January 04, 2017

Nobody Knows Frampton!

January 04, 2017/ Mark Cawley

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.

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.

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.

December 13, 2016

Happy New Gear!

December 13, 2016/ Mark Cawley

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!

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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

Way back in the home studio  day!!! — Way back in the home studio day!!!

November 16, 2016

5 Big Questions For Every Songwriter And Artist

November 16, 2016/ Mark Cawley

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

September 27, 2016

In Praise Of Songwriting Workshops!

September 27, 2016/ Mark Cawley

Songwriting Academy / Mark Cawley Workshop in London

No rain in Spain ...well once

September is a month I’ll remember for a long time to come. Most of my coaching is done from my home office in Nashville via Skype and my songwriting clients are all over the world at this point. This is something I’ve loved doing for over 5 years now but…I do miss seeing writers in person, writing more myself and traveling. This month I got my fix.

I was invited by Martin Sutton who runs The Songwriting Academy in the UK to come to Malaga, Spain and be one of 4 mentors at their annual songwriting retreat from Sept 10-17. I also got the chance through Martin and TSA to have a full day workshop in London on the 19th. This took me right up to my workshop in DC with Kye Fleming organized by our friend Tom Nichols and the Songwriting Association Of Washington. It felt like a mini tour!

In Malaga they had over 30 writers, mostly UK based but a few from Russia and even Norway. Had a chance to write with a different group each day and mentor two other groups per day. Martin, Dominic Roy King and Charlie Dore were the other mentors and some gifted folk. After dinner every group performs the song they wrote followed by pure fun and wine…lots of great food and wine:-)!

Dinner break at the TSA retreat, Malaga , Spain

DC, London and Spain...the people are all the same...awesome!

These are songwriters investing in their passion, turning information into inspiration every day. This, along with the one day workshop in London and the one in DC, just reminded me how amazing it is to write songs and to co-write with people for the pure buzz of it. It filled up my well and I got to experience the “non-music business “ part of the music business. People were gracious and giving as well as sponges for anything new. I’ve been to pro-writing camps and although they can be great for networking and a shot at getting a cut, they can lack the pure joy of these events. I got to share my life stories and hear some amazing ones but it comes back to the thing we all have in common, a love for songwriting and expression.

Got as much as I gave for sure and in that sense it was all one big co-writing experience. Although most attendees were close to my kids’ age (and a few who might have done the math and found I could be their Granddad) when writers get together in that kind of spirit nothing else matters but the music and I heard some great music everyday from the writers at the retreat to the ones in the West End of London to the beautiful city of Washington DC. I loved TSA and its people enough to become a mentor on thier site to coach thier members from time to time.

Just go!!!

If you haven’t tried a writing camp or retreat, gone to a workshop in your town or in some far off place, I would really urge you to do it. We can live inside our heads as writers and need to much of the time but there’s no substitute for making music with other people, sharing stories and seeing how other writers go about writing a song. I made music but more importantly made some lifelong friends and filled up the well to overflowing. I'm vowing to do more in the coming year.

Here are just a few of the places you can do the same!

The Songwriting Academy ( Martin Sutton and his team are awesome at what they do and what they offer)

NSAI ( with branches in many cities they offer a great chance to meet other writers and though the Nashville chapter, lot’s of information)

The West Coast Songwriters Association ( I’ve done a few workshops for them as well as their big event in September. Ian and Joanie Crombie are the real deal)

BMI Workshops ( Great workshops with Jason Blume and they’ve hosted workshops for Kye Fleming and myself over the years)

ASCAP Workshops ( Their create music seminars in LA are great!)

Berklee College Of Music ( mainly online offerings but check for events)

Sweetwater Music (The worlds biggest internet music equipment provider and has great programs. I’ve been their guest for many over the years)

Songtown ( Clay Mills and Marty Dotson offer some events and great info with a focus on Nashville)

More and more songwriters are offering their own workshops including me from time to time so just Google Songwriting Workshops to find one near you. Judy Stakee offers cool retreats as does Chris Difford and Dominic KIng. Steve Earl even offers a camp once a year. I’ve seen camps pop up in Yosemite and even Marthas Vineyard. Take the leap and I promise, it will be life changing!

