Thursday, June 30, 2011

The Perfect Song

Somewhere in the back of my mind I want to believe that there is a perfect song inside of me waiting to be written. Maybe one day when that perfect song is released from its captivity, I'll announce to the writing world that we can all go home. Mission accomplished. I know enough seasoned songwriters who have realized that the "perfect song" finish line is still as far away as it was when they began writing.

That mindset, however, only leaves room for failure. Fear of failing is enough to stop a painting before the first brushstroke. Every song will fall short of perfection. What we need is a better understanding of how we define art as successful.

The pursuit of creating great art is less like aiming aiming an arrow at a bull's eye, and more like throwing a football through a tire. There is room for growth, as there is room for failure.

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, June 29, 2011

Interview on Songwriters Marketplace

I am very honored to be featured on SongwritersMarketplace.com this week. Please go check out their site and pass the word on!



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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, June 28, 2011

Mike Zeller on Unplugging



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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, June 27, 2011

Artistic vs. Commercial

Writing as a profession can be a confusing pursuit. Often it feels like being too creative or unique cripples your chances to get a song cut. And to keep writing as a daily job, we need to get songs cut.


Sometimes it feels mutually exclusive:

Art <-----<---------------------I--------------------->-----> Commerce


But in reality, I'm learning that it's more like this:

 

Not every song that makes money should be assumed as art, nor should every artistic song be financially profitable.

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, June 24, 2011

8 Year Old Jonny Mizzone

When I was eight, the only thing I knew how to pick was my nose.



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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, June 23, 2011

Quote of the Day - Plato


“Give me the songs of a nation, and it matters not who writes its laws.”

- 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!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Timeless Art in a Consumer's World

In America, many of our daily decisions are made out of a consumer's mindset. Everywhere we look are persuasive ads about how we should make those choices.

This mindset unfortunately has contaminated how we create art. Instead of creating out of a freedom, we tend to restrict ourselves to the rules of a commercial game. We want to please those who open the doors to financial success. While writing a song, we say things like, "A radio station wouldn't play that kind of song, so maybe we should pursue another direction."

But I believe that when art has true integrity, a by-product is that it will be desired by consumers, and radio will play it. (It may sound naive, but how can I convince myself to create outside of the commercial boundaries without believing that?) So rather than trying to write a song that contains marketable characteristics, we can focus on writing a song that is great art, and as a result, will sell.

A lot of radio stations have played the same safe music for years, mainly because what has worked in the past still "works" today (there are still people listening). Rather than fixing something that arguably/presumably isn’t broken, record label promotion teams have reacted by shaping their product to the mold that radio wants. Like a line of dominoes falling backwards, the songwriters have also felt the pressure to adapt in order to be competitive. The songwriter who writes something outside the box hardly has a shot at their song being heard over the airwaves. The result of this cycle is that each song ends up sounding like a slight version of the one before. If everyone’s aiming at the same bull’s eye, there will only be so much variation. It seems fair to call these songs average, because by default, they are lacking special distinction, rank, and status.

Deep down I want to believe that the best songs make it onto albums and over the airwaves, but that unfortunately isn’t always the case. It often feels like there are more behind-the-scenes politics than a November election. The challenge to the professional songwriter is to be true to his/her own voice while making a living writing songs for an industry that doesn’t treat new voices kindly. It’s the new voices, however, that cause the craft of songwriting to grow.

Keep writing,

Ben

Monday, June 20, 2011

Stevie Nicks Singing "Wild Heart" Backstage

This clip is full of so much talent and emotion, and I'm inspired every time I watch it:



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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, June 17, 2011

Writing Tools - Hard Drive

I was going to do a post about my favorite hard drives, and which I'd recommend for recording audio, but I've changed my mind.

The reason is, my most "dependable" drive decided to play hard to get last week and stopped mounting when I'd connect it to my laptop.

So I will share with you the best advice I've ever received when it comes to data maintenance:  

The best hard drive is a backed up hard drive. 


Keep writing (and backing up files),

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, June 16, 2011

Quote of the Day - Bob Morrison


"To be a songwriter in Nashville is to have the heart of a poet and the hide of a rhino."

– Bob Morrison


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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, June 15, 2011

David Foster's 10 Tips for Songwriters

Quoted from BMI.com:
Foster has written and produced hits for international superstars including Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, Chicago, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Josh Groban, Earth, Wind & Fire, Natalie Cole, Kenny Loggins, Chicago, Chaka Khan, Boz Scaggs, Michael Bolton, Brandy, and many more. He has taken home a total of 15 Grammys, including three Producer of the Year trophies, and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2010.


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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, June 14, 2011

Brett Dennen Up Close





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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, June 13, 2011

Bootstrapping

When it comes to being your own boss, it's important to use every resource you have to its full potential. Take this blog for example. To this day, what you see has only cost me a total of about $12.

