Tag Archives: Alan Jackson

6 Words That Changed My Life

January 11, 2016 Brent Baxter 7 Comments

In 2002, I was an unknown lyricist who had just moved to Nashville from Little Rock, Arkansas. Almost zero contacts in the music business. No cowrites with pro songwriters.

Fast forward 3 1/2 years. In 2005, I’m standing on stage at the NSAI Awards receiving one of only 12 “Songs I Wish I’d Written” awards given that year. The next night was the ASCAP Awards, where I’d be receiving an airplay award for a top 5 single. I now had a publishing deal at Major Bob Music and wrote regularly with other pro songwriters.

So what got me from point A to point B? What got me from waiting tables at Cracker Barrel with a name tag that said, “Hello, my name is Brent” to having people introduce me as “This is Brent, he wrote ‘Monday Morning Church’ for Alan Jackson?” Well… God took me from A to B, really. God gets all the credit, because it certainly wasn’t because of my songwriting skills at the time.

Looking back now, it’s almost embarrassing how green I was.

And it wasn’t about my networking skills. I still knew almost no one in the music business. I was at an industry party talking to some guy. This was in 2004 after the song got cut but before it was a single. We were chatting about the song, and he said, “Man, I love that song.” I said, “Oh, you know it?” He said, “Yeah. I cut it on Alan.” It was Keith Stegall, Alan’s producer. A legend in the biz and I didn’t recognize him because I’d never actually seen him in person before. I was so embarrassed. So, no…

I was not a networking genius.

And my success wasn’t about my cowriter’s political pull in the biz. It was her first cut, too. She was still in college at MTSU! She did have a well-established publisher pitching the song, though. But our names had nothing to do with the cut.

What God used more than anything else to take me from unknown lyricist to hit songwriter… was 6 little words I ran across in a poem my mother wrote:

“Empty as a Monday morning church.”

An image. A really great image became the core of my first cut and changed my life.

If you’re like me and want to write songs that get on records and radio and compete for the big money, you’re stepping into a very, very competitive business. There are only a few spots available on the album of a major artist. And there are even less slots available on radio.

In a business this competitive, you need every advantage you can get. Small advantages can bring big results. Adding great images to your songs can give you that advantage. It can make you more attractive and valued as a cowriter. It can get you that second publisher meeting. It can make a record label go from “what else do you have” to “let me keep a copy of that.” Likewise, better imagery can take your song from “let me keep a copy of that” to “put that on hold- I want to play it for my artist.” Or maybe great imagery will even take your song from “I want to put that on hold” to “we want to record your song.”

Great imagery can even make the difference between getting a $300 album cut or a $300,000 hit single.

In a business this competitive, the opposite is also true. Your song that’s being held for an artist might not get cut because they decide to record a song that’s just a little better. Or even if they do cut your song, they might single a different song instead. And the difference between an album cut and a hit single is huge. It’s not just a huge money difference, getting a hit single will boost your status and prestige much more than an album cut ever will.

Don’t settle for images that work. Strive for the BEST images you can get into your songs. It’ll make a big difference in your songwriting. And that big difference might just give you that small edge that turns you pro.

Think you can’t write great images? Think you either have to be born with the “imagery-gene” or you’re just out of luck? Put those thoughts away. You CAN learn to get a lot better with imagery-writing. My first songs didn’t have nearly the level of imagery I can write now. What made the difference?

Time, education and practice. Now, I can’t do much about “time,” but I can help you with education. Here’s a video clip that you might find helpful.

What about you? What are some of your favorite images from song lyrics? Please share in the comments!

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. By the end of the course, you’ll have the basic skills to:

Effectively use both literal and figurative imagery.
Make your story come to life using imagery.
Prove your character’s personality using imagery.
Make your listener connect to your character’s emotions using imagery.
Hook your listener in the song’s first few lines using imagery.
And to begin more songs (more easily) using imagery exercises as the start of your songwriting process.

