The Key West Songwriters Festival, now in its 24th year, was once again an experience to remember for everyone who attended. Year after year, BMI brings Nashville’s best talent to the island for five days of music by established songwriters, as well as up-and-comers. The rowdy week of performances kicked… Read more...
Music in all genres is constantly evolving, and that is certainly evident on today’s country music charts. Hits by artists such as Keith Urban, Florida Georgia Line, Carrie Underwood, and Thomas Rhett bear little resemblance to those by country music legends who paved the way, such as Willie Nelson, Dolly… Read more...
At a songwriting conference I attended, GRAMMY winning singer/songwriter Colbie Caillat shared some comments that her father, record producer and engineer Ken Caillat (Fleetwood Mac, Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys) had made regarding bridges in songs. He had stated that bridges are crucial elements because they are typically the final… Read more...
BMI team members, along with artist Justin Moore, celebrated BMI songwriters Natalie Hemby and Rodney Clawson, as well as Matt Dragsteam, who together penned the #1 song, “You Look Like I Need A Drink.” The track is the 6th number one for Moore as an artist, and the 6th and… Read more...
BMI Nashvillecs lobby held friends, family and fans of BMI artist Chris Lane and the writers of his hit song “Fix” for a #1 party celebration on October 10. Written by BMI writers Sarah Buxton and Jesse Erasure with Abe Stoklasa, the single from his second album Girl Problems marks… Read more...
Nashville’s City Winery venue was filled with music industry executives, family and friends of the songwriters responsible for BMI affiliate Jason Aldean’s incredible run of consecutive #1 hits. BMI songwriters Rodney Clawson, Tyler Hubbard and Brain Kelly, along with Chris Tompkins, penned the smash “Burnin’ It Down,” white chart toppers… Read more...
Your title and concept are the foundations upon which your entire lyric will be built. The strongest lyrics deliver listeners to the title, and the title is the logical conclusion of the lines that precede it. If you build on a weak foundation you’ll be facing an uphill battle to… Read more...
Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley have been best friends since they met at Nashville’s music-focused Belmont University. Today, they’re the breakout country duo Florida Georgia Line — winners of the Academy of Country Music’s New Artist of the Year and New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year awards for… Read more...
TV talent competitions are sometimes viewed as career shortcuts. Not so in the case of RCA recording artist Chris Young: By the time the Murfreesboro, Tennessee, native had been crowned the winner of Nashville Star at age 20, the classically trained singer had already self-released one country album, was a… Read more...
When the girl he liked passed him over for another guy, 16-year-old Blake Shelton did something he’d never done before: He set his heartbreak to music. “I grabbed my guitar and wrote a song called ‘That Girl Made a Fool Out of Me’,” he recalls with a chuckle. “Even then… Read more...
