All posts by Brent Baxter

Biz

Encore: The Band Is A Brand. Are You Brand Conscious?

May 30, 2016 Brent Baxter 3 Comments

Here’s an encore of one of my very first blog posts. I’m sharing it for two reasons: 1) a lot of you have started following this website since it was originally posted (thanks!) and might find this post helpful, and 2) I need to lay low this week. I’ve been getting so busy with Songwriting Pro stuff that I’ve neglected some very important things (namely Bible study and prayer time). Plus, Emily and I are adopting and there is a TON of paperwork (and even more need for Bible study/prayer time).

Thanks for understanding. I hope to be back in the swing of things next week!

God Bless,

Brent

This is the part of songwriting I didn’t know I was signing up for- the business, strategic side of things. Sure, I have my MBA, but I really just wanted to write my songs and have them pitched by somebody to somebody and- whammo! Cuts. But the world is how it is, not how I wish it were. So now I think about artists as brands and try to act accordingly.

An artist is a brand, and they and their team (label, promotion, management) work really hard to position their brand (artist) into a certain place in the market. In business terms, they want to increase their market share- on radio and in our wallets. Everything supports the brand image: album artwork and photos, songs, videos, etc.

Artists are looking for songs that fit their brand.

Whether you are writing FOR or WITH a certain artist, it’s important for you to understand their brand. Ask yourself: who is their audience- who do they speak to? What message do they send to their fans? How do they deliver this message? How do they want to be perceived? This goes deeper than just “traditional country” or “pop country.”

If you can write a song that really fits an artist’s brand, you have a great opportunity. Think about “Real Good Man” for Tim McGraw. What a great song for him. Musically, it fits him well. Great feel, and Tim can sing it. Lyrically, that’s totally his persona- a real bad boy, but a real good man.

The artist is Coke. Their songs are Coke Classic, Cherry Coke, Coke Zero, Diet Coke, etc. They want songs that both reinforce and expand their brand. They may want Cherry Vanilla Coke or Raspberry Coke or something. Your song needs to fit on the same shelf. Your song may be the best $200 bottle of wine to be found, but it doesn’t matter. That artist is Coke.

Taco Bell doesn’t sell hamburgers.

My buddy, Tim Meitzen, told me one time, “They only have about three ingredients, but they keep putting them in different shapes!” That’s how some artists are. They keep giving you the same basic ingredients, but they put a little different spin on them. And when they do add something new, say, a Dorito as a taco shell, it still makes sense for the brand.

Luke Bryan is married with children. (So was Al Bundy, but that’s a different topic altogether.) Anyway, Luke has a family, but you wouldn’t know it from listening to his music. His music presents him as a Spring Breakin’ tailgatin’ good ‘ol party-boy who loves the ladies. I believe there’s only one song in which he has a wife and kids. But that was on his first album before he really found his image/voice/brand. And it wasn’t a single. Since he found his image, he has really stuck to it. And who can blame him? It’s working great.

It’s not about what you think an artist should sing or who they should be

… or where you think they should go as an artist. Unless you’re in their circle of influence, it doesn’t really matter what you want. Sorry.

I ran into a branding issue with Lady Antebellum.

Back before Lady A existed, I wrote a song with Hillary Scott, Casey Koesel, and Jon Armstrong called, “A Woman Scorned.” It’s a fun, rocking, fairly aggressive song that shows off Hillary’s vocals really well. Later, when she, Charles, and Dave formed Lady Antebellum, they started playing our song in all their shows (it’s on YouTube). They even cut it for their debut album. Score! Right? Wrong. When it came time to deciding which last couple of songs wouldn’t make the record, “A Woman Scorned” was reduced to a bonus track. That was disappointment with zeroes on the end of it. But after hearing their album, I understood why. It didn’t fit their brand. It was too aggressive. Even though the song had served them well and helped them get their deal, it didn’t fit the image. I couldn’t argue with that.

The lyric and melody BOTH have to work for the artist.

I’ve mainly focused on lyrical content, but the music has to fit the artist’s brand, too. Miranda Lambert isn’t likely to cut a song that sounds like Shania Twain no matter how well the lyric fits her. Ask yourself: is this song the right kind of pop? The right shade of country?

