Color My Word..Painting a Lyric for the Listener

Sorry about the bad “Chicago” pun in the title, I have no excuse.

I’m for sure not the first writer to pass this bit of wisdom down but I find it comes up so often in my coaching and critiquing that it’s worth saying again. Your job as a lyricist is to show not tell. If you just write the facts I’ll get bored but paint me a picture and now I’m interested. How are you going to make me, the listener, see what you see and feel what you feel?

A great way to start is by talking an idea out before you start to write it. Again, I didn’t make this one up but it works for me. Record yourself talking about the inspiration. What’s the idea/story about? One reason this is so helpful for a lyricist is that we all tend to disconnect a bit from images in our brain when we put pen to paper. To come up with a song idea it starts in your imagination with no rhyme scheme or craft, just images. You want to get these images, complete with color and detail on the page. Just talk it out. You can come back later and compare, see if you’ve really said what you wanted to say.

The beauty of this is it’s your story, your images and if you can get these out you can always apply the craft later. If you start by worrying about rhyme scheme and meter you’re bound to lose the good stuff and it will sound “stiff”. My buddy Kye Fleming used to talk about some lyrics feeling like “reporting”. It never fails that if I’m working with a writer, and their lyric feels like “just the facts”, I can ask them to close their eyes and just tell me what the song is about and 2 or 3 keeper lines will come out.

I came across this article in American Songwriter by Bill Renfrew and it does a great job of illustrating the point using a Brad Paisley song.

While I was deciding how to talk about some of these things in a workshop I have next weekend, I took a break to watch some episodes of Elvis Costello’s’ “Spectacle”. Must see TV for artists and songwriters! The first one I watched was with James Taylor and he played “Sweet Baby James”. Don’t know if there’s a better example of a writer painting a picture , check out the “Now the first of December “ verse and I’ll leave you with this.

Well, there is a young cowboy he lives on the range
His horse and his cattle are his only companions
He works in the saddle and he sleeps in the canyons
Just waiting for Summer, his pastures to change

And as the moon rises he sits by his fire
Thinking about women and glasses of beer
And closing his eyes as the doggies retire
He sings out a song which is soft but it’s clear
As if maybe someone could hear

(Chorus)
Goodnight you moonlight ladies
Rockabye sweet baby James
Deep greens and blues are the colors I choose
Won’t you let me go down in my dreams
And rockabye sweet baby James

Now the first of December was covered with snow
And so was the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston
Though the Berkshires seemed dream-like on account of that frosting
With ten miles behind me and ten thousand more to go

There’s a song that they sing when they take to the highway
A song that they sing when they take to the sea
A song that they sing of their home in the sky
Maybe you can believe it if it helps you to sleep
But singing works just fine for me

- Chorus -
So, Goodnight you moonlight ladies
Rockabye sweet baby James
Deep greens and blues are the colors I choose
Won’t you let me go down in my dreams
And rockabye sweet baby James

James Taylor

Matt Sullivan - Building Your Fan Base Online

“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17

Truth is Matt Sullivan is my son-in-law and my “go to guy” for all things web. I know, I know, nepotism. Helped design my site and works at Moontoast, a cutting edge company based in Nashville & Boston. But…. how to put yourself out there  on the internet comes up with most every artist I work with and I can’t think of anyone better positioned  to explain the value than Matt. As for the quote…too good to pass up:-)!!

Mark

Moontoasts Matt Sullivan

To borrow a quote from Mark Twain,

The reports of the music industry’s death are greatly exaggerated.

Ok, not verbatim, but I believe this to be an accurate quote for the music industry today. While the last 10+ years have been tough for music as a whole, the opportunities for a relatively unknown artist to build a growing, loyal fan base are essentially limitless today. What makes this possible? The same thing that has supposedly “killed” the industry: the Internet.