Click here if you’re ready to “Use Imagery To Supercharge Your Songwriting (Like The Pros Do)” or click on the image below.

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.

Craft, Cut Study

Are your songs filling the G.A.P.S.?

December 4, 2015 Brent Baxter 2 Comments

I’ll never forget the first time I heard one of my songs on the radio.

“Monday Morning Church” had just been released by Alan Jackson, and it was starting to get some spins. It was to be featured on a local (Nashville) radio station’s song-vs-song challenge (a “Friday Night Knockout” kind of thing). They kept promoting it, so I knew it was coming on around 8pm that night.

A good friend had just arrived from Little Rock, and was in the bathroom when the opening fiddle started playing on the radio in the living room. I yelled, “It’s on!” and she came bolting out of the bathroom- tugging up her sweatpants and almost putting on an indecent display as she tried not to trip over herself in her excitement and hurry.

The song was cranked up, and we were totally amped up. We laughed, hugged, and paced around the living room as the song played. I had FINALLY heard my song on the radio! It was an unbelievable feeling. “Wow… he REALLY released it! It’s REALLY on the dad-gummed RADIO!”

I want YOU to have that feeling, too.

Don’t say that it can’t happen to you. Sure, the odds are long. The chance of success are small, I won’t deny that. But I’m just an ‘ol boy from Arkansas. I didn’t have any special connections in the music business. I barely knew anybody when I moved to Nashville. All I brought with me was a dream, a knack for words, and a good work ethic. And I brought a song that filled a gap in Alan’s catalog.

Actually, the song filled one of the G.A.P.S. in Alan’s catalog.

What does G.A.P.S. mean?

G.A.P.S. is a memory device I use to remind me where to aim when I’m trying to get a song on an artist’s album. It points out where there might be opportunity- where there might be an empty space (a gap) that my song can fill. It stands for:

G: Growth
A: Achievement
P: Preaching / Positioning
S: Songwriting

In short, “Growth” reminds me to write based on where the artist is GOING. Artists change over time, they evolve, and it doesn’t do me much good to write a song that fits where they’ve been. They need songs that fit where they’re going.

“Achievement” reminds me to try and write something that will take the artist’s career up a level. Most artists are always trying to climb the ladder of success, and they want songs that aren’t just going to maintain their current careers. They want songs that are going to win awards, raise their visibility, and grow their careers.

“Preaching” is when an artist speaks to THEIR crowd, THEIR listeners. It’s the old saying of “preaching to the choir.” They want songs that their established fans will love. “Positioning” is when a song identifies who an artist is- what their brand is. It says, “I’m a so-and-so kind of person/artist. If you want this kind of music, come to my show or buy my album.”

“Songwriting” reminds me to be aware of what kind of song the artist writes himself, and what kind of song he records that somebody else writes. I have a much better chance of getting a cut if I write the kind of song that the artist doesn’t write, but is looking for.

In the case of “Monday Morning Church,” it filled one of the G.A.P.S. in Alan’s catalog. It was a topic and emotion he hadn’t covered before. It was some new material that still fit within the general scope of what he does. It was Alan’s kind of country sound, but the lyric content was new for him.

So the next time you’re writing a song specifically for an artist (or figuring out which of your existing songs to pitch for an artist), think about how you can fill the G.A.P.S.

In my next post, I’ll tell you about earning something nobody can take away. And I’ll let you know about a special opportunity I have coming up.

If you want to be sure and stay in the loop on all things songwriting, be sure and subscribe to manvsrow.com (at the top right or down below)! I have some cool stuff coming up, and you won’t want to miss out!

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.

Craft

Let Your Title Write Your Song!

August 31, 2015 Brent Baxter 4 Comments

If you listen closely and patiently, your title will often tell you what your song should be about. This is important because you want your song to be as strong as it can be. And to be strong, everything in the song needs to pull in the same direction.

Everything in your song needs to point to the core idea of the song, which is usually expressed in the title.

