MAB Q&A

MAB writes (quote):

You forgot one thing OD. Gerald will be able to quit asking "What does it take to get people to write with me?" People WILL be wanting to write with him. Because his writing ability will change and he will go back with some much stronger songs that hit the targets a lot tighter.

MAB,  while I totally agree with your statement,  I'd like to point something out to Gerald, so he doesn't get the impression with one Tour he will walk away writing songs so good, everyone at home will want to write with him.  That may happen but in my experience it takes awhile for someone to soak up all the information and apply it to their writing. 

Of course after a first Tour,  everyone will go home and begin writing much better songs; because we now have someone who points out our bad habits and offers suggestions to make our writing better and stronger.  However, breaking bad habits that we didn't even know we had, may take time, many songs, and many light bulbs going off in our head before it becomes natural and we finally get it.

Just my opinion, but I think the most important lesson of our first Tour is sitting down with you, one on one, and having you totally focus on our journey and our level of writing.  With your help we learn what we are doing wrong that is keeping us from doing things right.  Once we hit the "Reality Wall" and become aware of what makes for a strong song, can we correct our bad habits that define us as an amateur writer by the seasoned writers and especially the Pro writers like yourself.  

To me, this is the most important lesson and the most valuable step to be gained by our first Tour with you.  It strips us of our ego and false opinions of our songwriting ability we gained from listening to our family and friends.  I don't believe most of us will walk away from only one Tour a really good writer yet, everyone back home will immediately want to write with;  but it will give us the tools and direction of becoming a much better writer 'in time' , everyone back home will want to write with.

Of course there are exceptions to every rule; but for most of us it takes some time to make sense of it all.  I just didn't want for Gerald to think it was easy and one Tour would make him a really good writer.  It will give him the information he needs to become a really good writer if he chooses to.  At that point it's up to him whether he is willing to put the work into it to get there. (IMHO).

It's a long journey but a short trip when you look back on it.

OD