Tag Archives: Songwriting Tips

MvR Live Event: Cut/able Top 10 Workshop!

MvR Top 10 2

On Thursday, October 23, 8pm-9pm Central, I’m hosting a live Top 10 Workshop.  I’ll answer questions and share extra content from my new ebook, “Cut/able: Lessons In Market-Smart Songwriting.” You’ll get “Cut/able” FREE with your ticket (a $20 value), so you’re ready for the workshop ahead of time.  Oh, and there are only 8 spots available, so don’t wait!

SO, WHAT IS “Cut/able?”

“Cut/Able: Lessons In Market-Smart Songwriting” is four powerful lessons for songwriters who want cuts and hits, who want to learn how to write commercially marketable songs, and who want their songs to connect powerfully with both fans and Music Row pros.

“Cut/able” exists to help you write songs that fit the commercial market- songs that are “market-smart.” Each of these four powerful lessons challenge you to take an in-depth look at current and recent country hits and compare them to YOUR best songs.

WHO IS “Cut/able” FOR?

*Songwriters who want cuts and hits.
*Songwriters who want to better understand market-smart songwriting.
*Singer-songwriters who want their songs to connect more deeply and successfully with their fans and radio.

“Cut/able” isn’t about “___, ___ and ___ is popular right now, so write that.” No, it’s much more than that. It’s about teaching you how to study the charts and radio so you can identify what kind of songs are market-smart at any time.

Not only that, “Cut/able” helps you add the characteristics of market-smart songs to YOUR songs.

Cut/able WILL ENABLE YOU TO:

Connect on a deeper level with the artist and listener through effective use of imagery. (Lesson #1: W.I.L.L.power: Proving Personality & Emotions Through Your Lyrics)

Give the artists what they need, give radio what it wants, and give the fans what they like by learning the importance of writing positive, uptempo, love/depth songs. (Lesson #2: P.U.L.’D To Success: The Value of Positive, Uptempo, Love/Depth Songs)

Develop skills to identify an artist’s “brand” so you can write songs that fit that brand and speak to the artist’s core audience. (Lesson #3: Neighborhoods: Where Will You Build A Home For Your Song?)

Pinpoint areas of opportunity within an artist’s catalog- slots you can fill with your songs, songs that fit the artist’s brand without being just like what they’ve already done. (Lesson #4: Fill The G.A.P.S.: Growth, Achievement, Preaching/Positioning, Songwriting)

I’d love to have you join me at the workshop!  If you can’t make it, “Cut/able” is available for sale on its own- and it’s super-helpful all by itself.

So, if you’re interested, just click on the link below to find out more and purchase tickets.  Remember, there are only a few tickets left!

I’M READY TO WRITE CUT/ABLE SONGS!

God Bless,

Brent

ARE YOU READY TO MAKE YOUR SONGS “CUT/ABLE?”

“Cut/Able: Lessons In Market-Smart Songwriting” is four powerful lessons for songwriters who want cuts & hits, who want to learn how to write commercially marketable songs, & who want their songs to connect powerfully with both fans and Music Row pros. If you want those results, these lessons can help. To get a FREE EXCERPT of “Cut/able,” just click on the image below:

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Become an MvR VIP!

If you like this blog and don’t want to miss a single post, or if you want special discounts on Man vs. Row products and services, become an MvR VIP!  Simply enter your email in the “Become an MvR VIP” section on this page.  It’s either in the upper righthand corner or down below.   Also, please share this blog with anyone you think would benefit from it.  I appreciate it when you share it on Twitter, Facebook, and anywhere else.  Thanks!

Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

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

Brent’s Instagram: Man_vs_Row

Your Chorus Is Your Punchline

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In certain ways, writing songs is like writing jokes.

You start with your setup, or your verse. You tell a story which draw your listeners in. Then you hit them with your punchline, or your chorus. That’s your big emotional highpoint of the joke / song.

But here’s the difference…

When we write songs, we don’t hit the punchline and then move on to the next joke. With songwriting, we have to write a 2nd verse that leads right back into the same punchline- and we have to write it so well that it’s an even MORE powerful emotional moment- then maybe we write a bridge and do it again!

