Up Against the Best of Nashville

On the refrigerator at my publisher's office.

When you send your song to a publisher in Nashville, be aware of what you are up against. It's not enough for you to beat out all the other CDs from aspiring songwriters that made it to their desk that day. On any given day, your songs are also up against the work of the best staff songwriters in the world. And somehow your music needs to stand out in a sea of noise.

But usually your competition often isn't who you think it is. It's more like golf. For the most part, it's you against the course. You are up against the craft of songwriting. It's better to learn from than to compete with each other. So let's celebrate and enjoy the process together along the way.

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!

Cello Beatboxer

This is what it sounds like to have music running through your veins:



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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!

Kickstarter - Your Art, Supported By Others

Are you a singer, filmmaker, philanthropist, creative or entrepreneur with a dream, but not enough money? Have no fear...Kickstarter is here.

I have a handful of friends who have been able to launch an album, start a film or begin a business with the help of this grassroots financial support. A deadline is set to raise the financial goal, and money is only awarded if the goal is met. Facebook, Twitter and email are perfect ways to get word out to friends, family and fans. Kickstarter opens the door to make our dreams become reality, regardless of our financial position. See some of the most successfully funded ideas here.

Also, check out my friend and co-writer, Trent Jeffcoat's Kickstarter page.

Together, we can make beauty out of the ordinary.



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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!

Finding Her Voice

A few days ago I flipped on NPR while driving home from writing. As I pulled into my driveway, I just sat in my car as I listened to a woman named Jan Christian struggle to get words over the airwaves. Christian was in a bad car accident as a teenager that left her voice box so damaged that it no longer produced any tones. Her husband, whom she met after the accident, had only ever heard her whisper.

As she talked about her longing to express emotions, I realized how often I take for granted the fact that I am able to do something as basic as talk or sing. Even our basic abilities are gifts, and that is humbling.

Thanks to some medical advancements, Christian is now retraining her vocal chords to produce tones. Listen to the NPR story here. I've also attached a local Kentucky news interview below.



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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!

Music Matters

For anyone in Nashville on May 10th, I would strongly encourage you to consider attending blood:water mission's well:done celebration.

Blood:water mission is an organization started by the band, Jars of Clay. I've always been encouraged by how the musical group use their platform for good, not just celebrity. They shine the spotlight on the less fortunate. They formed this organization to provide basic necessities for villages in Africa, and have succeeded in recently digging their 1,000th well. That's 1,000 communities who didn't have access to fresh water before this group of musicians decided to help.

As songwriters, it's important to realize that we have the ability to unify and call people to action. We also have the ability to focus the attention on other people rather than ourselves. Instead of just asking music to serve us, let's serve others with our music.

You can purchase tickets here. And hey, maybe there's a chance you'll get a little "MMMBop" action from Hanson.

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!

Technology - Means, not an End

Don't get me wrong...I enjoy technology. I'm the nerdy guy who whips out his phone at a moments notice to find an answer. My wife sometimes refers to me as "Google Brain."

I also pursue productivity. So when I come across a new phone app or computer program that claims to be the next big thing, I'm tempted to look into it. If I'm honest though, I'm falling into the exact trap that marketers want me to believe: "If you want to do great work efficiently, you need this product (oh, and yours is too old)." It's a lie. The video below is a great example of the frustrations that come when the technology we own is all of the sudden outdated.



It's important to understand something when it comes to technology--it will never inspire us on the same level as real life and will leave us feeling empty. As songwriters and creators, we don't need anything but the basics to be profound. I've seen great songwriters write great songs using only a pencil and paper. Everything else is just a distraction from the craft, unless kept in a proper behind-the-scenes role.

Sometimes we put the cart in front of the horse by seeing technology as an answer. Auto-tuning is a great example. I believe it started with good intention, mainly fixing wrong notes so that the singer's track sounded a little cleaner. But when a tool like this gets in the wrong hands, all of the sudden anyone can sing. (In some intentional uses the voice is obviously meant to sound like a synthesizer, but I'm talking about between these two extremes.) There is a middle ground in which the human voice sounds not-so-human anymore.

I go wrong when my focus becomes more on how efficiently or productively I can streamline a task rather than on the task I am actually accomplishing. Take this blog post for example. I have a system of logging ideas (I started this draft three weeks before publishing), taking pictures on my phone with Instagram, uploading those photos to Flickr and embedding the HTML code. Once posted, I blast out a message on Twitter, which is synced with Facebook. Then I back up the text in a Word document and start planning the next post.

Technology should never be the end, but only the means to a meaningful end. And that meaningful end will be inspired by the messiness and realness of the world around us.

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!

