Back when I was beating the streets of Nashville looking for my first cut as a songwriter, I was asked to write a theme song for a TV show about Sisters. They wanted something in the vibe of Sarah McLachlan. As luck would have it my parents had just given me my childhood piano and it arrived just days...

I had a conversation this week with one of my song pluggers. I have worked with this guy for more than 20 years. I consider him my best friend in the music business. Why? He tells me the truth. Always. At one time, I turned in a song I wrote with a young artist. His only comment was "I don't dig this...

Here are some fun songwriting exercises I do when I want to sharpen my songwriting skills and just have a good time with it, putting no pressure on myself.  Hope you enjoy! Thumb through a magazine looking for song ideas. Sometimes when I'm on an airplane, I pick up the inflight magazine and challenge myself to find 5 song ideas.  I...

  I believe that the scariest moment in songwriting is the moment before you start. Most of us have voices that play in our heads. Those voices often tell us that the task at hand "can't be done". "You aren't good enough". "You can't handle this". You know the drill.   It is the rare person who has never heard those...

  No matter what your definition of Songwriting Success is, one of the most overlooked aspect of a songwriter's journey is community. I run into many writers who are writing pretty good songs, but they are doing it in a vacuum. In reality, it's nearly impossible to succeed as a songwriter or anything without a supportive community around you. Here are some...

    One of the reasons Clay and I started SongTown was to help people learn how the songwriting business works and immunize themselves from being ripped off. So, I want to give you some advice that can help save you hundreds and maybe even hundreds of thousands of dollars. If you heed this advice, you can make sure that you don't get...