If you don’t listen to your title closely enough, you might try to make it something it’s not meant to be. I can tell you from personal experience that when I try to make a title into the wrong type of song, it’s a bear to write.

Just as a house divided against itself cannot stand, a song divided against itself cannot stand out (not in a good way, anyway).

One time, I had a title that made me chuckle when I first thought of it. I decided to write it as a Lee Ann Womack kind of traditional sad ballad. When I mentioned the title and idea to my cowriter, she chuckled, too. But writing it was like pulling teeth.

It was just slow and painful. We had a verse “finished” when we decided that something just wasn’t working. Then we realized, “Duh! The title made us smile- why are we trying to turn a title that makes us smile into a song that makes us cry?”

We decided to try writing it as a fun, attitude thing instead, and everything just fell into place. Once we stopped working against the title and started working with it, the writing process got a lot more fun. And the song got a lot better, too!

Years ago, I found a phrase in a poem that my mom wrote. The phrase was, “empty as a Monday morning church.” I thought “Monday Morning Church” would be a great title, but what was it about?

I started listening. “Empty” evokes sadness or loneliness. “Church” brings in the spiritual- something serious, something heavy. Those elements led me to write a sad country ballad about a grieving man who was having a crisis of faith following his wife’s death.

That whole song came from listening to my title. It went on to become my first hit- a top 5 single for Alan Jackson.

Consider “Must Be Doing Something Right,” written by Jason Matthews and Marty Dodson and recorded by Billy Currington. “Right” is good and positive, which lends itself to being a happy/positive song.

“Something” suggests that the singer doesn’t know exactly what it is he’s doing right to get the positive results he’s getting.

The thought of “I must be doing something right, even though I don’t know exactly what it is,” is all over that song. It leads to the thought that a woman is a mystery- different things please her at different times, etc.

“Don’t know what I did to earn a love like this” is often a throwaway / filler line or thought in a generic love song, but not here. In this song, that line has energy because it supports the title and theme of the song. Good writing.

Knowing simple things like this is how you write stronger songs- and market-smart songs (songs that have a competitive advantage in the market). If you want to learn 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

Craft

Small Details Make Your Song More Believable

July 27, 2015 Brent Baxter 3 Comments

There is power in finding images that go deeper than the obvious or cliche images.

I had a publisher tell me once, “write about the truck from the INSIDE THE CAB, not from the OUTSIDE.”

Too many writers (and I was obviously guilty of this) write about “the truck”- the situation in the song- from the outside. They describe it using imagery and details that anyone who isn’t IN that situation could use. It’s the obvious ones. And, usually, it’s the cliche ones.

Our job is to dig deeper.

We need to use our memory, our imagination, research, and whatever we have at our disposal (including our cowriters), to write from the inside of the truck.

That’s what I tried to do with my Alan Jackson cut, “Monday Morning Church,” and it made a big difference.

Once the situation was decided- the man had lost his wife, who was the more spiritual of the two and his anchor- the trick was to figure out “what does this look like from the inside?” The results were the opening lines:

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

Yes, the part about yelling at God is a bold, raw, and real way to start off a song. But the first two lines are really important, too. They balance the big, bold statement by giving the listener something small, real and believable. It also sets up “God” in line three.

Use inside details, but be sure and use details that make sense to the listener. Be inside but not too inside. In our truck analogy, write from inside the cab, which people can understand. Don’t write from so far inside the truck that you’re in the carburetor and only a mechanic knows what you’re talking about.

Also, keep the images relevant. They should add to our understanding of the characters or story, not just be filler. In our “Monday Morning Church” example, the fact that she left her Bible on the dresser is very telling. It’s HER Bible. She reads it often enough that she keeps it out where it’s handy. The next lines show the listener, in pictures, that he’s putting it out of his sight because he’s too angry at God.

So next time you write, take your time. Close your eyes and imagine the situation. Then climb into the truck.

What are some other songs that do a good job of writing from inside the “truck?” Do you find that this comes naturally to you, or is it a struggle?

