I visited the Museum of Appalachia near Knoxville a while back. They have a great collection of traditional instruments and lots of memorabilia about artists native to the area.
One of the displays details Red Stewart, a popular singer and songwriter in the 1940's. His experience is a good lesson for songwriters today.
He and another artist of the time, PeeWee King, were traveling from a show in Kentucky about 1947, where PeeWee had performed a song called the Kentucky Waltz at a show. While driving along, PeeWee remarked to Red that there ought to be a Tennessee Waltz, too. So Red wrote it, with some assistance from PeeWee.
Red offered the song to a Grand Ole Opry artist named Cowboy Copas for the total sum of $25. Copas declined the offer. Red sang it on a radio station in 1948, then it was recorded by several other artists. None of the recordings had any success.
Eventually, Patti Page recorded the song to complete an album. It was released as a single in 1950, and sold 5 million copies. It was the most popular song in the country for about 6 months. According to the museum display, as of a few years ago the song had sold over 65 million copies worldwide, and climbing. It is still being recorded by traditional artists, and still getting radio play.
In present day there are many other examples of songs just needing to find the right circumstances. "Bless The Broken Road" had been around, and recorded by several artists, for 7 years before Rascal Flatts made it a huge hit. "The House That Built Me", a Grammy winner and career song for Miranda Lambert this year, was written around about 11 years ago.
I am always amazed by stories like this. They affirm my belief that a truly great song will eventually find its path and realize the success it deserves. It encourages me to take a long term view of songwriting.
Keep writing the best songs you can, and maybe one of them will turn into another "Tennessee Waltz"!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
Writers' Night Follies
One of the things I really like about Nashville is the writers' nights all over town. You can find one any night of the week and there are always new ones starting up. Here, gentle reader, from a writers’ night veteran, are a few observations about writers’ performances, some of the things they do, and an occasional suggestion for anyone who cares.
“I WROTE THIS HERE SONG, AND IT GOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS…” Well, of course it goes like that! He or she wrote it, didn’t they? They should know exactly how it goes! This line is so hackneyed it’s painful.
“YAK YAK YAK, BLAH BLAH BLAH…” Telling the audience your life history before each song is not a way to gain fans. Unless you are Jeffery Steele or Craig Wiseman, people don’t really care to know how you got there, all of life’s pitfalls you have endured, or all the minor details of why you wrote the song. There is some old advice that really applies here: “SHUT UP AND PLAY!”
“I WROTE THIS SONG WITH JOE BLOW 30 YEARS AGO…” First off, no one cares. Secondly, if you don’t have anything newer, you probably aren’t working at it much. Third, see above!
“I HAD A REQUEST, BUT I’M GONNA PLAY ANYWAY…” Tired jokes are just that: Tired! If you don’t have something creative and truly funny to say, then don’t. See item 2 above.
“I CAN’T REALLY SING OR PLAY, BUT I’M GONNA ANYWAY…” This is like telling the audience you are a rank amateur, but your ego is so big you’re going to make them listen to you in spite of it! Never, never set yourself up this way. The audience will surely find reason to believe you!
“I JUST WROTE THIS SONG SITTING AT THE BAR, SO HERE GOES…” This is another way of telling the audience you are an amateur and setting yourself up for criticism. If you just wrote it 2 hours ago, or two days ago, keep it to yourself. It doesn’t matter at all to the audience when you wrote it. They just want to hear a good song.
“I AIN’T PLAYED THIS IN A LONG TIME, HOPE I REMEMBER IT…” If you don’t think you remember it, don’t play it! And don’t stop in the middle of your song to think about it, then start all over again. This is highly annoying to the audience, and marks you as an amateur.
“I JUST PUT ON NEW STRINGS, AND THE DANG THINGS WON’T STAY IN TUNE…” Duh! Never, repeat never, put on new strings just before a gig! There is nothing more irritating to an audience than listening to you spend half your time tuning, unless its listening to you play out of tune.
I’m sure you can think of others to add to this list. Feel free to comment with any observations you have!
“I WROTE THIS HERE SONG, AND IT GOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS…” Well, of course it goes like that! He or she wrote it, didn’t they? They should know exactly how it goes! This line is so hackneyed it’s painful.
“YAK YAK YAK, BLAH BLAH BLAH…” Telling the audience your life history before each song is not a way to gain fans. Unless you are Jeffery Steele or Craig Wiseman, people don’t really care to know how you got there, all of life’s pitfalls you have endured, or all the minor details of why you wrote the song. There is some old advice that really applies here: “SHUT UP AND PLAY!”
“I WROTE THIS SONG WITH JOE BLOW 30 YEARS AGO…” First off, no one cares. Secondly, if you don’t have anything newer, you probably aren’t working at it much. Third, see above!
