JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Songwriter Message Forum Gaining Traction (a game plan)

Jim, Bingo. Many people use genres as a way to say "us against them." Some folks actually hate music they haven't heard yet. That's similar to racism. There are two kinds of music. Music I like and music I don't. I have yet to hear a genre of music that didn't contain both kinds.

Mike Dunbar, I just checked out your website. Holy Mackerel! What a history of music making. And what great music. Anybody who came out of the Chicago folk scene and who's shared the stage with the folk and country musicians you've played with is A-okay in my book. If I ever write a song worthy of recording, you'd be my pick to do it!

I suggest that anyone who reads this who hasn't already checked out his webpage take a look. He's the real deal.

http://www.mikedunbarmusic.com/

I think that ... er well I actually don't know.... I was going to say that the audience determines what is country. But I suppose that an artist can determine it also - it is subjective and there are not hard lines.

Tom

one suggestion is never say or write anything bad about anyone
Jeff's a talented guy, quite prolific, works hard
Jeffrey's works registered with BMI

kudos to anyone who gets cuts

The point here is, to get a major label cut there's a list of actions writers need to consistently take, & writers have done it recently can tell you what it takes.

What all do you really need to do?
What do you really need to be?
Many wanna be writers are doing some of what they need to do but not everything.

Success rarely comes to you you have to go to it.

1) write songs that obliterate the competition
it must be a no brainer, because the artist, label, managers, & producers & everyone involved feel more comfortable selecting a good to great song written by a proven hit writer. they have a track record, they have a BRAND.
you have to obliterate the competition because for an unknown writer to get a cut, the artist has to be in the business zone, because the artist would prefer to cut a hit song written by a friend who's a proven writer.

2) steve seskin talks about an artist's CD having as having slots for different kinds of songs
Different tempo's, themes and topics
slow, mid, up
love songs ...
Steve suggests to write songs that don't have any competition
The artist might have 2 uptempo love songs he's narrowed it down to, & he picks one. When he wrote "Don't Laugh at Me" there wasn't another song in the pile competing with it. The artist decided to include a anti bullying song.

3) I like to cowrite with artists and have had much more luck co-writing with talented up and coming artists. If the artist you've worked with finally gets their "break" they get real busy. Artist can road test songs you cowrite at their gigs and gauge the crowd response they include the ones that get the best fan response on their next project.

4) many writers are hoping for success but aren't really doing what it takes. they have deal breaker gaps in their plans and actions. Say sh!t like I don't do politics and I ain't gonna play the game. Well you just made it harder for yourself and your songs. Create friendships. Dig your well before you're thirsty.


5) you have to have a catalog of killer songs & current sounding awesome radio ready demos


6) it's all about doing things that increase the odds of your dream really happening.
Many writers have the dream, they think they have the songs but they really don't know how great the competition is. They need to compete in the major league and they aren't ready for little league. they need to compete in the olympics but really aren't ready for the special olympics.
You've got to have the goods and your GOODS need to be GREAT.
listen to a few of the actual demos the artist heard
http://www.originalsongwriterdemos.com/
http://www.facebook.com/originalsongwriterdemos

7) You've got to be willing to learn and adapt.

8) study what hit writers do day after day
read kara dioguardi's myspace blog

9) you need to make friends and be a friend.
Do many favors and ask for few.
You'll make more friends in the music biz by not talking about it. Talk about what people are interested in, find out what you really have in common.

networking is just as important as great songwriting

it is important to "write a great song" and have a great demo of that great song

you don't have to move to Nashville you just need to have a frequent presense there or where ever your kind of music happened

"if you somehow write a great song, isn't that reward enough?"
yes but checks in the mail are wonderful too


look at the credentials of authors and presenters who offer how to advice on songwriting, I prefer been there done that people

you need contacts and friends who can help you after you have some great songs. but wait till you have a few killer songs.

the path to success can be incredibly frustrating
I have a friend has been in Nashville for years,
he is cowriting with huge writers like Don Schlitz,
he is handsome charismatic and an incredible singer,
he has industry big whigs kicking his tires & trying to help him,
he's had big publishing deals, but he still hasn't gotten a major label deal or a big cut.
Get's invited to many industry events but turns down many of them.

