Tag Archives: Aaron Goodvin

P4P, Write Like A Pro

The music business is a recommendation business.

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The music biz has often been called a relationship business – and it IS.  But how you GET those relationships is often a matter of recommendations.

And I want to help you get more of those recommendations.

First off, let me tell you about a few referrals and how they have really affected my songwriting career.  Why?  It’s not about me or my story.  I’m not bragging.  I’m sharing because I want to prove to you that recommendations MATTER.

Read on below.

_______________________________

To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

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Chad Green, my ASCAP representative at the time, picked up the phone and called Major Bob Music.  He recommended that they listen to my songs.  I ended up signing my first publishing deal with them.  Thanks, Chad.

I used to do some gopher / bookkeeping work for a producer in town named Miles.  He recommended I write with a young, unknown Canadian singer/songwriter named Aaron Goodvin.  We eventually did, and years later, Aaron helped me land cuts on Canadian artist Drew Gregory and Sony Canada artist, Tristan Horncastle.  Aaron himself is currently an artist on Warner Music Canada.  Thanks, Miles and Aaron.

Separate recommendations by my cowriters, Lisa Shaffer and Brandon Kinney, led to my third publishing deal – a deal with Writer’s Infinity.  Thanks, Lisa & Brandon.

A cowriter, Skip Black, brought me in on a cowrite with singer/songwriter, Benton Blount.  (Any time a cowriter brings you in with an artist, it’s a recommendation.)  Benton Blount went on to land a spot in the Top 10 of America’s Got Talent Season 10.  I’ve had several cowrites and cuts on Benton’s albums so far.

I met radio host and record promoter, Jay Karl, several years ago.  He liked my song “Armadillo,” and recommended it to one of his artists, Junior Gordon.  Junior evenutally released it as a single in Texas, and “Armadillo” reached the top 10 on the Texas Regional Radio Chart.  Thanks, Jay.

Chad Green, at this point a music publisher, recommended I write with an unsigned singer/songwriter from Georgia named Jason Wilkes.  Jason has since gone on to sign a publishing deal, have a successful run on NBC’s The Voice, and one of my cowrites with WILKES was just released on his new EP.  Thanks (again), Chad.

Again, this is not about bragging or showing off some of my success.  This is about proving how recommendations can open doors for you- in some cases, doors you didn’t even know existed.

It’s not enough to JUST have a relationship.  Your contact has to do more than just know you or be aware of your existence.  They have to have a reason to make a recommendation – either TO you for FOR you.  And those reasons usually fall into one of two broad categories.

They want to help themselves.

If a cowriter brings you in to write with an artist because they know you’ll kill it… and you DO kill it… who comes out looking cool?  Your cowriter who hooked it up!  He or she gets to be the one who “made it all happen.”  Plus, he benefits from being part of a better song.  He also strengthens his ties with the artist.

If a publisher hooks you up to write with a pro, it’s because she hopes you either already have “the goods” or she can help you develop “the goods.”  Why?  So she can publish your hits and make money, that’s why!

Your relationships are definitely NOT gonna hook you up if they think it’ll make them look bad to their friends or bosses.  Why should they?  Even if you’re friends and he wants to help you, what’s the point?  If you don’t have the skills or personality to take advantage of the opportunity, you might feel good in the moment, but all you’ll really accomplish is wasting someone’s time and hurting your reputation.

To help someone else.

Sometimes your contact will hook people up or pass along a song with little or no self-interest.  Maybe they think you’ll be a great cowriting team or just good friends.  Or he knows Artist X needs a hit, and he believes your song is it.  So he passes it along.

Your contact may not have any direct financial stake in that recommendation.  But he or she will still benefit from the good will and hero status a successful recommendation can bring.  And there’s nothing wrong with that.

I’ll be honest, I would LOVE to reach hero-status as part of YOUR songwriting journey.  I want to be part of YOUR success story.  And you know what?  I also want to be part of the success stories of my publisher friends.  I want to help you get your best songs heard, and I want to help my publisher friends find great songs.

