When we present a song to a music industry professional, whether in person or via the internet, it is always a good idea to have a lyric sheet available. At a face-to-face meeting, ask whether the listener would like to follow along with a lyric sheet. When sending songs via… Read more...
Back in the days when songwriting success was a distant dream, each time I met with a music publisher, I was a nervous wreck leading up to that meeting. I hoped the publisher would instantly recognize that my songs were destined to be GRAMMY-winning hits, and I would be offered… Read more...
Marketing and advertising studies show that we are better able to remember ads we are exposed to multiple times. When we see or hear something once, we are likely to forget it. But with repeated exposure it is more apt to stick in our brains. This also applies to melodies.… 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...
Prior to the pandemic only a small percentage of my songwriting students engaged in long-distance, online collaborations. But when COVID-19 arrived it brought most in-person co-writing sessions to a screeching halt. Instead of writers meeting at one of their homes or publishers’ offices, they met in Zoom rooms or used… 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...
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...
The end of a year—and the beginning of a new one—is a perfect time to reassess our goals and recommit to them. I hope that revisiting the excerpts that follow will help you all attain a successful 2022. Excerpt from “Bring Me Something New—What Song Publishers Really Mean”… Read more...
At a recent songwriters’ workshop, prior to critiquing a song from each participant, I asked the writers to let me know their intention or their hope for their song. For example, are they a recording artist and are planning to record and release the song themselves? Are they intending to… Read more...
When I find an exceptional song at one of the workshops that I teach online, I forward it to up to ten publishers, depending on the song’s genre. I emphasize to prospective students that to maintain my credibility, I must be extremely selective about the songs that I forward. Perfectly… Read more...