I will absolutely agree that the Internet has changed the game. Everyone has had to rethink the way they work; from songwriters, musicians, and publishers, to producers and labels. The good news, though, is that if you’re willing to put in the time, effort, blood, sweat, and tears, you can use the web to build your fan base from the ground up.

No more “gatekeepers”.

Of course, this means the the onus is on you to make it happen. How do you go about it? What are some things you can do to help make that possible? Here’s a quick list of some tools you can employ to help build your fan base online.

Get a Website

First and foremost, you need to have your own website. The importance of this can not be understated. Your identity online begins and ends here. It’s the one place you have complete control over the look, feel, and content. While its imperative to have a social networking footprint as well, Facebook and Twitter may not even exist in 10 years, and you should have a concrete place where your content resides. Remember when brands marketed themselves solely through AOL Keywords?

Your website is where you should spend the most energy. Everything you distribute across the Internet should tie back to it. Find a good web designer that can work within your budget, give you control over updating the site, and is accessible after the initial work is through. Ask around locally, get referrals, and do your research before choosing.

Get Social

The buzzwords the last few years have been “social networking” and “social media marketing.” To simplify it, think of social media in two ways: a way to communicate with fans (building loyalty) and a way to take your art where your fans gather (commerce). Create a Facebook Fan Page, a Twitter account, a LinkedIn account, aYouTube account, and any other social networking accounts that you feel will help you better engage with your fans.

Our startup, Moontoast, helps monetize these social interactions with tools like Moontoast Impulse, a storefront for your Facebook Fan Page. With Impulse, you can sell your music and merchandise directly on Facebook. Your fans can share individual tracks to their own wall where their friends can play songs and make purchases without ever leaving Facebook.

Distribute Your Music

To bypass the “gatekeepers” you need to get your music in front of as many people as possible. You need to convert as many of those to fans as you possibly can. Be creative! A personal example of this:

I love listening to thesixtyone.com. The vast majority of the songs are independent, uploaded by the musicians themselves. One day I was listening to a song by Luke Leighfield and shared it to my Twitter account saying,”Like a mix between Ben Folds and something I can’t place my finger on. By My Side – Luke Leighfield.”

A short time later I get a reply from Luke himself on Twitter: “Is the other bit Toto? Thanks Matt!”

I became an instant fan. Nothing crazy or fancy or expensive, just a simple reply to my random question.

Summary

Don’t be afraid about doing it the “right” way. There really is no right way, and the Internet moves so quickly that what you’re doing today will be completely different a year from now. Just have fun with it and keep it interesting.

Good luck!

In Defense Of The Song Title

 I was asked to write a blog for the USA Songwriters Competition site recently and I’m reposting here. Check them out and thanks Ira!

As songwriters we’re all paying attention to lyric, melody, structure, rhyme scheme, groove, track and more. In coaching writers I usually find the last thing a young writer considers is “the idea”. What is the song about? Is it an idea that will make a listener want to discover the song, listen further and get you beyond the dreaded “nice” comment? Is it relatable?

Sometimes it starts with a title, I admit to being a title writer. I think if the title gets people to listen to the song, open the book, try the movie then we have a leg up.

Not to say that every great song has to have a clever title but it sure can help a co-write get off the ground, give your subconscious something to work on or make a publisher pick your CD out of the pile.

I have to share one instance with you of a title really working. Years ago I moved to Nashville and while most of my success was in Pop music, especially in the UK at that time, I was getting country cuts. I was writing with Hall Of Fame songwriter Kye Fleming, still one of my best friends and the best pure lyricist I know. So.. we were stuck and she suggested we take a break in the middle of the day and go see a movie. We went to see Jerry Maguire. You remember, the “show me the money” movie.

The theatre was mostly empty aside from a few songwriters and music folk we both knew. Midway through the movie René Zellweger looks at Tom Cruise and says….”you had me at hello”. Kye elbowed me and said, “watch this”. Sure enough 4 people got up and made their way out, in the middle of the movie. They knew they had found their idea, or the perfect title. In her wisdom Kye told me that they would all go write it, a couple will demo it, a few publishers will get it to producers and one will be a hit in 6 months!

