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All posts by Brent Baxter
Wordplay Thursday #155
Welcome to Wordplay Thursday!
“I feel as lucky as __________.”
Here’s a writing prompt for you. It’s a simple fill-in-the-blank. You can use one word or several. Feel free to get as crazy, genre-appropriate, or as imaginative as you want. The point is to get the creative juices flowing. And it’s a good thing to dig deeper, so don’t stop at the first idea that hits you. Try coming up with at least five things- and try to get IMAGERY in at least one of your plays!
“I feel as lucky as ________.”
I’ll give you an example to get you started:
“I feel as lucky as a man on his honeymoon.”
I’d love to hear what you come up with, so please share in the comments. Oh, and please keep your posts below an R-rating. It’s a family show, after all!
Want to play one (or more) of your songs for a real, all-up-in-the-middle-of-the-biz music publisher? I have a great opportunity coming up for you- CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN GET YOUR SONG IN THE EARS OF A MUSIC PUBLISHER!
This month is Adoption August at Songwriting Pro! The short story is that every penny you spend on the Songwriting Pro store (minus the store’s fees) will go towards bringing two orphans home from China. Help yourself become a better songwriter while helping two boys join the Baxter family- how cool is that?
To read more about Wren, Quill and Adoption August, CLICK HERE.
God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,
Brent
The C.L.I.M.B. Episode 27: Let Your Title Write Your Song
The C.L.I.M.B. Podcast Episode 27 is live and ready for download!
In this week’s episode, Brent leads as he teaches how to let your title write your song. If you listen closely and carefully, your title will give you clues to what your song should be about. Give this podcast a listen. (And be sure and subscribe so you never miss another helpful episode!)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE C.L.I.M.B. ON ITUNES
The C.L.I.M.B. stands for “Creating Leverage In The Music Business,” and that’s the goal of this podcast- to help singers, indie artists and songwriters like YOU to create leverage in the music business. What is leverage? It’s “strategic advantage; the power to act effectively.” We want to help YOU make stuff happen in the music biz.
Thanks to everyone who has already downloaded our first run of episodes, covering topics like “10 Ways To Get To A Music Publisher” and “6 Simple Ways To Make Your Songs More Commercial.”
It’s been exciting to see how folks are digging the show- and being helped on their CLIMB. If YOU like it, we’d really appreciate it if you’d subscribe and leave a rating or review on iTunes. Positive ratings and reviews help us to climb the iTunes rankings so more people become aware of the show and we can help more singers, songwriters, and indie artists like you make The CLIMB!
CLICK HERE TO LEAVE AN iTUNES REVIEW
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE C.L.I.M.B. ON ITUNES
If you aren’t on iTunes, you can listen to the show at our website:
Thanks for your time. It means a lot to me, and hopefully it’ll be a lot of help for you!
God Bless and keep C.L.I.M.B.ing,
Brent
Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US and a #1 in Canada… so far.
Is your songwriting bar set high enough?
I used to think my songs were pretty dang good. Then I played them for a pro.
Back when I was in Arkansas, writing songs and dreaming of getting cuts and hits, I thought I was a pretty good songwriter. After all, my main cowriter, Tim Meitzen, liked our songs, and so did many of the people who came out to Tim’s gigs. Tim just finished an album, and the studio owner / producer had good things to say about the songs – most of which I cowrote. So I was feeling pretty good about myself. (The phrase “as good as the stuff on the radio” might’ve been said once or twice.)
Then I played my songs for a pro.
I knew Danny Tate (a little) from back home. His dad was the minister of music at my church. Danny was a pro singer/songwriter who’d spent time in both Nashville and LA. He’d gotten several cuts, his biggest being “Affair Of The Heart” for Rick Springfield in the ’80’s. He’d also had a record deal and landed at least one video, “Dreaming'” on VH1 during my college days. So he was no rookie.
I sent him some songs, and he was kind enough to listen. He was also kind enough to be honest. He gave me some valuable feedback, basically saying that “there’s a whole ‘nother level of songwriting” in Nashville. Be told me my stuff was okay, but it didn’t meet professional standards.
Ouch.
By Little Rock, Arkansas, standards, Tim and I were doing strong work. But by Nashville standards, we had a long way to go. A later trip to meet Mike Doyle at ASCAP confirmed this. I left that meeting encouraged but reminded that the bar was set higher than I was reaching.
Those moments were NOT fun, but they were NECESSARY.
