Friday, December 30, 2011

BBC - What a Wonderful World

Nature is full of beauty. When it comes to songwriting, I believe the songs we create that are most natural and authentic to who we are end up being the most beautiful. If you've never watched BBC's Planet Earth series, I would highly encourage it...


Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Stay Warm

A&R Joke

I mentioned recently that the industry is based on opinions. Here's a good joke about  
Songwriter: "So what did you think about the song I sent you?"  
Record label A&R: "I don't know...I haven't played it for anyone yet."
Much truth is said in jest...

Keep writing,

Ben

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

PledgeMusic on ABC News

This is the model for funding records that I think is going to be most friendly to independent artists over the next few years, and I believe PledgeMusic is the best option out there.



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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Monday, December 26, 2011

Quote of the Day - Cooley

"An artist cannot fail; it is a success to be one."
 
- Charles Horton Cooley 

 
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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Friday, December 23, 2011

Christmas Eve, Eve in Fort Wayne

Merry Christmas to everyone!

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Thursday, December 22, 2011

Ho-ho-ho-verdubs



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Tim Gearan & Jesse Dee - "Winter Wonderland"



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Wednesday, December 21, 2011

George Bailey

If you're in Nashville this week, I'd encourage you to go see "It's a Wonderful Life" at the Belcourt Theater. It's a wonderful movie.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

The Power of Hearing



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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Monday, December 19, 2011

Quote of the Day - Merton

“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”

- Thomas Merton 

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Friday, December 16, 2011

Want to Be a Producer? Now's Your Chance



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Thursday, December 15, 2011

The Driving Force

I've been thinking a lot lately about the state of the industry. The conventional publishing model has developed in such a way that it provides the songwriter the opportunity to get songs pitched to a number of artists. The result of this is that the understanding of possible outlets creeps into the creative process (or is blatantly the goal) and causes the songwriter to create art that is driven by the opportunities at hand.

What would happen if it were the other way around? What if instead of the opportunity driving the art, the art drove the opportunity? Deep down in my soul I desire this to be the case. I want to sit down and write whatever I feel led to create that day, and figure out a way to monetize the art on the back end.

It's becoming increasingly difficult to even get songs into the right hands for them to be recorded by major artists, let alone find their way onto the radio (for more reasons than are worth getting into). In the meantime, I believe it's most important for each songwriter to write the art they feel most led to create. Those will be the songs that have the greatest chance of standing the test of time.

Keep writing,

Ben

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

The Kicks

Last week I had the chance to hear The Kicks perform at Brite Revolution's Christmas party. The night was getting late, so I was about hitting the point of wanting to head home when they took the stage. Honestly, I would've stayed for another two hours just to hear more from them. These guys have an incredible amount of potential, and I especially love that their influences and references go back earlier than 1990. Check out their recording below:



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Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Fast Company: How to Lead a Creative Life




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Monday, December 12, 2011

"Les Baricades Mistérieuses" by Couperin

Though I can't really give the film a rave review (first I have to figure out its meaning), I fell in love with this piano piece, and appreciated the role music played in the story:



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Friday, December 9, 2011

What's Your Opinion?

The business of songwriting is based on opinions. The life of a song can end as soon as one of these people deems the music not good enough to listen to:


Songwriter
Publisher
Song plugger
Artist's manager
Artist
Artist's label head
Label promotional team
Radio DJ
Distributor
Retailer
Listener

The most significant decisions happen in the creative stage. As a songwriter, if I want to get my music all the way through the process to the listener, I should probably take into account the opinions of everyone along the way. Sounds logical, right? But the more people you try to appease, the less focused and pure the song becomes. You can write a song that plays by all the rules, but lacks uniqueness. When you create art, it is impossible to please everyone.

In the end, we are all better off staying true to our own understanding of what a great song is. If we do that, in the end we can at least believe in the art we create.

Keep writing,

Ben

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Thursday, December 8, 2011

T-Pain Buble?