Around 6 months later Kenny Chesney had a number one called “you had me from hello”.

I still keep a running list of anything that remotely sounds like an opening line, great title or just a good idea.

One Nashville writer I know always cautioned me to “make sure the journey was worth the destination.” Don’t just depend on the twist or the hook to carry a song but make sure every part of lyric is seamless leading up to the big idea. In other words, a great title on it’s own is not a great lyric. Good advice!

A Songwriters Guide To Divine Inspiration

It’s Good Friday today, Easter is just around the corner. I grew up Catholic like an awful lot of songwriters and comedians I know. Something in the Holy Water I guess.

I’ve been coaching songwriters and artists now for about a year, some Catholic, some Jewish, some Protestant, some Independent Christians like myself these days, some worship Steven Tyler..one thing we have in common…we’re all looking for divine inspiration.

No matter what you call it or where you get it or who you pray to for it…we all hope to be touched by an angel and given a gift. If you’ve been writing long enough you’ve had one of these. Feels like the universe tapped you, gave you a melody, a line, a lyric, a groove or my favorite..a fully developed “Yesterday” just missing the title.

This is the best but ..what do you do in between the bolts of lightning? I think this is what separates the ones writing for a living and the ones who want to. Every writer I’ve ever worked with who’s been a writer and not a waiter/writer has their antenna up. Always looking for a line or an idea. I’m not knocking people who have to have a day job, I’m just encouraging them to think of themselves the same way a full time writer does. Keep the antenna up, all the time. Every conversation, meeting, TV show, book and movie, you’re looking for ideas.

You’re open to a miracle but you’re doing your part. You’re digging for those times when you need inspiration and the clouds are closed. The best part is, if you’ve learned your craft, you’re ready when it hits!

Eliot Kennedy - Writing Songs For Film

Eliot Kennedy has been one of my best friends since our first meeting more than 14 years ago and I’m still in awe of this guy’s heart and talent. He’s a world class songwriter, producer, arranger, singer, programmer, entrepreneur and one of those people who’s disgustingly good at everything they pick up:-)! From The Spice Girls, Celine Dion, Aretha Franklin and Mary J all the way to his movie work with Bryan Adams he’s at the top of his game. I had the good fortune to write a number one record with him for Billie Piper called “Day And Night” and he’s written a bunch more before and since. Check out his company,Steelworks as well as his foundation, One Song.He’s one of the first people I thought of when I had the idea of guest blogs. So many writers ask about writing for movies and I knew Eliot would give some great insight into the creative process. Here ya go, thanks El!

Award winner songwriter and producer Eliot Kennedy

WRITING FOR FILM

I have to admit that as a writer, writing for film is by far the most inspiring. I have written for movies such as:

The Guardian (never let go), A Bridge To Terabithia (A place for us), Step-mom (When The Lights Go Out), Princess Diaries (Miracles Happen) and more notable Bobby (Never Gonna Break My Faith) which was nominated as best song for a Golden Globe and eventually won a Grammy with Aretha Franklin and Mary J Blige.

That song was written, like many of the songs I have written for film with my good friend and long time writing partner Bryan Adams. It was by far the most difficult song I have ever written. I think more so because it was the first time I had ever been honest about my faith as a Christian. It is the most honest song I have ever written. And as a result, the most difficult to articulate. And by the far the most personal.

Writing for film can be tough. If you are working with a director that has temped (temporarily edited a song into the film as a guide for what the director is looking for) a song in, and is connected to the song, or the flavor of the song, it is sometimes difficult to get anything new past them. However, it can also be a benefit if the director knows exactly what he is looking for. Honestly, it’s horses for courses. Whatever it takes.

