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My Favorite FAQs about The Music Business, Co-writing and DemosTeaching songwriting and music business workshops over the past fifteen years, I’ve observed that there’s a “greatest hits” of questions that I get over and over again from my attendees. I thought it might be helpful to give you not only those questions to think about but also my answers. I’ve broken it down into |
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Two Major Mistakes All Songwriters Should AvoidIn the twenty-five years that I’ve been writing songs and, more recently, that I’ve been teaching songwriting, I’ve made and/or observed countless missteps in songwriting and navigating a songwriting career. Here are two big mistakes that you should attempt to avoid if at all possible. 1. Writing songs without thinking about the craft Given that |
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Three Reasons Songwriters Should Embrace TechnologyMastering the craft of songwriting has always required – and will always require – good, old-fashioned effort and time but as technology progresses, there are quite a few improvements to the ways songwriters can effectively manage their careers. Not only has technology enabled us to be more efficient but it’s also allowed us to bridge |
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Six Ways To Improve Your Songwriting MotivationThe difference, in my experience, between professional songwriters and hobbyists has very little to do with actual songwriting talent. Being a pro requires an ironclad work ethic to not only create a consistent body of work but also to develop and maintain what I like to think of as songwriting muscles. I’ve put together a |
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A Mindfulness Primer for SongwritersOK, since we’re all artists here and open to some of the more mystical/emotional approaches to art and life, I thought I’d take a moment to emphasize the importance of being truly present – aka mindful – in your songwriting practice. While there are whole books – and philosophies – written on the the value |
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How to Handle a Songwriting Critique from a Group of Your PeersIf you live in one of the major music cities – Nashville, New York or Los Angeles – you’ll be surrounded by a large group of your songwriting peers. This can be a huge help as it’s always easier not to go it alone as you develop your songwriting skills. One of the many benefits |
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Three Things Not To Do For Productive Song CritiquesI’d like to start this article by saying that I think it takes real courage to submit your songs for a professional critique. As a songwriter myself, I understand on a gut level that this is like offering up your children to be judged by a stranger. That being said, if you’ve gone as far |
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A Primer on Tension and Release in Your SongwritingTension and release in songwriting uses the same mechanics as good joke telling. The way you let your story – in your song or joke – unfold is what sets the table for a satisfying hook/punchline. The difference is that songs not only have words to do this but also a melody. When lyric and |
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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 |
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A Few Tips on Writing Your Second VerseA friend of mine once said she’d have a lot more hit songs if they didn’t require a second verse. For anyone who’s ever written a song, this should make perfect sense. There comes a moment in the process of writing a song where you find yourself wondering how to follow up your first verse |