I don't mean to be at all negative, but I just need to vent for a second. I really enjoy Christmas music and was looking forward to hearing Michael Buble's new holiday album (I'm a big fan). A few songs in, however, I found myself in disbelief about how much Auto-Tune was used on his voice on some of the songs. Seriously, if there's one incredible singer who doesn't need this robot treatment, this is the guy (to me, this is the equivalent of a professional bowler using bumpers). I prefer listening to an amazing human voice (imperfections and all) over a computer any day. Here's a sample:



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Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Quote of the Day - Wilde

“The moment you think you understand a great work of art, it's dead for you.”

- Oscar Wilde

 


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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Notorious Baby



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Monday, December 5, 2011

B+

 
Believe me...I'm all about doing things right. My personality is an INTJ, which basically says that I can put my stock in the idea that there's a concrete way to do something: my way.

But at Songbird Camp, I had the realization that maybe every song doesn't have the potential to be perfect. Maybe I'm not expected to finish each day with a masterpiece. Maybe the idea of perfection is the enemy of an attempt at authentic art.

Steve Longbrake (pictured), who led the discussion on personalities and collaboration, said that his personality tends to make decisions quickly. "B+ is good enough," he said. To my personality, this doesn't jive. But I did realize that sometimes it's best to let a song be a B+ and just move on.

The first night of the retreat someone asked Luke Laird when he decided a song was finished. I expected him to talk about how often he works days and days perfecting the lyric or melody, but he simply answered, "At the end of the day."

If we spend all our time trying to make a B+ song an A, we may never get around to writing the A+ songs.

Keep writing (and moving on),

Ben

Friday, December 2, 2011

Quote of the Day - da Vinci

“Art is never finished, only abandoned.”

- Leonardo da Vinci

 

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Thursday, December 1, 2011

Old Photos, New Life



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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

For the Rest of Your Life...

As songwriters, we never know exactly which song will become known as the song that people expect you to play. I've been taking that into consideration during co-writes, being sure to only write songs I wouldn't be ashamed of or get tired of playing every Bluebird Cafe show I play for the rest of my life.

Keep writing,

Ben

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

No Fear in the Mirror

There are two ways we can miss the songwriting target.

First, we can think too highly of our abilities. Consequences of this kind of thinking are:
  • Feeling discouraged because you aren't writing with any big-name, hit writers
  • Feeling angry because other people (less-qualified songwriters) are having success that you deserve
  • Feeling desperation because you don't have enough irons in the fire
Second, we can think too lowly of our abilities. Consequences of this kind of thinking are:
  • Avoiding opportunities to write with people we look up to
  • Not enjoying the fruit of our labor because of a focus on what was done wrong or could have been done better
  • Not taking creative chances, risking that what we do could be seen as silly or irrelevant
Having an honest community of people (not just songwriters) will give you a healthy and honest understanding of where you stand.

Keep writing,

Ben

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Monday, November 28, 2011

The Knife Maker

Pardon the language...

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Friday, November 25, 2011

Gratefulness


I hope you all are having a restful day after Thanksgiving.

Just a simple observation:

I've realized lately that when I choose to be grateful for something, I have a much harder time giving any complaint the time of day. There's just no comparison. When my car's got something wrong with it, gratefulness undercuts any frustration.

Being grateful for the gift of creating music and art undercuts any frustration of unmet expectations.

Keep writing (and being grateful),

Ben
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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!

Each year one of my cousins would stay overnight and help our grandma cook the big Thanksgiving meal. When I was old enough to know better, I was told to put the turkey in the refrigerator, which my mind interpreted as the freezer. Needless to say, we had Thanksgiving lunch around 4pm that next day.

One of my favorite Thanksgiving memories was watching football with family. Of course, you can't have a Madden Thanksgiving without turducken!



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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Quote of the Day - Longfellow

"Music is the universal language of mankind"

— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow



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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Songbird Camp - In the Round

Here's a shot from the recent Songbird Camp. What a great weekend it was!