Mark Cawley

Nashville, Tennessee

9/27/16

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 fall. 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 Workshop at Sweetwater

About Mark Cawley

August 08, 2016

Songwriting Prose and Con-cepts

August 08, 2016/ Mark Cawley

( This article first appeared in Songwriter Magazine in the UK Summer Edition 2016 )

Prose and Cons

I’m in Nashville; and although my coaching clients are all over the world these days, there are a couple things I focus on with my lyric writers that are uniquely Nashville.

One is to write prose first, the other is to think of a concept (and even better, a second concept). I know that not every type of song you’re writing is story-driven, but we’re talking Nashville. Much of what comes out of here is still about the story and the concept. So many times I’ve gone into a good co-write with an experienced songwriter and we’ll sit down and talk. Then talk some more…and more…until something starts to sounds like an idea that would be worth writing about. Relatable, interesting, unique, or at the very least, a new way to say something old!

Let’s take a minute to focus on prose first. All this means is to write a very brief overview of what your lyric is going to be about. Why bother? It's a great tool to keep you on track. You may have worked on a lyric that looks great on paper, even sounds good when you talk it out loud, (another tool I recommend). But by the third verse, some of those clever rhymes might not be supporting your idea anymore. Going back and going back often to make sure everything still points to the hook is huge. This doesn’t need to be anything other than you describing what the song will be about. No rhymes, just a short synopsis.

Title Writing

I love title writing. I’m not talking about gimmicky ideas but more about a fresh take. Coming in with more than a few lines that might become titles. Something I can throw out to a co-writer to see how they take it. One of the beauties of co-writing is sometimes that line that's been sitting around takes on a whole new life when your co-writer tells you what the line means to them. This can be the beginning of your concept but not the end. A second concept might be the money idea, the one that's not the first thing off the top of your head.

30 Seconds...

I’ll give you a great example. I was coaching a client who had done her homework of intentionally finding some lines that might be worth considering. I asked her to read a few. A couple were ok, a few predictable. Then she said, “What about thirty seconds from religion?” I asked her what the concept for this title might be. She thought it could be about someone who’s on death's doorstep and would be meeting their maker soon. Yep, I got it. But it also seemed a little predictable. Maybe relatable, but not the most upbeat idea for her lyric.

I asked her to think about another concept or angle and let me know in our next session. Not only did she come up with one, but she had a whole lyric written! This time it was a story about a long-suffering wife whose husband is cheating on her (c'mon, it’s Nashville after all!) and she’s had it. He used to be a God-fearing man, sat beside her at church every Sunday, but now had lost his ever loving mind and was living like he was single. When I say she’d had it, I mean to the point of taking this guy out.

So her lyric tells the story of what he’s been up to and the chorus comes to the point. He is going to straighten up and be sitting in their usual spot next to her in church this Sunday, or he was going to the service in a pine box. Either way, he was going to be seeing his maker…30 seconds from religion. Great second concept, and way more interesting and unique than the dying man version. Don’t you think?

The Little Big Town hit “Girl Crush” is another great example of a second concept. Most people who heard the title (and the song) assumed it was going to be about a woman falling for another woman. In truth, the song is about jealousy. A woman whose guy has left her is now with another woman. The woman in the song just wants to be next to the other woman...to be close to her ex. Fantastic concept and one that made the song something way more than novelty. That kind of concept is sometimes the idea that takes a song from good to great.

There are times when your first instinct is the best one and the one you go with in the end. But I would always push the idea of taking your time and letting your sub-conscious work at that other, outside-the-box, second concept.

Have some fun with it!

Mark Cawley

Nashville, Tennessee

Aug 8, 2016

Image: 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 fall. 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, , 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.

July 05, 2016

20 Songwriting Tips Part 2

July 05, 2016/ Mark Cawley

This is the 2nd in a series of blogs based on a recent workshop I did for Sweetwater Sound. Had a great time with this short workshop for over 200 people. I had done a full day workshop the Thursday before but this one hour session on Sat June 18th was a chance to try something different. I decided to choose my 20 favorite toolbox tips. These are a little random, some pretty outside the box, some you may have run into but all are my go-to’s.