And it’s important to remember that these brands change over time. They aren’t locked in forever. Lonestar was one thing before “Amazed,” and another thing after. Toby Keith was one thing before “How Do You Like Me Now” and another thing after. Kenny Chesney had a slower, but no less important transition to beaches and nostalgia. So don’t lock a brand in your mind with super glue. Make sure to look for the shifts that are inevitable.

Agree? Disagree? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

God bless and enjoy the journey,

Brent

WordPlay, Write Like A Pro

Wordplay Thursday #144

May 26, 2016 Brent Baxter 19 Comments

Welcome to Wordplay Thursday!

“Children 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.

“Children are _____.”

I’ll give you an example to get you started:

“Children are sweet tornadoes.”

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 Brandon Tijolo Russ, Tommy Kib, Ty Devine, Billy Sweeney, Barney Coulter, Sam Moore, David Ayers, Debbie Convoy, Melinda, Susie Strange, Ed, Jerry Childers, Larry M Clark, Pam Parker, Kris Fisher, Matt Karpoff, Ronnie Glenn, Kim Kondrashoff, Antara Mallick, Michael Aiken, Joe MacKennon, Rika Love, Ken Matthiesen and everyone else for your great additions to Wordplay Thursday #143 (read it here)! Great job!

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent

Do Business Like A Pro, The C.L.I.M.B.

The C.L.I.M.B. Episode 15: Cut Study- Joe Nichols & “Crickets”

May 24, 2016 Brent Baxter Leave a comment

The C.L.I.M.B. Podcast Episode 14 is live and ready for download!

On today’s episode, Brent leads as we dive into a “Cut Study” of “Crickets” by Joe Nichols. Want to know how Brent and his cowriters took “Crickets” from a worktape in the writing room to the title cut of Joe’s current album? Then listen up! If YOU want CUTS, this is the episode for you!

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:

TheCLIMBshow.com

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.

Do Business Like A Pro

You Can’t Copyright An Idea (And Other Copyright Thoughts)

May 23, 2016 Brent Baxter 10 Comments

Do you copyright ALL of your songs? Or NONE of them? Does it even matter?

Here are a few of my thoughts and experiences on the topic of song copyrights.

A lot of songwriters get scared and think they have to copyright a song before showing it to anyone (I used to be that guy). I’ve learned that’s usually a waste of time. Most songs will never make a dime, so it doesn’t make sense to copyright songs that don’t make any cents. You’re paying to protect something that doesn’t have economic value.

When I worked at Bluewater Music, we couldn’t send off a copyright form until the day the album was released. We already kept records to prove date of creation (keep your notebooks and cowrite calendars, boys and girls), and we didn’t want to spend money on the copyright fee until we knew the song was actually released and would make some money.

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I’ve always seen every writer on every song listed as “author of words and music” – even if one cowriter “only” wrote the lyric or “only ” wrote the melody. The truth is, you BOTH signed off on BOTH the melody AND the lyric. To make a big deal about who wrote the melody and who wrote the lyric on a copyright would look unprofessional and amateurish (based on my Nashville experience- NYC or LA might do it differently).

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The writers of a song own the copyright once its written down or recorded (work tape), based on a 1976 copyright law. Registering the copyright with the Library of Congress doesn’t give you the copyright (you already own it), but it does register that copyright and help prove ownership.

_____

You can’t copyright an idea. If another songwriter hears your song (or mine) at a writer’s night and wants to hijack your song’s premise for their own song… there’s nothing we can do about it. The good news is that most songs never make a penny, so it’s likely to be a “crime” without a consequence. (With good news like this, who needs bad news???) The other good news is that you must be on the right track with your song if you actually have something that someone wants to “steal.” Keep on writing!

You can’t copyright a title. I think there are rare exceptions for songs like “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” or a few other iconic songs. (And nobody’s gonna cut YOUR version of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” anyway. They don’t want to do all that explaining… “No, it’s not THAT song. It’s a different one… sorry.”) Odds are, you’ve written the same titles as many other songwriters already, and that’s not a legal problem.

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You can’t prove copyright infringement without proving that the alleged “thief” had access to your song. If Big Artist Billy comes out with a song very similar to one of yours – but you can’t prove that Big Artist Billy ever heard your song before writing his, you’re not going to win in court. You simply can’t copy a song you’ve never heard. Chalk it up to a coincidence.

In the US, a copyright lasts until 70 years after the last author (writer) has died. After that, the song enters the public domain. So, if you write an evergreen hit (like a big Christmas song), your great-great-grandkids could get royalty checks as part of a family inheritance!