Which leads leads me to a cool opportunity…

Songwriting Pro’s next Play For A Publisher event is coming right up, and our guest is John Ozier of Ole’ Music!  John has worked closely with several #1 hit songwriters, and he’s been getting songs recorded by major artists.  If YOU have the songs, HE knows what to do with them!

CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE DETAILS AND SEND IN YOUR SONG!

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, a #1 in Canada & a top 10 in Texas… so far.SWP 4

Do Business Like A Pro, Frettie, Know The Row

Should a songwriter hold back their best ideas?

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Are you sitting on your A-list song ideas, waiting for someday when you might get in the room with a hit songwriter or an artist?

Are you intentionally NOT writing these titles/ideas with your current cowriters because they’re unknown, unproven, or don’t have publishing deals?

That can be tempting.  After all, you don’t want to “waste” your brilliant idea with anyone less than a hit songwriter or an artist.  It’s tempting.  But it’s also a mistake.

Read on if you want more songwriting success. ________________________________

To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

_________________________________

Here are four reasons you should NOT save your best ideas for “someday.”  This is why you should bring your best stuff to EVERY cowrite.

1. Today’s unknown cowriter might be tomorrow’s hit writer.

Erin Enderlin was definitely higher up the Nashville ladder than I as when we started writing together (she still is, by the way).  But back then, she was still a college student with no cuts to her credit.  It’s a good thing I decided to pitch her the idea of “Monday Morning Church” instead of waiting till “someday when I get to Nashville and get to write with a hit songwriter.”  ‘Cuz you know what?  Erin WAS a hit songwriter.  And so was I.  It just so happened that we’d write our first hit… with each other.  If an unknown writer is talented and hardworking, don’t hold back your best stuff.  I’m certainly glad I didn’t.

1 today unknown tomorrow hit

2. Your best work creates better opportunities.

Simply put, your B-list work isn’t going to open A-list doors.  Always bring your best.  And as your best gets better, you’ll start to get noticed by folks higher up the ladder.  If nothing else, think of your best stuff as bait for better cowrites.  Here’s an example.  You’re a lyricist, but you’ve only written with “B-list” melody people.  Opportunity might happen when a publisher says, “Wow- what a great lyric and idea.  Let me get you with some of my melody writers.”

1 best work better opps

3. There’s more where that came from.

If you keep writing, you’ll have more ideas.  You’ll get better ideas.  You’ll write better grooves, better guitar licks.  Your creativity is a renewable resource.  Trust that your current “best stuff” is not the only “best stuff” you’ll ever have.

1 more best ideas

4. The clock is ticking.

For one thing, your current best stuff might not even be relevant in a year or two.  The market may change.  Trends may shift.  Strike now, while the iron’s hot.  Also, you are (or at least, you should be) growing as a songwriter.  Most of your A-list stuff today will become your B-list stuff tomorrow.  But the clock slows down for really good work.  A great song stands the test of time, and you can only write one if you’re writing the very best you can, not holding back for “someday.”  So do your best work as often as you can.

Does this mean that EVERY best idea is right for EVERY cowriter?  No.  But the point is that you want to do your very best work, regardless of who else is in the room.  Your songwriting skill is like a sport- you play like you practice.  If you don’t make it a habit to always do your best (acting like some cowrites are just “practice”), your best may not be there when you need it- when you finally do get in the room with that hit songwriter or artist.

What about you?  Have you held back on presenting your best stuff to cowriters.  How’d that work out?  Have you presented your best stuff to an unproven cowriter only to be happily surprised by the results?  I’d love to hear from you.  Please leave a comment.

Also, if you’re looking for an opportunity to connect with some music industry pros, I have a great opportunity for you.  In August, I’m hosting a “Know The Row” event with not one but TWO legit music business pros!

On August 14, you can hang out online and ask YOUR questions to music publisher, Scot Sherrod, of Rare Spark Media.  Scot has had his hand in several hit country songs, and his current roster includes rising country star, Walker Hayes (“You Broke Up With Me” and “Craig.”)