Monday, November 21, 2011

Hot or Cold


I recently had a conversation with my song plugger about my performance over the previous weeks. He said something to the effect of this:
"You've been really consistent, which is good (moving his hand left to right, as if a line on an X-Y graph). But we'd rather you actually do this (moving his hand left to right but including ups and downs). When you're consistent, we don't get the peaks (great songs)."
Deep down I knew he was right. It was easy to see that I'd been writing too much each week. When pursuing quantity over quality, it's easy to convince ourselves that "good" is good enough.

Along the "good" path I believe we will find that, while the road is clear and level, most of the fruit has been picked. Only on the road less taken will we experience the new and unknown. We will look out from unseen views, taste rare fruit (both sweet and sour), and most likely get cut by thorns along the way. But discovering greatness will always be worth that less-traveled journey.

Keep writing,

Ben

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Friday, November 18, 2011

Murmeration - A Symphony of Birds



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Thursday, November 17, 2011

What Is Not vs. What Should Be

While driving home from writing and recording yesterday afternoon, I heard a story on NPR about author Ann Patchett opening a new bookstore in Nashville called Parnassus. During the interview, she said:
"I think of this as my gift to the city: This is what I want to see in Nashville, and if I want to live in a city with a bookstore, then I'm willing to pay for it."
This embodies the entrepreneurial spirit. It may be easier to just complain about there not being a great bookstore in town, but it's far more rewarding to create one. I believe this is true for any artistic endeavor. Rather than criticizing what is not, let's create what should be. One piece of art is worth one thousand critiques.

Keep writing,

Ben

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Heinz Maier's Droplets

water + food coloring + good timing =

The New Way
"The New Way" by Heinz Maier

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

The Extra 10%

For most people, the eight hours between 9am and 5pm doesn't necessarily feel creative. I'm continually reminded of all the daily encounters with tasks I am obligated to complete -- the car needs an emissions test; the lawn needs mowing; the basement needs cleaning. And to be honest, it's easy to spend all of my mental energy on completing those things.

We've all heard the "give 110%" speech a hundred and ten times, so that's not what this is. What I am encouraging you to consider is that, speaking from experience, creativity often comes to life or dies after the 90% mark. You've completed all the things that need to be done that day, and you'd like to do nothing but just hunker down on the couch. I believe those who use the last 10% of their energy on creating are the ones who will have the greatest number of opportunities for their art. When you're at the crossroads of calling it a day or checking the creative mailbox for inspiration, always get the mail.

Keep writing,

Ben

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Monday, November 14, 2011



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Friday, November 11, 2011

Sounds From a Dry Cleaner



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Thursday, November 10, 2011

Life in a Snapshot

But instead of a picture, I'll give you the thousand words. Read this.

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Steve Jobs' Mindset

One of the more important things I've learned lately has been the importance of seeing your vision through in the creation of art. In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Andy Kessler commented that Jobs was successful because he focused on "figuring out what he wanted and controlling the process until he got it."

On a similar note, the documentary about Pixar on Netflix echoes this mindset. Producers at Pixar said that they were able to have such a successful track record due to the fact that they simply made movies that they themselves would want to watch. This seems like an obvious question, but do you write the kind of songs that you would want to listen to? In the publishing world, it can get pretty confusing whose taste you are trying to appeal to--your own, your publisher's or the listener.

Keep writing (songs you would want to hear),

Ben

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

The King of Queen



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Monday, November 7, 2011

With A Little Help From My Friends

Thanks to the work of NSAI, there is hope for a brighter tomorrow in the world of publishing. If this act gets passed through Congress, we would be looking at a greater revenue stream and ultimately more publishing deals. Please take a couple minutes to:

1. Find your local representative by clicking HERE.

2. Send them this letter:

Dear (Insert your Congressman's name here):

I am a songwriter/composer writing to encourage you to sponsor and support The Stop Online Piracy Act (H.R. 3261).

