BEING PREPARED
One of the things that has always separated me from most anyone is my ability to perform, anywhere,for anyone, anyhow and bring the same level of attitude and ability everytime. That is what a professional does. The reality about music is that you have to be ready at any time and always have to have whatever you do, represent you without explinations or apologies.
Any time I have ever been asked, pulled into do something at the last minute, or if my songs are heard on recording, I feel like I have always been on my game. of course there are always things you would like to have done better, it is not a perfect world, but you have to be proud of what you do.
My first cut, on Shelby Lynne,came because I did months of writing and asking questions (what I tell all of you to do) of Ron Muir, kind of my "MAB" on Nashville. I met him at a songwriter's meeting (get out of the living room), and PAID him (sometimes you have to get skin and money in the game) to teach me what he had taken years to learn. Sound familiar?
Then, using talents I had developed as an entertainer for 10 years in rock bands, (getting around other musicians), rehearsing
several nights a week, I brought all that to Ron and he took me the next way. (Long distance Marathon Relay.) When we came
Nashville to record, the songs were well written and tested out by performance. (Get out of the living room). When i started playing
in Nashville at a quarter to one in the morning (always be prepared) I was approached by a guy who liked my "funny stuff."
He was not in the music business but his ROOMATE WAS. My songs were well recorded and worked their way up through
Tree publishing before they even knew who I was. (Be prepared)
All these things serve me well today just like last night. I am always well rehearsed and think through my songs knowing what
to play for each situation. I never let more than a couple of days go by where I don't work out on guitar. I always have my Cd's with me, to
leave in case someone is interested. I always spend that extra few minutes talking to people and answering questions.
When you listen to a song of mine live, I play with dynamics and textures. When you hear my stuff recorded, it is done
well and I don't put up things that don't represent me well.
And my ears are ALWAYS open to pick up conversations, snippets, situations, senarios,etc. that could be a song. There
are usually a dozen ideas a night or day that I could write if needed. Those are what I pull out when people are wanting to
write but have no ideas or know where they are going. I also use those experiences to add to what they are trying to say.
That's how I do it. Works pretty well.
An interesting aspect of last night at the cocktail party was several people approaching me who remembered me from last year.
I was NOT scheduled on this last year. I just kind of showed up because several people I knew were going. I was watching a show
on one of the main stages. I knew all the artists because they were all friends of mine and they were yelling at me from the
stage and talking about MY songs. In the middle of THEIR show. Then, all of them had to leave to go to another show (most get scheduled
twice a night) and the next group had not shown up yet. (Get there ON TIME.)
They pulled me up on stage to kill 15 minutes in front of about 300 people. The organizer was there and came over after
asking if I could do two more shows that weekend.
That's how I got started here.
If you are a songwriter, you HAVE to get around where songwriters go. These festivals are the best way to do that. Want to meet
co-writers, people to perform with, like minded individuals in your area?This is where you find them. Go to Nashville and everyone
is into their own thing,and you are an outsider. On these things you are as equal as anyone.
FRANK BROWN IS NOVEMBER 7-17. (hint hint!)
But you also get to see hit writers, up against the amateurs and up and comers.You get to see what MAKES THEM HIT WRITERS.
The best 'game film' you can get.
If you are sitting around waiting to get songs "placed" with song pluggers, film and television libraries, seedy publishing companies,
even waiting on those meetings with ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, NSAI, or even some really great people, I am afraid you are
going to be waiting a while. Possibly forever. If you are waiting for someone to "discover" what you are doing through your
CD's or web sites, reverb nation, spotify, you tube, etc. you are going to be in there with about a billion other people and songs.
Do you really have that much faith.
This is the real world. Better get in it.
MAB