Then on August 16, you can hang out online and ask YOUR questions to songwriter and recording artist, Aaron Goodvin.  As a songwriter, Aaron has had songs recorded by country stars Luke Bryan and Cole Swindell.  Goodvin is also a rising artist on Warner Bros. Canada with a few hits and award nominations to his credit.  And he just signed as a songwriter with Reviver Records.  Reviver is home to hit-making artists such as LoCash and David Lee Murphy.

This is YOUR chance to sit down face-to-face (online) with two real-deal music biz professionals.

You and I both want to learn what Scot and Aaron have to share.

Here’s the deal.  You can join us online from anywhere in the world on Tuesday, August 14, 2018 from 7pm-8pm Central time and Thursday, August 16, 2018, exact time that evening TBD.  And these special “Know The Row” events are FREE to members of Frettie.com!  (But don’t worry- you can still purchase a ticket even if you don’t want to take advantage of all of Frettie’s membership benefits.)

CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE DETAILS & MEET HIT MUSIC PUBLISHER, SCOT SHERROD, AND RECORDING ARTIST, AARON GOODMAN.

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, a #1 in Canada & a top 10 in Texas… so far.

Do Business Like A Pro, P4P

The music biz is a recommendation business.

2 Comments

The music biz has often been called a relationship business – and it IS.  But how you GET those relationships is often a matter of recommendations.

And I want to help you get more of those recommendations.

____________________

To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

_________________________________

First off, let me tell you about a few referrals and how they have really affected my songwriting career.  Why?  It’s not about me or my story.  I’m not bragging.  I’m sharing because I want to prove to you that recommendations MATTER.

Chad Green, my ASCAP representative at the time, picked up the phone and called Major Bob Music.  He recommended that they listen to my songs.  I ended up signing my first publishing deal with them.

I used to do some gopher / bookkeeping work for a producer in town named Miles.  He recommended I write a young, unknown Canadian singer/songwriter named Aaron Goodvin.  We eventually did, and years later, Aaron helped me land cuts on Canadian artist Drew Gregory and Sony Canada artist, Tristan Horncastle.  Aaron himself is currently an artist on Warner Music Canada.

Separate recommendations by my cowriters, Lisa Shaffer and Brandon Kinney, led to my third publishing deal – a deal with Writer’s Infinity.

A cowriter, Skip Black, brought me in on a cowrite with singer/songwriter, Benton Blount.  (Any time a cowriter brings you in with an artist, it’s a recommendation.)  Benton Blount went on to land a spot in the Top 10 of America’s Got Talent Season 10.  I’ve had several cowrites and cuts on Benton’s indie albums, and I have one in the can for his upcoming Pacific Records debut.

I met radio host and record promoter, Jay Karl, several years ago.  He liked my song “Armadillo,” and recommended it to one of his artists, Junior Gordon.  Junior recently released it as a single in Texas, and “Armadillo” has reached the top 10 on the Texas Regional Radio Chart.

One of the major values of relationships is the recommendations they generate.  And the relationship doesn’t have to be with the artist or producer.  Jay Karl was just a total stranger who wanted to do a short interview for a radio show.  I didn’t think it would lead to anything other than me feeling important and cool for a few minutes.  Sure didn’t think it would lead to a successful Texas single.

Miles was just a guy who needed some part-time help putting his receipts in Quicken, and Aaron Goodvin was just a kid from Canada.  Aaron was a good guy, and I could tell he had real hustle, but I didn’t think he’d end up as an artist on Warner Canada (all my Canadian friends need to go buy his album, by the way).

It’s not enough to JUST have a relationship.  Your contact has to do more than just know you or be aware of your existence.  They have to have a reason to make a recommendation – either TO you for FOR you.  And those reasons usually fall into one of two broad categories.

They want to help themselves.

If a cowriter brings you in to write with an artist because they know you’ll kill it… and you DO kill it… who comes out looking cool?  Your cowriter who hooked it up!  He or she gets to be the one who “made it all happen.”  Plus, he benefits from being part of a better song.  He also strengthens his ties with the artist.

If a publisher hooks you up to write with a pro, it’s because they hope you either already have “the goods” or they can help you develop “the goods.”  Why?  So they can publish your hits, that’s why!

