When I critique songs in my BMI Songwriting Workshops, I often hear melodies with a range (the interval between its lowest and the highest notes) limited to one octave or less. When I ask the writers to share their intentions for these songs, they sometimes respond, “My goal is to… Read more...
It would be hard to look at a list of current hit songs without noticing a trend: the growing use of featured artists. A featured artist is one who makes a guest appearance on another artist’s recording to create a collaboration. What’s the difference between a duet and a song… Read more...
A few weeks ago, a talented writer/artist asked me to write a song with her to fill a specific niche missing from her repertoire. She wanted a lyric that would convey strength and resolve; words that would empower listeners. She hoped we would write a melody that would showcase the… Read more...
While a film or TV show’s casting director is tasked with finding the right actors for a given role, those of us who create and represent songs have the job of identifying the ideal artists for our songs. Whether you are a songwriter pitching your own material or a music… Read more...
BMI is saddened by the passing of Dewayne Blackwell, co-writer of one of the most popular songs in modern music history, “Friends in Low Places,” recorded by country star Garth Brooks in 1990. The legendary recording took Single of the Year at both the CMA and ACM Awards, and it… Read more...
Imagine that you have entered a competition. The grand prize will be awarded to the songwriter who writes the most memorable, freshest melody—the melody that will jump out of the pile and convince a panel of music industry pros that they are listening to a future smash hit. The deadline… 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...
In what has become an annual tradition, BMI provided the musical entertainment at the International Idea Bank fall conference, held recently (10/22) in Elko, Nevada. The GRAMMY and Emmy-nominated songwriter Steve Dorff performed at The Ruby 360 Lodge for an audience of radio executives from around the world. Dorff has… Read more...
Sometimes, playing it safe is the most dangerous thing we can do. This is especially applicable when our goal is to write songs that rise above the competition; songs that become artists’ signature songs; and songs that impact audiences and propel artists to a next level. We need to find… Read more...
On September 15, master storytellers Ken Burns, Dayton Duncan and Julie Dunfey’s new eight-part documentary, Country Music, will debut on PBS. The much-awaited series chronicles the evolution of country music and explores the question most asked about the genre, especially in today’s world, “What is country music?” The Emmy-winning trio… Read more...
