Bugsey,

I'm sorry but I have to dissagree 100%. It is ALL about songwriting. Writing with people who know more than you or that you have a different perspective with can brodan songs, perspective and abilities. Many younger people have very little life experiences and need an older person to give some perspective on a situation.

Also knowing the craft enables newer people to say more with less. If you have ever gotten around someone that has six verse songs with no definable hook or chorus, and doesn't say anything in the last four verses they didn't say in the first two, you would see the benefits of co-writing.

Actually most songs over the years were co-written. In the early days you usually had a "composer and lyricist." There were very few that did both. With something like Broadway, there was also a liberettist or script writer. So there were usually three people involved in the musical theater.

The solo writers came in mostly in the 60's with Dylan, and continued to this day but I would suggest you look at a majority of succesfull songs throughout history and you will find most of them co-written.

That doesn't mean that some people can write solo, of course they can and do. Even in some co-writes, one party or the other may do a majority of the work on some songs. Everyone has an off day.

Networking is certainly a part of it. but it is most definately about the song and the direction it goes. And that is all songwriting.

MAB