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Hit songwriter shares his secrets

By CINDY WATTS
Staff Writer

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There's more to teaching songwriting than providing pointers on how to craft the perfect lyric, according to hit songwriter Jason Blume.

It's about constructive honesty, support and hope.


And Blume should know: He has taught free songwriting classes once a month at BMI for the past 10 years. All people have to do to attend is show up the day of class and register.

"I struggled for 11? years before I got my first break, and for some of that time I was eating cat food to survive," Blume said. "I lived in one room, no kitchen or bathroom, junkies and hookers down the hall. I share things like that to show (students), 'Yes, it can be really tough, but it's not impossible.' Sometimes I think that's more important than sharing the tools and techniques, because that keeps them hopeful and keeps them writing."

Blume relayed that story at the beginning of February's class on hit song lyric analysis, which reached its 50-person capacity by 9:30 a.m., three hours before the class started. The teacher said he encourages people to arrive early to sign up, then go grab a cup of coffee or write a song while they wait. When class started, promptly at 12:30 p.m., songwriting students of varying skill levels and with interests in multiple genres of music occupied every chair around the massive conference table and filled every seat lining the walls.

"We're here today to analyze hit song lyrics," said Blume from the head of the table. "Why? To rip them off," he said jokingly. "No, but to figure out what works."

Blume passed out packets of lyrics to hit songs from various genres and then spent the next two hours combing through them to find the elements he thinks made them hits. Sometimes it was a fresh idea, melody or lyric. Other times it was simply the fact that the artist who recorded the song was also a co-writer or the only writer.

"There's a world of difference to writing lyrics you can pitch to other artists and lyrics for yourself," he told the class.

Then Blume gave suggestions on how to make songs more appealing to artists who are willing to record material from outside sources.

One observation: Singers tend to gravitate toward songs that are "very literal." "In country they like detail, action and storytelling," he said. "Pop is a statement of how the singer feels, and hip-hop (artists) are the masters of scene setting."

They can pitch a song

During the second half of class, Blume brought in John Ozier, A&R coordinator at Curb Records, to listen to songs class members had brought with them.

"Typically (I bring in) a publisher, and other months each person gets to play a song for me and I do a critique," Blume said. "Sometimes they pitch a song and sometimes they get it critiqued, but they get to bring a song to every class.

"One of the exciting things that happens because of that is that each writer gets to audition 50 potential collaborators. If you come and you hear someone else's song that you love, it's an opportunity to talk to them and say, 'Hey, you wanna write some songs together?' "

Ozier said later that he walked away from the class with 20 CDs from students. That day he was looking for songs for Clay Walker, Jo Dee Messina and others, and while he isn't sure he found either singer's "next big hit," he emphasized that you never know where that hit song might come from.

"It's good to actually go out and hear songs," he said. "I've done several of these 'pitch to a pro' classes. I keep a few of the songs I've found in a stack, and when we're looking for (songs) I bring them out.

"People always talk about how it's so hard to get in the door, and oftentimes it is. There's so many more writers than there are executives. That's why those workshops are great ? because you get to meet with 50-100 songwriters at once."

Blume's March class, which is scheduled for Tuesday, will teach students how to pitch their songs, followed by a song critique. Blume said he knows the idea of presenting a song for critique can be nerve-racking, but it's a step that's imperative to grow as a songwriter.

"I've had many people come month after month and not play a song, and confide in me they are terrified," Blume said. "I say to those people that I respect their feelings, but I still hope they find the courage to take that leap.

"The only way we can get better is by learning not only what's working but what's not working. It might sting a little bit, but I would rather have my ego temporarily squashed than to never have tried. I urge people to take the risk, take the chance and trust they will be strong enough to survive the rejection."

'I feel so alive'

Blume has had songs recorded by artists ranging from Britney Spears and The Backstreet Boys to Gipsy Kings and The Oak Ridge Boys. He has even managed to have songs on the country, pop and R&B charts simultaneously.

Blume's passion for his art is evident. What might be more ambiguous is why Blume has spent the past 10 years donating his time to help others hone their craft when he could be writing more hit songs to benefit himself.

The answer turns out to be simple: He loves to teach.

"Teaching is my passion," he said. "It might sound strange, but I knew I wanted to teach songwriting from day one, when I attended a workshop. I don't know why, but I looked at the teacher and I knew that I wanted to be a successful enough songwriter to get the credibility to teach.

"I feel so alive when I'm teaching, and every big cut that I got ? I'm remembering the Backstreet Boys, and at the time that was the biggest you could hope for ? my very first thought was not, 'Wow I'm going to make so much money,' but, 'Wow, nobody will ever be able to touch my credibility now as a teacher.' "



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