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Archive for September, 2010

5 Ways To Finish the Song You’ve Been Working On Forever

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Sometimes songs come easy. You sit down and the whole thing pours out of you almost as if you’re simply transcribing it as it’s handed down to you from the heavens. Those are great but I’ve learned you can’t always count on it working that way. The other side of the coin is when songwriting more closely resembles the extraction of a particularly reluctant wisdom tooth…without an anesthetic. This article is about how to deal with those songs. I’m going to offer five different approaches to get you un-stuck and get your song finished one way or the other.

1. Make a Rough Recording of Your Song

Sometimes all you need is a little perspective. Often when we’re writing a song, we’ll go around and around singing it to ourselves sometimes playing an instrument as we do it. This is a necessary and essential part of the writing process and although it’s helpful while we’re writing, it doesn’t provide us with the listener’s perspective. Whether it’s a song you’ve just been working on or one you’ve played live hundreds of times, if you’re not sure it’s finished, then do a rough recording. By a rough recording, I mean simply sing (and play if you’re also an instrumentalist) the song into your computer, hand-held recorder or even your cell phone and listen to the playback of the recording without playing your instrument or singing along. This simple act of putting yourself in the audience, so to speak, will give you perspective on what is and isn’t working in a way that is impossible while you’re actually singing the song yourself. I’d also suggest printing out a lyric sheet and keeping it in front of you to make notes on as you get ideas from listening to the rough. Finally, I’d recommend the process of making a rough recording, tweaking the song and then making a new rough recording, until you end up with a version of the song that you feel good about. This final rough recording can then do double duty as the version of the song you’ll provide the session musicians and singers so that they can learn your song for the demo session.

2. Play It For Your Songwriting Group

Still stuck? Sometimes it takes another set of experienced ears to hear the things you’ve been missing. Songwriting groups can be great for this. If you don’t have a songwriting group, not to worry. Most cities have songwriting organizations, open mics and even local coffee houses with live music where you can meet other songwriters. Once you’ve found a few other songwriters whose work you respect, you might suggest getting together once every week or two and showing each other what you’ve been working on. This is a great way to get suggestions on how to refine your material. I’d recommend making a pact to stay constructive. There’s never a point in being unduly negative. You’re all trusting each other with songs that are still in their vulnerable early and unfinished stages. Mean-spirited comments or unnecessarily harsh criticism can cause a potentially superb song to be abandoned on the spot. It’s important to remember that songwriting is still a subjective process and not every suggestion you get will feel right to you. That’s fine. If you get a single suggestion that makes your song better, then the process is working. By the way, if you’re looking for a songwriting organization in your area, the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) has chapters all over the country and even overseas. Click here to find a chapter near you.

3. Submit Your Rough Recording to a Critiquing Service

Songwriting organizations like the Nashville Songwriters Association, The Songwriters Guild of America and Taxi.com offer song critiques to their members. This can be a safe, entry-level way to try out new material on experienced industry ears without risking poisoning the well if the song comes back with a less than glowing set of comments. These same organizations also offer “Play for Publisher” or “Play for A&R” song screenings. I’d highly recommend waiting to submit to these events until you have a song (and, just as importantly, a recording) you feel confident is completely polished. You only have one chance to make a first impression with a publisher or record executive so I’d suggest taking your time, making sure your song is finished and that you have a totally professional demo before you head down that road. While a pro critique can yield some terrific insights, it’s important to remember that songwriting is a subjective process. In other words, take all comments (good and bad) with a grain of salt.

4. Bring in a Co-Writer

If you feel you’ve got an exceptional idea but truly can’t seem to figure out how to finish it, then maybe it’s time to bring in a co-writer. Many co-writes begin from scratch which is a great way to share the effort of creating a new song but, sometimes, co-writes happen when one writer brings a partially finished idea to another. For example, if it’s the melody that’s got you stuck, then I’d recommend working with a co-writer who has a melodic gift. If it’s the lyric, look for a strong lyricist. The key to co-writing is to find someone who’s strong where you aren’t (and vice versa) so, together, you can come up with something better than either one of you could have created on your own.

5. Put It Away (…maybe forever)

If you’ve tried everything and your song still just kind of lies there, then it’s time to put it away…maybe even forever. The key to staying productive as a songwriter is not getting too bogged down on any one song. Sometimes songs are meant to be started simply to get you to the next song. Don’t be afraid to leave a song behind and start on something new. Sometimes you’ll come back to it months or even years later and sometimes you won’t. The more songs you write the easier this will become. Promise. While songwriting can certainly be a challenge at times, it shouldn’t have to hurt. It’s up to you to decide whether a song needs one more good effort or an express trip to the circular file.

