BMI is saddened by the passing of Deborah McCrary, one of four sisters in the legendary gospel group, The McCrary Sisters. Having learned to sing from her Baptist preacher and gospel musician father, Reverend Samuel H. “Sam” McCrary of the famed Fairfield Four, Deborah, along with Ann, Regina, and Alfreda… 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...
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 pleased to announce its return to the Austin City Limits Music Festival on October 1-3 and 8-10, 2021. The multi-weekend Texas festival is back and BMI’s can’t-miss, genre-diverse lineup is set to feature a range of rising pop, rock, country, Latin, Americana, hip-hop and R&B stars. Read more...
Once again, BMI songwriters took the vast majority of nods for this year’s CMA Awards. Leading the pack with five nominations is Eric Church, with many others also capturing multiple accolades, including Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, Ashley McBryde, Gabby Barrett, Thomas Rhett, Jay Joyce, Chris Young, Kane Brown,… Read more...
I was recently asked how the tools and techniques I teach today differ from those I have taught in the past. Have I noticed any recent changes in successful songs and in the processes of writing them? I looked back over the thirty years that I have been teaching songwriting,… Read more...
Joy Oladokun is a delightfully eccentric first-generation Nigerian American singer, songwriter, and producer. Oladokun grew up in Casa Grande, Arizona in a primarily white town surrounded by images of white men with guitars, but when she caught a glimpse of Tracy Chapman performing to a full stadium with her guitar,… Read more...
JP Saxe is a busy man and a prolific singer/songwriter. Since releasing his first single, “Changed,” in 2017, he has distinguished himself with a succession of lilting pop songs that delve into matters of the heart, at times with almost disarming intimacy. Having already co-written alongside BMI songwriters like Carmen… Read more...
BMI proudly celebrates the 69th Annual BMI Pop Awards, recognizing the songwriters, publishers and administrators of the previous year’s most-performed pop songs in the United States across radio and digital streaming platforms. All winners were announced in a special online celebration and on BMI’s social channels, including the recipients of… Read more...
Captured at 60 Second Sessions
