5 Outside The Box Ways To Get Your Song Heard

Mark Cawley iDoCoach

I wrote this article for  Songwriter Magazine issue #7 May 2016. Reprinted with their kind permission

LInk to Songwriting Magazine UK

if you'd like to stay up with iDoCoach including receiving the latest blogs and my favorite 7 Toolbox tips here ya go!

http://idocoach.com/email-newsletter

I'm currently coaching writers worldwide, online, one on one and taking new clients for the summer. Visit my website for more info www.idocoach.com or write to me at mark@idocoach.com

Check out this interview in the recent edition of M Music and Musicians Magazine for stories behind a few of my songs!

About Mark Cawley

Mark Cawley is a hit U.S. songwriter and musician who coaches other writers and artists to reach their creative and professional goals through iDoCoach.com. During his decades in the music business he has procured a long list of cuts with legendary artists ranging from Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Chaka Khan and Diana Ross to Wynonna Judd, Kathy Mattea, Russ Taff, Paul Carrack, Will Downing, Tom Scott, Billie Piper, Pop Idol winners and The Spice Girls. To date his songs have been on more than 16 million records. . He is also a judge for Nashville Rising Star, a contributing author to  USA Songwriting Competition, Songwriter Magazine, sponsor for the Australian Songwriting Association, judge for Belmont University's Commercial Music program and West Coast Songwriter events , Mentor for The Songwriting Academy UK, a popular blogger and, from time to time, conducts his own workshops including ASCAP, BMI and Sweetwater Sound. Born and raised in Syracuse, NY, Mark has also lived in Boston, L.A., Indianapolis, London, and the last 20 years in Nashville, TN.

iDoCoach Guest Video Blog, Kevin Savigar

Kevin Savigar Guest Video Blog

I've known Kevin since one of the very first Miles Copeland Castle retreats in the south of France around 2002. I'm a big Rod Stewart fan and Kevin has not only produced the past few of Rod records but co-wrote some of the classic Rod songs. He's also worked, produced and written for a who's who of pop artists. We have written a couple of songs that I love including "Don't Get Any Better Than This" which was a smooth jazz hit for Tom Scott featruing Maysa Leak. Check out his full bio here. When it came time to do a few of my own workshops last year in the US and UK, I asked a few of my favoroite writers if they would answer 4 questions for attendess. Kevin was brilliant. Thought it was high time to share this . Meet Kevin!

if you'd like to stay up with iDoCoach including receiving the latest blogs and my favorite 7 Toolbox tips here ya go!

http://idocoach.com/email-newsletter

I'm currently coaching writers worldwide, online, one on one and taking new clients for the summer. Visit my website for more info www.idocoach.com or write to me at mark@idocoach.com

Check out this interview in the recent edition of M Music and Musicians Magazine for stories behind a few of my songs!

About Mark Cawley

mark Cawley iDoCoach

Mark Cawley is a hit U.S. songwriter and musician who coaches other writers and artists to reach their creative and professional goals through iDoCoach.com. During his decades in the music business he has procured a long list of cuts with legendary artists ranging from Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Chaka Khan and Diana Ross to Wynonna Judd, Kathy Mattea, Russ Taff, Paul Carrack, Will Downing, Tom Scott, Billie Piper, Pop Idol winners and The Spice Girls. To date his songs have been on more than 16 million records. . He is also a judge for Nashville Rising Star, a contributing author to  USA Songwriting Competition, Songwriter Magazine, sponsor for the Australian Songwriting Association, judge for Belmont University's Commercial Music program and West Coast Songwriter events , Mentor for The Songwriting Academy UK, a popular blogger and, from time to time, conducts his own workshops including ASCAP, BMI and Sweetwater Sound. Born and raised in Syracuse, NY, Mark has also lived in Boston, L.A., Indianapolis, London, and the last 20 years in Nashville, TN.

Think Your Song Is Done? Think Again!

This is reprinted from my article in UK Songwriter Magazine, Spring 2017. Here's a link to the publication, check it out for some great info on songwriting!

if you'd like to stay up with iDoCoach including receiving the latest blogs and my favorite 7 Toolbox tips here ya go!

http://idocoach.com/email-newsletter

I'm currently coaching writers worldwide, online, one on one and taking new clients for the summer. Visit my website for more info www.idocoach.com or write to me at mark@idocoach.com

Check out this interview in the recent edition of M Music and Musicians Magazine for stories behind a few of my songs!