Quote of the Day - Hans Christian Anderson

"Where words fail, music speaks."

- Hans Christian Anderson

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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!

The First Time Around

"If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?" asked legendary NCAA men's basketball coach John Wooden. 

When creating, our tendency is to want to call a song or painting finished before it may actually be a complete piece of art.

"We'll fix it in mixing," says the hurried producer in the studio.

"We'll Photoshop that right out," says the impatient photographer.

"All great achievements require time," says Maya Angelou.

In my limited experience, things never quite get fixed like we hope they will. 

I continually come back to tension between quantity and quality. My human productive side says to finish the song so I can start a new one. My creative soul says be patient. The ironic thing is that sometimes the best songs don't take very long to write, but only naturally flow out of a patient perspective. Of course, all of this is only possible if we are cautious of our expectations. With the best of intentions, we can miss out on the heart of creating art: enjoyment.

Keep writing (patiently),

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!

SongbirdCamp.com is Now Live!

I am very, very excited to officially announce the first ever Songbird Camp, happening June 24-27 just outside of Nashville, TN. I am also thrilled that, in addition to other industry professionals, my mentor (and multi-Grammy-award-winning songwriter) Gordon Kennedy will be dropping by at the retreat. We only have 30 spots available, so don't wait! If you are an aspiring songwriter, we want YOU at Songbird Camp.

Please check out the site and forward it on to other songwriters!

Conan's Farewell Speech - Visualized

Sometimes seeing things in a new way makes you hear things in a new way.


Conan O'Brien Kinetic Typography from Jacob Gilbreath on Vimeo.

Digital Design (Spring 2011)
Oklahoma State University
Professor Justen Renyer
Illustrator, Soundbooth, Cinema 4D, After Effects

Song - "People Like You" (Ben Cooper/Georgia Middleman)

Here's a song I wrote with Georgia Middleman. We grabbed an entire five day week to write together last fall, and here's one of the songs we came up with. I included this chart on a recent post, so I figured I'd let you hear the song! Please leave any feedback if you'd like.

PEOPLE LIKE YOU                                                                             11-2-10

(COOPER/MIDDLEMAN)

MAYBE IT’S THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL LIKE I CAN DO ANYTHING

MAYBE IT’S THE WAY YOU TELL ME HOW I’M THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE

MAYBE IT’S THE WAY YOU NEVER LEAVE ME HANGING WHEN I’M ON THE EDGE

YOU ALWAYS HAVE MY BACK
WHAT I’M TRYING TO SAY IS THAT

PEOPLE LIKE YOU ARE GOOD FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME

OUT OF ALL OF THE FISHES IN THE DEEP BLUE SEA

I FOUND SOMEBODY WHO MAKES ME AS HAPPY AS CAN BE

YEAH, PEOPLE LIKE YOU ARE GOOD FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME

MAYBE IT’S THE WAY YOU LET ME HIT THE SNOOZE BUTTON A DOZEN TIMES

MAYBE IT’S THE WAY YOU TELL A JOKE AND YOU DON’T EVEN CRACK A SMILE

MAYBE IT’S THE WAY YOU UNDERSTAND I DON’T LIKE MY EGGS RUNNY

NONE OF MY IDIOSYNCRASIES FRIGHTEN YOU

AND THAT SAYS TO ME

WHAT DID I DO

BEFORE THERE WAS YOU

I CAN’T EVEN GO BACK THAT FAR

IF LOVE IS THE SONG

THEN YOU ARE THE DRUM
IN PERFECT SYNC WITH EVERY SINGLE BEAT OF MY HEART

The Songbird Project App

No, this unfortunately isn't the announcement of an official The Songbird Project phone app (though one may be in the works). This is more like the announcement of the unofficial app. I thought I'd point you to one of my favorite blog and news apps: Pulse News.

After downloading the app, follow directions to add a source. A search for "The Songbird Project" brings up this blog at the top of the list. After adding, you'll see a clean, organized system of viewing each post with the associated picture.

There are also plenty of free ways to read a lot of your favorite news and blog feeds in one place. On my computer I use Google Reader, and have had no issues. I believe even some mail programs are able to incorporate blog feeds as new messages.

Here is this blog's RSS feed address:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheSongbirdProject

I've found this to be a helpful way of gathering information, as it centralizes all of my favorite sources of information. With a little setup time, you can have your own personal newspaper too.

Keep writing,

Ben

PS - If anyone has any app building expertise, please feel free to contact me. Let's build this together!

