Songwriters, Pick Your Pain

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Brent is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ray Stevens, and more.  He’s written a top 5 hit in the US and a #1 in Canada… so far.

Success comes at the cost of comfort.  And once you’re hooked by the dream of writing songs for a living (or just getting a song cut) pain is unavoidable.  So pick your pain.  You can either have the pain that comes from trying or the pain that comes with not trying.

There’s pain in putting your songs out there just to have them rejected.  There’s pain in getting up early to write before you go to your “day job.”  There’s pain when you cut back on eating out so you can pay for a demo.  And there’s the possible pain of failure- of never getting that cut or getting to make a living writing songs.

But on the other side, there’s pain in knowing you didn’t try.  There’s pain in not knowing what might’ve happened if you had really put your heart into it.

If you have a dream, pain WILL happen.  So… which pain will you pick?

God Bless,

Brent

YOU VS…

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Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

Brent Baxter Music:  http://www.brentbaxtermusic.com

6 thoughts on “Songwriters, Pick Your Pain”

  1. Brent, I needed this today. I had a song I really believed in get turned down by Clay Myers last night and I’ve been working so hard battling my day job, spending time with my daughter and wife and playing gigs to pay for it all. I just wanted you to know that you are making a difference. How is life with 2 kids? Thanks!

    Brent Gaines Sent from my iPhone

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    1. Keep your chin up, Gaines. Clay is a tough set of ears, but I respect him. He’s shot down some of what I felt was my best work, too. Life with 2 kids is…. busy. And that’s even with Emily’s parents staying with us to help out! But life is good, thanks.

  2. Brent,
    Very well said! I live a long ways from Nashville on a beautiful island in the Caribbean which makes it even harder to get a foot in the door. I’ve submitted songs through NSAI’s Pitch To Publisher workshops when I’m in TN, and online from here. I’ve tried MusicXray and Broadjam…all without success at this point. The thing that keeps me going is the idea that each rejection takes me one step closer to hearing someone say “This is exactly what I am looking for!”

    Brian Dean
    St. Thomas, USVI

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