About Mark Cawley

Mark Cawley is a hit U.S. songwriter and musician who coaches other writers and artists to reach their creative and professional goals through iDoCoach.com. During his decades in the music business he has procured a long list of cuts with legendary artists ranging from Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Chaka Khan and Diana Ross to Wynonna Judd, Kathy Mattea, Russ Taff, Paul Carrack, Will Downing, Tom Scott, Billie Piper, Pop Idol winners and The Spice Girls. To date his songs have been on more than 16 million records. . He is also a judge for Nashville Rising Star, a contributing author to  USA Songwriting Competition, Songwriter Magazine, sponsor for the Australian Songwriting Association, judge for Belmont University's Commercial Music program and West Coast Songwriter events , Mentor for The Songwriting Academy UK, a popular blogger and, from time to time, conducts his own workshops including ASCAP, BMI and Sweetwater Sound. Born and raised in Syracuse, NY, Mark has also lived in Boston, L.A., Indianapolis, London, and the last 20 years in Nashville, TN.

Just How Many Songs Will I Have To Write?

Fertilizer

There’s a great, very Nashville saying that sh** makes great fertilizer and ya gotta write a lot of sh** before you grow some good songs. There’s wisdom in that for sure but just how much sh** do you need to write?

I coach writers all over the world every week and one of the things that will pop up from time to time is the amount of songs they write. Some use it as a source of pride; “ I wrote 100 songs last year”. Others are freakin’ out because their output is more like 10. Others will talk about how fast they wrote the song I’m about to hear. “15 minutes … all it took”. Still, others sigh and say “I’ve been working on this song for 6 months.”

Nobody cares. I’ll say it again. Nobody cares.

No one who hears your song knows how long it took you to write it or how many other songs you wrote in a year. They care about the one they’re hearing today. We’re all writing for the listener and we’re writing to connect. There’s no time clock in songwriting. If you study great songs and great songwriters you’ll come across stories ranging from “I woke up with it fully formed” to “the idea was in my head for years” and even co-writers who talk about getting back together to finish a song they started long ago. In the end, it’s all about the song.

There are cases for both sides of the quantity vs quality argument. I know writers who write or co-write a song a day. Writers on music row might write 2 or 3 in a day. If it works for you then it’s a great way to write. The odds go up of getting a cut if you have a ton of quality songs out there. Goes up even more if you have a couple of co-writers with publishers working all of these songs. 

Will It Grow?

In truth, those writers are going to tell you not all of those songs are great. Some are fertilizer or maybe their publisher decides which have the best chance of growth. They are going to demo and pitch the great ones - that’s a given. I won’t even go into the current trend of producer-writers, writing by committee or with a team. You see 8 writers on some current hits. Enough said.

On the other side you have the writers who are the constant gardeners. They may write a bunch but they’re only gonna show their best. They may work them over, or dismiss them quick and not count them as songs until they feel they have a killer one. 

If you reach the point of having to come up with less fertilizer and more roses you could fall in the area of having to contractually come up with say, 20 a year. Keep in mind publishers know their math. If you are one of 3 writers on a song, that’s a third of a song. Three of those co-writes makes one toward your quota. 

I will say that at the beginning of your songwriting career it’s huge to make lots fertilizer. The more tools you develop the less of this you may do. 

I would just hope to encourage you by saying at the end of the day, however you got there, whoever you got there with, your song has to connect with the listener and the listener has no clue how it was created. How many came before? How long did it take? Nobody cares!

Mark Cawley

May 19, 2017

Nashville, Tennessee

if you'd like to stay up with iDoCoach including receiving the latest blogs and my favorite 7 Toolbox tips here ya go!

Image: Shutterstock

http://idocoach.com/email-newsletter

I'm currently coaching writers worldwide, online, one on one and taking new clients for the summer. Visit my website for more info www.idocoach.com or write to me at mark@idocoach.com

Check out this interview in the recent edition of M Music and Musicians Magazine for stories behind a few of my songs!

About Mark Cawley

Mark Cawley iDoCoach

Mark Cawley is a hit U.S. songwriter and musician who coaches other writers and artists to reach their creative and professional goals through iDoCoach.com. During his decades in the music business he has procured a long list of cuts with legendary artists ranging from Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Chaka Khan and Diana Ross to Wynonna Judd, Kathy Mattea, Russ Taff, Paul Carrack, Will Downing, Tom Scott, Billie Piper, Pop Idol winners and The Spice Girls. To date his songs have been on more than 16 million records. . He is also a judge for Nashville Rising Star, a contributing author to  USA Songwriting Competition, Songwriter Magazine, sponsor for the Australian Songwriting Association, judge for Belmont University's Commercial Music program and West Coast Songwriter events , Mentor for The Songwriting Academy UK, a popular blogger and, from time to time, conducts his own workshops including ASCAP, BMI and Sweetwater Sound. Born and raised in Syracuse, NY, Mark has also lived in Boston, L.A., Indianapolis, London, and the last 20 years in Nashville, TN.

