I’m pretty excited to share a few days from my new book “ The Daily Song Journal” with you for this blog. I decided to choose 5 random days which is keeping with the spirit of the book, to share 365 tips, tools, and techniques in no particular order. Just made to make you think about one bite-sized idea as well as give you an action to follow up. Might be to listen, read, watch or go. The book is a journal so each day has room for you to write your thoughts.

Here ya go!

January 12, Day 12

Question for this day. “Is there enough of me in my song?” Take one of your current songs and study it with an eye to finding what’s familiar vs what’s uniquely your own. Maybe the biggest key to finding your voice as a songwriter is the ability to bring the things that molded you into the art form that you’re working in. It’s not enough to write a song that you feel is just as good as a current hit because that already exists. What can you bring to your song today that will get you and your song noticed?

Watch: TED Talk by Carl Moore, “Being Unique”

March 22, Day 81

Let’s try a fun exercise today. Years ago, I had a co-writing day with the brilliant Scottish songwriter, Graham Lyle. Graham co-wrote “What’s Love Got to Do with It” for Tina Turner. Knows his way around a song. On this day I asked what he’d like to do, and he replied, “Let’s write a song using only one chord.” After realizing he wasn’t putting me on, we went to work. We came mighty close; think we threw in a couple more chords in the end but stayed pretty much to one for a song called “Broken Strings.” Sometimes limiting your choices is the best option.

Listen: To one of the best one chord songs of all time by the Queen. Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools.”

April 1, Day 91

Here’s one for the ‘ol toolbox. Ever try spelling out words in your song? R.O.C.K. in the USA by John Mellencamp for instance? The country standard by Tammy Wynette, “Divorce,” “Our D.I.V.O.R.C.E. became final today.” Or Gwen Stefani spelling out B. A.N.A.N.A.S. in her song “Hollaback Girl.” Really effective when it works.

Go: Look through your recent songs. Anywhere you can benefit from creating another hook by spelling out a word

July 27, Day 208

Working on a love letter. My old friend Bonnie Hayes wrote a great song called “Love Letter” for Bonnie Raitt’s “Nick of Time” album. How about taking a shot at writing one of your own today? Pick someone you love and think of the lyric as a kind of love letter to them. What would you say in a letter that you might not say in person? I’m going to bet it might get a bit more poetic in places. See where this idea takes you. Use the “Note to Self” area and write down some traits of the person you’re going to write to.

Read: Glamour Magazine, December 21, 2018, “The Best Romantic Love Letters Ever Written”

October 7, Day 280

Get out of the way. You might consider a whole lot of things when you start putting a song together. Can I suggest one that might not always enter your mind while you’re making choices? Choose to get out the way. Let the song dictate the structure. A good time to mention once again, there are no rules in songwriting, only tools. This one is as valuable as any other in your toolbox.

Read: Inc. Magazine online, “10 Simple Ways You Can Stop Yourself from Overthinking” by Lolly Daskel

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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 M Music and Musicians Magazine for stories behind a few of my songs!

Heres a link to “ The Daily Song Journal” on Amazon

You can also find Song Journey on Amazon.

Nashville, Tennessee

Mark Cawley is a hit songwriter who coaches other writers around the globe through his one-on-one, online service iDocoach.com. His songs have been on more than 16 million records with cuts ranging from Tina Turner, Joe Cocker to Wynonna Judd and Paul Carrack to The Spice Girls and many more. His book, Song Journey, was released in April 2019 and went to #1 in 6 categories on Amazon. Mark is a judge for the UK Songwriting Contest, Nashville Rising Star, Belmont University’s Commercial Music program, and West Coast Songwriter events. He’s also a contributing author to USA Songwriting, InTune Magazine, and Songwriter Magazine, a sponsor for the Australian Songwriting Association, and a past mentor for The Songwriting Academy UK. Born and raised in Syracuse, New York, Mark now resides in Nashville, Tennessee. “ The Daily Song Journal” is Marks 2nd book, released on Dec 1, 2020

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