Walt Disney - The Early Years

We all know about Mickey Mouse and the incredible library of Disney films and characters. It's easy to sometimes assume Donald and Daffy Duck just hatched one day and that Disney World just grew out of the ground. However, in the recent documentary (available on Netflix), "Walt - The Man Behind the Myth," we are given a look into the life of the visionary behind it all, Walt Disney.

As a 22 year old, Disney shot "Alice's Wonderland" with less than $100. How's that for bootstrapping? People had previously merged real people with animation, usually overlaying animation over real scenes. This, however, was one of the first films where the real life actor entered the animated world.

Though it's harder to see almost 90 years later, Disney thought so far out of the box that he created a new one. "Steamboat Willie" was the first cartoon to incorporate overlaying sound with effect (previously there would just be background music). With "Snow White," he created the first feature-length cartoon. After "Snow White" came "Pinocchio," "Fantasia" and "Bambi"--all of which pushed boundaries and created new technologies.

Though I don't claim to be a big cartoon watcher, I can appreciate a man with enough vision to change the world of animation.

Timeless Wisdom

Philippians 4:8 (The Message)

"Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things

true, 

noble, 

reputable, 

authentic, 

compelling, 

gracious—the best, not the worst; 

the beautiful, not the ugly; 

things to praise, not things to curse."


As songwriters, we have the ability to write about whatever topic we choose. It's within our reach to affect the course of the listener's day. It is a responsibility that would should never take lightly.

Keep writing,

Ben

Inside The Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival

My good friend and co-writer Doug Waterman--staff writer at Warner-Chappell and co-owner of American Songwriter--attended Nashville's recent Tin Pan South songwriting festival. I never get enough of hearing some of these masters of the craft perform their songs. For more photos of the event, click here. (Article and photo courtesy of American Songwriter.)

(Clint Black drops in on Steve Wariner at The Rutledge)

This past week, the NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International) held its 19th annual Tin Pan South songwriters festival—named after Manhattan’s storied Tin Pan Alley era and locale. I made a personal challenge to catch as many shows during the 5-day event that I possibly could, and in the end, that amounted to 9 out of 10 shows. It was well worth the frenzying around town to hear a mix of fresh songs and time-tested hits from 32 high-caliber tunesmiths. Here are some song snapshots and highlights from a selection of shows. View photos of the Festival here.

Tuesday

*SPOTLIGHT SHOW*

Bluebird – 6:00pm.

Canaan Smith: new Universal Music Group signee. “Up There With the Satellites,” an impressive, pop-wired crooner. “How Much You’re Loved,” another potential for his TBA debut an undeniable future hit (if you ask me).

Kelleigh Bannen: new Capitol Records signee. “Rose Colored Glasses,” a strong candidate for Bannen’s TBA debut album. “Downtown Sunnyside Church Prayer Meeting,” a rousing, behind-the-scenes glance at a women’s group.

Walker Hayes: Capitol Records. “Touching Feet,” a new song “on hold” by Rodney Atkins. “Why Wait For Summer,” a damn-the-winter new radio single off to a good chart start, co-written with in-the-round host and EMI Christian staff writer Fred Wilhelm.

Fred Wilhelm: “Dearly Beloved,” a cautionary marriage tale recorded by Faith Hill. Thank God some people still write great novelty songs. “Spotlight” (I think that’s the title), a tender tribute to one’s better half, co-written with Ben Glover—who also showcased the song at his own round.

Douglas Corner- 8:00pm

Philip Douglas: “My Blue Angel,” the signature Aaron Tippin hit that tipped my ‘90s country nostalgia over the proverbial edge, in a good way of course.

Tracy Lawrence: The man needs no introduction. “Time Marches On,” one of songwriter/producer icon Bobby Braddock’s many crowning moments.

Bernie Nelson: “Daddy Never Was the Cadillac Kind,” the rollicking-country smash hit recorded by Confederate Railroad. They just don’t make ‘em like that anymore…

Anthony L. Smith: Veteran hit writer. “Tomorrow,” his new single that’s burning up the charts for hotshot Music Row magazine “Breakthrough Artist” Chris Young.

Rick Huckaby: “Muddy Water,” a to-the-bone soul-cleanser recorded by Trace Adkins. One of my two favorite personal discoveries at Tin Pan South this year—the other being artist/writer Ben Glover.

Wednesday

The Rutledge – 6:00pm

Chris August: Word Entertainment. “Starry Night,” a pop-rock coated spiritual turning point.

Natalie Grant: Curb Records. “The Real Me,” a moving, perfectly-crafted confessional.

Kyle Lee: MWS Music (Michael W. Smith) staff writer/producer. “The Music In Me,” an infectious anthem about taking full advantage of one’s talents and gifts in life and dying with no regrets.