Bootstrap

I registered the domain address on GoDaddy.com: $12.
I registered the Blogspot address thesongbirdproject.blogspot.com: Free.
I registered the Gmail address thesongbirdproject@gmail.com: Free.
I designed the header myself on pixlr.com: Free.
I painted the bird logo myself: Free.
I take pictures using iPhone's Instagram app: Free.
I record videos and post them to YouTube: Free.
I post links to photos from Picassa (Google's Flickr-like service): Free.
With permission, I use photos from Flickr's Creative Commons: Free.
To post songs, I've used a service called OpenDrive: Free.
To back up Word documents of lyrics, I use Dropbox: Free.
The blog is supported by Google and Amazon adds that can earn me money: Free Money.

Really, the main cost is the time and effort it takes to post. 

When it comes to songwriting, this means there are ways to find inspiration without letting it hurt your wallet. I was flipping through Wired Magazine a few months ago and came across an interesting photo by Caleb Charland. The first thing I did was Google his name, click "images" and all of the sudden I had hundreds of his photos there in front of me. And what did it cost me? Nothing. Also, the public library is an incredible resource for free books and movies (as long as you remember to return them on time). It's also common to work out trades with other creative friends for recording time, press photos, design work, etc.

Recently, Dr. Jeff Cornwall (head of Belmont University's Entrepreneurship major) featured The Songbird Project on his blog. Read it here.

Keep writing (and bootstrapping),

Ben

P.S. - I literally bought these $200 boots from Goodwill for $3.99. How's that for literal bootstrapping?

Friday, June 10, 2011

"You Learned to Play Guitar on Which Song?"

Never underestimate the power of a song. I've always loved Paul Simon's music, but here is a great gesture from a great songwriter:



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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, June 9, 2011

Timeless Wisdom


"A farmer too lazy to plant in the spring has nothing to harvest in the fall."

- King Solomon (Proverbs 20:4, 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!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

"Atmosphere" (Ben Cooper / Gordon Kennedy)

I've decided to start posting some videos...



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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, June 7, 2011

Questions - How?

How do you write songs?

Each of us naturally writes songs in a way that is unlike anyone else in the world. However, it's important to be aware of the many external pressures that can affect the way we create. It's easy to get off the right path for the wrong reasons.

When I graduated from and began pursuing a publishing deal, I began trying to write more traditional country songs. Why? Well, because I'm in Nashville, of course. Wrong answer, Ben. You see, when I (a kid from Indiana who grew up listening to The Beatles) write a song about Texas farm life from the perspective of a father, it ends up being a mediocre song. However, if I write a song about what it's like moving to Nashville with a dream, and leave the Texas song to be written by the guy who actually farms in Texas, I believe I'm on the right path. Your creative voice is the style of your message. It takes time to develop, but is essential to writing unique songs that can stand 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!

Monday, June 6, 2011

Questions - Why?

This is the most important question you will ever answer when it comes to your pursuit of the craft of songwriting:

Why do you write songs?

In my experience, the initial reason why I began pursuing music can tend to gradually be covered up by many things: my expectations, what others are asking of me, busyness of life, fear of creating, procrastination, self-doubt, etc. It takes a great amount of intentionality to keep the initial love for music out in the open.

We as human beings seem to always be looking to the next great thing to save us. In my pursuit of music, I've fallen into the trap of filling my mind with a list of "if only"s.

If only I could open for this band, then...

If only I could get a meeting with that record label, then... 

If only I could get a publishing deal, then...

In my mind, a successful songwriter is someone who enjoys writing songs, and is enjoyable to work with. You don't need any industry doors to open for you to be a successful songwriter. If we focus on enjoying the process, I believe we will create more beautiful art, and industry doors opening will be a by-product.

In the end, all that any of us can ever claim is that we either enjoyed the ride or we didn't. I'd rather be a happy songwriter working a side job than be constantly worried about filling a shelf with awards.

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, June 3, 2011

Questions - Where?

Where should you write?

A few months ago my wife and I decided to repaint our guest bedroom (which I refer to as my studio). Previously, the house was owned by a couple with a two year old girl, so the walls were bright yellow and the ceiling was baby blue. With a couple gallons of paint, we were able to completely transform the feeling of the room, making it a far more inspiring space in which to create.

When it comes to creativity, it's important to have a space where you feel absolutely comfortable and understood. That corner of the room should scream "you." If you don't yet have a space to claim as your own, dream up a few simple ways to create an environment enjoyable to you. And never underestimate a couple gallons of paint!

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, June 2, 2011

Questions - When?

As songwriters, it's essential to be ready to capture an idea at a moment's notice. The best and most natural song titles, stories and melodies tend to appear out of the thin air of everyday life.

When do you write songs?

I've often been asked how I'm able to schedule inspiration. Most weekdays, I meet with another collaborator around 10:30am to write a song. It would be impossible to convince my soul and mind to be running full steam ahead at 10:30am on the dot, five days a week. The reality is that instead of showing up already inspired, I show up ready to be inspired.

One tangible thing that helps is keeping a list of ideas that may catch my attention throughout my day. This allows me to look back at a list of inspiring launch points at 10:30am.

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, June 1, 2011

Questions - What?

The next question I'd like to look at is "what."

What do you write about?

There are a million things that happen in the world around us each day, and a million ways we can interpret what happens. All we are called to do as songwriters is to report these emotions and stories creatively. Don't try to report what you think other people want you to report; report the truth...your truth. We all have a story to tell.

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!