My favorite experience in writing for film was when I was working with Bryan and Hans Zimmer on the Dreamworks animated movie ‘Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron‘. It was a challenging movie to work on, because when we were writing the songs, most of the movie was still unrendered. By that I mean a lot of it was wire frame or not in color. It was difficult to get a feel for the film. However looking at the movie now I feel that we got it right. We did have good direction from the writers and producers of the movie.

I remember one pressure day, when Jeffrey Katzenberg (basically speaking, The Boss) was coming in to hear songs, and Hans was pacing around the studio, Bryan and I had about 10 minutes to come up with something for a key scene. The scene was where the hero character, Spirit, had been captured by the cavalry, and they were attempting to ‘break’ him, so that he could become a cavalry horse. However, as the tag line of the movie said ‘some spirits can’t be broken’ and the horse simply throws off everyone who tries to ride him.

We wrote a song called ‘Get Off My Back’. A southern rocker. A rodeo song. It worked perfect for the scene and got the thumbs up from all at Dreamworks.

However, the real story behind that song came about in the following year. Long after it had been on the cinema, and had been released on DVD to great success.

One day a young American mother was taking her son Chan in to hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. Chan had leukemia, and despite traveling all around the USA, no treatment could be found for poor Chan. Chan’s parents (his father was Thai) decided to go back to Bangkok and try alternative medicines. During this period, his mom continued to take him into the city for conventional treatment.

It was on one of these hospital visits, when Chan was waiting for his treatment, that he saw on the TV in the waiting room, the movie ‘Spirit’. His mother noted how much he seemed to enjoy it, in particular a scene where the horse was throwing off the cavalry riders who were trying to break the horse. She remembered how much Chan reacted to the uptempo song, and he smiled.

She asked the nurse if she had the title of the movie, and after the treatment session, she bought the DVD for Chan.

Chan’s mom said that movie kept Chan going for another year. She even bought him the CD as his favorite song was ‘Get Off My Back’ which he likened to his illness. He played that song and watched that movie every day.

He once told his dad to not worry about him because ‘some spirits cannot be broken’.

Sadly, Chan eventually died of his sickness, but his mother wrote to Bryan and myself thanking us for giving her and her husband more time with their son. More time for memories, and more time for love.

You see. Music is more than just the soundtrack to our lives and our memories. It is in our DNA.

It is the language that God gets to speak to everyone in, even if you are not a believer.. It is universal and speaks every language. It has the power to change, and sometimes even save lives.

Music is my life. It is who I am.

If you are thinking of writing for film. Go ahead. The day Bryan and I wrote that song, we were just writing a little tune to fill a scene in a cartoon movie. It went on to have a dramatic effect on a few peoples lives.

You never know what the ripple effects of your actions will have. But be honest. Put your soul into it and only good things can some.

God Bless.

Eliot Kennedy
Sheffield, England

A Songwriter's Ritual, Working From Home

Like every writer I know, I love to read. Most of my books are highlighted and dog-eared in hopes of getting something great someone else wrote to spark something, anything in my own brain:-)! Right now on my coffee table you’ll find “Cleopatra” by Stacy Shiff, “Winning” by Jack Welch, “Life” by Keith Richards,” The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman, American Songwriter, Time, Wired and….AARP. Yep…I got to admit it has some great features these days including articles on some of my favorite “baby boomer ” artists. It’s not my typical go-to mag for ideas but my wife pointed out an article by Jane Pauley (again, not my go-to author for cool phrases) and how one of her ideas comes up often in my coaching sessions with songwriters and artists…Ritual.

That’s not exactly what Jane called it, I think she refers to it more as having a routine. Whatever you wanna call it, it’s so important to people who work from home or maybe in your case from a home studio, to have a ritual. Something that let’s you know “I’m workin’ here”! The gist of her article was that she has had trouble motivating herself to feel like she’s really working when she’s home. She took inspiration from her husband, cartoonist Garry Trudeau. Gary writes “Doonesbury” and has been his own boss for more than 40 years. His ritual sounds simple; shower, shave, dress, oatmeal and raisins, scan the paper and go to work.

