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,
NAMEADDRESS
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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!
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.
There are two ways we can miss the songwriting target.
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: 
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. 
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."
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.