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If you have a publishing deal or a publishing administrator, they will handle the copyright registration for you. If you don’t have one of these, it’s up to you to do it.

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I’m not an expert on copyright law. ALWAYS do your own homework. One source of good advice and information is Amanda Williams at Songwriting and Music Business. She’s good people, and she stays up on this stuff- and teaches it. You can find her at www.songwritingandmusicbusiness.com. Tell her, “Brent says hey.”

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Do you have any copyright tidbits to add? Please leave a comment!

If you want to become a songwriting pro (in how you think, write songs or do business), then a great place to start is RIGHT HERE. I want to help you on your songwriting journey. I’ve been in the music business for years, and I’m here to help you get the cuts – and avoid the bruises. CLICK HERE TO START HERE.

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent

WordPlay, Write Like A Pro

Wordplay Thursday #143

May 19, 2016 Brent Baxter 37 Comments

Welcome to Wordplay Thursday!

“Family is _____.”

And try to get at least ONE IMAGE in at least one of your plays.

“Family is _____.”

I’ll give you an example to get you started:

“Family is UNO at the kitchen table on a Tuesday night.”

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 Brandon Tijolo Russ, Rita Schroeder, Barney Coulter, Tamanie, Linda Keser, Joe MacKennon, Ken Matthiesen, Ed, Jim McCarter, Jeff Green, Ty Devine, Larry M Clark, Todd, Debbie Convoy, Kim Kondrashoff, Kris Fisher, Tommy Kib, Steve Bracklin, McD, Amy Carlock, Pam Parker, Joe Slyzelia and everyone else for your great additions to Wordplay Thursday #142 (read it here)! Great job!

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent

Do Business Like A Pro, The C.L.I.M.B.

The C.L.I.M.B. Episode 14: 10 Fundamentals For Creating A Viral YouTube Channel (Part 1)

May 17, 2016 Brent Baxter Leave a comment

The C.L.I.M.B. Podcast Episode 14 is live and ready for download!

On today’s episode, Johnny leads as we dive into the “10 Fundamentals For Creating A Viral YouTube Channel (Part 1).” Are you an artist or songwriter looking to create a following or a fanbase? You don’t just slap a video on YouTube and go viral. It’s not easy, and it’s not just dumb luck. There are strategies YOU can use to give yourself the best chance to build a good fanbase. If YOU want an AUDIENCE, this is the episode for you!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE C.L.I.M.B. ON ITUNES

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.”

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:

TheCLIMBshow.com

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

Do Business Like A Pro, Write Like A Pro

A Great Way To Get Noticed As A Songwriter

May 16, 2016 Brent Baxter 25 Comments

What’s worse than having someone hate your song? Having them immediately forget it.

It’s easy to listen to today’s country or Christian (or pop, or…) radio and think, “Wow – most of these songs are written within a pretty small box. Most of them are pretty similar, and there aren’t many risks being taken. I guess if I want cuts, I have to play it safe, too.”

Or maybe you get so much advice about, “don’t make the singer look bad,” “don’t alienate the listener, etc.” (and I admit I’ve said that, too), that you only want to play your “safe radio” songs for publishers or other people in the biz.

I think playing it safe is sometimes a big mistake.

Nashville is all stocked up with safe, sound-alike songs. We don’t need yours. We already have writers and artists that are really good at writing what’s already on the radio. And they’re more connected than you. Plus, most other aspiring hit songwriters are playing the same kind of stuff all up and down Music Row.

You can’t stand out in a sea of sameness by bringing in more of the same.

You need to bring something new to the table. Fresh melodies, fresh ideas, crazy tracks. Bottom line: they’re not looking for what they already have. Here’s a piece of advice:

Write some songs that feel “too real for radio.”

Write some songs that are so honest that you feel a little uncomfortable playing them across the desk from a publisher. Don’t just write what you think a songwriter would say. Tell the truth. The truth- the raw, honest truth- is always fresh and relevant.

The point is not to make the publisher or whoever stand up and shout, “This is so great, it’s gonna change our whole format!” No, the point is to make the listener think, “Wow. This person is a songWRITER.” Let them know that you can access honest, real emotions. Yeah, sure- also bring in a song or two that shows them you know how to play in the safe commercial sandbox. But it’s really important to show them that you can draw on things a lot deeper than pickup trucks and riverbanks.

