What You Can-and Can’t-Do with Your Finished Song Demo
Running a recording studio for the past two decades, I’ve recorded songwriting demos for GRAMMY-winning songwriters, major music publishers all the way down to first-time songwriters. One of the things...
View ArticleA Discussion About Co-Writing Percentages
In 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...
View ArticleA Few Tips on Writing Lyrics to An Existing Melody
More 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....
View ArticleShould Songwriters Put Their Songs Out There?
One of the questions I get most from beginning songwriters is whether there’s any risk or problem with getting their songs out there on social media, streaming services, websites or any other ways that...
View ArticleThe Value of Home Recording for Songwriters
Given that a songwriter’s primary skill has always been and will always be writing great songs, I’ve decided to focus on a secondary set of skills – recording – which can add value at all levels of the...
View ArticleA Primer on Tension and Release in Your Songwriting
Tension 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...
View ArticleThree Situations Where Songwriters Should Think Twice
The blessing – and curse – of pursuing success as a songwriter is that songwriting success often represents the equivalent of a dream come true. While it’s wonderful that as songwriter’s we’re pursuing...
View ArticleFive Things I’ve Learned About Songwriting from the Masters
One of the more daunting things I’ve come to realize in my years of writing songs is that when it comes to getting cuts, you’re not only competing against all the songs being written currently but also...
View ArticleWhy Songwriters Should Diversify
Looking back on twenty-five years as a songwriter, I’ve come to realize that a big part of the reason I’ve been able to do it for so long has as much to do with my ability to diversify my musical...
View ArticleWhat Making It in the Music Business Looks Like
Having written hundreds of songs over fifteen years before one of my songs was recorded by an artist on a major label, I had a lot of time to think about what “making it” in the music business meant to...
View ArticleWhy Failure Is Your Friend in Songwriting
I’ve heard baseball described as a “game of failure,” which means that even the greatest batters in the game miss close to seven out of every ten tries. Well, using that same math, songwriting, too, is...
View ArticleFour Reasons Why Writing Songs Gets More Fun The Longer You Do it
Don’t get me wrong, compared to most work in the world, writing songs is pretty great even from the first song you write. That being said, once you’ve made the decision to take your songwriting...
View ArticleThree Things Not To Do For Productive Song Critiques
I’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...
View ArticleConfessions of the Studio Pros
Not to put too fine a point on it but the recording studio, when people behave badly, can be a very stressful place. As a producer, I work VERY hard to make sure this doesn’t happen and it very rarely...
View ArticleFour Indicators of a Successful Co-Write
For 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...
View ArticleWhat You’re Paying – and Not Paying – For in a Professional Song Demo
As with any product or service, the old expression “you get what you pay for” rings particularly true in the song demo world. Whether you know it or not, there are additional benefits to having a...
View ArticleHow to Handle a Songwriting Critique from a Group of Your Peers
If 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...
View ArticleFour Reasons a Professional Demo Singer Is Essential
I get it. Professional demo singers aren’t cheap. You sing well and it’s your song. Why shouldn’t you just sing the demo? I mean, a demo is just a demonstration, right? Anyone in the industry will be...
View Article
More Pages to Explore .....