Blogger Maintenance

I apologize on the behalf of Google for the delay in today's post. Not sure what happened, but glad to be back up and running!

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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!

Work For the Job You Want

Though talent can get you through the door of the music business, hard work is what keeps you in the door. Once you have the chance to meet with a publisher, be intentional about how you continue to pursue that relationship. More important than how often you meet is how hard you work in between meetings. Having a song or two that shows tangible growth is key in impressing a publisher. In the same way that you "dress for the job you want," work for the job you want and prove that you deserve a spot on their roster.

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 - Unknown

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

- Unknown

Keep Antenna Up

Have you ever had a great melody or idea pop into your head, only to have it disappear before you capture it? I have.

Great songs are all around us--all we have to do is write them. One thing I try to do is always keep my antenna up, hoping that I see, hear or experience something that could inspire a song. All it takes is having a way of keeping track of these song titles or ideas (phone or notebook). Then, when I'm ready to sit down and write, I have a handful of potential launching points. I no longer have the pressure to come up with a profound starting point, but have a list to draw from.

Keep writing (and taking down ideas),

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!

Elizabeth Gilbert: A New Way to Think About Creativity

Elizabeth Gilbert is the author of the recent book (and Julia Roberts movie), Eat Pray Love.



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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 Life of a Song (Part 3 of 6)

On the business side, there are six steps in the life of a song. I've decided to break it down into six posts.

Here's a basic unfolding of events (with estimated length of time in parentheses):

1. Song is written and turned into publisher
2. Song is demoed (three months after it is written)
3. Publisher pitches song to artists/labels/managers around town (six months)
4. Artist decides to record song (three months)
5. Album gets mixed and label promotes upcoming release (six months)
6. Album is release, and publisher and songwriter look forward to royalties (six-nine months)

Here are some basic general levels of approval that a song has to go through before it could be heard on the radio consistently:

Photo by Fod Tzellos. Used with permission.

           1. The songwriter(s)
2. The publisher(s)
3. The artist’s manager(s)
4. The record label
5. The artist(s)
6. The promotion team
7. The radio DJ(s)
8. The listener(s)

I believe the most important step is the first one. If we don't write something that we believe in, then why should we expect someone else believe it?

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!

Why Songwriting is Like Gardening

Gardening is a lot like songwriting. In fact, I've talked to a lot of writers who find great inspiration in keeping a garden. Like farmers, we plant seeds, water them, and wait for them to grow. Truth is, most of the life of a song is actually out of our control.

Keep writing (and planting seeds),

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!

Writing Tools - SoundHound

Here's a little phone app that I've found incredibly helpful. Whether I'm trying to identify a song on the radio or the melody that's stuck in my head, this the place I turn. Check it out.



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!

Key West Songwriters' Festival

Last week I had the opportunity to head down to Key West with a large group of writers and publishers from Nashville. The festival was full of shows happening all over town, from noon until three or four in the morning.

What's the point of such a migration, you may ask? For me, the main value of attending is for the opportunities to network. In town, I may run into other writers in a coffee shop or on music row, but generally we are both on our way to meet someone or to write. In Key West, no one really has to be anywhere, unless you are performing. Every meal and show is another chance to build a relationship or discover a new favorite songwriter. Here were a couple of my new favorite writers I saw perform this week:

Tony Lane ("I Need You" by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill)

Lori McKenna ("The Luxury of Knowing" by Keith Urban)

Here's a video from last year's festival:



Keep writing,

Ben

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Have you visited SongbirdCamp.com yet?

Do You Feel Like We Do?

I believe the ultimate accomplishment of a songwriter is to get the listener to feel exactly what the writer did at the moment of inspiration.

If the song is about falling in love, they should feel butterflies. If the song is about breaking free, they should be driving just a little faster. If the song is about God, they should feel a little closer to heaven (think of Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus").

I have this piece of art hanging in my office (thanks for the housewarming gift, Jon!), and it's a great reminder that music truly should always be the language of emotions.

Keep writing,

Ben

P.S. - I just can't help myself...






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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!