Dave,

I have tried to say it in every way I can. The writer is NOT dead. They just have to adapt the way they are doing things. They are having to move into ARTIST DEVELOPMENT, not just picking songs. Writers now have to think about VIDEO, helping someone else besides themselves, and helping push someone else along, instead of just the song. Each song has to become a PROJECT.

Writers are stilll getting cuts, but they are at different levels and done in a different way. If you look at most every major artist and many independent and smaller artists, you will find a connection to the writers, producers, etc. from many years back. They are involved in many ways outside of just writing the song.

That is what has changed. It is no longer JUST THE SONG. The song is still an intregal part of it, but only one part. The song can't stand on it's own without an artist. An artist can't stand on their own without production, promotion, development.

There is just a lot more involved now. NSAI's saying "It all begins with a song" is still correct. But there are so many other things that are involved now, it only "begins" with a song. From there there is a LOT of other things involved. And again there always has been. The Beatles didn't develop themselves. They had Brian Epstein, pushing them, booking them, publicising them.

Now, we are all mini Brian Epsteins.

Any of you that work for other companies probably are finding the same thing. Very few people now JUST do one thing at a company. you find yourself involved in multiple sides of projects, doing work that others might or should do but because of tighter budgets leaner companies, you find yourself doing more work, and not always for more money. You end up wearing a lot of hats.

That is all this is. Wearing more hats. Might not be more money involved, but that is the requirement.
MAB