Tiffany Lee (Plumb): Curb Records. “Hang On,” a dramatic, impressionistic current single that feels like—and should be—a big fat pop hit.

Jeff Pardo: Simpleville Music. “Say Goodbye,” a hooky tune about shedding old skin for new—recently recorded by recording artist Mandisa

Saturday

Station Inn- 9:00pm

Sara Beck: “Invisible Man,” a standout ballad from this promising, on-the-move singer/songwriter, whose new independent album Technicolor is now available.

Mark Irwin: “Here In the Real World,” Alan Jackson’s career-blazing song…timeless, timeless, timeless… Trivia: which modern day artist would most likely jump to record this song in a heartbeat?

Tommy Lee James: “Bleed Red,” Ronnie Dunn’s current single screaming to the top of the charts, could just as naturally have been recorded by Coldplay.

Brice Long: “Nothin’ on But the Radio,” the swingin’ bedroom classic recorded by Gary Allan, and one of Radio’s most-played songs of the last decade. Co-written with Music Row hit-makers Odie Blackmon and Byron Hill.

Written by Doug Waterman, published in American Songwriter.

Writing Tools - Diamond on the 1

I talked a couple months ago about the recording process and how studio musicians have a way of notating chord and melody changes using the Nashville Number System. I’ve always been fascinated by how quickly they are able to learn and make changes to one song after another in a three-hour session. 

The system has somewhat been passed down from player to player over the years, leaving few textbook explanations outside the studio. To learn the language, you’d most likely have to get to know one of these professionals—until now.

My friend and fellow songwriter Jonathan Riggs has just made it much easier to communicate with session players during the recording process. In his new booklet, Diamond on the 1, Riggs gives a simple yet thorough overview of the Nashville Number System. As a professional, I’ve found my copy to be very helpful, even in the writing process. This is a booklet worth keeping in your gig bag.

A “diamond on the one” would mean that you play a chord on the first beat of the measure, for the entirety of the measure. The intro to The Beatles’ “A Hard Day’s Night” would be a diamond on the one (even though the song’s first measure begins with a strange number of beats). There’s plenty more to explain, but I’ll leave that to Riggs and his booklet.

Keep writing (and learning),

Ben

PS - Here is an example from my most recent session:

Quote of the Day - Zimbabwean Proverb

"If you can walk you can dance. If you can talk you can sing."

- Zimbabwean Proverb 

And I would add that if you can sing, you can invent a melody. If you can write, you can pen a lyric. If you can imagine, you can create. We all have the ability to form something out of nothing, what is out of what wasn't. Let's make something of it.

Elements of a Song - The Intro

First impressions can mean everything, in life as well as music.

As humans, our tendency is to make snap judgments, valid or not, when we are first exposed to something. That's why I can't emphasize enough the importance of having a good intro to a song. To me, the intro is usually a melodic theme over the song's verse or chorus chord structure. Here are three characteristics that I've found to be integral:

1. It has to be unique and identifiable. The listener needs to know which song they are listening to from the first measure.

2. It must be memorable. When it gets stuck in the listener's mind, they'll want to hear it over and over again.

3. It should be appropriate. To support the overall message of the song, it must be consistent with the emotion of the lyric. Also, an appropriate intro doesn't feel so repetitive that it gets annoying. Most intro themes reappear later in the song

With a good, solid intro, the listener should be prepped to enjoy and be engaged by the rest of the song.

Keep writing,

Ben

BMI Live Video

My friend Beth over at BMI introduces their service, BMI Live. This is an incredibly helpful tool that allows songwriters to ensure they are paid for their live performances. I'm registered, and I highly encourage you to check it out!

Song = Fire

I love staring at a flame, especially when camping. It's mysterious. It seems like you should be able to capture it somehow to experience it more thoroughly. But it's always moving and changing and a photo doesn't quite do it justice.

In a wonderful documentary I found on Netflix (Music Instinct: Science and Song), pianist and conductor Daniel Borenboim observes, "Every note is a lifetime for itself."

Music is bittersweet because it is so beautiful yet impossible to capture. It is only experienced through passing time. And doesn't life feel that way sometimes? We can never truly hit the "pause" button and sit in any moment, good or bad.

Sheet music is to a song what a photograph of a flame is to a fire. The experience is passing, fleeting. But as songwriters, sometimes a song comes along that makes time feel like it stops. And for those moments, life feels a little more sweet than bitter.

Keep writing,

Ben

The Sartorialist

Scott Schuman has an eye for finding beauty in everyday life. He's got some great things to say about capturing and sharing that beauty through his blog, The Sartorialist. Welcome to his "digital park bench."

Keep writing (and people watching),

Ben