Over the past decade, Internet music piracy has decimated the American music industry and wrought particular devastation on the profession of songwriter/composer.  As many as 90% of our country’s professional songwriters and composers are no longer able to earn a full-time royalty income for one simple reason – Internet music piracy.  Royalties have shrunk dramatically and so have the creative opportunities for songwriters and composers.

The legislation will allow removal of rogue websites whose primary activity is based on piracy.  Many of the sites are located in the former Soviet Union and distribute copyrighted material with no compensation whatsoever.  In many instances the sites are simply criminal enterprises which operate with no fear of reprisal.

America is losing tens of billions of dollars each year due to Internet piracy of movies, music and other copyrighted American creations.  This legislation will help reverse a trend that sees billions of copyrighted files (music, movies, television shows and other copyrighted works) being illegally distributed each month.

The bill also increases criminal penalties for individuals who traffic in counterfeit medicine and military goods, which put innocent civilians and American soldiers at risk. And it improves coordination between IP enforcement agencies in the U.S.

(Insert a personal message or example about how piracy has impacted your career or opportunities if you wish.)

We need your help and support.
Sincerely,


NAME
ADDRESS

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Friday, November 4, 2011

Melodic Ammo

In a recent issue of Time Magazine, I came across this remarkable photo:




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Thursday, November 3, 2011

7,000,000,000

This is a beautifully made short video about how the human population has grown to 7,000,000,000 people. What amazes me is that only about 200 years ago there were only 1,000,000,000 people in the world.



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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

The Robot

This one is worth watching all the way through:



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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Aiming at the Right Target

I've had a lot of conversations with other songwriters lately about how exactly one should approach writing songs. In general, one of the best ways I've found to think about it is through the concept of archery.

Only by having a clear understanding of my own abilities and weaknesses will I know at which target I should aim. Instead of only taking into account distance, consider the different directions you can aim. Sometimes your appropriate target is not what you first think.

My wife and I are currently working on an album of kids songs. Six months ago, I would have told you there wasn't a possibility of us doing such a thing, but here we are. If I had been only aiming at the conventional targets in front of me, I would have missed out on one of the most creatively fulfilling projects I've ever worked on.

There are so many more ways to exercise the gift of writing songs than just trying to get music onto the radio. Where else are you able to use your music to impact people?

Keep writing,

Ben

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Monday, October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween!

Hoo says Kroger doesn't have cool decorations in their Halloween aisle?



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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Friday, October 28, 2011

"Georgia On My Mind" by Ray Charles

You know a song is great when you can dress like these guys and still focus on playing the music:



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Thursday, October 27, 2011

Creative Speed Bumps

When trying to get into a creative flow, it is essential to identify and remove any barriers along the way. A creative speed bump is anything that distracts your artistic focus, in the same way that an alarm clock pulls you out of your dreams. Creative speed bumps include, but are not limited to:
Incoming text messages, phone calls, emails, interruption by a passer-by, a smoke break, a bathroom break, a snack break, lunch break, a funny story, a side comment, brain-shaped popcorn (see photo), etc.
Obviously there are times where some of those examples could be appropriate during a co-write. However, the timing is of utmost importance. Instead of a speed bump, an interruption could function as more of a rest stop along the creative highway. Sometimes the best thing you can do for the song (and for your relationship with your co-writer) is to get out and stretch for a few minutes.

(In unrelated news, Speed Bump happens to be my favorite comic.)

Keep writing,

Ben

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Quote of the Day - Pat Conroy

"Without music, life is a journey through a desert".

— Pat Conroy



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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

"What Makes Her Beautiful" - Video by Clayton Thompson

Here's a song that I wrote for my sister-in-law a couple years ago, and here's the video made by my brother-in-law:

Monday, October 24, 2011

Scratch When You Don't Itch

My wife and I sometimes go into Goodwill on a Saturday morning just for fun. The excitement lies in the fact that you never know exactly what you're going to find. If you're looking for something specific, you probably won't see it. But if you're open to purchasing something you weren't necessarily looking for, but you know is something you can't pass up, you may discover a treasure.