5 Questions For The Stuck Songwriter

iDoCoach.com

Where Am I ?

Sooner or later or sometime in between; as an artist or songwriter, you’re gonna hit that wall of self-doubt. Doubt about your talent, doubt about your path, doubt about the business, and worst of all: doubt about your own heart and desire. After a short career as an artist, a long one as a songwriter and now as a coach to songwriters and artists all over the world, I’m even more aware of how dark a place this can be. I've been 'stuck" in more than one season.

It’s like the critic when you’re writing but on steroids. It can literally bring you to your knees. You put your heart into creating but this is the kind of art that can be hard to measure, at least by the world’s standards. Easy to say, “Well if you have a deal, got a cut, had a hit, and made some money…then what’s not to love?” I’ve been all those places, and believe me, doubt will creep in when you least expect it. Much of it revolves around “Can I do it again?”

Your 5

So no matter if you’re just getting started or have been at this for awhile ask yourself these 5 questions.

1. What do I want?
2. Why do I want it?
3. How will I get there?
4. What tools will I need?
5. Where am I now?

It would have been great if I had done this at the start of my dream but I didn’t and you probably didn’t either.  We just followed the beat. 

So try answering these now, wherever you are on your road. Be honest, and be objective…with yourself. The answers might reveal a lot about you as a songwriter and/or artist and hopefully put you in better touch with your heart, your will, and your dream again.

My Own 5

On a personal note: years ago I was with a band called Faith with one hit, a few albums out and at a time where we were headlining small theaters and opening for major acts. One night Frampton, next couple nights Hall and Oates, The Doobie Brothers, REO, Fleetwood Mac.  I had been following one single-minded path since seeing the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. To be a pop star! Something funny happened along the way during that time. I didn’t exactly know it then but I think I did my own version of the five questions above and the answers began to change my path. I realized the amazing dedication it took to get where those artists were and to stay there, the sacrifices and the whole lifestyle thing. Somewhere in there I found that writing songs had replaced the original goal and the answers to the five questions were pretty different .

 I’ve had other times in my life when these questions came up and the answers helped clarify things. Pretty sure I’ll ask ‘em again before I'm done. Hope they help you!

Mark Cawley

Nashville , Tennessee

April 12, 2017

if you'd like to stay up with iDoCoach including receiving the latest blogs and my favorite 7 Toolbox tips here ya go!

Image: Shutterstock

http://idocoach.com/email-newsletter

I'm currently coaching writers worldwide, online, one on one and taking new clients for the summer. Visit my website for more info www.idocoach.com or write to me at mark@idocoach.com

Check out this interview in the recent edition of M Music and Musicians Magazine for stories behind a few of my songs!

About Mark Cawley

Mark Cawley is a hit U.S. songwriter and musician who coaches other writers and artists to reach their creative and professional goals through iDoCoach.com. During his decades in the music business he has procured a long list of cuts with legendary artists ranging from Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Chaka Khan and Diana Ross to Wynonna Judd, Kathy Mattea, Russ Taff, Paul Carrack, Will Downing, Tom Scott, Billie Piper, Pop Idol winners and The Spice Girls. To date his songs have been on more than 16 million records. . He is also a judge for Nashville Rising Star, a contributing author to  USA Songwriting Competition, Songwriter Magazine, sponsor for the Australian Songwriting Association, judge for Belmont University's Commercial Music program and West Coast Songwriter events , Mentor for The Songwriting Academy UK, a popular blogger and, from time to time, conducts his own workshops including ASCAP, BMI and Sweetwater Sound. Born and raised in Syracuse, NY, Mark has also lived in Boston, L.A., Indianapolis, London, and the last 20 years in Nashville, TN.

Mark Cawley iDoCoach.com

The Best And Worst Advice For Songwriters

The Best AND Worst Advice For Successful Songwriting

by Mark Cawley

( This is reprinted with permission from the USA Songwriting Competition, originally posted on their site on March 1st, 2017. Here's a link to the article as it appears on their website.)

This is delicate stuff for me. I coach writers all over the world; some with wildly different goals, talents, and dreams. For me it’s not as much nuts and bolts as trying hard to find real life examples of a successful path--and an equal amount of cautionary tales.

As with any advice, I would start with considering the source. Is the person qualified to give direction? For me, I always wanted to hear from someone who was in the trenches. Someone who had actually been where I wanted to go. I like to flip to the back of the book and read the credits before I start “how to”-ing.

