Glad to join in here. I've spent my entire life in music as a player (piano) and music educator AND songwriter. (I've been playing music professionally for 64 years, and still at it.) My subject area in a college music program was keyboard harmony. I am proud to have been able to teach that subject FUNCTIONALLY. No theoretical terms were ever presented in my classes without their being illustrated on the piano in familiar music, both songs and instrumental pieces.

The songwriting business is in tough shape. The musical element of MELODY has virtually disappeared. In the great pop tunes known as "standards" the tunes came before the lyrics 95% of the time. In today's pop music, melodies per se have just about disappeared. With no valid melodies to work with, the "lyrics" have become banal. Things are so bad, the Academy Awards people have relegated the "best song award" to an optional status.
STANDARDS (with a few exceptions) will be few and far between.
Blame it on "visual," beginning with the curse of humanity: TV.
The big shift is on from Audio to Visual! Good songs are being written, but they will wither on the vine. Songwriters cannot compete with payola. That's what keeps radio loaded with garbage.
As a very active musician/songwriter at age 82, I write this more in sorrow than anger. I love musical art and real musicians. Phil Klein www.philkleinsmusic.com