I appreciate Danny and Mike. Their feedback was sometimes frustrating, but it helped me to reach higher. Their feedback helped me turn pro.
It’s easy to let “the bar” slip down lower than it should. It’s easy to start judging your work against what your cowriters or other amateurs are writing. Having your friends and family like your songs and request them can lower the bar. But “friends and family” is not where the bar is really set.
If you want cuts and hits, you can’t set the bar at “what mama likes.”
So… how do you “re-set” the bar? How do you raise your songwriting standards? Here are a couple ways.
Go to great songwriter rounds.
Open mic nights don’t count. I’m talking about hitting the later rounds where the pros play. Yes, it’s fun to hear their cuts and hits. But pay special attention to their songs that haven’t gotten cut yet. You’ll hear songs that blow your mind- and it’ll blow your mind that those songs haven’t been recorded yet. Those great songs? That’s your competition.
Get professional feedback.
There are some places that offer song evaluations and coaching, and that’s great. But I’ll be honest- I used to do a bunch of coaching sessions, and it’s easy to start grading on a curve. A song may sound pretty good when it’s in the middle of a bunch of beginner coaching sessions. That same song might sound very different if you’ve been listening to pro demos all day.
Your best bet to get an accurate assessment of your song is to get it in the ears of someone who is actively in the trenches. Play it for someone who has their own songs (or the songs of their writers) judged by the highest standards on a regular basis.
Having a pro re-set your songwriting bar can be uncomfortable. But it’s worth it.
If you’ve never played your songs for a pro, I encourage you to do it as soon as possible. If it’s been a while, you’re due for a tune up.
So, how do you get to one of these pros? Well, there are a few ways… but let me tell you about an event I have coming up.
I’m hosting the next round of Songwriting Pro’s “Play For A Publisher” soon! We have these awesome events- with legit hit music publishers- every quarter, and the deadline to submit your song is coming up quickly! CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,
Brent
Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US and a #1 in Canada… so far.
Wordplay Thursday #154
Welcome to Wordplay Thursday!
“My heart’s as broken as __________.”
Here’s a writing prompt for you. It’s a simple fill-in-the-blank. You can use one word or several. Feel free to get as crazy, genre-appropriate, or as imaginative as you want. The point is to get the creative juices flowing. And it’s a good thing to dig deeper, so don’t stop at the first idea that hits you. Try coming up with at least five things- and try to get IMAGERY in at least one of your plays!
“My heart’s as broken as ________.”
I’ll give you an example to get you started:
“My heart’s as broken as a politician’s promise.”
I’d love to hear what you come up with, so please share in the comments. Oh, and please keep your posts below an R-rating. It’s a family show, after all!
Want to play one (or more) of your songs for a real, all-up-in-the-middle-of-the-biz music publisher? I have a great opportunity coming up for you- CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN GET YOUR SONG IN THE EARS OF A MUSIC PUBLISHER!
This month is Adoption August at Songwriting Pro! The short story is that every penny you spend on the Songwriting Pro store (minus the store’s fees) will go towards bringing two orphans home from China. Help yourself become a better songwriter while helping two boys join the Baxter family- how cool is that?
To read more about Wren, Quill and Adoption August, CLICK HERE.
God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,
Brent
Platinum Wisdom From Music Publishers
Music publishers (the best ones, anyway), do more than just pitch your songs and get you in the room with artists.
The best publishers are also interested in helping songwriters grow in the craft and business of songwriting. They’ll give you advice on your songwriting and feedback on your songs.
I’ve been blessed to receive several of these “platinum nuggets” over the years, and I thought I’d share a few with you. Hopefully, they’ll help you on YOUR songwriting journey!
“Some songwriters get so concerned with what radio will or won’t play that they knock all the cool stuff off their songs while they’re still in the writing room. Don’t worry about radio while you’re writing- write the best song you can and let ME worry about radio. If you go too far, I can always reign you in. But I can’t do much to help you if you’ve already gotten rid of all the cool stuff before I hear it.”
“What I love about this batch of songs is that there are so many places we can go with them- so many artists we can play them for!”
“This first verse tells me how you feel, but I’m floating around with nothing to hang on to. Give me a few images in that verse.”
“You’re describing the truck (the song’s idea/situation) from the outside… you need to describe it from inside the cab.” (for more on this, READ HERE.)