Just by virtue of doing what I do, as long as I’ve done it, I’ve built up quite a stash of hard-earned wisdom (with plenty of mistakes mixed in).

Let’s start with the best advice:

1. Jump! When you’re stuck, complacent, or just bored creatively; shake things up! For me this has meant actually picking up and moving to L.A., London, and Nashville over the years. Sometimes with no plan and certainly no plan B! It can be scary, but you’re an artist and that’s what artists do sometimes. They jump into the unknown. Every jump I’ve ever made has made me a better, and more aware songwriter. It’s as important to live and experience things as it is to study and practice your craft.

2. Study the Great Ones. Like most writers I know, I learned by deconstructing songs. How are they put together? Why do some relate to so many people and become hits? Just the process of breaking down songs and putting them back together gets in your DNA as a writer and is bound to make you better.

3. Network. This can be a hard one for us introverts but I promise, those connections you make will come back time and time again to be invaluable. I still connect with writers I wrote with 20 years ago. They’re great co-writers but more importantly, great friends and you need friends to survive in this business.

4. Be Fearless. Maybe the best advice I ever got. The best cuts I’ve ever had came from songs that were written without a “net”. If I surprised myself and loved the result, chances are someone else will.

5. Be a good hang. You’re in it for the long run and believe it or not, the writing community is smaller than you think! Being prepared, considerate, and a good listener makes you someone people want to work with again. Word spreads!

Now the worst advise:

1) Have a plan B. To do this job you have to not be able to not write. See #1 above.

2) Only write what you know. You can argue this, as I have with several of my coaching clients. “The only true songs are the songs written from my own personal experience”. That’s the argument . I would argue that unless your life is unbelievably interesting and eventful, the well will run dry quick. Great to write from real life but it’s also pretty cool to make something up sometimes!

3) Focus on being creative, someone else will do that messy “business” part. I tried that, doesn’t work. Be a student of the business, it’s your career and no one is going to care about your career like you do.

4) Follow the songwriting rules. Obviously, learn ‘em. So you can break ‘em! Like any craft, you want to learn the ABC’s...but then you want to invent some of your own.

5) Great art requires suffering. I’ve written some of my best sad songs when I was insanely happy and some of the most upbeat ones when I was down. If you just write every day, you’ll experience it all. Promise.

if you'd like to stay up with iDoCoach including receiving the latest blogs and my favorite 7 Toolbox tips here ya go!

http://idocoach.com/email-newsletter

I'm currently coaching writers worldwide, online, one on one and taking new clients for the summer. Visit my website for more info www.idocoach.com or write to me at mark@idocoach.com

Check out this interview in the recent edition of M Music and Musicians Magazine for stories behind a few of my songs!

Mark Cawley iDoCoach.com

About Mark Cawley

Mark Cawley is a hit U.S. songwriter and musician who coaches other writers and artists to reach their creative and professional goals through iDoCoach.com. During his decades in the music business he has procured a long list of cuts with legendary artists ranging from Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Chaka Khan and Diana Ross to Wynonna Judd, Kathy Mattea, Russ Taff, Paul Carrack, Will Downing, Tom Scott, Billie Piper, Pop Idol winners and The Spice Girls. To date his songs have been on more than 16 million records. . He is also a judge for Nashville Rising Star, a contributing author to  USA Songwriting Competition, Songwriter Magazine, sponsor for the Australian Songwriting Association, judge for Belmont University's Commercial Music program and West Coast Songwriter events , Mentor for The Songwriting Academy UK, a popular blogger and, from time to time, conducts his own workshops including ASCAP, BMI and Sweetwater Sound. Born and raised in Syracuse, NY, Mark has also lived in Boston, L.A., Indianapolis, London, and the last 20 years in Nashville, TN.

25th Anniversary The Original Songwriters Retreat

Chateau Marouatte present day

I was reminded this week that 2017 is the 25th anniversary of one of the most memorable times in my life. 

All Those Years Ago

In 1992 Miles Copeland hosted the very first songwriter’s retreat at his Castle in the south of France. Constructed in the Dordogne region of Perigord Vert, France, the Chateau Marouatte is a 14th century fortified castle steeped in history. Yep, about as cool as it sounds. Two weeks writing with some great songwriters and artists with an eye to coming up with songs for the artists in attendance as well as pitchable songs.

I was signed to Miles Copeland’s publishing company with Sting, Bugle Songs, the first signing thanks to my longtime buddy Torquil Creevy. Many of the artists had a connection to Miles’ management company or to his label, IRS Records. These writer retreats are common now in different parts of the world but at the time it was a revolutionary idea and like any brand new idea it had its share of magic and missteps. 