That’s hard.

And it’s no laughing matter.

God Bless,

Brent

Learn How To Make Your Songs More Cut-Worthy!

Man vs. Row invites you to be a part of an exclusive Google Hangout I’ll be hosting on Thursday, October 23, from 8pm-9pm Central. In this live event, I’ll teach from my new book, “Cut/able: Lessons In Market-Smart Songwriting.”  Not only will you receive a FREE copy of “Cut/able” with your ticket, I’ll answer YOUR questions face-to-face as we discus how YOU can make your songs more market-smart.  Space is very limited, so click on the image below to find out more!  (Or click here.)

MvR Top 10 2

Become an MvR VIP!

If you like this blog and don’t want to miss a single post, or if you want special discounts on Man vs. Row products and services, become an MvR VIP!  Simply enter your email in the “Become an MvR VIP” section on this page.  It’s either in the upper righthand corner or down below.   Also, please share this blog with anyone you think would benefit from it.  I appreciate it when you share it on Twitter, Facebook, and anywhere else.  Thanks!

Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

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

Brent’s Instagram: Man_vs_Row

Are You Writing Your Song From The Best Point Of View?

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Sometimes we hit a roadblock with our song because we’re writing from the wrong point of view.

Let’s say you’re writing about domestic abuse. (I know, I know. It’s an uplifting topic, but bear with me.) Consider all the characters your singer could be:

The abusive husband.
The abused wife.
The child who is a witness / victim.
The neighbor who overhears them.
The police officer called to the scene.

And these are only some of the PEOPLE who could tell the story. If you get a little further out there, your singer could even be:

The wedding ring.
The family dog.
The hole he punched in the wall.
The bathroom mirror where she puts on makeup to cover the bruises.
The angel who comforts the child hiding under the bed.
God, watching the whole thing.

Or your singer could simply act as a reporter who says, “he did this, she did that,” and isn’t involved in the story as a character.

The options are pretty limitless. And each point of view will bring a different energy to your song. Feel free to experiment with the point of view in your song- you might just find something amazing.

What about you?  What is the most interesting point of view you’ve used in one of your songs?  I’d love to hear from you!

God Bless,

Brent

ARE YOU READY TO MAKE YOUR SONGS “CUT/ABLE?”

“Cut/Able: Lessons In Market-Smart Songwriting” is four powerful lessons for songwriters who want cuts & hits, who want to learn how to write commercially marketable songs, & who want their songs to connect powerfully with both fans and Music Row pros. If you want those results, these lessons can help. To get a FREE EXCERPT of “Cut/able,” just click on the image below:

photo-18

Become an MvR VIP!

If you like this blog and don’t want to miss a single post, or if you want special discounts on Man vs. Row products and services, become an MvR VIP!  Simply enter your email in the “Become an MvR VIP” section on this page.  It’s either in the upper righthand corner or down below.   Also, please share this blog with anyone you think would benefit from it.  I appreciate it when you share it on Twitter, Facebook, and anywhere else.  Thanks!

Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

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

Brent’s Instagram: Man_vs_Row

Single Of The Year… Now What?

Gord When Lips Single

I was blessed to be a cowriter on “When Your Lips Are So Close,” which recently won “Single Of The Year” at the 2014 Canadian Country Music Awards (CCMA). I wrote the song with the artist, Gord Bamford, and his co-producer, Byron Hill. I’ve written three songs with them, and Gord has cut each of them. Three cowrites= 3 cuts, 1 #1 single, 1 gold single, 2 CCMA nominations and 1 CCMA win.

Now what?

Thankfully, Gord wants to write again. That’s great. But now that we’ve written a #1 together, now that we’ve had that success, the challenge is to keep my mind right. Possible pitfalls include:

Analysis paralysis.

It’d be easy to lock up creatively. To not write ANYTHING unless I’m sure it’s at least as big of a hit as “When Your Lips Are So Close.” Truth is, we didn’t know “When Your Lips Are So Close” was a #1 when we wrote it. We knew it felt really strong, but that was it. I can’t get trapped into having to think it’s a sure #1 before I’m willing to roll the dice.

Repeating myself.