For me it was pretty close over the years, get up, coffee, more coffee, shower, (every other day shave) and go downstairs to my studio and just play. Had to be first thing in the morning before my brain remembers I’m an adult and have other responsibilities. No matter where I ended up later it set the tone. It let me reward myself for all the idea gathering and reading I’d been doing and let me know I was going to have a set time, everyday, to go to work. The more I created a ritual the more it let my subconscious know we’re here to get busy.

Being your own boss or working from home has some challenges for sure but I found the more structure I could create for myself the more I got done. My wife has always been amazed I’ve been able to work from a home base for so long but I’ve always thought of it as my job and I had to prepare for it anyway I could. Ritual has been key for me.

Jane quotes choreographer Twyla Tharp who said “having a routine is as much a part of the creative process as the lightning bolt of inspiration”. In her book “The Creative Habit” she says the key to a productive day is a morning routine that never varies. New one for the coffee table!

Anybody have rituals that work for them?

Hit Songwriter Joe Leathers - Road To The Row

I love Joe’s story. I asked him to write a guest blog  because he’s one of the good guy’s and I knew it would be inspirational to songwriters looking to  come to the last great place to be one…Nashville. I met Joe  around 5 years ago and it’s been fun to watch his progress. At a time when so many writers and publishers are bemoaning the state of the business Joe just kept on doing what he does AND it’s working. From the title song of Kenny Chesneys #1 album “Hemingways Whiskey” to recent hits with Tim McGraw and  Craig Morgan , he’s a blueprint for any writer chasing a dream. In typical Joe fashion, I asked him about doing this and got it a day later. That’s what I’m talking about. Thanks Joe!

Joe Leathers

Ok, So the Odds are A Million To One, So What!

Songwriting for a Nashville publisher is a crazy, insane, frustrating, whacked out way to make a living. It is also the most amazing experience you can possible have when you start with a blank computer screen, and end up with a song on the radio. I sort of did it backwards. Many of my fellow songwriters moved to Nashville as an aspiring artist or songwriter, slept in their cars for the first week in town and then through sheer hard work and determination found their way through the House of Mirrors that is the Nashville Music Business. I took a different path.

Growing up in Memphis, if you didn’t play guitar, people thought there was something wrong with you. I was always fascinated by the Memphis music scene, I was the 15 year old sneaking into bars so I could watch some band pound it out for 5 hours. I started playing drums, then guitar and then I started playing in any band that would give me a chance. I went to college and instead of moving to Nashville at 18, I found a job, got married and had 4 children. While working for a bank, I still played in bands on the weekends and continued writing songs. I had no classical or formal music training so most of what I wrote was just from the heart, things that were happening in my life. I would say that most, if not all of what I wrote was really marginally mediocre. However, I never quit.

When I was in my 30′s, a friend encouraged me to enter a few songs in the Memphis Songwriters Association Songwriting Competition. Reluctantly, I entered 4 songs. To my surprise, I won two catagories and placed second in the other two. That was rocket fuel, I believed that I could actually almost write a song. Judd Phillips, one of the judges, nephew of Sam Phillips(Sun Records, Elvis) asked me to go to Nashville with him and meet Ralph Murphy at ASCAP. Ralph is the Dean of Nashville Songwriting.
We met and he listened to a few of my songs and encouraged me to continue writing, He told me I was close but not there yet.

In the meantime, some of my friends had heard about my trips to Nashville and my songwriting exploits. Many thought I was crazy, ridiculous, chasing pipe dreams, lying about it, and just in general on a wild goose chase.