The 92 Castle

Wyatt Easterling, Glenn Tilbrook, Dennis Greaves, Myself, Dan Graff, Unknown? and Henry Patovani.

One Of Three For Me

I’m not sure how many workshops Miles hosted in the years after but I attended the first three. Retreats 2 and 3 were great but nothing was as much fun as the very first one. Some of the names escape me now but along with my Nashville buddies Kye Fleming and Mary Ann Kennedy, there were some writers I was dying to get with like Glenn Tilbrook from Squeeze and Bonnie Hayes (Have A Heart and Love Letter for Bonnie Raitt). Torquil was in charge of trying to corral us into one co-write a day, 3 writers to a room every day with wonderful meals made on site and jam sessions at night. Henry Patavoni was there as well to help, great guy and original guitarist in the Police.

No Whining!!!

Co-writing was not as common as it is these days and the idea of having one day only to come up with something was a little daunting but usually big fun. There are endless stories from these trips but a couple of my favorites were from the first one. Miles came to me on day two (first day was meet and greet, eat and drink….a lot of drink) and asked “ how much wine do songwriters usually drink”? South of France, great red wine, hanging in a castle….hmmm… “quite a bit I’m guessing Miles, why do you ask”? “Because the cellar’s empty”!  said our fearless leader.  Now, not knowing what he was in for and not being a wine drinker himself I could argue that he hadn’t really stocked up but in the end I just suggested he hang onto the key to the cellar in the future. That started a game of “find the key” that lasted until he gave up, as I remember.

Life Gets Weird

The other story for me was writing with Glenn Tilbrook and Kye Fleming one day in the room you see in the picture. Just an amazing day writing a song called “Life Is Weird”. Now Glenn is still one of my favorite voices in pop music and just hearing that voice all day long with a brilliant lyric from Kye was the best. It got even better when Kye and I went on to England to Glenn‘s home studio in Blackheath to record the demo.  I played bass and Dennis Greaves, who had also been at the retreat, played guitar along with Glenn. It was one of two demos we did that day for a proposed solo album. The session was interrupted by the best pub crawl ever with our host Glenn. I’ve included the very rough and slightly damaged demo from the day.

Glenn, Kye and myself " Life Is Weird"

Cher !

Some of the songs got used over time including one written with Bonnie Hayes, another favorite of mine, but it almost was an afterthought to the buzz surrounding the event. Later trips to the castle introduced me to some fantastic writers including Brenda Russell who went on to be one of my dearest friends and frequent co-writers, Vinx, a totally unique talent, Kevin Savagar, Shelly Peiken, Chris Difford, Jools Holland, Billy Lawrie, Siobhan Maher ( Kennedy), Alan Rich, Bruce Roberts, Patty Smyth and even Cher.

Unknown, Cher, Zucchero, Alan Rich and Miles Copeland

It was a trip to come down to breakfast and find myself across from her. More than once. The 2nd workshop had its share of stories but, another time. Ok, one short one :-) The artist Des’ree (Gotta Be) was a bit different. She was convinced the ghosts of past battles were inhabiting the castle by night and not the Casper, friendly sort. Miles woke up all the guys in the middle of the night to chase the ghosts out of every room on the property.

Maybe one more... I had taken over my favorite room to write in the castle ( year 3), got Brenda Russell and Kevin Savigar on keys and we were workin it. Patty Smyth came by and joined in. Sounded so good now we were 4. We were stuck on a bridge idea when we heard a voice from outside the window join in...and eventually jump in the window, stand on the window sill and proceed to come up with a fantastic bridge. Bruce Roberts was now the last a part of a song called "Don't Get Any Better Than This" which turned into a jazz hit for Tom Scott with Meysa Leak.

The 2nd Castle

The Castle got more and more focused in later years on trying to get hits and coming away with pro quality demos during the week but for two weeks in the fall of ’92 it was all about making friends, making music, fine food and fine wine…a lot of fine, fine wine.

Unknow Arist?, Patty Smyth, Lucy our amazing cook and kevin Savigar. Castle #3

How about a reunion of that very first class Miles? I’m in!

Mark Cawley 

Feb 16, 2017

Nashville, Tennessee

P.S.

There are some great retreats still being done in various parts of the world including Judy Stakees held at the very same castle. Chris Difford has a cool one in the UK. I attended one as a mentor in September in Spain hosted by The Uk Song Academy and Martin Sutton and it was so cool to do it all again, just a wee bit older this time! Here's a recent blog on the subject.

If you know of any great camps and retreats please share!