The honest line you want to rewrite because it’s “too honest” is exactly the line that will make the listener feel something.

After all, didn’t you feel something when you wrote it? Chase that! If you felt an honest emotion, maybe the listener will, too.

It’s better to be too real than too safe.

I’m not talking about adding in shock value just for the sake of shock value. No, I’m talking about fearless honesty. Maybe these aren’t the ones that’ll get cut. It’s a success if the publisher says, “Wow. That’s great. It’ll never get on the radio, but it’s great.” It might feel like a back-handed compliment, but it’s actually a very good compliment.

I had a publisher tell me once, “Too many writers get so concerned about what will or what won’t get on the radio that they knock all the cool stuff off their songs in the writers room. Don’t worry about going too far- that’s MY job! I can always reign you in, but I can’t draw you out.”

Oh, and the comment about, “It’s great, but it’ll never get on the radio…”

That’s what people said about my song, “Monday Morning Church.” And that song became a top 5 single for Alan Jackson.

Hmm…

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Have you gotten a “too real for radio” reaction? Or a “too vanilla” reaction? Please leave a comment!

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent

WordPlay, Write Like A Pro

Wordplay Thursday #142

May 12, 2016 Brent Baxter 32 Comments

Welcome to Wordplay Thursday!

And this week, let’s try to get at least ONE IMAGE in at least one of your plays.

“Country is _____.”

I’ll give you an example to get you started:

“Country is pickin’ ticks off your dog’s ears.”

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 Dionne Kumpe, Joe MacKennon, Ken Matthiesen, Bill, Schan, Barney Coulter, Todd, Bill, Larry M Clark, Debbie Convoy, Nick S, Billy Sweeney, Brandon Tijolo Russ, Kim Kondrashoff, Todd Dickinson, Ty Devine, Jennifer Thurston, Dave Edwards, Steve Brackin, Joe Slyzelia and everyone else for your great additions to Wordplay Thursday #141 (read it here)! Great job!

Since strong imagery is such an important part of professional-level songwriting, I’ve put together a course on imagery. It’s called, “Use Imagery To Supercharge Your Songwriting (Like The Pros Do)” and it’s available now!

The course guides you as you learn to:

Hook your listener in the song’s first few lines using imagery.
Make your story come to life.
Make your characters come to life.
Make your listener connect to your character’s emotions.
And begin more songs (more easily) using imagery exercises as the start of your songwriting process.
And more!

And since we’re all songwriters, that means you might not have the means to pay for the full course right now. Not to worry. I’ve made three packages of the course available. Each one has great, helpful content. Just choose the one that works best for you by CLICKING HERE.

And there is an upcoming LIVE imagery workshop on Tuesday, May 17. Not only does it come with all the course materials, I’ll be there to answer your questions and walk you through some great material not covered in the course!

If you’re ready to “Use Imagery To Supercharge Your Songwriting (Like The Pros Do)” CLICK HERE or on the image below.

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent

Do Business Like A Pro, The C.L.I.M.B.

The C.L.I.M.B. Episode 13: Songwriting Decisions

May 10, 2016 Brent Baxter Leave a comment

The C.L.I.M.B. Podcast Episode 13 is live and ready for download!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE C.L.I.M.B. ON ITUNES

On today’s episode, Johnny and I dive into the “Songwriting Decisions” that went into the writing of “Crickets” recorded by Joe Nichols on Red Bow Records. We take you into the writing room as we decide how to approach the idea, giving it the best chance to get recorded. (And it worked!) You want to know how pro songwriters think? This is your chance to get in my head!

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.”

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:

TheCLIMBshow.com

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

Biz, Do Business Like A Pro, Write Like A Pro

The Most Valuable Thing You Can Bring To A Cowrite

May 9, 2016 Brent Baxter 9 Comments

Let me tell you a tale of two cowrites, both from my early “pro” days. First… the bad cowrite.

I was signed with Major Bob Music at the time, and “Monday Morning Church” had recently been a top 5 country hit for Alan Jackson. But in spite of having a publishing deal and a hit under my belt, I was still pretty much a newbie trying to figure things out. (I still feel that way to be honest.) Anyway, Major Bob hooked me up to cowrite with a legit hit songwriter. This guy had many cuts and hits to his credit, and I was honored to get in a room with him.

We met at his publishing company on Music Row. After a little chit chat, he got that familiar look on his face.

“So… got any ideas?” No. Not really.

