Although I have made my living for over thirty years as a songwriter and musician, I must admit that I have a somewhat conflicted relationship with creativity. There are several reasons for this, and also several reasons why creativity will - in spite of everything - always have an important place…
The Power of Time Limits in Creativity
I began writing songs in the late 80s and my process then was anything but brief. First of all, I had little to no idea of how my own creative process worked so I spent a decent amount of time simply waiting around for inspiration to find me. When it did…
How To Make Creativity Easier
Let me begin by saying that if you’re struggling to access and develop your creativity, you’re not alone. Even full-time creatives such as myself find the process intimidating and daunting from time to time. To that end, I’ve put together a few creativity hacks that make the process not only more…
It’s Time for an All-New Edition of MusicWorld!
In this issue: Jason Blume Breaks Down the Process of Getting Your Songs on Playlists Cliff Goldmacher on the Pros and Cons of Using Clichés in Your Music BMI Celebrates its Latin Awards and Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards BMI Returns to Austin…
The Pros & Cons of Clichés
As a lyricist, I’m always on the lookout in my own writing for what I would call “lazy language.” What I mean by this is a part of a lyric that feels clichéd. The problem, specifically, is that we’re only given a certain number of lines of lyric to convey the…
Check Out Our Must-Read Tips in August’s MusicWorld!
In this issue: Cliff Goldmacher Carries Us Through the Life of a Demo BMI Affiliates Light Up the Stage at Lollapalooza 2022 Andrés Torres & Edgar Barrera Come Together for BMI’s Música y Más: Producers Edition BMI Nashville Celebrates Jelly Roll’s First…
A Day in the Life of a Demo
Having run a professional recording studio as an engineer and producer for close to thirty years, the process of taking a songwriter’s rough recording to a finished master is second nature to me. However, I’m well aware that for songwriters getting ready to demo one of their songs for the first…
Four Reasons Songwriters Should Perform Their Songs If Possible
I’m aware that some songwriters neither sing nor play an instrument, however, the vast majority do at least a little of both. And while I would never recommend doing something that would be discouraging or possibly put you or your songs in a bad light, I think that there are some…
5 Things To Remember When Reaching Out To Someone “Cold”
As songwriters, we’re constantly confronted with the frustration of how to reach the right music industry decision-maker for our songs. A lot of the answer resides in the slow and steady development of our network of friends and acquaintances but, from time to time, we have to be brave and put…
4 More Tips for Instantly Better Lyrics
Good lyric writing is, most often, a deceptively simple endeavor. When a lyric is at its best, it seems to effortlessly tell the story of your song using memorable imagery, great details and an unforgettable message. The reality, however, is that there are lots of factors at work “behind the scenes”…