I also have to avoid the temptation to play it safe by bringing in ideas that are too similar to “When Your Lips Are So Close.” Yes, there are elements of it we’d be wise to bring into another song. But we don’t want to just repeat ourselves. We need to write his NEXT hit, not rewrite his LAST one.

Getting complacent or cocky.

I’ve been blessed to have Gord cut all 3 of our cowritten songs, but nothing is guaranteed. If I just get lazy, thinking on some level, “Oh, he loves all my stuff,” then I won’t bring my best work (while his other cowriters will). Gord deserves better. So does Byron. So does my family.

Identifying these head-game tripwires should help me avoid them (hopefully). Now it’s mainly a matter of carving out enough creative space to be prepared. Then we’ll all just have to hope the muse shows up.

What about you?  What are some head-game tripwires that you run into, or have to actively avoid?  It doesn’t have to be about following up a hit- it could be about “wow, we had a great first cowrite… now what?” or “wow, that was a terrible first cowrite… now what?” I’d love to hear from you!

God Bless,

Brent

READY FOR YOUR SONGS TO BE “CUT/ABLE?”

“Cut/Able: Lessons In Market-Smart Songwriting” is four powerful lessons for songwriters who want cuts & hits, who want to learn how to write commercially marketable songs, & who want their songs to connect powerfully with both fans and Music Row pros.  If you want those results, these lessons can help.  To get a FREE EXCERPT of “Cut/able,” just click on the image below:

photo-18

Become an MvR VIP!

If you like this blog and don’t want to miss a single post, or if you want special discounts on Man vs. Row products and services, become an MvR VIP!  Simply enter your email in the “Become an MvR VIP” section on this page.  It’s either in the upper righthand corner or down below.   Also, please share this blog with anyone you think would benefit from it.  I appreciate it when you share it on Twitter, Facebook, and anywhere else.  Thanks!

Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

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

Brent’s Instagram: Man_vs_Row

The Cure For Your Songwriting Symptoms

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Songwriters are a sick bunch of folks.

And, no, I don’t mean we’re crazy for doing what we do. (Okay, maybe a little, but that’s not what I’m talking about today.)  What I mean by sick is that we have a lot of aches and pains that really bother us. As a pro songwriter and teacher, I’ve had a lot of writers come to me over the years looking for a way to heal their pain.

Songwriter pains include:

*I’m not getting cuts.
*I can’t find good cowriters.
*Publishers won’t set me up with cowrites.
*My ASCAP/BMI rep won’t introduce me to publishers or cowriters.
*Publishers won’t give me a meeting.

Songwriters are often tempted to treat each of these conditions as a separate illness, but I think that’s usually a mistake.

These are just symptoms. The disease is having songs that aren’t good enough.

We can treat the symptoms all day long, but until we address the disease itself, your songwriting success will be limited. For example, we might be able to smooze our backsides off and finally talk our way into a cowrite with a pro writer… but so what? He or she will figure out pretty quickly that our songwriting isn’t up to snuff, and we probably won’t get a second cowrite.

But if we write strong songs, it’ll be a lot easier to get a pro to sit down to write. And when we prove our skill again- in the writing room- it’ll be easier to get a second cowrite.

It’s hard to think of a “songwriter symptom” that isn’t dramatically helped or fixed completely by writing better songs.
Want your ASCAP or BMI rep to start introducing you around? Write better songs.
Want better song evaluations? Write better songs.
Want better cowrites? Be a better cowriter yourself- by writing better songs.
Want cuts? Write incredible songs, which lead to more relationships in the biz which lead to more opportunities to write more incredible songs, which put you in a much better position to get cuts.

Treat the illness and the symptoms become a lot less severe or just go away on their own.

God Bless,

Brent

Don’t Fall For The Facebook Fantasy

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It’s easy to get frustrated by facebook.

You scroll through your feed, and it seems like everyone in Nashville is:

“Writing a hit with ___ today!”

“Listening to new mixes – they sound awesome!”

“Just booked a show in ___!”

“Just got a cut today- wish I could tell you who, but I will soon!”

And it may all be true. I try to listen to my better angels and be happy for the success of others, even when I’m not getting as many cuts as I want.