“Even as a country songwriter – especially as a country songwriter- you need to listen and know what’s going on in pop music. ‘Cuz that’s what’s going to be influencing this market in a year or two.”
“Don’t ever sing a demo, Brent. Like… ever.” (Kidding. That was always so obvious that it went without saying.)
“How are we doing well these days when it’s all about who’s in what camp? We’re making our own camps. We’re signing artists. We’re signing producers. We’re signing young artists and getting them record deals.”
Nuggets like these (and many others) have been so helpful to me over the years. Not only have there been nuggets of correction and challenge and insight, there have been many times a publisher just plain loved a song just when I needed the encouragement.
What about you? Have you received some platinum nuggets from a publisher? I’d love for you to share them in the comments!
Maybe you’re just looking for a publisher to listen to one of your songs. Maybe you live outside of Nashville and have never been able to play your music for a real deal publisher. Or maybe you’ve had several publisher meetings, but you’re looking to make more contacts in the music biz. Either way…
I have an opportunity for you.
I’m hosting the next round of Songwriting Pro’s “Play For A Publisher” soon! We have these awesome events- with legit hit music publishers- every quarter, and the deadline to submit your song is coming up quickly! CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,
Brent
Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US and a #1 in Canada… so far.
Wordplay Thursday #153
Welcome to Wordplay Thursday!
“We go together like ________ and ________, like ________ and ________.”
Here’s a writing prompt for you. It’s a simple fill-in-the-blank. You can use one word or several. Feel free to get as crazy, genre-appropriate, or as imaginative as you want. The point is to get the creative juices flowing. And it’s a good thing to dig deeper, so don’t stop at the first idea that hits you. Try coming up with at least five things.
Try to get IMAGERY in at least one of your plays- and try to rhyme the 2nd and 4th blanks if you can!
“We go together like ________ and __________, like ________ and ________.”
I’ll give you an example to get you started:
“We go together like Jack and Coke, like ashes and smoke.”
I’d love to hear what you come up with, so please share in the comments. Oh, and please keep your posts below an R-rating. It’s a family show, after all!
This month is Adoption August at Songwriting Pro! The short story is that every penny you spend on the Songwriting Pro store (minus the store’s fees) will go towards bringing two orphans home from China. Help yourself become a better songwriter while helping two boys join the Baxter family- how cool is that?
To read more about Wren, Quill and Adoption August, CLICK HERE.
God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,
Brent
The C.L.I.M.B. Episode 25: 7 Mistakes That Kill Your Song’s Emotional Power
The C.L.I.M.B. Podcast Episode 25 is live and ready for download!
In this week’s episode, Brent leads as we dive into 7 mistakes that kill your song’s emotional power. If your songs aren’t getting an emotional response from your listeners (they aren’t laughing, crying, getting nostalgic, etc.), you’re probably making one or more of these mistakes. But there’s good news- if you can identify those mistakes, you can fix them! Give this podcast a listen. (And be sure and subscribe so you never miss another helpful episode!)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE C.L.I.M.B. ON ITUNES
The C.L.I.M.B. stands for “Creating Leverage In The Music Business,” and that’s the goal of this podcast- to help singers, indie artists and songwriters like YOU to create leverage in the music business. What is leverage? It’s “strategic advantage; the power to act effectively.” We want to help YOU make stuff happen in the music biz.
Thanks to everyone who has already downloaded our first run of episodes, covering topics like “10 Ways To Get To A Music Publisher” and “6 Simple Ways To Make Your Songs More Commercial.”
It’s been exciting to see how folks are digging the show- and being helped on their CLIMB. If YOU like it, we’d really appreciate it if you’d subscribe and leave a rating or review on iTunes. Positive ratings and reviews help us to climb the iTunes rankings so more people become aware of the show and we can help more singers, songwriters, and indie artists like you make The CLIMB!
CLICK HERE TO LEAVE AN iTUNES REVIEW
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE C.L.I.M.B. ON ITUNES
If you aren’t on iTunes, you can listen to the show at our website:
Thanks for your time. It means a lot to me, and hopefully it’ll be a lot of help for you!
God Bless and keep C.L.I.M.B.ing,
Brent
Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US and a #1 in Canada… so far.
Adoption August at Songwriting Pro!
“I will not leave you orphaned. I’m coming back.” – John 14:18
Okay, I’ll be honest. This post isn’t about songwriting. It’s personal. If you want to bail out now, go right ahead. My next post will be back to songwriting. Thanks.
