I’ve run into some aspiring songwriters who believe they have “the song,” and if they can just get “the song” to Kenny Chesney or Carrie Underwood, that it’ll be a surefire hit. The hard truth is that it’s foolish to put all your hopes on one song. So much timing, luck, and networking goes into getting a cut, much less a hit, that you need a CATALOG of great, commercially-viable songs. If you have a bunch of great songs working their way through the system, MAYBE one will get cut. If you can write one great song, that’s great. Now focus on writing more great songs. Good luck and God bless!
-Brent
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Brent Baxter Music: http://www.brentbaxtermusic.com
But I really do have THE song for Kenny Chesney – all my friends and family told me so. They wouldn’t lie to me would they??? 😉
Ed.
never had a hit never had any luck had a few people tell me i had a couple of hits but never got the chance to make it. brent
I would like some ideas on networking from afar since I do not live in Nashville.
Mark
Let me chew on that. Sounds like a good idea for a post. But I’ve lived in Nashville for about a decade now, so I’m a little rusty on the long-distance networking thing. If anyone out there has current, relevant advice, we’re all ears!
If you truly have great songs then you need to have them pitched constantly by you or someone who can get them to the right listeners.
It’s called an honest reputable songplugger.
I have a song, think somebody should do it.
Join the club!
Every song you pitch had better be great or it’s not going to get cut by a major label artist.
Who is a credible pitcher? Who has the connections? And, on the other end, who has the vision to see a song’s merits the attention if it doesn’t mimic today’s popular trends…
Willa, that’s a big question. There are a few good, legit independent songpluggers around town. For a good in-depth look at songplugging, I’d check out the book “Songplugger: the cuts and the bruises” by Penny Dionne. It’s on Amazon.
Distance is not so much a factor anymore. Keith Urban is currently pumped up about a bunch of songs that he got from a writer in Brooklyn, New York City. I’ve noticed something – Quality songs have wings. They will travel any distance and fly over any obstacle IF they are really good.
Kevin
Brentwood, TN
“Quality songs have wings.” Quotable! Nice.