If your all consuming mission in life is to write incredible songs that successful artists cut. songs that become singles and get played on the radio. What do you have to do to make it happen.

bitching about it,
won't work.
saying you have more talent than such and such artist
won't work.
saying you can write circles around certain hit writers
won't work.

you have to become a hit writer and
before you become a hit writer
you have to act like you already are one

it's a battle fought on many fronts.

MAB's shared a ton of wisdom at
MAB Q & A Chapter I & II
http://www.songramp.com/mod/forumpro/showthread.php?thread_id=57759

http://www.songramp.com/mod/forumpro/showthread.php?thread_id=63466

read how one mab student did it
An Interview With Pro Songwriter Julie Carter-Moriva
http://www.songramp.com/news.php?viewStory=924
http://www.jpfolks.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/791045/page/2

Thanks for the tips, Ande.

Yeah thanks for the tips, Ande.....you have cleared up a BIG question I had as to why there is so much mediocre music in the charts.....folk are too busy doing all the bull crap things on your list that they have not enough time to learn the art of playing and writing great music and serve an apprenticeship performing it FIRST before being famous.

Sorry Ande only messin.......kids nowadays what can you do with them.....they have it all backwards.....when I was young..... girls met a man....fell in love....got married..... then had a family......nowadays girls have a family first... then meet a man.... then get married when the kids are nearly grown up. Same with music...they want to be famous first then figure out how to play and write music as an afterthought.

Jim, although I don't always agree with you, I must say I do admire your forthrightedness (if that is a word). I do think that there is too much political correctness / watered down positions in our society.

Tom

Thanks Tom.....as far as I am concerned I tell it like it is or IMO as I see it....

my business plan or game plan is SIMPLE an is as follows...No point in having a business plan in the first place if you have no decent product to market.
1. There are no shortcuts or easy ways to write good songs.
2. You first have to have a great love of music and a deep knowledge of ALL musical styles as well as great aptitude and natural ability.
3. You need a great understanding and knowledge of both the practical and theoretical aspects of playing performing and recording music. That usually involves a long and hard apprenticeship of learning both theory and practical elements.....in other words learning to play instruments and the theory and mechanics of songwriting, performing and recording before trying to write songs and call yourself a songwriter.
4. True lovers of music should only want to write or play great songs and making money is only seen as a bonus. It should not be a motive for writing songs in the first place.
5. Songwriters should be pioneers inventing and developing their own styles and ideas......not clones copying what everyone else is doing.

Analogy....any kid can make and flip burgers....it does not require much skill or talent.....now most kids like burgers.....BUT....from a health education POV should it be our kids staple diet?.....top chefs can make burgers without even thinking BUT prefer to make something more challenging and much healthier. The same top chefs studied for many years how to prepare all different types of great food so why should a kid who can only flip burgers be allowed to call himself a chef?

songwriters have to write great songs & have killer demos

here's a few that I feel are totally on target:

ON MY FAMILY TREE
Mitch Townley/Donna Valentine
http://www.songramp.com/mod/mps/viewtrack.php?trackid=60692

Talkin' Part
Doak Turner, Dee Briggs, Bev and Cliff Nelson
http://www.songramp.com/mod/mps/viewtrack.php?trackid=69332

Like Noah Knew Rain
(Boone/Bowles/Turner)
http://www.songramp.com/mod/mps/viewtrack.php?trackid=69332

What You Might Have Been
Bizarri/Turner
http://www.songramp.com/mod/mps/viewtrack.php?trackid=72147

Grandma Doesn’t Need Them Anymore
McCormick/Turner
http://www.songramp.com/mod/mps/viewtrack.php?trackid=71291

Anthony F. Matrumalo is writing some really great songs, making regular trips to Nashville. He gets it and it's just a matter of time.
http://www.songramp.com/homepage.php?userid=13425


Who are some up and coming writers who are doing what it takes?
What are some songs that you feel are on target for commercial success?


Also Doak Turner has also done a killer job of networking and creating a community in Nashville. He writes the Nashville Muse
and hosts the 3rd Sunday Song Circle Pot Luck
http://www.nashvillemuse.com/index.htmll

Doak's also a cofounder of
http://MusicStartsHere.org

you can find a lot of great songwriter info at:
http://nashvillemusicresourcecenter...mp;layout=item&id=172&Itemid=127

Ande