|
Four Indicators of a Successful Co-WriteFor those of you who are relatively new to co-writing or haven’t yet co-written, it can be difficult to know what to expect when you get together with another songwriter to collaborate. As a veteran of over a thousand songwriting collaborations, I thought I’d put down a few of the indicators you should be noticing |
|
Six Things I Had To Do Before I Played the Grand Ole OpryA few years back, I had a career moment when I was invited to perform a song I’d co-written on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. While, of course, I want to believe the song, “The Snow and Three Thousand Miles,” that I co-wrote with the evening’s performer, Mindy Smith, was well-written, it occurred |
|
A Few Tips on Writing Lyrics to An Existing MelodyMore often than not, songs seem to come together as a gradual and simultaneous creation of lyric and melody. Maybe a snippet of melody has been running around in your head with a bit of lyric attached. Or maybe you’ve got a title or hook idea that has a bit of melody to go with |
|
A Discussion About Co-Writing PercentagesIn songwriting, as in any creative endeavor, there’s a delicate balance between art and commerce. While writing songs is, at its core, an act of artistic expression, it also marks the creation of what attorneys refer to as “intellectual property.” So, given that there is property ownership involved, the questions on the table are how |
|
Four Ways Courage Can Make A Songwriter SuccessfulWhile the life of a successful songwriter can appear glamorous, building that career step by grueling step is not for the faint of heart. Creating art is equal parts passion, inspiration and discipline and figuring out how to monetize that art requires a special kind of courage. Bravery as a songwriter takes many forms, I’ve |
|
Five Ways to Find Songwriting CollaboratorsSo let’s say you’re a lyricist who has lots of great song ideas but no melodies to hang them on. Or, let’s say, you’re an experienced musician and vocalist but can’t imagine putting words to any of your melodies. Songwriting collaboration in these – and many other – instances can be the ideal solution. The |
|
Five Ways Songwriters Can Avoid Writer’s BlockSongwriting – like any art – requires at least a certain amount of inspiration. However, the more you write the more often inspiration isn’t as available as you’d like it to be. Occasionally, inspiration can appear to run completely dry. When you find yourself heading toward or already in that situation, there are multiple ways |
|
Five Qualities to Look For in a Co-WriterGiven how mysterious some parts of the songwriting process are to even the most experienced songwriters, it’s understandable that there’s no clear formula for what makes great co-writing chemistry. In my experience, it has very little to do with the amount of time you’ve known someone or even how much you respect or admire their |
|
Four Things to Try on Your Next Co-WriteOnce you’ve begun co-writing your songs and have a few positive experiences under your belt, it might be worth injecting some new variables into the equation. This can be good for a variety of reasons including never letting yourself get too comfortable at the expense of your creativity and keeping your mind focused on the |
|
Seven Reasons You Should Be Co-Writing Right NowFor those of you who have never co-written a song, the concept of sharing your creative process may seem, at best, foreign and, at worst, inconceivable. As an inveterate solo songwriter before moving to Nashville, I completely understand. However, co-writing has the potential for so much upside that in most instances it’s well worth the |