Here are numbers 1 though 5.

1) “Get Uncomfortable”. Do whatever it takes to get outside your comfort zone. Can be another instrument (don’t be afraid to suck!), setting up a co-write with someone new, trying a foreign technique …anything to shake it up. I love the David Bowie quote that to be an artist you need to wade into the water just far enough to to be scared sometimes.

2) “Write prose”. Before you really dig in to writing your lyric take some time to write a bit of prose. Just enough to remind yourself what you’re writing about. We can get caught up in writing a lyric and choose clever rhymes or create new characters and situations but if you keep referring to the prose you wrote you have a better chance of staying on track, writing about that one thing.

3) “2nd Concept”. Stories and concepts are familiar in Nashville writing sessions but sometimes digging deeper, past the the first thing that comes to mind can be the money idea. If you give it time, your sub-conscious can be a pretty creative co-writer when it comes to this.

4) “Housekeeping”. Get in the habit of presenting your lyric, typewritten with the verse in plain text, chorus in bold and bridge in italic. Publishers and session players will love you!

5) “Walk away from the instrument for your melodies!” If you play an instrument and you come up with melodies while you’re playing try recording just the chord changes. Take that recording away from your instrument and writing area and the freedom may open up a waaaay better melody. We tend to almost be performing when we try and play and come up with a melody.

Hope these are helpful, more to come!

Mark Cawley

Nashville, Tennessee

July 5, 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

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, , 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.

June 21, 2016

20 Songwriting Tips Part 1 Video

June 21, 2016/ Mark Cawley

Sweetwater

Last week I did two workshops for Sweetwater in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. If you're not familiar with Sweetwater, they are the largest internet-based music retailer in the world with a campus that rivals Google's. Just a mind-blowing facility and great people. Mike Ross has invited me a few times over the years to hold workshops and seminars for songwriters from around the country.

On Thursday, June 16 I did an all-day workshop and on Saturday the 18th a much larger one-hour workshop for over 200 during their annual Gearfest event. Sweetwater hosted a ton of vendors, experts in tons of fields and had around 12,000 total in attendance.

Random Tips

So, with only one hour to talk to writers on Saturday I decided to get outside the box and go over a list of about twenty "toolbox tips". Not the stuff you would ordinarily get from a full workshop, but more random things I've picked up over the years. I had so much fun with this and had the best reception of any workshop I've done so far!

Since I got back to Nashville I've been getting more and more emails about how helpful these tips have been for the attendees. So, this is the first in a series of blogs that will share a few of these tips.

Two of 20!

The first of two cover the value of giving yourself an assignment, as if you've been asked to write for a specific artist. I do have a disclaimer here: I wrote a blog awhile back about the fact that some of the best cuts I've ever gotten are when I didn't try to write for an artist but rather just wrote what I felt like on a given day. The truth is, that was later in my career. Learning to give myself an assignment was a great way to develop my writing early on.

The second toolbox tip is simply using drum loops during your writing session. I still love this technique for the reasons I mention here.

The Video

Here's a clip to give you a feel for the kind of info I shared.

Hope these are helpful. 18 more to come in future blogs!

P.S. As the clip runs out I started to mention a Pat Pattison tip. Here's a link to him, check out any of his books, good stuff!

Mark Cawley

Nashville, Tennessee

June 21. 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

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, , 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.

April 28, 2016

While My Guitar Gently Weeps...

April 28, 2016/ Mark Cawley

You’ve probably been reading some great articles and blogs, watching videos and re-discovering some favorite music these past few months. Me too.

Every time we lose a music icon they top the charts one more time and we weigh our own personal loss. If we loved them enough it's like a piece of us died with them. Bowie, Haggard, Lou Reed, B.B, Glenn Frey and now Prince. They aren’t making more of these and it hurts.

