I’m getting ready to co-host a songwriting workshop with my buddy Eliot Kennedy in Sheffield England this month and it got me thinking about the value of workshops and retreats. For this blog I really am revisiting a songwriting workshop. One I know and love, the TSA Workshop held a few times a year outside of Malaga , Spain. I was there this month, part of my excuse for reposting this blog from 2016 or at least updating!

This pic is from the recent one in September 2019. Martin Sutton does an amazing job and this year I was among some fantastic mentors including Ed Hill who came along with me from Nashville, Chris Neil and the awesome force of nature that is publisher John Saunderson. It may have topped the first time I went (and the inspiration for this blog) but all I can say is…you need to go!! Doesn’t have to be this one but find one that looks like a good fit and put yourself out there!

In Praise Of Songwriting Workshops!

September 27, 2016

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:-)!

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 I held in DC a weeks later, 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 their site to coach their 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)

Eliot Kennedy and I are offering a brand new workshop featuring the chance to write with artists and for movies. We sold out quickly but will offer this again in the new year.

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!

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

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 to Wynonna Judd to The Spice Girls. His book, Song Journey, was released in April 2019 and went to #1 in 6 catagories 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 and Songwriter Magazine, a sponsor for the Australian Songwriting Association, and a mentor for The Songwriting Academy UK. Born and raised in Syracuse, New York, Mark now resides in Nashville, Tennessee.

I was in Austin, Texas in July to attend a 2-day workshop with best selling author Tucker Max and his team at Scribe. I’m writing a book based on my coaching and a lifetime’s worth of stories. Working title is” Song Journey”. This was a guided author workshop designed to help you chart a course for you book. A fantastic couple of days and I went away with a head full.

Drilling Down

Some of the concepts were pretty familiar to me from coaching, blogging and writing articles but also from my songwriting. As Tucker got you to talk about who your book would be for, he used the term “drill down”. You start with a wide audience but his tactic takes you all the way to thinking of your readers as just one, a composite, an avatar.

Your Avatar

Creating an avatar for your song is an interesting idea. Let’s take writing current country. It’s ripe with party songs at the moment. You can start with imagining an artist singing your song at a huge, outdoor event for instance. What would the artist be singing about that would get the party started and keep it goin? Imagine the crowd. Now imagine them singing along, raising a red cup and havin’ a time…with your song as the anthem.

How Do You Use It?

So here’s where the avatar comes in. Rather than aiming your song at that whole stadium of fans, start to think of the typical fan. How old? What would their interests be? What would they drink? Eat? Wear? Who would they hang out with and, a biggie, how do they speak? Keep going with this idea until you can visualize one person. This is your avatar as a songwriter. Aim your lyric, melody and track right at them.

Maybe this is different stuff than getting your guitar out and writing what’s in your head but if your song can connect on this level it’s probably a potential hit. I’ve always loved the chance to write with artists because you become aware of the artists audience and what the artists needs to do to move their tribe. Artists love the songs that speak from their heart but they really love ones that could become a staple of their live set.

Add It To Your Box

No matter what type of music you’re writing the idea can really work. Think about the average pop listener and again, drill down until you can see one of them. Same with Americana, dance songs and even bluegrass. Knowing your audience has always been the way forward for an artist but knowing your artist’s audience is a fantastic idea for you as a songwriter. Creating an avatar could be unique and a valuable tool for your toolbox.

Mark Cawley

Nashville, Tennessee

Image: Shutterstock

I was pleased to be voted the #4 Songwriting blog worldwide recently. Check it out here.

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 2018 and 2019. Visit my website for more info www.idocoach.com or write to me at mark@idocoach.com

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

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 23 years in Nashville, TN. Mark is in the process of writing his first book to be released in early 2019 based on his coaching and adventures in songwriting.

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Revisiting A Life Changing Songwriting Workshop In Spain

In Praise Of Songwriting Workshops!

Songwriting With An Avatar

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