TSA Songwriters Retreat Malaga, Spain 2016

if you'd like to stay up with iDoCoach including receiving the latest blogs and my favorite 7 Toolbox tips here ya go!

http://idocoach.com/email-newsletter

I'm currently coaching writers worldwide, online, one on one and taking new clients for the summer. Visit my website for more info www.idocoach.com or write to me at mark@idocoach.com

Check out this interview in the recent edition of M Music and Musicians Magazine for stories behind a few of my songs!

About Mark Cawley

Mark Cawley is a hit U.S. songwriter and musician who coaches other writers and artists to reach their creative and professional goals. During his decades in the music business he has procured a long list of cuts with legendary artists ranging from Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Chaka Khan and Diana Ross to Wynonna Judd, Kathy Mattea, Russ Taff, Paul Carrack, Will Downing, Tom Scott, Billie Piper, Pop Idol winners and The Spice Girls. To date his songs have been on more than 16 million records. Mark’s resume includes hits on the Pop, Country, R&B, Jazz, and Rock charts and several publishing deals with the likes of Virgin, Windswept Pacific, and Steelworks/Universal. Mark calls on his decades of experience in the publishing world, as an artist on major labels, co-writer with everyone from Eliot Kennedy and Burt Bacharach to Simon Climie and Kye Fleming, composing, and recording to mentor clients around the globe with iDoCoach. He is also a judge for the UK Songwriting Contest, Nashville Rising Star, a contributing author to  USA Songwriting, Songwriter Magazine,  Mentor for The Songwriting Academy, sponsor for the ASA, judge for Belmont University's Commercial Music program and West Coast Songwriter events , a popular blogger and, from time to time, conducts his own workshops.Born and raised in Syracuse, NY, Mark has also lived in Boston, L.A., Indianapolis, London, and the last 20 years in Nashville, TN. 

Nobody Knows Frampton!

If you follow my blogs you know they usually have something to do with songwriting. An easy call since most of my time is spent coaching songwriters these days:-) But this one is different.

This one is the first of a few I’m writing this year at the suggestion of my wife, Kathy, who thinks all of my old “war stories” need to be in book form before I croak. Here goes one of my favorites.

Keeping The Faith

In the 70’s I was part of a band called “Faith”. Faith had one interesting ride after another from being signed by Terry Knight (Grand Funk Railroad), first album cover shot by Richard Avedon, nationally hyped from double page ads in Rolling Stone to billboards on Sunset Strip, hype backfired - lost the record deal, playing back in clubs, slugged our way out to another major label deal with 3 albums on Mercury, the hit “Dancin' Shoes”, headlining theaters and opening for some amazing artists including Fleetwood Mac, The Doobie Brothers, Thin Lizzy, The Allman Brothers, REO, Foreigner Hall and Oates and, on December 6, 1976 Peter Frampton in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This is at the height of his “Frampton Comes Alive” phase.

Hello Fort Wayne

So…day of the gig and our band pulls into the parking lot of the Memorial Coliseum. Our little mobile home right behind I don’t know how many beautiful silver buses needed to make Frampton come alive that night. This parking area sat at the bottom of a fair sized hill. Our job was to exit the mobile home, walk around the hill to the back entrance and get a sound check in. One by one we left the mobile home until it was just me and my bass, backing out, closing the door behind me. 

View fullsize

Me back when

Him back then

Meet The Mob

I started to hear a hum, turned around to find it was coming from the top of the hill. I stopped to watch what I would probably call a mob. Frampton fans, a ton of Frampton fans. I don’t mean casual Frampton fans, I mean rabid Frampton fans. A Frampton mob!

The hum got louder and louder and en masse,  the mob began to gather together and start down the hill…toward me. Curiosity turned to panic as they started actually running downhill andI picked up the call of “that’s him”!

And Then

As they got closer I scoped out my options. Try and get around them, through them or get back into the mobile home and lock the door and pray. I tried the door but it had locked behind me! The mob is waaaay closer now and I’m in full panic mode when I hear this - “That’s not him…that’s NOBODY”!!! If you can imagine a group that size, flying downhill and putting on the brakes all at once, that’s what I saw. One disappointed and somewhat angry Frampton-ites coming to the realization that their hero was a zero. 

“That’s not him, that’s nobody!”

I was left standing next to my bass, next to the mobile home looking at the back end of the mob. I picked up my bass and made the long walk around the hill to the back of the coliseum and I remember thinking how scary it would be to be that famous. I don’t know if I was happy to be nobody again, but I was alive!