In spite of all the comments I heard from people, I pressed on. I visited every publisher who would take my call. I played them songs, played every writers night I could play(sometimes driving 3 hours from Memphis, playing three songs at midnight and then driving 3 hours back to Memphis and then going to work the next morning) and just started weaving my way into the Nashville songwriting scene. About three years into this madness, I was offered a publishing deal at Curb Music. I think one of the main reasons I was offered a deal was not because I was an awesome songwriter, but because I had the work ethic it takes to write relentlessly and get songs to radio.

I wrote every day, something, anything. A riff, a melody an idea, a chorus, anything to keep me in the game. I met and wrote with writers who have have become my best friends. I surrounded myself with writers who were better than I was and that was not hard to accomplish. All along, I had friends telling me I was a moron, I could never beat the odds, I didn’t attend music school, what was I thinking.

Yes, working for a bank and writing a song that will be released as a single to country radio, the odds are  million to one. But I have had songs recorded by Craig Morgan, Jason Michael Carroll, Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Trace Adkins, Steve Holy, Lee Brice, Guy Clark, Chris Kristofferson, Ryder Lee, and more. What is it you want to accomplish? Whatever it is, you can do it, I am proof. Trust me, if you are willing to pay the price to chase down a dream, you CAN do it. So, ready? GO!

Joe Leather
Nashville, Tennessee

Love Him Or Loathe Him, The Lefsetz Letter

I was working on a new blog when this came in today. Don’t know if you’re familiar with The Lefsetz Letter but he’s read by ton’s of industry pros. I don’t always agree with him but you can’t fault his knowledge or passion. This was too good to not pass on!

I almost wrote about James Taylor a couple of weeks back, because he’s giving free guitar lessons on his Website, actually, since I was last there, he’s posted one more:

http://www.jamestaylor.com/guitarlessons/

Although I gave up playing the guitar decades ago, I was stunned that a musician of his caliber seemed to be not only utilizing the Web, but using it to give back.

But that’s not what inspired me to write right now.

Last night, I was flipping the channels before going to bed and I caught James on Charlie Rose.

I’ll admit I checked out Letterman first, but he was doing his once a year grocery bagging competition, you know, where he gets the big winner and goes head to head and throws stuff on the floor and cheats and it used to be funny, but that was back in the eighties.

And flipping with the remote, I can’t wait for Time Warner to have an iPad remote, that truly shows what’s going on, that makes cable TV comprehensible, I saw a guy I recognized with just a few too many years on him since I’d studied him last. It was definitely James Taylor. But the sync was off. I switched to the non-HD iteration, but his mouth and his voice weren’t aligned there either, so I went back to HD.

And it’s no crime to get old. But in fine detail, James Taylor looked less like a star and more like a person. After all, these are just human beings, flawed like the rest of us, but they wrote those songs… How did they write those songs?

Not the way they do it today. Not the way those big Top Forty hits are constructed. They’re built from the ground up. And even those Nashville compositions are anything but bolts of inspiration. Brick by brick you build the song today. But great songs are feats of inspiration, they enter your brain and you have to write them down fast, before you forget them.

I was stunned, I was pissed I’d missed the first half of the show, because James Taylor was talking about creativity, something I deal with every damn day.

You can be reading the newspaper, watching TV, walking down the street, standing in the shower, and suddenly you get an idea, and you’ve got to RUN to the computer.

And sometimes it’s not a complete idea. Sometimes complete songs come to James, other times just fragments, which he has to put together with other fragments to get an entire number.

And it’s tougher now, because of the expectations. Everybody is watching. Well, not everybody, but his loyal fans. You’re only a superstar for a little while, but he’s lucky, a fan base has endured, that comes every year to see him, that keeps him alive. That’s his insight, not mine. But too often stars are delusional. But James is not. And he’s got the wisdom of years. But he can’t be an outsider anymore.

That’s how he felt as a teen. An alien. And he needed to write songs to delineate his condition, his feelings. To illustrate where he was coming from. But once everybody knew where he was at, they were watching, and that’s pressure. That makes it harder.