But just remember- you only see what other folks WANT you to see. Certain people are going to overhype everything in an attempt to fake it till they make it. Others are overconfident or excited and really think every song they write is a hit. Others are so insecure that they feel they have to make things sound better than they are so they don’t get outted as the frauds they fear they are. Others are completely honest, but they only post the positive things.

All this can lead to the false impression that everyone is on the fast lane of success while you can’t get out of the garage.

So, how do we avoid falling into the facebook fantasy? First of all, don’t spend too much time on it. There’s probably something better you can do with your time, anyway. (Yes, I’ll post this to my facebook page, and I’m well aware of the irony.) Secondly, realize that the truth behind most of those posts is probably:

“Writing a hit with ___ today… and my publisher probably won’t even like it so it’ll never even get demoed!”

“Listening to new mixes- they sound awesome… and every label will pass on the song at least twice!”

“Just booked a show in ___ … and after gas and paying the band, it’ll cost me $100!”

“Just got a cut today- wish I could tell you who, but I will soon… as I google them because it’s some no-name indie artist that probably won’t even pay mechanicals on the 1,000 units they’ll print, anyway!”

While that’s kind of a fun game, don’t be a hater. But just as importantly, don’t let facebook make you hate yourself.
Now, if you’ll excuse me… I need to go write a hit and listen to some sweet new mixes.

God Bless,

Brent

THE PRO KNOWS

To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro. In this complimentary report, learn the mindsets that help the pro songwriter get cuts, earn respect in the industry, and maintain long-term success in the music business. Just click on the picture below to download this complimentary report today!

The Pro Knows

Become an MvR VIP!

If you like this blog and don’t want to miss a single post, or if you want special discounts on Man vs. Row products and services, become an MvR VIP!  Simply enter your email in the “Become an MvR VIP” section on this page.  It’s either in the upper righthand corner or down below.   Also, please share this blog with anyone you think would benefit from it.  I appreciate it when you share it on Twitter, Facebook, and anywhere else.  Thanks!

Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

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

Brent’s Instagram: Man_vs_Row

Songwriters, Take Your Listeners To The Movies

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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.

Imagine yourself in a darkened movie theater. The movie starts to play, but there is just sound… no picture. You’d be upset, right? Well, then, why do we sometimes write songs that way?

I think the movie analogy is an appropriate one for songwriting.

After all, don’t we basically write 3-minute movies?

Our job is to entertain, to move, or to make the listener think. Just like a movie. But because songs are an audio format, we sometimes forget about the pictures. But they are terribly important!

Take, for instance, “The Thunder Rolls” written by Garth Brooks and Pat Alger. Yes, it’s an oldie, but it’s a classic. This lyric is a movie all by itself. Let’s look at the first verse:

3:30 in the morning / not a soul in sight / the city’s looking like a ghost town / on a moonless summer night / raindrops on the windshield / there’s a storm moving in / he’s heading back from somewhere / that he never should have been / and the thunder rolls

You can SEE that verse. The ghost town, the dark night, the raindrops. Not only that, but you can HEAR it. The thunder rolls. While this lesson will focus on visuals, don’t forget that you have FIVE senses, and you should use as many of them in a song as possible. Let’s look at the second verse:

Every light is burning / in a house across town / she’s pacing by the telephone / in her faded flannel gown / askin’ for a miracle / hopin’ she’s not right / praying it’s the weather / that’s kept him out all night / and the thunder rolls

Again, you can SEE and HEAR that verse. Lights burning, pacing by the phone, the faded flannel gown, the thunder rolls. And the third verse is just as visual as the first two.

It is no accident that some writers refer to sensory details as “furniture.” An empty room is not very inviting. It doesn’t hold your attention very long. However, a room with a great big couch and great art on the walls INVITES you in for a while. It gives you something to look at.

I got this feedback from an old publisher when I didn’t have strong visuals in a song. He said it left him, as he called it, “floating around in space with nothing to hang on to. You’re just telling me how you FEEL.”

There’s a songwriting adage that says, “Don’t TELL me, SHOW me.” Visuals give you something to latch on to. A strong visual or other sensory image at the front end of a song really draws a listener in. It gives you a picture right off the bat.