Post Script

Late 2016 and I walked into my favorite wine store to be greeted with “anybody tell you you look exactly like Peter Frampton? He’s a friend of mine and I swear…”

So here we are again, lot less hair, both settled in Nashville and both alive and rocking! I may have taken a few liberties with the recreation pic! One more note, I did meet Peter after the show and he was a really kind gentle soul, probably the most famous face on the planet at that moment. He's still making great music these days.

Peter now

Nobody now

Mark Cawley

Nashville, Tennessee

Jan 4, 2017

if you'd like to stay up with iDoCoach including receiving the latest blogs and my favorite 7 Toolbox tips here ya go!

http://idocoach.com/email-newsletter

I'm currently coaching writers worldwide, online, one on one and taking new clients for the winter. Visit my website for more info www.idocoach.com or write to me at mark@idocoach.com

Check out this interview in the recent edition of M Music and Musicians Magazine for stories behind a few of my songs!

About Mark Cawley

Mark Cawley is a hit U.S. songwriter and musician who coaches other writers and artists to reach their creative and professional goals. During his decades in the music business he has procured a long list of cuts with legendary artists ranging from Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Chaka Khan and Diana Ross to Wynonna Judd, Kathy Mattea, Russ Taff, Paul Carrack, Will Downing, Tom Scott, Billie Piper, Pop Idol winners and The Spice Girls. To date his songs have been on more than 16 million records. Mark’s resume includes hits on the Pop, Country, R&B, Jazz, and Rock charts and several publishing deals with the likes of Virgin, Windswept Pacific, and Steelworks/Universal. Mark calls on his decades of experience in the publishing world, as an artist on major labels, co-writer with everyone from Eliot Kennedy and Burt Bacharach to Simon Climie and Kye Fleming, composing, and recording to mentor clients around the globe with iDoCoach. He is also a judge for the UK Songwriting Contest, Nashville Rising Star, a contributing author to  USA Songwriting, Songwriter Magazine,  Mentor for The Songwriting Academy, sponsor for the ASA, judge for Belmont University's Commercial Music program and West Coast Songwriter events , a popular blogger and, from time to time, conducts his own workshops.Born and raised in Syracuse, NY, Mark has also lived in Boston, L.A., Indianapolis, London, and the last 20 years in Nashville, TN. 

Happy New Gear!

What Every Songwriter Needs?

I was talking with an old friend last week about gear. You’re a songwriter if you’re reading this, so it’s always an interesting dilemma. When is enough enough? Do I really need that new piece, and is it helping me write better songs? Am I spending too much time watching video tutorials while I could be banging out a hit on my acoustic guitar and iPhone?

Let me start by saying how much I love gear. Once I got a hold of my first Tascam 4-track I was hooked. Now I could record more of me! It was kinda like being in a band without any of the other three or four say-so’s. Loved it! And when drum machines came out? Forget about it!

In the beginning, I couldn't always afford that “next big thing”. I’d love to have back some of the guitars and basses I traded for Rockmans and Linns! Eventually my fortunes improved and so did all of these fantastic toys. I went from my little basement project studio to building one on to my house, complete with the latest ProTools set up and consoles to match the wood trim. The room looked out over a running creek outside of Nashville in Kingston Springs. I was taking a Kurzweil Keyboard and an Apple laptop to far-away places to write, loaded with samples and loops and loving every minute of it. If I’m honest I have to say all these tools were inspirational. I felt like they gave me a sort of “cutting edge” over the two writers in a room on Music Row with acoustic guitars and a legal pad.

And then it started to change. Long story short, I began to wonder if I was doing a disservice to my own songs by playing everything on my demos (to justify all the gear). I began to miss people . Other players and voices. I started bringing some wonderful session players into my studio to play on my demos. The demos got better. I even started to hire someone else to mix and sometimes even record the session.

Here’s the potential problem with too much technology: you can get carried away. Sometimes someone else can do it so much better--and, in turn, make your song that much more pitchable and listenable. I remember one publisher telling me that he’d rather hear a well-played acoustic guitar with a good session singer than someone attempting to do it all themselves.

Disclaimer here. I have some friends who are both great songwriters AND great producers AND great engineers AND great session players AND even great singers. Home demos are more than home demos in their hands and a great way to go. So it can be done.

In the end, I hit a good balance of demoing some songs very simply and others in a studio with session guys. Nashville is pretty great for that option. Over time, I’ve gone from a full-blown studio to a laptop with Logic. Although…I did just buy a new MacBook Pro with the touch bar, and I’ll be going to bed tonight with the latest Sweetwater catalogue. So it begins…again.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you!