For me it started with Brian Jones of the Stones and then the "curse of being 27" thing. Hendrix, Kobain, Joplin, Morrison. Over time, Lowell George, Michael Jackson, Roy Orbison, Cash…and of course there was Lennon. Lennon was a stunner. I was living in LA and remember just shutting down when I heard the news. It’s a well-worn line but we all lost some of our innocence that day.

This week I’m doing what I’ve done too many times, going to a guitar and just playing. Maybe a song will come out of it. Happened before and even recently with a song Kye Fleming and I wrote called “What Would Lennon Do”. It’s how we express grief even after all these years.

If you're a songwriter I’d urge you to channel that energy and honor your influence. I think the beauty of it is through playing their music and letting a little of their creative blood mingle with our own, we keep the best of them alive and with us.

I know I can’t hope to reach the level of pure genius of a Prince or have the impact of a Lennon, but trying helps me to heal.

This performance is worth one more look. One crazy gifted artist honoring another. George Harrison song, and Prince's solo sounds like a prayer.

Mark Cawley

Nashville, Tennessee

Image: 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 Summer. Visit my website for more info www.idocoach.com or write to me at mark@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. 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, , 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.

March 25, 2016

What A Songwriter Hears And What It Really Means

March 25, 2016/ Mark Cawley

I was coaching one of my favorite songwriting clients this week, and some interesting questions came up. Not the kind that have easy answers. More the kind that I have to think about for awhile and usually dig into my own experience to come up with something to say.

We were talking about the kind of comments that come up when you play songs for other people. People in power, people you know, people who know people…all people you want to love your songs, of course! This writer is working hard, getting better by the week, and absolutely determined to knock down doors. You might be in the same place. Nashville, New York, London or just making the every-so-often trip to a music center to see where you stand.

Putting Yourself Out There

Sometimes you get the lecture when all you really want is a ‘yes’ or ‘no’. A state of the music business lesson when you’re really just dying for a little encouragement. An “it’s broke” when you want to know how to fix it! Hopefully you're getting constructive criticism but you also may be hearing some comments or critiques that leave you a bit confused.

A bit of a disclaimer here, I'm one of the ones who may hear your song at a workshop or online and I promise you I try hard to make sure whatever comes out of my mouth is the truth as I know it. So do the majority of writers, publishers and producers who put themselves out there. But sometimes the truth is time is limited and you may not get the answer you're looking for.

So...here are some things my client heard recently followed by my interpretation based on years of meetings but still, just my own opinion.

What She Heard:

“I love this! Not for my artist but for someone, it’s going into my special drawer. The one I go to find that one unique song that fits that artist I’m looking for.”
“With a few minor fixes this could be great!” They may suggest some changes, but when asked if you can send them the edits they decline.
“Call the next time you’re in town!”
“This would be a great country pitch if Nashville were actually still cutting country songs.”
“This one sounds like where the market should be heading, you’re a little ahead of the curve right now.”
“You’re a little behind the curve right now.”
“This is very cool…but...I already have writers signed to my company that I can’t get cut!”
“I think you’re at that stage where you need to ‘write up’.”
“This might be a hit, but I need a career song.”
“ I like it...I just don’t LOVE it.”

What It Means:

They might really mean it as a compliment, it’s too good to dismiss but not something they can place. The flip side is I’ve heard this even from my own publishers on occasion but I also know the sheer volume of songs coming in usually makes this a real long shot.
Can be a bit of a kiss off. True, some people (and I’ve been one of them) do critiques with the best intention but just don’t have time to hear the updates. I still like to think if they really believe it’s a killer song in need of a few tweaks, they'd like to hear the edit and then pitch it.

3) Again, use your own judgment if you get this response. May be polite or may be a ‘keep trying but I’m not willing to invest right now’ deal.

4) Hmmm…some truth but there are real country songs creeping back into Nashville thanks to some great new artists. Most write their own but a great song, is a great song despite the current state of the charts.

5) Might be a sincere comment but a smart song person will grab on to potential so this may fall into the ‘keep trying’ bin.

6) Kinda like the last point but a bit tougher to take!