I’ll leave you with a final random thought. Often the days you’re dreading working on a song are the days when you make the biggest gains. Always give yourself the benefit of the doubt and sit down and try. If it isn’t happening pretty quickly, then let it go, but if it is, you’ll be doubly glad you made the effort.

Good luck!

Posted in Songwriting | 7 Comments »

Don’t Ever Underestimate Your Passion

Monday, September 27th, 2010

This is a guest article by Kristy Jackson.

If you’re a songwriter, here’s my advice. Five words. Don’t Ever Underestimate Your Passion! It’s a thankless job for the most part but you never know when something you write might strike a chord…something you write might resonate with someone…something you write might change peoples’ lives and yours.

After 9/11, 2001, I wrote a song, “Little Did She Know (She’d Kissed A Hero).” It wasn’t for anyone. It was for me…my way of grieving. I wrote it on September 26th, right after all the cell phone calls from Flight 93 were aired. How many times had I kissed my husband goodbye for the day thinking it would be an ordinary day? Only on that day it would be for many couples anything but ordinary.

The short story is that my rough recording (one take keyboard/vocals) found its way to radio. By October 2001, it had been downloaded by two hundred radio stations and by November 1st it was the most requested song on the largest radio stations in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and other major markets. It took on a life of its own. Turning down a deal from Sony, I donated all my airplay royalties, quit my teaching job and raised over $30,000 for 9/11 charities. Not bad for an indie. I pressed a single and it ended up selling in every state of the US and seventeen countries.

I still get emails to this day about how the song has impacted peoples’ lives and it’s played on every anniversary on major market radio stations. I received over five thousand emails about the song, people telling me where they were, who they were looking for, who they waited to hear from and how this tragedy impacted their lives. I answered each one personally. How could I not? It’s since become a book. The email that we put last was the one that prompted putting the book together. A precious wife lost her husband on 9/11 and evidently my song had brought her such comfort through that time that soon after she found out she was pregnant - and when she delivered her healthy little girl - she named her Kristy…after me! I’ve never cried so hard in my life.

Here’s the bottom line. In the midst of tragedy, heartache, even overwhelming gratitude for your place in the world, don’t ever wonder what can one person do. Evidently, a lot more than you think. Just keep writing and keep the faith. God has given you a unique voice in this world. That’s who you are. It was given to you for a reason.

Posted in Songwriting | 11 Comments »

Submitting Your Songs To ANYONE in the Music Industry

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

So you’ve written a great song, made a fabulous demo and now you’ll live happily ever after, right? Well, kind of… This article is the official “chapter after” you’ve written and recorded your song. There’s no doubt that being a great songwriter and having beautifully recorded versions of your songs is an admirable goal in and of itself. However, if you’re interested in having your songs see the light of day then your work is really just beginning. While organizations like Tunecore do a beautiful job of helping you get your music out in the world, it’s still entirely up to you to make sure your songs get in the right music industry hands. Until the people who can actually do something with your song (i.e. record labels, producers, managers and publishers) have heard it, it might as well not exist. I know this sounds obvious but I think you’d be amazed at the number of songwriters out there who have great song demos that very few, if any, music business people have ever heard. Creating the music is one thing but getting your music out in the world requires an entirely different set of skills. The skills I’m going to focus on are networking, professionalism, persistence, persistence (yes, I know I wrote it twice…) courtesy and patience.

Networking

Like any business, it’s not only “what” you know but “who” you know that gets you ahead. What this means in the music world is getting yourself out there to open mics, writer’s nights and any industry events you can find. For those of you in music cities like New York, Nashville and Los Angeles there are an almost endless stream of opportunities. For everyone else, you might have to look a little harder or travel from time to time to one of the cities I just mentioned. I think it’s a universal truth that this kind of stuff isn’t always that much fun but especially when you’re starting out, it’s essential. Let’s put it this way, all things being equal, if you’ve met someone from a record label or publishing company in a social setting and assuming you’ve had a nice exchange, there’s a much greater likelihood that they’ll not only remember you when you call but will make more of an effort to help you out if they can. The point is that the more you’re out there, the more people you’ll meet and the greater the chance it will pay dividends down the road. I’d also recommend remembering a few basic social skills while you’re at it like not immediately launching into your 10-minute, spoken-word bio when you meet someone. It’s a much better idea to find out a little something about the person you’re talking to by remembering to ask a few questions as well.