It's the same way with ideas. Sometimes you may come across some line or idea in everyday life that hits you emotionally. If you're antenna isn't open to receiving any and all frequencies, you may miss a treasure. Blaine Hogan points to Twyla Tharp in an e-book entitled Creative Matters. Tharp says:
“Scratching is an act best done as a routine, designed to gather and collect small ideas to be used at a later date.”
Don't be afraid to scratch when you don't itch. You may stumble upon something you otherwise would have never discovered.

Keep writing (and scratching),

Ben

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Friday, October 21, 2011

Writing Tools - Messenger Bag

I've had a lot of people compliment me on my leather laptop bag. I've found it to be the best bag I've ever used to accommodate the writing lifestyle, and it feels like it's going to last for quite some time. Check it out!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Science of Sound

I took a class at Belmont called The Physics of Sound, and here are some of the most fascinating truths about how sound interacts with our ears and brains:


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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Sing It Like You Say It

Have you ever noticed how the English language has natural a natural set of tones that go along with everyday speech? You can probably imagine how these words would sound if you were hearing them rather than reading them.

When it comes to writing lyrics, one of the most important things to do is marry the lyric with the melody. Like a good marriage, both should make most sense in the context of the other. When a listener hears your song, they should not be able to imagine the melody saying anything else, or the lyric accompanying any other note structure. The goal is to sound natural.

Sometimes I feel like there is an over-emphasis on melody, and the lyric deserves more attention. This has been the biggest area of growth for me over the past few years, as I used to think classical music is proof that the melody is king over the lyric. But I have to agree with Ralph Murphy, who says that melody is what catches the listener's attention, while lyric is what keeps them tuned in.

So catch the listener's ear with a great melody, but keep them engaged with a substantial lyric.

Keep writing (conversationally),

Ben

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Quote of the Day - Plato

"Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul"

— Plato 




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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Bein' Green

Speaking of Sesame Street, this was always one of my favorite songs:



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Friday, October 14, 2011

Hunter vs. Farmer

When writing songs, we can either take on the mentality of a hunter or a farmer.

When applied to songwriting, the hunter is the one who finds it best to chase after a moving target (i.e., Keith Urban is recording next month, so you'd better write a song that he might record). The problem with this mentality is that the creative process is practically flipped on its head. What you end up with is a song that only Keith Urban would record, and chances are that he won't record it. Often times the hunter ends up "hungry" at the end of the day.

The farmer is the one who works consistently (though not constantly) planting seeds that have the potential to grow and offer long-term satisfaction. When writing a song, the farmer can focus on creating the kind of art that he believes in rather than creating art that he hopes others will believe in. I would argue that when an artist believes in their work, that belief is contagious and is caught by the listener.

What the music industry needs right now is less hunters and more farmers. The buffalo herd (opportunities to get songs cut by major artists) is getting too small to accommodate every songwriter who's trying to be a hunter. Hunting is okay to do every once and a while, but only when there's food growing in the field.

Keep writing,

Ben

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Cookie Monster Truck on I-65

Sometimes your brain makes connections, and here's one instance:



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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Songbird Camp Group Photo


We had an incredible weekend, hearing from hit songwriters Luke Laird, Barry Dean and Gordon Kennedy. Here is a video of the lodge on Saturday afternoon:



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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Monday, October 10, 2011

The Songbird Project Goes Mobile

I'm excited to announce that Blogger finally made their blogs mobile-friendly! All you need to do is visit TheSongbirdProject.com from your mobile device. Enjoy!




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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Songbird Camp - Barry Dean & Luke Laird



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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Friday, October 7, 2011

For the Love of Music

Songbird Camp Begins!

Songbird Camp Today!