I mean, I had a bunch of hooks and some ideas, but nothing great. Nothing I was busting a gut to write. And I apparently didn’t have anything that impressed him, either. After I threw out several “shoulder-shruggers,” he said, “Man, we need an idea like ‘Monday Morning Church.'” Too bad. I must have left my stack of “Monday Morning Church” ideas at home that morning.

We chatted some more, eventually moving out to the porch where he smoked a cigarette and I watched my hopes of making a good impression going up in smoke. We called it a day. I call it a failure of preparation on my part. We’ve never written again. For me, I was embarrassed and in no hurry to risk wasting his time again.

Now for the good cowrite.

I met Byron Hill at Chad Green’s ASCAP Country Workshop. And, if I remember correctly, Carla Wallace at Big Yellow Dog Music also helped connect us. We got a cowrite on the books, and I was pumped. Byron has written a bunch of hits including, “Fool Hearted Memory” for George Strait, “Born Country” for Alabama, “Politics Religion & Her” for Sammy Kershaw and many, many more.

I did my homework. I pulled together several ideas and lyrics that I thought he’d like. I really wanted to make a good impression on him. When Byron asked, “So… got any ideas?” I was ready. He loved a lyric sketch I brought in called, “Ring On The Bar,” and we were off to the races.

This first cowrite led to some success and more opportunity. While “Ring On The Bar” hasn’t been a big hit yet, it’s been recorded by John Pierce (RCA), James Dupre’ (The Voice), and has been on hold by several artists, including Brad Paisley.

But the big thing is that Byron and I went on to write several more songs together, including the 2014 Canadian Country Music Awards Single Of The Year (and my first #1) “When Your Lips Are So Close” with Gord Bamford.

Good thing I showed up with a good idea on that first day, huh?

And that brings me to the point of these two stories. I believe that a strong idea is the most valuable thing you can bring to a cowrite (other than Kris Kristofferson). “Well,” you might say, “how come these big-time songwriters didn’t throw out any of THEIR ideas?” Here’s why:

A great idea is really the only thing a newer songwriter has to offer a seasoned pro.

Let’s face it, if you get to write with an established pro songwriter, what do THEY need from YOU?

They have a more valuable name in the business. They have more connections. They most likely bring a higher level of songwriting skill. The only thing they need is a fresh, cool idea or melody. Unless you’re swinging around a big fat record deal, your job is to bring in the idea or the start of a song.

If the pro has a great idea, he surely has several proven, established cowriters who could write it with him. Why risk giving 50% of HIS idea to a songwriter who might not contribute very much?

Let me tell you, it’s more fun (and profitable) when you have a strong answer for “got any ideas?” – and I want you to be prepared when that question comes your way. And that question doesn’t need a good answer ONLY if you get a pro cowrite. That question comes up in EVERY cowrite. Every time you step into the writing room, you have the opportunity to blow away your cowriter with a great nugget or idea.

Feeling like I have a stack of strong ideas allows me to walk into any cowrite with confidence. We might not always write my idea, but I came prepared… and my cowriter knows it and appreciates it.

I want YOU to have that confidence – and those results, too. I want your cowriters to be glad they showed up to write with you. But I DON’T want you to have to go through years of trial, error and the occasional embarrassing cowrite like I did!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Have you had similar success or failures? Please leave a comment!

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent

Artists are looking for songs that fit their brand.

Taco Bell doesn’t sell hamburgers.

It’s not about what you think an artist should sing or who they should be

I ran into a branding issue with Lady Antebellum.

The lyric and melody BOTH have to work for the artist.

The C.L.I.M.B. Podcast Episode 14 is live and ready for download!

Do you copyright ALL of your songs? Or NONE of them? Does it even matter?

The C.L.I.M.B. Podcast Episode 14 is live and ready for download!

What’s worse than having someone hate your song? Having them immediately forget it.

I think playing it safe is sometimes a big mistake.

The honest line you want to rewrite because it’s “too honest” is exactly the line that will make the listener feel something.

It’s better to be too real than too safe.

The C.L.I.M.B. Podcast Episode 13 is live and ready for download!

Let me tell you a tale of two cowrites, both from my early “pro” days. First… the bad cowrite.

“So… got any ideas?” No. Not really.

Good thing I showed up with a good idea on that first day, huh?

A great idea is really the only thing a newer songwriter has to offer a seasoned pro.

Helping songwriters turn pro.