“I HAD A REQUEST, BUT I’M GONNA PLAY ANYWAY…” Tired jokes are just that: Tired! If you don’t have something creative and truly funny to say, then don’t. See item 2 above.
“I CAN’T REALLY SING OR PLAY, BUT I’M GONNA ANYWAY…” This is like telling the audience you are a rank amateur, but your ego is so big you’re going to make them listen to you in spite of it! Never, never set yourself up this way. The audience will surely find reason to believe you!
“I JUST WROTE THIS SONG SITTING AT THE BAR, SO HERE GOES…” This is another way of telling the audience you are an amateur and setting yourself up for criticism. If you just wrote it 2 hours ago, or two days ago, keep it to yourself. It doesn’t matter at all to the audience when you wrote it. They just want to hear a good song.
“I AIN’T PLAYED THIS IN A LONG TIME, HOPE I REMEMBER IT…” If you don’t think you remember it, don’t play it! And don’t stop in the middle of your song to think about it, then start all over again. This is highly annoying to the audience, and marks you as an amateur.
“I JUST PUT ON NEW STRINGS, AND THE DANG THINGS WON’T STAY IN TUNE…” Duh! Never, repeat never, put on new strings just before a gig! There is nothing more irritating to an audience than listening to you spend half your time tuning, unless its listening to you play out of tune.
I’m sure you can think of others to add to this list. Feel free to comment with any observations you have!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
10,000 Hours
10,000 Hours
It was interesting to see a number of new interactive music programs for learning guitar and other instruments at the summer NAMM show. The "Guitar Hero" craze has fueled more interest in guitar than anything since the Beatles.
The programs on the market today are far better than what was available in the past. Plus, there are all kinds of instructional materials available through YouTube and other commercial resources. Its a great time to be a budding guitarist.
Guitar Hero and Rock Band games have sold more than $3.2 billion since their release. Thats a lot of pretend players. But research indicates most people who play those games don't really have an interest in learning the instrument. The fun comes in pretending. It takes way too much patience to learn the instrument for most.
How much patience does it take to become a true master of the instrument? In the book "Outliers", the author makes a case for it taking 10,000 hours to be the most successful at a particular endeavor. He cites Bill Gates, the Beatles and others who basically invested 10,000 hours,or more, in honing their skill before they reached the top of their field. I believe this is an accurate picture of success that applies to musicians as well as many other things.
Study musicians like Yo-Yo Ma, Van Cliburn, Andres Segovia, Chet Atkins and other highly successful musicians and you will no doubt find they spent thousands of hours practicing before they became the best at their instrument.
I doubt that some of the revered rock players of today are at that level, but they have certainly invested a lot of time to become as adept as they are. Bottom line is the average person is just not willing to invest the time and patience it takes to become even moderately adept at guitar. Many people have learned, after buying a guitar, that it wasn't as easy as it appears. The guitar winds up gathering dust in the closet.
The point of all this is that if a person truly wants to learn, and has the patience and motivation, there are many great aids available now to speed up the process. But none of them will take the place of good, old fashioned practice. In the end it comes down to investing your time. The more you are willing to invest, the greater will be the return in improved skill. The learning curve also shortens greatly by working one on one with a teacher, and playing with other musicians.
Very, very few of us will ever invest 10,000 hours in mastering our instrument. But you will be surprised at how far even one hour practice each day can take you. If you are patient, you can develop a truly enjoyable skill.
It was interesting to see a number of new interactive music programs for learning guitar and other instruments at the summer NAMM show. The "Guitar Hero" craze has fueled more interest in guitar than anything since the Beatles.
The programs on the market today are far better than what was available in the past. Plus, there are all kinds of instructional materials available through YouTube and other commercial resources. Its a great time to be a budding guitarist.
Guitar Hero and Rock Band games have sold more than $3.2 billion since their release. Thats a lot of pretend players. But research indicates most people who play those games don't really have an interest in learning the instrument. The fun comes in pretending. It takes way too much patience to learn the instrument for most.
How much patience does it take to become a true master of the instrument? In the book "Outliers", the author makes a case for it taking 10,000 hours to be the most successful at a particular endeavor. He cites Bill Gates, the Beatles and others who basically invested 10,000 hours,or more, in honing their skill before they reached the top of their field. I believe this is an accurate picture of success that applies to musicians as well as many other things.
Study musicians like Yo-Yo Ma, Van Cliburn, Andres Segovia, Chet Atkins and other highly successful musicians and you will no doubt find they spent thousands of hours practicing before they became the best at their instrument.
