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… Read more...
The BMI Foundation (BMIF), in collaboration with BMI, has announced the eight young classical composers, ages 18 to 27, who have been named winners of the 68th annual BMI Student Composer Awards. With the postponement of this year’s ceremony, Director of the Awards and BMIF President Deirdre Chadwick announced the… Read more...
Although New York’s Tribeca Film Festival, which was scheduled to take place April 15 - 26, was postponed due to COVID-19, the festival’s much heralded Juried Awards were announced online with BMI composers scoring many of the nominated and winning works. The awards span seven different categories that include both… Read more...
BMI is proud to support Song Arts Academy’s next online workshop intensive starting Tuesday, May 26. This workshop is a proven and unique learning destination taught by NYU Steinhardt, New School Songwriting faculty member and Berklee NYC consultant Billy Seidman. Past writers trained in the workshop’s “Advanced Song Craft Method”™… 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… Read more...
On April 7, BMI President & CEO Mike O’Neill sent an email to BMI affiliates reassuring them that their distributions will be on time and outlining the company’s steps to minimize the financial impact of COVID-19 on their future royalties. Read the full letter below. Dear BMI Songwriters, Composers… 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… Read more...
BMI is proud to support Song Arts Academy’s next online workshop intensive, starting Monday, April 20. The workshop is a proven and unique learning destination taught by NYU Steinhardt, New School Songwriting faculty member and Berklee NYC consultant Billy Seidman. Past writers trained in the workshop’s “Advanced Song Craft Method”™… Read more...
This morning, the Library of Congress announced the newest works to be listed in the prestigious National Recording Registry, with several BMI songwriters and composers receiving the honors. The inductions will become part of an elite group of recordings destined for special preservation and scholarship attention due to their “cultural,… 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… Read more...
