OFF THE PLAYING FIELD
I have two current writer/artists that have recently said VIRTUALLY THE EXACT SAME THING to me, "I think you're going to be impressed with the new songs I'm writing." While I appreciate what they are saying, and understand what they mean, in reality, they shouldn't be making that as a sign of progression when it comes to music. NOBODY IMPRESSES ME!!" Unless they have dedication and keep doing it over and over all the time, through the years. If they KEEP COMING BACK, and KEEP MOVING FORWARD.
The reason is that I have PRETTY HIGH EXPECTATIONS. But it is NOT JUST ABOUT SONGS. It is about what they do BEYOND THE SONGS. This is how the music industry judges things. And how I do.
Everyone can become better songwriters. Just being around songs and writers, artists, doing shows, listening to others and WRITING MORE SONGS are going to MAKE YOU BETTER. YOU CAN'T HELP TO NOT GET BETTER. Although I have known and few that simply don't. Don;'t know why but they just don't. And mostly it is what they do or don't do BEYOND THE SONG.
15% of a career is the song. Writing, performing, recording, presenting. Those are the bottom line and if you don't have that, you don't have anything. But 85% is OFF THE FIELD. It is SHOWING UP. Helping others. Learning about what you are doing. Making appointments. Writing more songs. Meeting more people. Continually getting OUT OF THE LIVING ROOM.
Here are some ways you have to look at it.
PUBLISHERS. Everyone wants that Magic publisher to swoop in, tell them "I LOVE YOUR SONGS WE CAN GET THESE CUT BY EVERYBODY!! The Heavens to open, HEAVENLY CHOIR VOICES SINGING "AHHHHHHHHH" and them saying, "You are HERE!!! THE ONE THE PROPHECY HAS FORETOLLED!!!!!! Heaven Be praised!!!! Hosana's in the highest!!!!!"
Don't look for that. It don't happen.
What does happen is you meet a friend of a friend of a friend of a cousin who knows someone who takes out the garbage for someone who claims to be a publisher. Actually it is someone who met a publisher once while waiting on getting his tires rotated. Of course they were a publisher of Sunday newspaper inserts, but he was a PUBLISHER!
Just kidding. Almost.
Publishers don't mean what they used to.They used to be the all powerful, and while they still are important, they don't command the athourity they used to. They also don't make the money they used to. Can't collect on FREE!
But they are still around, and a few can still get things done, those songs working their way up the ladders and to the artists and producers who are how we get songs cut. Those are few and far between, but anyone who can give you advice and suggestions are greatly desired.
Everything is very low key. "Just come down and play a few songs." is usually the response you get.
At first that means just playing a couple things, usually a verse and a chorus, and they are going to tell you, "Don't hear anything right now, but drop back by sometime." This is usually very superficial, but sometimes they mean it. There is always hope, right?
If you can get a "return meeting" (REFERALL), you are doing great. This is the same in any business and especially music. But here is where it gets BEYOND the song.
The music business is HUGE team effort. You have to include a lot of other people in anything. An artist recording songs, has his or her own songs first, those of their producer, manager people are bringing them in all the time, agents, lawyers, the record label, the publishing companies, friends of friends, they are all going on all the time. To get down to those 6-12 songs on a record, they are going to listen to about 3000 songs in the space of a few months.
The legitimate publishers can help cut through many of those steps.
The most direct way is to write WITH the artist or their inner circles. So for a new writer, the first thing they are gonig to have to do is send them to write with other writers, artists, members of the community who are established. This is where the personalities come into play. No one wants to send over a spoiled child, a drug addled nut, someone with personality or mental issues. So they get to know you. And that is where it takes patience and meeting a LOT of people. And to get invited BACK. That is another trick in itself.
And the SONGS have to EXPLODE at people. They have to be so much better than what the publisher and their teams already have. Many of those songs they have physical money invested in. The future of their kids, their relationships, their marraiges all depend on. That is what you are trying to ride OVER.
And it is not always the songs. If you write one with that artist that sums up EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT TO SAY AND HOW THEY WANT TO SAY IT, that song is going to win out over everything. At least till that artist's team, who have their own songs and emotions and experiences that THEY WANT CUT TOO.
Challenge? You bet.
So you have to be on your game, but you also have to make them LOVE YOU! That is BEYOND THE SONG.
CO-WRITERS.
Same thing. Everyone who is in Nashville, (those people who are in PROXIMATY TO THE ARTISTS AND PUBLISHERS) are trying to "WRITE UP" TOO. They are doing the same thing. So what is it that you bring to their party? Whjat is it about your songs now that are going to get and keep attention? What is going to make them want to spend those 2-3 hours with you?
Do you bring in fresh interesting ideas?
Do you have a great sunny personality?
Do YOU have access to artists, publishers, producers?
Are YOU established in the industry?
Are YOU bringing them something they can't do themselves? or with others?
These are the questions you need to ask yourself.
MAB