Professionalism

Did I mention we’re talking about the music business? This means it’s in your best interest to be professional about how you approach people in the industry. When reaching out to someone in the music industry, call or email first. Make this first contact short and to the point. In other words, let them know why you’re calling/emailing (i.e. to schedule a meeting, to see if they’re accepting CD’s, to ask whether you can submit an mp3, etc.). This is not the time to have a long discussion. If you’ve been referred by someone they know (see “networking” above) mention this as well. Also, while it’s great to be excited and even confident about your material, it rarely pays to tell someone that you’ve got a “great” song or you’re an “amazing” songwriter. Let your music speak for itself. Once you’ve gotten approval to do so, then submit your song or bring it to the meeting. It really doesn’t make sense to send out CD’s or mp3’s without first getting approval as they usually end up at the bottom of a pile or even worse, the person who hasn’t asked for it considers it an intrusion. Don’t kill the messenger here, I’m simply saying that the odds are that if someone isn’t expecting your material, there’s a good chance it won’t get heard.

By the way, if you’ve never seen the office of an A&R rep or music publisher, I’m here to tell you that it’s wall-to-wall CD’s. We’re talking hundreds and hundreds if not thousands of them. Make sure that your CD is clearly labeled with a few simple elements: Your name and contact information (phone and email), the name of the song or songs and possibly - if it’s a song for an artist - the name of the person you’re pitching it to. Also, make certain that every part of the package is labeled. This means put your information on the CD and on the CD sleeve or jewel case. Make sure that if the CD itself gets separated from the case, the information is the CD, too. Also, if you’re using a jewel case, make sure there’s information on the spine. Remember the part where I said there are thousands of CD’s in these folks’ offices? When your CD ends up on a shelf with all the others, the spine of the CD will be the only way for them to identify it.

Finally, I can think of no good reason why any submission should be more than three songs. If you’re pitching a song to an artist, they’re not hoping for a “bonus track.” If you’re pitching to a publisher, three songs is a good way to show them you’ve got more than one good song without overdoing it. If they want more, believe me, they’ll ask. It all comes down to putting yourself in the position of the industry person. If they’ve got a desk full of CD’s to listen to and have to choose between a CD with two songs on it or one with nineteen songs, which one do you think they’ll pick?

Persistence…Persistence

Let’s say you’re fortunate enough to reach someone by either phone or email and they’ve agreed to let you mail in a CD or email them an mp3. Here’s what you should expect. Nothing. In other words, it’s extremely rare that you’ll hear anything back quickly after you submit it. (See “thousands of CD’s” above…). As a matter of fact, you should put in your calendar to follow up two or three weeks after you’ve submitted something. This follow up should be even shorter than your initial contact. Email is probably best for this. A simple email saying you wanted to make sure they’d received your submission is enough. Also, don’t be surprised if the response you get back (if you’re lucky enough to get one) says they haven’t gotten it and would you mind resending it. (See “persistence…persistence” in the above heading.) Resending material is something that you should expect to do. Following up every two to three weeks (unless you’re asked not to) is perfectly acceptable if you’re polite and to the point. I’m not a cynic and I don’t believe that anyone has an agenda to ignore submitted material. I’m a realist and the sheer number of submissions makes it almost impossible for anyone to stay on top of things. Anything you can do to help remind someone is in your best interest and generally appreciated.

Courtesy

I think it’s important to realize that no one in the industry owes you anything. This may sound harsh but it’s an important point. You may very well have great songs and it would be in the best interest of the industry professional you’re pursuing to listen to them, but there are a lot of great songs out there and only a limited number of opportunities for them. All this to say, if your song isn’t listened to right away or even if it’s lost or ignored, don’t take it personally. I’m a songwriter myself so I know exactly how important your songs are to you. It’s not easy to submit them for judgment and tougher still to wait around hoping someone will actually listen. However, you’ll only do yourself a disservice by being rude or impatient with someone and heaven help you if you get a reputation in the industry for being difficult or unpleasant.

Patience

Given that there are so many artists, songwriters and songs out there vying for a limited number of spots, it all comes down to patience. Patience with yourself as you improve your musical skills and patience with the industry people you’re soliciting as they make their way through all of the material in line ahead of you. My recommendation is to have as many irons in the fire as you possibly can at all times so that you’re not waiting for any one thing to happen or not to happen as is so often the case. The more people you get to know, the more opportunities you explore and the more submissions you make, the less likely you are to get discouraged and the more likely you are to start having success.