Well… my wife and I are adopting!
And, boy is it expensive! So I’ll just cut to the chase. For the whole month of “Adoption August,” ALL proceeds from the Songwriting Pro online store will go toward bringing our new children home.
If you’ve been on the fence about trying out one of the ebooks or courses, just know that your purchase will be used to help bring some precious orphans home. I didn’t raise prices on anything- everything is at regular price. So you’re not paying anything extra during this month. I’m just setting that money aside specifically for our adoption expenses.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE ONLINE STORE.
Let me introduce you to my two new sons. Yes, I said two.
When God started us on this journey, we assumed that if we ever adopted (a big “if,” by the way), that it would be one baby. Possibly a girl. Now, here we are, adopting two sons, neither one of them a baby.
Meet Wren.
We first “met” him when he arrived in an email of children available for adoption. To be honest, he didn’t catch our eye at first. After all, we weren’t looking for a 12-year-old. It wasn’t until several days later, when someone at the adoption agency told Emily that Wren really wanted a family, that Em started thinking about him. And then she couldn’t stop thinking about him.
God broke Emily’s heart for Wren.
He moved my wife with compassion for this boy whom she’d only met through one picture and a few scraps of information. Emily asked me what I thought about adopting an older child. She was surprised that I didn’t run screaming from the room. Though it wasn’t something that I had “wanted” or expected, I was strangely at peace with the thought. But I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise. We’d been praying that God would bind our hearts to the heart of our new child. And that’s just what He was doing.
Face to face.
Emily recently went to China as part of a “Face To Face Journey” with our adoption agency. Their mission was to share love with the kids at two orphanages. To add to the amazing time she had there, taking children swimming (for the first time in their lives), shopping, and other activities, she actually got to spend time with Wren. He’s a sweet, shy boy. Being one of the older children in the orphanage, he helps out a lot with some of the younger ones.
The question.
Emily called me from China. She wanted to ask Wren if he wanted to be part of our family. She told me that children “age out” of the orphanage at 14 years old. Wren’s 12, about to turn 13. Soon, he’ll be too old to be adopted. We decided to invite him into our family.
Emily had the translator ask Wren if he wanted to be part of our family, if he wanted to come to America. Shyly, he smiled and nodded, “yes.” Then he got excited and didn’t know what to do, so he ran off.
Emily still felt that God has two children for our family (that’s a story in itself), but she needed discernment. She felt she should talk to Wren about it. If he could bring anyone with him to America, who would it be? The answer was no surprise.
Meet our other son, Quill.
Quill is Wren’s best friend. This special little boy has been in the orphanage his whole life. He’s six years old. Quill has cerebral palsy and lacks the use of his right arm. Wren is kind and always looking out for him. Quill doesn’t seem to let his challenges get him down. From the time Emily spent with him, he seems like a pretty inspiring kid.
Wren and Quill are like brothers. Soon, by the grace of God, they really will be brothers.
Please pray that the Lord will watch over our boys until we can be with them. It broke Emily’s heart to leave them- to feel like these are our sons, but then to fly away, not knowing how long it will be before we can bring them home.
Here’s how you can help.
You can help us bring our boys home by purchasing one or more items from the Songwriting Pro online store. All proceeds will be going to pay for adoption expenses (we’re still about $20,000 away- yikes!).
If you would like to make a donation, follow our adoption journey, or see more pictures of the boys, CLICK HERE TO GO TO OUR ADOPTION PAGE.
God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,
The Baxter Family (Brent, Emily, Ozzy & Ruby Jean)
Wordplay Thursday #152
Welcome to Wordplay Thursday!
“Neighbors are ________.”
Here’s a writing prompt for you. It’s a simple fill-in-the-blank. You can use one word or several. Feel free to get as crazy, genre-appropriate, or as imaginative as you want. The point is to get the creative juices flowing. And it’s a good thing to dig deeper, so don’t stop at the first idea that hits you. Try coming up with at least five things.
And try to get IMAGERY in at least one of your plays.
“Neighbors are __________.”
I’ll give you an example to get you started:
“Neighbors are a five-year-old’s knock on our back door, asking if Ozzy can come out to play.”
I’d love to hear what you come up with, so please share in the comments. Oh, and please keep your posts below an R-rating. It’s a family show, after all!
And thanks to everyone for your great additions to Wordplay Thursday #151 (read it here)! Great job!
God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,
Brent
