I often tell my songwriting students that I teach tools—not rules. There are no rules in songwriting. Similarly, there is no road map that points the way to guaranteed success. But there are three things I consistently see in those who achieve their songwriting goals. Let’s look at the “3… Read more...
I recently forwarded three songs to a list of publishers who have agreed to listen to songs that I screen. One of the publishers responded, “This song is very well written and commercial. But I’ve already got this kind of stuff by the dozens. Seems that most writers are all… Read more...
During a recent workshop I was asked if I could identify the most important trait or skill for songwriters to possess. Was it an innate talent to craft a fresh, memorable melody? Was it the ability to craft a lyric that touched millions of hearts? Or was it something else?… Read more...
BMI paid tribute to the best in songwriting for its 68th Annual BMI Country Awards. The top songwriters, publishers and administrators of the previous year’s most-performed Country songs were celebrated across BMI’s digital and social channels. Major award winners for Song of the Year, Songwriter of the Year and Publisher… Read more...
BMI is once again exceptionally proud of its songwriters who were recognized for their creative work at last night’s 2020 Billboard Music Awards. Held without an audience due to COVID-19 restrictions at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, the ceremony was nonetheless a star-studded event filled with stirring moments and… Read more...
BMI is proud to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, recognizing the genre’s top songwriters, producers and publishers of the previous year. BMI’s Song of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Producer of the Year, Publisher of the Year and 2020’s Social Star were announced across BMI’s digital… Read more...
Most of the writers who attend my songwriting workshops already know how to write perfectly crafted songs. My job is to help them write the kinds of songs that a music publisher, record label executive, record producer, or recording artist will feel compelled to choose over the competition. One of… Read more...
At my songwriting workshops I stress the importance of including lyric and melodic elements in our songs that will compel listeners and decision-makers to choose our material over the tough competition. Let’s look at some ways to write lyrics that command attention. 1. Find a Fresh Angle It’s unlikely that… Read more...
The nods are out for the 55th annual ACM Awards with BMI songwriters poised to win big again this year. Leading the pack are Maren Morris and Thomas Rhett, who each received a resounding five nominations. Blake Shelton and Luke Combs were also awarded four and three nods, respectively, with… Read more...
Warning: Listening to the songs referenced in this article is likely to result in an inability to get them out of your brain. It is an incredible accomplishment for a song to reach the top of one of the Billboard charts. Occasionally, songs connect with listeners sufficiently to… Read more...