Mark Cawley

Nashville Tennessee

December 13th 2016

Photo: Shutterstock

if you'd like to stay up with iDoCoach including receiving the latest blogs and my favorite 7 Toolbox tips here ya go!

http://idocoach.com/email-newsletter

I'm currently coaching writers worldwide, online, one on one and taking new clients for the winter. Visit my website for more info www.idocoach.com or write to me at mark@idocoach.com

Check out this interview in the recent edition of M Music and Musicians Magazine for stories behind a few of my songs!

Thanks to all who have been signing up for my holidays special. Some have even been giving it as a gift to the songwriter in their life! To take advantage of it just go to idocoach.com to the single session sign up and put "singlesesson" in the promo box. Good for one time only and must be purchased by Christmas day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-u0yUZqnc1w

About Mark Cawley

Mark Cawley is a hit U.S. songwriter and musician who coaches other writers and artists to reach their creative and professional goals. During his decades in the music business he has procured a long list of cuts with legendary artists ranging from Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Chaka Khan and Diana Ross to Wynonna Judd, Kathy Mattea, Russ Taff, Paul Carrack, Will Downing, Tom Scott, Billie Piper, Pop Idol winners and The Spice Girls. To date his songs have been on more than 16 million records. Mark’s resume includes hits on the Pop, Country, R&B, Jazz, and Rock charts and several publishing deals with the likes of Virgin, Windswept Pacific, and Steelworks/Universal. Mark calls on his decades of experience in the publishing world, as an artist on major labels, co-writer with everyone from Eliot Kennedy and Burt Bacharach to Simon Climie and Kye Fleming, composing, and recording to mentor clients around the globe with iDoCoach. He is also a judge for the UK Songwriting Contest, Nashville Rising Star, a contributing author to  USA Songwriting, Songwriter Magazine,  Mentor for The Songwriting Academy, sponsor for the ASA, judge for Belmont University's Commercial Music program and West Coast Songwriter events , a popular blogger and, from time to time, conducts his own workshops.Born and raised in Syracuse, NY, Mark has also lived in Boston, L.A., Indianapolis, London, and the last 20 years in Nashville, TN. 

Way back in the home studio  day!!!

5 Big Questions For Every Songwriter And Artist

iDoCoach Blog

The Idea

I’m working with songwriters around the world, every week, and one of the first things I ask them to do before we jump into coaching is answer 5 questions.

There are lot’s of reasons behind this idea but most of all it helps me ( and them) get to the core of their desire. There are no wrong answers. Years ago I had a meeting with Simon Cowell and he asked “who are you and why should I care”. He was kidding... I hope, but the idea stuck with me. Knowing why you’re on this path and what you have to offer really is huge . So ask yourself...

The 5 Questions

1)  What do I want?

2)  Why do I want It?

3)  How will I get there?

4)  What tools do I need?

5)  Where am I right now?

Mark Cawley

iDoCoach

Nov 16, 2016

Nashville, Tennessee

if you'd like to stay up with iDoCoach including receiving the latest blogs and my favorite 7 Toolbox tips here ya go!

http://idocoach.com/email-newsletter

I'm currently coaching writers worldwide, online, one on one and taking new clients for the winter. Visit my website for more info www.idocoach.com or write to me at mark@idocoach.com

Check out this interview in the recent edition of M Music and Musicians Magazine for stories behind a few of my songs!

About Mark Cawley

Mark Cawley is a hit U.S. songwriter and musician who coaches other writers and artists to reach their creative and professional goals. During his decades in the music business he has procured a long list of cuts with legendary artists ranging from Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Chaka Khan and Diana Ross to Wynonna Judd, Kathy Mattea, Russ Taff, Paul Carrack, Will Downing, Tom Scott, Billie Piper, Pop Idol winners and The Spice Girls. To date his songs have been on more than 16 million records. Mark’s resume includes hits on the Pop, Country, R&B, Jazz, and Rock charts and several publishing deals with the likes of Virgin, Windswept Pacific, and Steelworks/Universal. Mark calls on his decades of experience in the publishing world, as an artist on major labels, co-writer with everyone from Eliot Kennedy and Burt Bacharach to Simon Climie and Kye Fleming, composing, and recording to mentor clients around the globe with iDoCoach. He is also a judge for the UK Songwriting Contest, Nashville Rising Star, a contributing author to  USA Songwriting, Songwriter Magazine,  Mentor for The Songwriting Academy, sponsor for the ASA, judge for Belmont University's Commercial Music program and West Coast Songwriter events , a popular blogger and, from time to time, conducts his own workshops.Born and raised in Syracuse, NY, Mark has also lived in Boston, L.A., Indianapolis, London, and the last 20 years in Nashville, TN.