Early on in my songwriting journey my goal was to have my songs represented by a music publisher—someone with the connections to get my masterpieces to the top artists of the day. I attended industry functions, networked, and took workshops where publishers screened songs, and … I received rejections from every… Read more...
Imagine that you have entered a competition. The grand prize will be awarded to the songwriter who writes the most memorable, freshest melody—the melody that will jump out of the pile and convince a panel of music industry pros that they are listening to a future smash hit. The deadline is… Read more...
Most of the writers who attend my songwriting workshops already know how to write perfectly crafted songs. My job is to help them write the kinds of songs that a music publisher, record label executive, record producer, or recording artist will feel compelled to choose over the competition. One of the… Read more...
At my songwriting workshops I stress the importance of including lyric and melodic elements in our songs that will compel listeners and decision-makers to choose our material over the tough competition. Let’s look at some ways to write lyrics that command attention. 1. Find a Fresh Angle It’s unlikely that we’re… Read more...
Many of the songs we write are reflections of our times. They are snapshots that capture the emotions and events that define our worlds. So, I was not surprised during my recent songwriters workshop (which was held online) when several writers shared songs that had been sparked by their feelings about… Read more...
As songwriters and recording artists, we are moved to share our emotions—our love, hope, joy, pain, and fear—through songs. This is how we express ourselves, entertain our fans, and allow our listeners to feel the comfort of knowing that others share their feelings. Despite artists’ tours and major music events such… Read more...
As we all know, creating new music can be an amazingly therapeutic activity under any circumstances. In this incredibly challenging environment that we’re only now coming to terms with, keeping musical ideas and relationships intact is perhaps more critical than ever. If you’re like me, perhaps you’ve found it helpful to… Read more...
Jesse Malin is New York City to the bone. Born in Queens, Malin cut his musical teeth in the gestating punk scene of Manhattan’s Lower East Side. He helped spearhead the birth of the New York hardcore movement with his teenaged trio, Heart Attack, immortalized on the seminal ROIR compilation cassette… Read more...
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...
| 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 |
