doin’ Something’ Right”. The song also has an interesting story. My co-writer, Jason Matthews, and I had been working for two days on another song idea. By lunchtime on the second day, we still hadn’t made any progress. Not even one line. So, we did what many songwriters...
SongTown Say Whaaaa??? This Business of Songwriting Can Be Crazy!
Today I got an email from a talented SongTownian who asked me if it was a good idea to sign a contract that allowed his co-writer to negotiate contracts on their song on his behalf. And gave the co-writer 100% of the publishing on any deal made. Say WHaaaaaa?????? I had to read that twice!! Did I really just read that someone...
Songwriters: You’re the Hero, SongTown is the Sidekick
So many songwriting sites advertise the amazing things they can do for you. They will "turn you pro", introduce you to someone who will magically "get" you and get all of your songs cut, or take you up to breathe the rarified air of "hit mountain". In SongTown, we don't operate that way. We want to be...
5 Free Organizational Tools For Songwriters
These days, most songwriters I know are busier than ever managing lives, families, jobs, social media, writing, performing - the list goes on and on. Our time is precious and valuable! Here's a list of tools I use to streamline and organize my writing process, so that I have more time to be productive and creative. Google Docs. This is...
Songwriters: Don’t Focus On The Summit!
Songwriting can be a wonderfully, beautifully frustrating pursuit. But it can be especially maddening if your singular goal is something outside of your control. So, let's say your one obsession is a Bruno Mars cut. There are several reasons that you are going to likely spend the rest of your life banging your head on the wall and cursing the...
You Can’t Teach Songwriting: Fact or Fiction? A Pro Songwriter’s Perspective…
A Songwriting Degree... Several years ago, I attended my son's freshman orientation at Belmont University. He was headed into the Music Business program. During the parent's session, one mother raised her hand and asked (In all seriousness) "So, if my daughter gets a songwriting degree from Belmont, she is pretty much guaranteed a slot on Music Row, right?" The Dean...