We are thrilled to have a full crew of almost 30 people staying at Deer Run Retreat's lodge this weekend. Industry guests include hit songwriters Luke Laird, Barry Dean and Gordon Kennedy, along with representatives from all three PROs.

Visit Facebook.com/SongbirdCamp for photos and updates over this weekend. If you're interested, keep on the lookout for the application for our next Songbird Camp retreat, which will be taking place April 20-22.

Keep writing,

Ben

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Thank You, Steve Jobs

It will take quite some time for us to realize the contribution to society this man has made.





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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

An Evening With Maya Angelou


My favorite thing that Angelou said during the Belmont University talk was this:
"When it looked like the sun wasn't going to shine anymore, God put a rainbow in the clouds."
To learn more about the immense impact that she has had on the world, read more about her here.

Keep writing,

Ben

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Timeless Wisdom

"Form your purpose by asking for counsel, then carry it out using all the help you can get."

- King Solomon (Proverbs 20:18, The Message)


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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Monday, October 3, 2011

Thumb Drives No More - Enter Dropbox

(This is a guest post written by Sean McPherson)

Tablet PCs and smartphones have dramatically changed the way we consume and share information. It is not uncommon to see users arranging their PC, tablet, and smartphone in a similar fashion. After all, it is now possible to run the same operating system on all these devices.

However, the user faces one problem – it is cumbersome to transfer files between these devices. Usually we rely on Bluetooth, a thumb drive, or a data cable, but you will need to be near to the device hosting the files you want to transfer.

A few might say to just email the files and download them. Every time you do this a computer science major loses their funding. No, not really.  This is a good option, but it doesn't help if you need to update the file on whatever device you currently have. Even online data storage (such as FTP access to web servers) would be of little help. Imagine uploading the file every minute and then you downloading the file every other minute.

No Worries
A convenient solution exists in the form of Dropbox. Based on the concept of cloud computing, this web based file hosting service enables users to transmit files from one place to other in real time. If the data changes constantly, Dropbox ensures that the updated files are adapted in real time and available to all the users of a particular account. So in essence, when you add a file to drop box on your phone, for example, that file will show up in the Dropbox folder on your PC, and anywhere else you are logged in. You can even log into your account through a web browser on any device.  Dropbox can work on any PC, tablet, or smartphone. Do not worry if you have windows, a BlackBerry, or an Apple iPad.

Pretty Simple
Getting started is really quite simple. First you need to create an account. Be ready to enter your name, email and a password. Dropbox will rate your password's strength in case you want to choose something more secure. Once created you will be promted to download and install the Dropbox client to your computer. During the installation process a default Dropbox folder will be added to your computer. This is the folder that will be synced. Anything you add to this folder will be synced across the devices on your account, and anything synced on another device will show up here.

Getting Started
I highly recommend going through the "get started" quests available online. When you log onto your account select the first tab in the navigation bar and you will have everything you need to become a Dropbox guru.

The Tasks Include:
    •    Taking a video tour
    •    Installing the client on your computer
    •    Adding Files to the Default Folder
    •    Installing Dropbox on a separate computer or mobile device
    •    Sharing a folder with a friend
    •    Inviting some friends

Installing Dropbox on your Computer
Dropbox couldn't be easier to use. Simply move or save a file to your default Dropbox folder. Alternatively you can just drag a file and drop it on the Dropbox icon on your desktop.  Once a file is added to your default file you will notice a little blue circle with two arrows, indicating that file has yet to be synced. Once it has finished the icon will turn to a green checkmark and that file is now accessible through any Dropbox client.

2GB Initial Storage

The free version of Dropbox gives you 2GB of storage, but if you complete 5 of the Getting Started quests you will receive an additional 250 MB. Now, because of the limited free storage space, the free account is best suited for people who want to transfer and share smaller doc files. It's easy to fill up 2GB with hi res pictures.
If you refer one of your friends to use Dropbox and he signs up, your storage capacity is bumped up to 8 GB. Users who want higher storage capacities, can simply go for paid memberships wherein you can store up to 350 GBs of data.

