BMI’s ‘On the Record’ reached out to Clay Bradley, Vice President of Creative in Nashville to answer one of the more pressing questions facing songwriters this instant. What can songwriters do to stay motivated and creative in the current interim? What can they do to help maintain their careers? Here’s how… Read more...
While I am writing this article, the world is battling COVID-19 and social distancing is curtailing the in-person collaborations that are so often the way songs are written. For those who are unable to write and record songs during face-to-face sessions there are alternatives. Co-Writing Separately My first major-label cut was… Read more...
The songwriting advice that you should “write from you heart” is equal parts obvious and incredibly challenging. Given that most of us begin songwriting because of something we’re feeling in our hearts, it’s the most natural approach for us. But somewhere along the way when we decide to become “songwriters,” writing… Read more...
In my experience, electric bass has always been one of the most confounding instruments to record. For one thing it’s seldom a set-it-and-forget-it operation—levels that worked great on one session may be less effective the next time, particularly when working with different dynamics or instrumentation. In other words, it’s helpful to… 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 retain… Read more...
If you want to get better at writing songs, “Just keep writing.” This is one of those pieces of advice that we hear again and again as songwriters. And the reason we hear it so often is because of how spot on the advice is. The more you write the more… Read more...
Like any good embellishment, background vocals help fill the gaps during a tracking session, adding punch to a chorus or providing a sonic contrast to the lead vocal throughout. It can be as simple as a few sustained ‘oohs’ here and there, or something more sophisticated like a call-and-response melody during… Read more...
Many times songwriters struggle with everything they think they need to do to advance their careers and they miss working on some of the very basic traits that most successful songwriters invariably seem to have. We asked Leslie Roberts, Creative – Nashville and Brandon Haas, Creative – NY to weigh in… Read more...
Given that we can all upload and distribute our music to any number of digital platforms quickly and cheaply, why even bother with a physical record anymore? Though it may seem antiquated, there are still plenty of music fans who want a tangible product (other than a cold compact disc, that… Read more...
Early on in my songwriting journey, my father used to ask me, “What’s the chance of your songs becoming a hit? A million to one?” I explained that while it’s true that not everyone who dreams of topping the charts will achieve his or her goal, songwriting success is not… Read more...
| Jun 30 2015 | BMI Licensing Sales Job Fair: Nashville, TN |
| Sep 12 2010 | West Coast Songwriters Conference: Los Altos, CA |
| Sep 11 2010 | West Coast Songwriters Conference: Los Altos, CA |