Take these following first lines from some recent hit songs:

Doublewide Quick Stop midnight T-top Jack in her Cherry Coke town – “American Kids” sung by Kenny Chesney

Quarter in the payphone, clothes drying on the line – “Automatic” sung by Miranda Lambert

Those high heels with that sun dress, turquoise heart hanging ‘round your neck – “My Eyes” sung by Blake Shelton

Summer comin’ through a rolled down window, tearin’ down an almost two lane back road – “We Are Tonight” sung by Billy Currington

And now a few hits that are a couple years back…

Sun shines, clouds rain, train whistles blow and guitars play – “It Just Comes Natural” sung by George Strait

I’ve packed a cooler and a change of clothes – “Want To” by Sugarland

Driving through town, just my boy and me. With a happy meal on his booster seat– “Watching You” by Rodney Atkins

I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house– “What Hurts The Most” Rascal Flatts

She’s a yellow pair of running shoes, a holey pair of jeans– “She’s Everything” Brad Paisley

I could do this for days. Now, I know there are examples out there of purely emotional songs that do well. But if you look at the songs that are not written by the artist or by the producer or by an established hit songwriter, I think you’ll see a trend.

So good luck with your songwriting. Use lots of visuals, and keep at it.

What about you?  Do you tend to write with or without a lot of imagery?  Are there lines from some other songs you think have great imagery that you’d like to share?  I’d love to hear from you!

God Bless,

Brent

ARE YOU READY TO JOIN MvR IN THE TOP 10 THIS WEEK?

The listener’s reaction to your song is only as real as the character in your song. The W.I.L.L.power workshop will teach you tips & techniques to make the characters in your songs come alive and jump out of the radio and into your listeners’ hearts. There are only a handful of tickets available for this intimate get-together, AND THE WORKSHOP IS THIS WEEK! Click on the image below to find out more!

MvR Top 10 2

 

BECOME AN MvR VIP!

If you like this blog, don’t miss a single post! Join by putting your email in the “Become An MvR VIP” section on this page. It’s either in the upper righthand corner or down below. Members receive discounts on products and services and well as some other cool stuff. Also, please share this blog with anyone you think would benefit from it. I appreciate it when you share it on Twitter, Facebook, and anywhere else. Thanks!

Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

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

Brent’s Instagram: Man_vs_Row

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Single Of The Year: Gord Bamford, “When Your Lips Are So Close”

Gord When Lips Single

Hey, ya’ll!

I just wanted to give you an update on my song, “When Your Lips Are So Close,” cut by Canadian artist, Gord Bamford.  Since it was released as the lead-off single from Gord’s “Country Junkie” album in September 2013, it’s had a great run.  It hit #1 in November of 2013, has been certified as a gold single, and was nominated for two Canadian Country Music (CCMA) Awards for Single Of The Year and Songwriters Of The Year.  While it didn’t win Songwriters Of The Year, it DID win Single Of The Year at last night’s CCMA Awards!  Congrats and thanks to Gord and Byron Hill, our cowriter and the coproducer on the project!

With the win last night, I thought I’d re-post this Cut Study for the song.  Enjoy!

God Bless,

Brent

ORIGINAL POST:

I’m blessed to have written Gord Bamford’s new single, “When Your Lips Are So Close.”  Gord is a hit artist on Sony Canada who is nominated for seven Canadian Country Music Awards.  If all goes according to plan, he’s going to debut our song on the 2013 CCMAs.  Today, I’d like to briefly discuss how I got the song cut and what you can learn from it.

I networked my way to the artist.

I started writing with hit songwriter, Byron Hill, back in 2004.  It wasn’t until later that Byron became Gord’s producer.  Because Byron and I had written several good songs together and he trusted my skill and work ethic, he felt comfortable bringing me into a cowrite with him and Gord.

I asked for the cowrite.

Byron and I are buddies, but he and Gord had a good thing going before bringing me in.  I already knew Byron pretty well, but I still used a patient approach to getting in the room.  It took months, but that’s okay.  You want to be persistent, but you don’t want to push too hard and make your contact uncomfortable.  You don’t want to lose the contact.

I did my research.