Actually Using Dropbox

I use Dropbox on a daily basis, between my Dell laptop, iPad 2 and iPhone, and it's great. If I run into someone on the go who needs a copy of a spreadsheet, I can pull out my phone and email them a link to the file. If I need to reference a PDF I found online in a meeting, I save it on my computer but pull it up on my iPad.

My only complaint with Dropbox is that with the iPad app you are unable to edit the files in the app itself. I have to first export the file to an app that can edit it (DocsToGo, Evernote or iA Writer in my case) to be able to work on them. Then I have to sync back to the Dropbox app from the editor, which occasionally  means I end up with 2 versions of the same file and I have to come up with labels I append to the files like, "iPad local" or "the latest version." Still, given how much I use the service and how hard it would be to do the same without it, Dropbox is still one of my favorite apps.

Sean @ ATTSavings.com | @SeanTR


Written by Sean McPherson

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Friday, September 30, 2011

Bach - "Sleepers Awake"

At a recent wedding, the bridesmaids entered to this beautiful Bach song. Pay attention to the counter melodies throughout the song. One of my favorites!



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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Roots, Shoots and Fruits


One of the best metaphors for life and creativity is the plant. Specifically, I like to focus on three elements: the roots, the shoots and the fruits.

The roots anchor the plant and provide the life-giving nutrients required to sustain growth. In creativity, this involves understanding who we are (our identity) and why we create (our mission).

The shoots are the channels through which the nutrients travel. In creativity, this involves understanding how our identity and mission plays out in everyday life (our vision).

The fruits are the outcomes and end result of the growth caused by nutrients from the roots traveling through the shoots. In creativity, this is the song or painting or short film at the end of the day, directly influenced by our identity, mission and vision.

Are you at a place where you're enjoying the fruit?

Keep writing,

Ben

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

The Perfect Nanny

I just watched a documentary about the Sherman brothers, who, among many other famous Disney titles, wrote the music for Mary Poppins. What's not to love about the rhyming of this song?



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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Leather Craftsman


I had the chance a couple weeks ago to drop by a leather shop where Gordon was picking up a personalized guitar strap for a friend. The moment you walk through the door, there's a party in your nose. To me, few things smell as good as the aroma of rich leather.

We commented on how great it must be to take in the smell all day, and to our surprise, the craftsman said:

"I don't really notice it anymore. Sometimes I get a shipment of new leather in and a get a whiff of it, but not every day." 

I wish for his sake that he could have the same experience every morning walking into his job as I did that day.

May we never stop enjoying the normal aspects of creating music. 

Keep writing,

Ben

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Monday, September 26, 2011

Friday, September 23, 2011

Songbird Camp Preview

We stopped by Deer Run Retreat today, and thought you'd like to see this.

"Lost" Coldplay Cover by Alyssa Bonagura



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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Co-writer Characteristic #5 of 10: Discipline

Discipline sounds scary. Maybe it reminds you of getting being sent to the principal's office. Or maybe it sounds restricting. Who wants to do something they don't feel like doing?

Once you get into the habit of writing, whether alone or with another person, you will inevitably encounter days where you wake up feeling like you don't want to create.

In that moment, you have an opportunity to either follow your feeling (and cancel your co-write) or to show up. In almost every situation, the right choice is to show up. You may feel uninspired until you sit down at the piano; until you talk to your co-writer; until you play around with two dead-end ideas.

Dictionary.com defines discipline as an "activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill; training."

It reminds me of high school basketball off-season, where we were encouraged to attend optional weight-training sessions at 8:00am on Summer mornings. Who wakes up wanting to go subject themselves to something they don't feel like doing? The dedicated. Be dedicated, and don't be afraid to show up even when you don't feel like showing up.

Keep writing (and showing up),

Ben

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!