God Bless,
Brent

Cut Study

The Story Behind “Monday Morning Church”

August 31, 2014 Brent Baxter 10 Comments

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

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Biz, Muse

I Wrote A Hit Song Without Living In Nashville

August 18, 2014 Brent Baxter 11 Comments

You don’t have to live in Nashville to write a hit song. Or even to get that song recorded by a major artist. I’m Brent Baxter, and that’s my story

As a songwriter living outside of Nashville, you may think it’s impossible to get a song recorded by a major country star. You’d be wrong. Just because you may have a family, job, or other responsibilities that keep you from making a move to Nashville or one the other major music centers, New York or LA, doesn’t mean it’s impossible to get a song recorded. It just means you have to grow where you’re planted.

Now, don’t get me wrong, songwriters in Nashville have a decided advantage over those living elsewhere. They are close to the industry, it’s easier to make those all-important personal contacts in the business, and Nashville is a great place to learn the craft of songwriting. However, just because it’s harder doesn’t mean it’s impossible. At least not in my experience.

In 2000, after graduation from Arkansas State University, I was looking for jobs in Nashville, which, I hoped, would help in my pursuit of a songwriting career. However, the job offer came from a company in Little Rock, Arkansas, so Nashville would have to wait. But I knew I couldn’t afford to be idle in the meantime.

I dove into the local music and songwriting scene in Little Rock, which by no means qualifies as a major music center. But my main cowriter from back home in Batesville was living there, too, so that was a start. Since I’m a lyricist and not a singer, I helped get my friend, Tim Meitzen, some gigs in town.

Now, what follows is a string of steps that by themselves may seem insignificant. But in the end, each of those forward steps led to my big break.

I was downtown one day and saw a flier for an upcoming songwriter’s night. Well, that was pretty rare in Little Rock, and I immediately signed up my co-writer, Tim. (That was part of my job as the non-singing half of our cowriting team.)

Tim played the writer’s round, and we met a few guys who were starting a publishing company based out of Little Rock. Through the course of that relationship, one of ‘em gave me a cd of songs by Erin Enderlin. Erin was a songwriter from Conway, Arkansas, who was currently in college at Middle Tennessee State University outside of Nashville.

Months later, I saw that Erin was going to be performing in Little Rock. She was in over her spring break, and I went out to catch her show. She’d been writing songs in Nashville and was having some success making contacts in the music business. I gave her a cd of some songs, and she liked them.

Well, when Erin came back over summer break, we started writing together. Then she went back to school and continued making music business contacts. Then, over Christmas break of 2001, I gave her a lyric I’d had for a few years for a song called, “Monday Morning Church.” She liked it and wrote a great melody for the lyric. Then she was back off to Tennessee.

Now, I ended up finally making the move to Nashville myself in March of 2002, but it was Erin’s contacts that made the cut of that song possible. She brought the song back to Nashville, where she had begun working with a publisher. He demoed the song, played it for Keith Stegall, and it was eventually recorded by Alan Jackson in March of 2004.

Looking back on it now, it might seem like a straight line to the record store, but that’s only in retrospect. At the time, I was plugging away, just trying to take advantage of every opportunity that I could either find or create. I chased several rabbits along the way, not knowing which one would lead somewhere.

And that’s the point. You don’t know which small step will eventually lead to where you want to go. No, the writer’s night at Starr’s Guitars wasn’t the Bluebird. No, Little Rock wasn’t Nashville. But taking those small steps, growing where I was planted, led to a hit song and the ability to do this for a living. At least for a while.

I wouldn’t presume to know exactly which steps you need to take. And I certainly don’t think I was so talented that Nashville couldn’t help but notice me. No, I know ultimately, it was up to God to open those doors. He had me in Little Rock at that time for a reason.

If I’d been idle, just waiting to get to Nashville, I might never have gotten here. God has you where you are for a reason. Maybe it’s for music, maybe not. But I do know that where ever you are, it’s important to grow where you’re planted.

I hope my story encourages you to keep chasing your passions.