When Byron said he’d hook up a cowrite with him and Gord, I got copies of all of Gord’s records.  I listened and wrapped my head around Gord’s brand- what he likes to sing about and his lyrical “voice.”  I also talked to Byron about what works well for Gord.

I did my pre-writing.

I started an idea called “On My Best Days” and tailored it for Gord.  Gord and Byron liked the idea and the sketch I brought in, and we finished it.  It was an album cut on Gord’s album, “Is It Friday Yet?”

I didn’t get lazy.

Even though they cut the only song we’d written, I didn’t assume they’d call me up when Gord was writing for his next record.  Every once in a while, I mentioned to Byron how much I’d love to get back with Gord when he was in town to write.  After several months (and a couple of cancelled trips), we were back on the books.

I did more research and pre-writing.

I didn’t assume that Gord wanted or needed more of the same.  I asked Byron what they wanted for Gord’s next album.  Based on what Byron told me, I spent a few hours on my own looking through my ideas and adapting a few for Gord.  I ran them by Byron, and he liked two of them, “When Your Lips Are So Close” and “Nights Like You.”

I focused on the artist’s needs.

Byron and I originally thought “Nights Like You” would be a midtempo, but Gord liked it as a ballad- he thought it would really connect well with his audience.  Well, he’s the successful artist, and nobody knows his fans like he does, so I’m not going to argue with that.  (He cut that song, as well.)  We also worked to make sure “When Your Lips Are So Close” fit where Gord wanted to go and sat really well in his voice.  Thankfully, it worked out.

So, three cowrites with the artist and producer, and three cuts and one single- I’ll take it!  (I wish all my other artist cowrites worked out this well.)  So, here’s what I learned from this experience:

Use patience and persistence in your networking.  Do your research on the artist.  Pre-write.  Don’t get lazy.  Focus on the artist’s needs.  Of course, there are never any guarantees in the music business, but I believe this process gives you a better chance of success.  Good luck!

THANKS!

Thank you so much, Byron Hill and Gord Bamford, for writing with me and doing such a great job on our songs!  I’m honored to be a small part of your success!

www.gordbamford.com

www.byronhillmusic.com

Sept. 17: JOIN MAN VS. ROW IN THE TOP 10!

The listener’s reaction to your song is only as real as the character in your song. This Man vs. Row Top 10 Workshop will focus on W.I.L.L.power.  I’ll teach you tips & techniques to make the characters in your songs come alive and jump out of the radio and into your listeners’ hearts.  To find out more, click on the image below.

MvR Top 10 2

BECOME AN MVR VIP!

If you like this blog and don’t want to miss a single post, or if you want special discounts on Man vs. Row products and services, become an MvR VIP! Simply enter your email in the “Become an MvR VIP” section on this page. It’s either in the upper righthand corner or down below. Also, please share this blog with anyone you think would benefit from it. I appreciate it when you share it on Twitter, Facebook, and anywhere else. Thanks!

Twitter: @Razorbaxter

Facebook: www.brentbaxtermusic.com

Instagram: Man_vs_Row

God Bless,

Brent

Are You Ready To Join Man vs. Row In The Top 10?

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The listener’s reaction to your song is only as real as the characters in your song.

Do you have trouble getting your songs to connect with your audience on an emotional level? Do the characters in your songs sometimes feel flat, cliche, or vague? Do you ever wonder how some characters in hit songs seem so real that they leap out of the radio and into your heart while your characters often don’t?

If your goal is success in the music business (as a songwriter writing for cuts, a singer/songwriter working toward a career on radio, or an indie artist wanting better shows and better sales at the merch table), then making your characters REAL is a big deal. If that never happens, odds are your career never happens, either. At least not as big as it should.

Usually when a listener doesn’t connect with the character in a song, it’s because the songwriter hasn’t PROVEN the character to the listener. The listener doesn’t care about your character because the character doesn’t feel real.

The solution to this problem is usually imagery.

When used well, imagery makes your character believable. Pictures are proof. Imagery gets your song past the listener’s head and into the listener’s heart.

TELL me about an cute little abandoned shelter puppy, and I’ll be sad for a minute. SHOW me that cute little abandoned shelter puppy, and I’ll adopt it.

