In the ever changing world of the music business, many terms get thrown around in ways that are confusing.  If you are interested in playing in the "big leagues" as a "pro" writer, it's important to know what people in the music business are talking about when they use these words: Pro The dictionary defines "professional" as "a person who earns...

    1.Believe: As creative people, we tend to be self-doubters. It's what drives us to look inward, to constantly question life around us, and, if channeled properly, will drive us to write great songs. It's perfectly natural to struggle with believing in ourselves and our art, but ultimately, we must trust ourselves and believe our journey is our destiny.     2....

From time to time, someone asks me "What are the odds of getting a cut?"  In my mind, what they are really asking is "Is this even worth trying?"  I'm going to suggest here that this is the wrong approach to dream chasing of any form. Let me put it to you this way.  What are the odds that a Nashville...

    Following your dreams... When I was 19 years old, I decided to leave my small Alabama hometown and strike out on a journey to the Big Apple: New York City. It took a combination of naivety and hard-headedness, I suppose. After all, I didn’t know anyone in New York City, and I had a grand savings of $300 in my...

One of the biggest "ailments" I see when I mentor songwriters is that they are writing WAY too many ballads. It seems like many of us default to slow songs. While a well written ballad can be very successful and meaningful, there are also many reasons it is NOT a great idea to write a lot of ballads if you are...

  Throughout my 20 years as a professional songwriter, I’ve noticed there isn't always a large difference in talent level among creative people. Why, then do some songwriters seem to have an over abundance of fans buying their music while others struggle to sell the first song? The answer is there is not a huge difference in skill most writers pocess, but there is a...