Your relationships are definitely NOT gonna hook you up if they think it’ll make them look bad to their friends or bosses.  Why should they?  Even if you’re friends and he wants to help you, what’s the point?  If you don’t have the skills or personality to take advantage of the opportunity, you might feel good in the moment, but all you’ll really accomplish is wasting someone’s time and hurting your reputation.

To help someone else.

Sometimes your contact will hook people up or pass along a song with little or no self-interest.  Maybe they think you’ll be a great cowriting team or just good friends.  Or he knows Artist X needs a hit, and he believes your song is it.  So he passes it along.

Your contact may not have any direct financial stake in that recommendation.  But he or she will still benefit from the good will and hero status a successful recommendation can bring.  And there’s nothing wrong with that.

I’ll be honest, I would LOVE to hit hero-status as part of YOUR songwriting journey.  I want to be part of YOUR success story.  And you know what?  I also want to be part of the success stories of my publisher friends.  I want to help you get your best songs heard, and I want to help my publisher friends find great songs.

Which leads leads me to a cool opportunity…

I’m hosting Songwriting Pro’s Play For A Publisher event in September.  Our guest will be Dan Hodges, who publishes hits such as “Good Directions” for Billy Currington and “Dibs” for Kelsea Ballerini.  But the deadline to apply for this event is AUGUST 31!

CLICK HERE to learn more and submit your song before it’s too late.

Dan Hodges will be joining us for our next Play For A Publisher event in September!  He’s a successful publisher and owner of Dan Hodges Music in Nashville, Tennessee.  Tickets are on sale now, and space is limited.  And the deadline to enter is AUGUST 31!  CLICK HERE to check out all the details and submit YOUR song for Dan!

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. SWP 4

Biz

Pro Songwriters Are Starving- And That’s Good News For You!

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Man vs Row

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.

 

I have good news and bad news.

Bad news: These days, it’s so hard to make a living writing songs that a lot of great, talented professional songwriters need to look for additional income outside of just publishing deals and royalties. Yeah. That’s the bad.

Here’s the good. A lot of those pro songwriters are turning to teaching and coaching as a way to make ends meet, so there has never been a better time for you to learn the art and craft of songwriting!

Yeah, that’s pretty messed up when you think about it, I guess. But it is what it is.

You probably can’t do much to affect the state of the music industry, but you CAN take advantage of the situation by seizing as many learning opportunities as you can.

Whether it’s through folks like me who are writing ebooks and doing the occasional workshop or coaching session, or the fine folks at NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International) or GSC (Global Songwriters Connection) who hold workshops and give you the chance to connect with publishers, there are plenty of options.

There is really no excuse for you NOT to be learning a ton about the music business.

Even if you can’t afford to join a songwriting association or pay for coaching right now, there are still free blogs (like Man vs. Row) and YouTube videos that are free- and full of great information and inspiration.

Beware of sharks.

Out of desperation or greed, some “coaches” may lie to you. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If he or she says you’ll have a good chance at a big cut if you pay a few hundred dollars for a cowrite… run. After all, if this pro can get cuts that easily, why are they writing with anyone who’ll pay them?

However, if a pro offers up a paid cowrite as a chance to “learn by doing” while you work on a song together and the pro teaches as you write… well, that’s a lot more realistic and could be a worthwhile investment.

The royalty scraps we’re being thrown is leading to a heaping buffet of learning opportunities. So pile up your plate, pig out, and come back for more!

When it comes to learning, gluttony is a virtue.

Speaking of learning, I’ve written an workbook about how to write market-smart songs (songs that have a competitive advantage in the commercial market).  If you want to discover more about how to write market-smart songs, check out my ebook, “Cut/able: Lessons In Market Smart Songwriting.”  Click on the image below or click here to write market-smart songs.

God Bless,
Brent

cutable 3d final white

 

Biz, Cowriting

The Value Of A Songwriter/Producer Relationship

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Man vs Row

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.

Everyone tells you about the value of writing with an artist/writer. And, true enough, those can be very valuable relationships. Write a great song with an artist/writer, and you have a direct path to a cut.

There’s another type of “slash” that has a lot of value, too. That’s the writer/producer.