7) Well, this one is often the truth. Think about it. If a publisher is invested in their writer they don’t need to bring in songs that are very similar in style.

8) Usually a compliment but it’s easy to go away thinking “Yeah, of course that would be great but how?” This is a whole ‘nother blog but it is possible!

9) Two ways to take it. A ‘no’, or know that the person you’re hearing this from really is on a mission to find that “Girl Crush”-esque song.

10) Man this one is tough, eh? Been there many times. Your song ticks all the boxes but just doesn’t stand out enough to make that person want to run with it. Truth is, your song needs to be unique to stand out from all the ones this person has been hearing from established writers. It’s hard but not impossible!

If you’re hearing any of these, don’t let them discourage you for a even a second. Weigh the info and the source, and if you’re hearing the same things over and over, decide how to take ‘em to heart and dig in and by all means... don't shoot the messenger!

Mark Cawley

Nashville, Tennessee

March 25, 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 Fall/Winter 2017. Visit my website for more info www.idocoach.com or write to me at mark@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. 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, a contributing author to USA Songwriting, Songwriter Magazine, , 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.

March 11, 2016

Taking Control Of Your Songwriting

March 11, 2016/ Mark Cawley

Imagine… Finally taking control of your songwriting!

Reprinted from my article for Amecian Songwriting Compitition 3/16

Here’s the idea. Think of yourself as an entrepreneur. Great inventors never wait for the world to discover them, they discover things the world needs or at least, the world’s interested in.
The business model of songwriting has changed and continues to evolve. Where can you fit in? Chances are this hasn’t been part of your creative journey, maybe it hasn’t had to be but what if it were?
What if you match your song with another art form? Rather than waiting on that publishing deal or for your song to be found you get pro-active?

Before you groan too loudly I’m not talking about writing for the advertising world although it’s not a bad idea. What if your song is a match for a project or a product or even a campaign but the powers that be don’t know it? You can be the matchmaker.

For instance …
I have a songwriter I’ve coached that wrote a very cool song about coffee. She didn’t write it for Starbucks but why not reach out to them or any number of caffeine related products and see if your song can be a part of someone’s bigger vision? She has been putting it out there and getting a great response. Nothing to lose. Hasn’t landed yet but…it might and by being the writer, owning the publishing, she gets on someone’s radar and can even be more flexible than a standard publisher might in getting a usage.

Another friend and client in Australia sent me a song called “Stephen Hawking Wants You To”. I urged her to look for any projects involving Stephen Hawking. This was before last year’s movie about him. She reached a UK film company who had just done a project about him but now has a dialogue to send lot’s of her songs for possible film use.

Another for instance.
Kye Fleming and I wrote a song about a year ago called “What Would Lennon Do”. We weren’t asked to write it, didn’t think it had commercial hit written all over it, just wrote it to express ourselves. Rather than let it sit we started thinking…big. Who might want this to be a part of their message? It’s a song of peace so we reached out to the UN. Sounds far fetched? You’d be amazed at the people who are open to a good idea. It reached all the way to the secretary of the UN. They are still deciding how best to connect it . We kept thinking. We also reached out to Amnesty International and they are in the process of creating a charity single with their artist board.

So many artists are being found though mediums other than records. Someone has to have the big idea, make the connection. Why not the songwriter?

My point is your song might be someone’s solution. Thing big, think waaaay outside the box and pitch your own song. Waiting on the world to hear you or waiting on that publisher to do the work for you is getting harder than ever. Not only that but most of the best and most successful songwriters I know have always pitched their own ideas. They might have a great publisher but they didn’t alwayswait for them to come up with the best idea. They became their best promoter.
By creating a vision you’re taking control of your songs, you’re taking control of your career and, the buzz you may get fromconnecting your vision to someone else’s can be bigger than you ever imagined.
Control equals freedom and freedom feels great!

Mark Cawley

Nashville, Tennessee

3/11/16

Photo: Reprinted from American Songwriter Competition article

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 Spring. Visit my website for more info www.idocoach.com or write to me at mark@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. 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 15 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, a contributing author to USA Songwriting, Songwriter Magazine, , 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.

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