I doubt that some of the revered rock players of today are at that level, but they have certainly invested a lot of time to become as adept as they are. Bottom line is the average person is just not willing to invest the time and patience it takes to become even moderately adept at guitar. Many people have learned, after buying a guitar, that it wasn't as easy as it appears. The guitar winds up gathering dust in the closet.
The point of all this is that if a person truly wants to learn, and has the patience and motivation, there are many great aids available now to speed up the process. But none of them will take the place of good, old fashioned practice. In the end it comes down to investing your time. The more you are willing to invest, the greater will be the return in improved skill. The learning curve also shortens greatly by working one on one with a teacher, and playing with other musicians.
Very, very few of us will ever invest 10,000 hours in mastering our instrument. But you will be surprised at how far even one hour practice each day can take you. If you are patient, you can develop a truly enjoyable skill.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Country Doesn't Have To Be Dumb
Have you noticed that country music has had a tendency to "dumb" itself down? Its as if there's some unspoken rule that lyrics in country music have to be written for the lowest denominator in order to be successful in today's market.
This interview from ASCAP features Rodney Crowell speaking to this trend. Rodney's message of writing truth from the heart is one we've all heard before. But, as he points out, the songs that truly do this are accepted by all country music listeners, not just those lacking in education or "worldly" experience.
I hope that you, as I have, take away from Rodney's talk a positive outlook on writing well crafted songs. Here's the Youtube link:
http://youtu.be/Rysq1VTeKEY
This interview from ASCAP features Rodney Crowell speaking to this trend. Rodney's message of writing truth from the heart is one we've all heard before. But, as he points out, the songs that truly do this are accepted by all country music listeners, not just those lacking in education or "worldly" experience.
I hope that you, as I have, take away from Rodney's talk a positive outlook on writing well crafted songs. Here's the Youtube link:
http://youtu.be/Rysq1VTeKEY
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Co-Writing Trainwrecks and How To Avoid Them
I sometimes hear songwriters say co-writing is just too much hassle to be worthwhile. Disagreements come up over ideas, lyrics, money, pitching, money, who's in charge, money...did I mention money?
More than one well intentioned writing partnership has found itself on the rocks because there wasn't a clear understanding between the writers before the song was written. Some great songs have never seen the light of day because the writers didn't agree on the basics.
The importance of a clear understanding before beginning a writing project can't be over emphasized. Here are a few tips to help avoid the train wrecks that can occur without clear communications:
- It seems simple, but there needs to be clear understanding about each writer's ownership of the song. The generally accepted rule, at least in Nashville, is that each writer shares equally in the song(s)' ownership. But not everyone understands this, and it needs to be clearly agreed upon at the beginning. If for some reason there is to be a (heaven forbid) unequal ownership arrangement, it should be formalized in writing to avoid future disputes. Some writers use formal agreements anyway, just to be on the safe side. But beware: In Nashville, some veteran writers consider it extremely poor taste and a sign of mistrust to want a written agreement.
- The flip side of the ownership issue is how much each writer contributes to the song. The true value of co-writing is bringing together different skills and perspectives to write better songs. Again, the general rule is the share is the same regardless of the individual writer's contribution. A writer may only contribute the song's hook, or one line in the song, but he/she is entitled to an equal share unless otherwise agreed and specified at the beginning. Reducing shares is pretty thin ice, and there better be something in writing to support it if the song becomes a hit! In most cases, such an agreement wouldn't make for a very conducive working arrangement, and few if any writers would agree to it.
Shared contributions applies to monetary considerations as well. If the writers are working independently of a publisher, there needs to be a clear understanding about sharing costs for demos and any other expenses. Again, anything other than equal sharing should be put in writing to avoid later confusion.
- Operating guidelines: It needs to be clear how the writers will work through the process. Questions such as when is the song complete, should it be demoed, how it should be demoed, how much to spend on a demo, where to have it done, who will have the lead, and where the song should be pitched are extremely important. These things need to be decided and agreed upon by all the song's co-writers.
One writer acting on his/her own can sour a relationship in a hurry. These things all affect the quality of the finished product, and they cost money. If the writer's are signed to a publisher(s), the publisher(s) will have a large say (maybe the final say!) about these things as well.
- Remember, its a business. Most of us would like to focus only on the creative aspects of writing songs. But in the end, it is a business if there are any aspirations of the song going anywhere other than a file drawer. You must consider the business side of things to be successful. Co-writing is a business arrangement as well as a creative endeavor. It is a partnership with the goal of producing a specific product. As in any business, communications among the partners is essential to make it work well.
Bottom line: Get all the details out of the way first, then you can enjoy the train ride without fear of a sudden derailment!