I’m a lyricist. Words are my thing. In a town full of incredible musicians and great singers, I’ve been able to land publishing deals (Major Bob, Peer Music, etc.), cuts (Joe Nichols, Lady Antebellum, Randy Travis, etc.), and hits (Alan Jackson, Gord Bamford) as a lyricist. And a big part of being a successful lyricist is knowing how to use imagery to create believable characters.

On Wednesday, September 17, from 8pm to 9pm Central, I’ll be hosting an exclusive online workshop to teach you how to use imagery to bring your characters to life.

There are only a few “Top Ten” tickets still available for this event, so don’t wait.  Click on the image below to find out more!

MvR Top 10 2

Become an MvR VIP!

If you like this blog and don’t want to miss a single post, or if you want special discounts on Man vs. Row products and services, become an MvR VIP!  Simply enter your email in the “Become an MvR VIP” section on this page.  It’s either in the upper righthand corner or down below.   Also, please share this blog with anyone you think would benefit from it.  I appreciate it when you share it on Twitter, Facebook, and anywhere else.  Thanks!

Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

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

Brent’s Instagram: Man_vs_Row

The Story Behind “Monday Morning Church”

Alan Jackson- Monday Morning Church

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.

A lot of people ask me about the story behind “Monday Morning Church.” Did I lose someone close to me? Did I just make it up? Stick around and find out.

Back in 1999, I was in the final semester of getting my Master’s Degree in Business at Arkansas State University.

At that point, I was writing songs at night and on weekends.

I went back home to Batesville, Arkansas, one weekend to hang out with the folks. My mom, an English teacher, showed me a poem she had written as an example to her students.

The poem was about a teacher’s day, and it had a line that read, “Trudging wearily through the parking lot, as empty as a Monday-morning church.”

When I saw that line, it about blew the top of my head off! I thought it was a brilliant image. Immediately, I told her I was gonna use it.

Back at school, I started working on the lyric (I don’t write melodies). I remember sitting in my little off-campus apartment at my computer and kicking that title around. With an image like “empty as a Monday morning church,” I knew it had to be something serious.

I settled on the idea of a man who had lost his wife and was having a crisis of faith. The first lines of the song came first:

“You left your Bible on the dresser, so I put it in the drawer. ‘Cuz I can’t seem to talk to God without yelling anymore.”

I remember really liking those lines, even though I knew they might be too in-your-face. As it turns out, they seem to be most peoples’ favorite part of the song, so what do I know?

I’m not sure how long it took me to write the first draft of the lyric- probably a few hours over the next couple of days.

The lyric sat around for a few years…

…with occasional false starts by various cowriters. I eventually moved to Little Rock and met Erin Enderlin, who was a Conway native going to school outside of Nashville.

I rewrote the 2nd verse and showed it to Erin during a cowrite her parents’ place over Christmas break. Thankfully, she liked it. A few days later, she played the melody for me. She’s a great writer.

Erin took our song back to Nashville…

…and played it for her publisher, a guy named Jeff Carlton. He demoed the song I believe in 2003, which was after I had finally made the move to Nashville myself.

Even though I had originally written the lyric with a male artist in mind, Erin sang the demo from a woman’s point of view, and Jeff played it for Keith Stegall, a producer in town. Keith loved it, thank goodness.

In August of 2003, Keith put “Monday Morning Church” on hold for Lee Ann Womack.

It was my first hold.

However, he didn’t end up working on that Lee Ann album, and the song came off hold. Then he put it on hold for Terri Clark. It stayed on hold for her over Christmas.

Word was, she was going into the studio in early March of 2004. On the night of my two-year anniversary of moving to Nashville, Erin called with good news and bad news. The bad news was that Terri didn’t cut our song. The good news was that Alan Jackson had put it on hold.

Well, the rest of that month was pins and needles. Jeff called me with the news that Alan had cut “Monday Morning Church” in late March. It was an unbelievable feeling! Erin and I both finally had our first cuts.

And it only took five years and two states to go from an idea to a record.

God Bless,

Brent

Man vs Row

Sept. 22: KNOW THE ROW with CHAD GREEN

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Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

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

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