What about you? Do you live in Nashville, or are you chasing the songwriting dream from out of town? I’d love to hear from you!

God Bless,

Brent

KNOW THE ROW

MvR presents your opportunity to visit with new Curb Records artist, Ruthie Collins, as she prepares to release her first single to country radio. Ruthie and hit songwriter, Brent Baxter, will give you an insider’s look at the reality of songwriting and record-making on Music Row. But they won’t be the only ones talking- you’re invited to join in the conversation, too! There are only EIGHT tickets available for this intimate get-together. Click on the image below to find out more!

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Biz, Cowriting, Songplugging

Inside vs. Outside Songs- And Why It Matters

April 9, 2014 Brent Baxter 3 Comments

FREE GIFT

Hey, ya’ll! At the bottom of today’s post, I’m going to let you know about some free stuff I’m giving away to all of you great Man vs. Row subscribers. Now, on to today’s post…

When an artist is working on an album, there are two types of songs which will (or will not) be considered: inside songs and outside songs. So what are these?

Inside songs are songs which are written by or with the artist, the producer, or a close associate. These are songs written or controlled/owned by someone with a close connection to the project.

Outside songs are basically all other songs- those written or controlled by people who do NOT have a close connection to the artist’s project.

Okay, so that’s pretty simple- some songs come from inside the circle of influence and some songs come from outside the circle of influence. Buy why is this important? It’s very important because, in most cases, inside songs have a much better chance of being recorded. Some artists, like Taylor Swift, write or cowrite all their own songs. If you’re not writing with Taylor, forget about getting a cut. Other artists may be very low key about the fact that they’re even working on a project. If you’re not in the loop, you might not even know the artist is cutting at all, much less what kind of song they want.

That’s why it matters if your songs are inside or outside- it affects their odds of being cut. Examples:

I had two songs cut on Ray Stevens’ “We The People” album. One song was a true inside song. “Caribou Barbie” was written at Ray’s request with two of his staff writers. The other song, “Fly Over Country” was an outside pitch. However, since Ray didn’t advertise that he was doing a record, I never would’ve known to pitch a song (much less that song in particular) without some inside information. I’ve also had two Lady Antebellum cuts (bonus tracks, sadly). “A Woman Scorned” was written with Hillary Scott, and “Last Night Last” was written with all three members of Lady A. Almost every song on that first album was written or cowritten by the band, so it definitely put those songs in a better competitive position.

This is not to say that ONLY inside songs get cut. I’ve had some outside songs get cut, too. “Monday Morning Church” was written before either my cowriter, Erin Enderlin, or I had ever had a cut, and only Erin was working with a publisher at the time. Erin’s publisher played the song for Alan Jackson’s producer, who played it for Alan. Same thing for my Joe Nichols cut- I sent “Crickets” to the head of Joe’s record label (even though we’ve never met). He loved it and sent it to Joe. The song became an outside cut- and the title track to his current album.

So, yes, both inside and outside songs still get cut. But inside songs have a definite advantage- and the inside track (pun intended). How does this affect how I do business? I try to get songs on the inside, of course. It’s worth thinking about how you can do the same. Yes, I know you might think you’re years away from being able to get any songs on the inside. But simply knowing that there’s a difference between inside and outside songs will help you make more effective choices, and you’ll get there faster.

God Bless,

Brent

FREE GIFT

As a way to say “thank you” to all of you who subscribe to Man vs. Row by email, I’m going to give away some cool stuff in July (2014). If you subscribe to MvR, I’ll send you a free report, “10 Things The Pro Knows.” I’ll also send you the guitar/vocal of “Crickets,” which is the title track of Joe Nichols’ current album. You’ll get to hear the song as Joe heard it when he decided to record it. You’ll also receive the lyric file of the song- and this lyric file includes “Baxter’s Boneyard” – all the lines that DIDN’T make it into the song (see if you agree with our choices). It’s something nobody else has seen, and I think it’s pretty cool. But, again, this gift is only for those who subscribe to Man vs. Row by E-MAIL. These gifts will be sent by email, so if I don’t have your email address, I can’t send it to you. God Bless!