More than one well intentioned writing partnership has found itself on the rocks because there wasn't a clear understanding between the writers before the song was written. Some great songs have never seen the light of day because the writers didn't agree on the basics.
The importance of a clear understanding before beginning a writing project can't be over emphasized. Here are a few tips to help avoid the train wrecks that can occur without clear communications:
- It seems simple, but there needs to be clear understanding about each writer's ownership of the song. The generally accepted rule, at least in Nashville, is that each writer shares equally in the song(s)' ownership. But not everyone understands this, and it needs to be clearly agreed upon at the beginning. If for some reason there is to be a (heaven forbid) unequal ownership arrangement, it should be formalized in writing to avoid future disputes. Some writers use formal agreements anyway, just to be on the safe side. But beware: In Nashville, some veteran writers consider it extremely poor taste and a sign of mistrust to want a written agreement.
- The flip side of the ownership issue is how much each writer contributes to the song. The true value of co-writing is bringing together different skills and perspectives to write better songs. Again, the general rule is the share is the same regardless of the individual writer's contribution. A writer may only contribute the song's hook, or one line in the song, but he/she is entitled to an equal share unless otherwise agreed and specified at the beginning. Reducing shares is pretty thin ice, and there better be something in writing to support it if the song becomes a hit! In most cases, such an agreement wouldn't make for a very conducive working arrangement, and few if any writers would agree to it.
Shared contributions applies to monetary considerations as well. If the writers are working independently of a publisher, there needs to be a clear understanding about sharing costs for demos and any other expenses. Again, anything other than equal sharing should be put in writing to avoid later confusion.
- Operating guidelines: It needs to be clear how the writers will work through the process. Questions such as when is the song complete, should it be demoed, how it should be demoed, how much to spend on a demo, where to have it done, who will have the lead, and where the song should be pitched are extremely important. These things need to be decided and agreed upon by all the song's co-writers.
One writer acting on his/her own can sour a relationship in a hurry. These things all affect the quality of the finished product, and they cost money. If the writer's are signed to a publisher(s), the publisher(s) will have a large say (maybe the final say!) about these things as well.
- Remember, its a business. Most of us would like to focus only on the creative aspects of writing songs. But in the end, it is a business if there are any aspirations of the song going anywhere other than a file drawer. You must consider the business side of things to be successful. Co-writing is a business arrangement as well as a creative endeavor. It is a partnership with the goal of producing a specific product. As in any business, communications among the partners is essential to make it work well.
Bottom line: Get all the details out of the way first, then you can enjoy the train ride without fear of a sudden derailment!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Artists as Songwriters
Hidden among all the news and jawing about how the music industry has been changed in the last few years is this: More and more artists are co-writing the songs they record. Everybody wants to be a "singer/songwriter". It makes good business sense for them, and eases the pain of revenue lost from other sources. Some artists are under a lot of pressure to write their own songs, from publishers, managers, producers, and others. The problem with the trend is that not all artists are good writers. And it shows in the music they are producing.
It was refreshing to read an article about Jake Owen in the Tennessean on 9/10/11. Jake describes his songwriting experience this way: "He had a hand in writing the bulk of material on his past two albums, and his new album was headed in this direction - until he and his band didn't like any of his ideas." He went on to say that he realized he not only could he find better songs with other writers, he could also build a stronger support network by recording their songs.
The result of his search is that he only co-wrote one of the 11 songs on his new album. Whit Jeffords, Creative Director at Amylase Entertainment is quoted in the article, saying "...most artists could benefit from recording outside songs and the trick is knowing which of their own material is worthy and when someone else might be able to write it a little bit better."
There are some awesome and highly successful singer/songwriters, such as Alan Jackson, who are very good at both writing and performing. But for every one like him there are many, many others who simply don't have the talent and skill. Hopefully they will begin to realize that there is more to creating great songs than simply sticking an artist's name in the credits.
It was refreshing to read an article about Jake Owen in the Tennessean on 9/10/11. Jake describes his songwriting experience this way: "He had a hand in writing the bulk of material on his past two albums, and his new album was headed in this direction - until he and his band didn't like any of his ideas." He went on to say that he realized he not only could he find better songs with other writers, he could also build a stronger support network by recording their songs.
The result of his search is that he only co-wrote one of the 11 songs on his new album. Whit Jeffords, Creative Director at Amylase Entertainment is quoted in the article, saying "...most artists could benefit from recording outside songs and the trick is knowing which of their own material is worthy and when someone else might be able to write it a little bit better."
There are some awesome and highly successful singer/songwriters, such as Alan Jackson, who are very good at both writing and performing. But for every one like him there are many, many others who simply don't have the talent and skill. Hopefully they will begin to realize that there is more to creating great songs than simply sticking an artist's name in the credits.
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