Our greatest stars were alienated. They were not the cheerleader or the captain of the football team. They were closer to suicide than being voted most popular. But there’s a little bit of alienation in all of us. And when they sing, we swoon.

http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/11482

I don’t know if some of you already subscribe to the Lefsetz letter but he’s a wealth of info and opinions :-)!! Agree or disagree I don’t doubt his passion and knowledge of the music industry. I wanted to pass today’s on, great stuff!
–

Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/

Co-Writing Etiquette For The Songwriter

Mark with Sarah Buxton Franklin, Tennessee

In the past week I’ve had two different friends ask about co-writing etiquette. In fact I’ve devoted whole sessions to this topic with some of my coaching clients. It’s one of those things that you can learn the hard way but most of the pitfalls can be avoided pretty easily. Are there any hard and fast rules? Some kind of unwritten etiquette?

A little background first. Working with publishers over the years I did a ton of co-writing. Some with great writers, not so great writers, artists and wannabes. If I can suggest one thing it’s to meet them first, have a cup of coffee or a drink. It’s a bit like dating, see if you have anything in common before you spend a long day in a room together. It’s not foolproof. I’ve made some great friends this way who didn’t turn out to be great co-writers and I’ve also written some of my favorite songs with writers who, on paper, didn’t seem like a match. If you’re booking these yourself, or you’re having a publisher set you up, you’re looking for magic. Ok, the publisher is also looking for connections, two people working the song is always better than one. You want to be compatible but you don’t want someone who only does what you do. You’re each hoping the other brings something to the table. Again, kinda like dating and marriage, looking to compliment each other, sum is better than the parts, all that stuff.

A couple of givens . . . You want to know going in the credit is split evenly between the people in the room. No matter who does what in the end. That’s a hard one for new writers to swallow but hey, do it long enough and it evens out I promise. Some days you feel like you wrote a song on your own and the other writer watched. Other days you’re buying lunch and  encouraging them to “keep at it, you’re on fire”!

Nashville is known for being fair, other markets can get trickier. I’ve written in the UK and other countries and had someone call later to approve the split, 21 1/3 % for me, 23 2/3 % for the other guy and the rest for the artist who was on the phone for most of the good stuff:-) I even have a dear friend who had the co-writer’s assistant call them after reviewing an audio tape of the day and breaking it down to who’s ideas ended up where. It can get ugly unless you decide upfront. If there are no publishers involved, it’s best to just work it out in that coffee conversation before you actually write. God forbid the song gets some action before everybody is on the same page.

What happens if you throw out that million dollar title or melody you’ve been saving and your co-writer turns it into small change? Can you go write it with someone else? No. I know it’s hurts but …NO. You could call them and ask but the reality is your reputation is built around your integrity and creativity. If your co-writer thinks you’re gonna write the same idea with 3 other writers it won’t be long before you’re one lonely co-writer. Back to the coffee meeting, try your best to put your ideas in the right hands. Pretend you’re picking a babysitter for little Dylan. Would you leave him with just anybody?

I know writers like to say thier songs are thier children. I have children, they’re not songs. (I’m gonna stop ’cause I just sounded like Andy Rooney.) So do your homework on co-witers, don’t be too precious, trust your gut and hope for a little magic. Make sure you can laugh with ‘em. Pick up the tab and show up on time. Writers like that.

Photo taken at a writing session with Sarah Buxton

Sarah is a co-writer on Keith Urbans current hit ” Put You In A Song” as well as “Stupid Boy” and… the coolest!

Kevin Savigar on the Art of Demoing Your Song

Kevin Savigar is an old friend, world class session player, producer and songwriter. In addition to being Rod Stewart’s longtime keyboardist, he was a co-writer on many of Rod’s biggest hits including “Forever Young” and ” Tonight I’m Yours”. Kevin has worked with Bob Dylan, George Harrison and John Mellencamp to name just a few. I’ve been recommending his new service The Traxmasters to songwriters and thought the topic, and the man, would be perfect for my first guest blog. Thanks Kevin!

