Recent Advice News

From MusicWorld, posted 11.28.18. An aspiring songwriter recently asked me several intriguing questions: “What abilities do I need to write songs? Do I need to be able to read and write music? Play keyboards or guitar? Sing in tune?” He followed up by asking what additional skills he would need in order to record demos… Read more...

From MusicWorld, posted 11.28.18. As a longtime analog advocate, it came as something of a shock last year when nearly all of my non-digital equipment began to fail one by one, leading me on a reluctant search for suitable modern replacements. That turn of events made me reconsider what kind of equipment qualifies as “essential”… Read more...

From The Weekly, posted 11.13.18. Songwriters often ask, “How do I build relationships in the industry?” This week, BMI’s Creative Team weighs in on where to be, what to say and how to go about trying to meet industry insiders. Tracie Verlinde, Creative, Los Angeles: The concept of networking is often daunting and overwhelming to… Read more...

From The Weekly, posted 11.06.18. Music in all genres is constantly evolving, and that is certainly evident on today’s country music charts. Hits by artists such as Keith Urban, Florida Georgia Line, Carrie Underwood, and Thomas Rhett bear little resemblance to those by country music legends who paved the way, such as Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton,… Read more...

From The Weekly, posted 10.30.18. Think of one of your all-time favorite recordings, right now, then ask yourself: what is it about this particular track that makes me want to hear it over and over again in perpetuity? Is it the sound of the instruments, the way the vocals are mixed or processed, or some other… Read more...

From The Weekly, posted 10.23.18. At a recent workshop, I guided the attendees through a creative exercise that began with a prompt–a suggestion intended to stimulate lyric ideas that would hopefully lead to a song. Rather than providing them with a specific title or idea to write about, I asked them to look around the room… Read more...

From MusicWorld, posted 10.17.18. In teaching songwriting and music business workshops over the past fifteen years, I’ve observed that there is a “greatest hits” of questions that I get over and over again from my attendees. I thought it might be helpful to share those questions and my answers here. Music Business 1. When should… Read more...

From The Weekly, posted 10.16.18. If history is any indication, one thing we can count on is that music is constantly evolving–and that includes which instruments and sounds are popular at any given time. In some instances, the invention of a new instrument changes the musical landscape. But more often, the instrumentation heard in popular songs… Read more...

From The Weekly, posted 10.09.18. The blessing and the curse of recording your finished song is that you can really dig in and scrutinize every detail. The “blessing” part is being able to hear all of the things that are coming together to make your song sound great but the “curse” is that by listening so… Read more...

From The Weekly, posted 10.02.18. A lot of composers ask what they need to do to catch the ears of the industry. So, we asked our film/TV expert to tell us what it is about music creators that she thinks creates a buzz. Here’s what she said: Doreen Ringer-Ross, Vice President Creative, Film, TV & Visual… Read more...