Whereas a writer/artist gives you direct access to that particular artist, a writer/producer can give you direct access to several artists. Here are a few of my experiences with writer/producers.

Byron Hill is a hit songwriter with multiple #1s and a ton of cuts. He’s also produced Gord Bamford’s first several albums. Gord’s a big star in Canada, and he and Byron have cowritten a lot of his songs. Because of my cowriting relationship with Byron, I was able to write with both of them, leading to 3 cuts and 1 #1 hit / Single Of The Year in Canada.

Aaron Goodvin is a young songwriter/producer. As a songwriter, he’s recently gotten cuts on Luke Bryan, Jon Pardi, and Cole Swindell. He’s also starting to produce some artists back home in Canada. He and I’ve been friends and cowriters for several years, and he brought me in to write with an artist named Drew Gregory. We wrote a song called, “Five String.”

Drew actually didn’t cut that song, but it WAS cut by another artist, Tristan Horncastle, that Aaron was producing for Sony Canada. Drew ended up cutting a different song of mine, “Farm Hands,” which he heard through Aaron.

Like I said, one writer/producer can link you to several artists.

Another buddy of mine is Brian Hitt. I’ve written songs with him that have landed on some of his projects including a Canadian Christmas single and 3 songs on a Christian kid’s album for Brentwood Benson, a big player in the Christian music space.

Here’s another advantage of writing with a writer/producer: if they have a home studio, you can get great, cheap demos of your cowrites. Bonus!

My writer/producer relationships have been an important and valuable part of my network. They might be worth giving some focus as you build your network, too.

What do you think?  What are YOUR thoughts on writer/producer relationships?  Have you had success with that on a smaller or larger scale?  I’d love to hear your thoughts!

God Bless,

Brent

A GIFT FROM BRENT

Thanks to those of you who have already downloaded my book, Hit Songwriting: How A Songwriting Coach Can Fast Track Your Success! You made it an Amazon bestseller in both the Songwriting and Music Instruction categories, and I really appreciate it! However, if you haven’t downloaded your copy yet, you can get it FOR FREE at www.GiftFromBrent.com or by clicking on the image below. Enjoy!

Gift From Brent Songwriting 3

 

Cut Study, Songplugging

Cut Study: Drew Gregory, “Farm Hands”

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cropped-music_row_signs322.jpg

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.

Drew Gregory is an indie Canadian country artist from Alberta.  He gets some radio airplay and TV exposure, and he’s building his career.  He ended up cutting a song of mine called “Farm Hands,” which I wrote with Jaron Boyer and Chris Hennessee.

The story of how Drew got the song is pretty interesting, and I’ll let Drew tell you in his own words.

“A song that was not even originally pitched to me managed to find its way on to our album.  I was sent a DropBox by my producer, Aaron Goodvin, with a bunch of songs to consider but within the DropBox, another folder was accidentally sent.  I was never meant to see it, but I thought it was just too good a song to let go.  I remembered the tune, and months later when we were making final selection of songs for the album I let Aaron know I wanted it.  He worked his magic and we were able to cut “Farm Hands” as a perfect addition to our ‘farm boy’ themed record!”

The takeaway for me is a reminder that a song is like a message in a bottle.  After we write the song, we throw it out into the ocean.  After that, we don’t control where it goes or who gets it.  Surprises like this are part of what keeps songwriting fun and exciting.  Thanks to Drew and Aaron for the cut- it sounds great!

You can check out Drew’s music at: www.drewgregorymusic.com

God Bless,

Brent

YOU VS…

Anything you’d like to add or ask?  Leave a comment!  Are there any topics  you’d like to see addressed in a future MvR post?  Thanks!

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Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

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

Mini

Luke Bryan and Aaron Goodvin

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My buddy, Aaron Goodvin, just landed his first song on a major album, “Out Like That” on Luke Bryan’s new album.  You know what this means?  It means new writers can still get a major cut.  It means smart, talented, hardworking young writers still have a chance.  It means you should feel pretty darn inspired right about now.

www.aarongoodvin.com

-Brent

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Twitter: @Razorbaxter

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