YOU VS…

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Biz, Craft

6 Ways Songwriters Can Keep Motivated

November 13, 2013 Brent Baxter 14 Comments

Whether you are a amateur songwriter hoping to “go pro” or you are a young pro trying to break through to the next level, a key element of success is simply to keep going. And it isn’t easy to keep going. For every person pulling a U-Haul into Nashville, there’s someone moving back home because they just don’t have the heart anymore. So, how do you give yourself the best chance to keep going? Here are a few ways.

1. Connect with your “why.”

If you don’t have a clear understanding of why you write, it’s really hard to answer the dark-valley question, “Why should I keep trying?” To dive into this a little further, click here to read, “5 REASONS SONGWRITERS NEED TO KNOW WHY THEY WRITE.”

2. Celebrate the small victories.

Don’t ignore or downplay the small victories- especially early in your journey. Be grateful. Let the little victories give you confidence and fuel for the journey.

3. Connect with a supportive community.

We all need people who encourage, support, and believe in us. They can be online or face-to-face, family or friends, cowriters or non-songwriting creatives. It doesn’t matter who they are, just that they will support you. And be sure and support them, too!

4. Display visual reminders.

Remind yourself that you’re a songwriter. Remind yourself of your dreams and goals. Remind yourself of your victories. Create a vision board. Keep your guitar where it’s handy, not hidden in a closet.

5. Pace yourself.

This is a marathon, not a sprint. Be persistent, but be patient. You have to find a family/money/music balance that is sustainable over the course of years, not months. It might mean you can’t quit your day job just yet. Maybe you can only write one night a week for now. Sure, we all want instant gratification, but patience pays off.

6. Protect a positive attitude.

To stay in it for the long haul, you have to believe success is possible, and a lot of belief simply comes from your mindset. Always seeing the glass as half-empty will cause your dreams to die of thirst. Watch what comes out of your mouth. Not only does what you say reflect what’s in your heart, it reinforces it. Practice speaking positively- strengthen that part of yourself.

God Bless,

Brent

YOU VS…

What did I miss? Anything you’d like to add or ask? What qualities are important to YOU in a mentor? Leave a comment!

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I’m blessed to have the #2 country song in Canada this week (Nov. 13, 2013)! Gord Bamford released “When Your Lips Are So Close” as the lead-off single to his new album, “Country Junkie.” It’s Gord’s highest-charting song so far, and mine, too. (“Monday Morning Church” recorded by Alan Jackson got as high as #4 here in the US.) Thank you Gord and Byron Hill for inviting me in to write with ya’ll!

www.gordbamford.com

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Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

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

Looking back now, it’s almost embarrassing how green I was.

I was not a networking genius.

An image. A really great image became the core of my first cut and changed my life.

I’ll never forget the first time I heard one of my songs on the radio.

I want YOU to have that feeling, too.

Actually, the song filled one of the G.A.P.S. in Alan’s catalog.

G: Growth A: Achievement P: Preaching / Positioning S: Songwriting

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.

Everything in your song needs to point to the core idea of the song, which is usually expressed in the title.

Just as a house divided against itself cannot stand, a song divided against itself cannot stand out (not in a good way, anyway).

That whole song came from listening to my title. It went on to become my first hit- a top 5 single for Alan Jackson.

There is power in finding images that go deeper than the obvious or cliche images.

Our job is to dig deeper.

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

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.”

The lyric sat around for a few years…

Erin took our song back to Nashville…

It was my first hold.

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

Sept. 22: KNOW THE ROW with CHAD GREEN

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1. Connect with your “why.”

2. Celebrate the small victories.

3. Connect with a supportive community.

4. Display visual reminders.

5. Pace yourself.

6. Protect a positive attitude.

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Helping songwriters turn pro.

G: Growth
A: Achievement
P: Preaching / Positioning
S: Songwriting