Kevin Savigar

I’m often asked by songwriters, both experienced professionals and newbie hobbyists, questions about doing demos of their songs.

Can we get by with just a guitar or piano/vocal version?

How do i decide what genre this song really is so i can get a demo made that i can pitch to labels, artists and managers to maximize by chances of getting my song noticed?

How do we work up an arrangement that sounds contemporary enough to compete in today’s extremely competitive marketplace?

If I am not an artist myself, how do i find the right singer to sell my song?

What makes a great demo?

Who should I get to demo my song?

I may be able to shed some light on these often confusing points. The first thing to do after you are sure you have the song the best it can possibly be, – i.e. no holes in the lyric where you could have possibly gone back and improved it, a melody that is captivating and emotional, a harmonic structure that provides tension and release in all the right places, – is to decide if you should do a demo of it. It is very tempting for a writer to want to demo every song he or she composes. We all truly believe our latest work is the greatest thing we’ve ever done as the excitement factor is still running high. It’s really important to focus on your best songs and be selective to get those ones recorded the best way you can.

Technology has unlocked the door for many of us to be able to produce something decent at home on a laptop with an affordable microphone and some software, but if you are planning on presenting your material to industry professionals you really need to have a high quality, seamlessly arranged and performed recording that will represent your song to it’s maximum potential. In the grand old days of analog technology and record stores, you could get by with a simple piano or guitar/version of your song.

Today you are competing with other writers’ demos that sound like they were recorded and produced in a pro studio with great microphones and a good budget, with much attention to detail, a killer-sounding track and a flawless vocal performance. That being said, depending on your song, a more stripped-down version might be just the ticket. I also think you should get various mixes of your song when you are done with your full demo version so you have options later on. Maybe muting the drums and bass and making a version with just guitars and vocals would be a good option to be able to pitch to music supervisors for film and TV uses (a great income stream for today’s writers and a good way to get your music heard). I like to do different edited versions after I’m finished – lengthening the intro before the vocal comes in and shortening the intro to get straight to the vocal; different stripped down combinations of instruments and vocals – these are all useful to have for future pitches. I also do a mix with the vocal louder as invariably you’ll get asked for that later. It’s important the lyrics are easy to hear and understand.

Are you pitching your song to the country market? Or is it a pop song, americana, urban or electro, dance or dubstep? Are you an artist with your own sound and direction? Do you want a great singer-songwriter version to pitch to film and TV? Defining what genre your song best suits itself to is a must. Is the lyric coming from a male perspective or a female one? Or could it be sung by either, with the lyric working well for either a male or female singer? Perhaps you want to have two versions to open up more possibilities? These are some good boxes to tick while you are deciding which way to go.

Most demo companies can work up a good arrangement if you provide a worktape of the song with a rough vocal and guitar or keyboard. I like to have a conversation with the writers at the outset to find out what direction they want to go, choosing the instrumentation, and defining the genre and gender, along with any production ideas they may have and I might suggest – perhaps giving a couple of comparisons to contemporary hits that would be similar in direction sonically, groove-wise etc.

Choice of singer is the next hurdle. If you are not a performing songwriter you will want to hire a singer who will bring the right tone and emotion to your song, who makes the right stylistic choices to present the song in the best possible way. You want the song to be able to work for a wide range of artists to increase your pitching possibilities. In other words, a good, emotional reading that sticks to the writers melody without too many distracting licks!

I work with a pool of great studio singers, male and female, some specializing in country, others in pop, and I hire who I think will be best suited to the song I’m working on. The client gets to hear clips of the different singers and can choose which one they want on their song.

Well, I hope you found some of this helpful. Checkout my demo service site www.thetraxmasters.com and good luck with your songs!

Kevin Savigar
Los Angeles, California