Tag Archives: Gord Bamford

Biz, Craft

4 Ways Debt Kills Songwriters’ Dreams

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Debt is a dream-killer.  If you want to make “the jump” to seriously pursuing songwriting as a career or if you are already a pro, I highly encourage you to avoid debt like the plague.  If you’re already saddled with debt, pay it off as fast as you can.  Here are four ways debt kills songwriters’ dreams.

1. Debt makes “the jump” more difficult.

The higher your “bare minimum” income is, the less likely it is that you can take that $18,000 to $25,000 per year staffwriting deal… or that your spouse will let you!  I know some people who are able to chase songwriting full-time because their family can live off the other spouse’s income.  The more debt your family has, the less likely it is that you can be that lucky spouse.

2. Debt limits how much you can invest in your dream.

$700 in car payments, $150 in student loans, and $600 per month in credit cards could keep you from getting that demo recorded or making that trip to Nashville.  How fast can you save up money for moving to Nashville if you have those kind of bills?

3. Debt brings stress.

Financial stress steals your energy and focus.  It steals your creativity.  How much can you focus on achieving your goals if you’re not sure how to juggle your bills?  Financial stress is the #1 cause given for divorce, and debt is a major cause of financial stress.  Beyond songwriting, do what’s best for your family.

4. Debt makes it harder to survive the valleys.

This goes back to your “bare minimum income.”  If you’re blessed to get a staffwriting deal, the odds are fairly good that you’ll get dropped at some point (no offense).  The more bills you have every month, the less time you have to get another publishing deal before you have to get a “real job.”

A big part of going pro (and staying pro) is giving yourself all the time you can in which to achieve success.  It’s also about putting yourself in a position to ride out the peaks and valleys.  Debt limits you in those areas.  Do yourself, your family, and your dream a favor… kill the dream-killer.

YOU VS…

If you want to get out of debt or want to stay motivated to keep out of debt and build wealth, I highly recommend Dave Ramsey’s book, “Financial Peace.”  Here’s a link:

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Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

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

Biz, Craft

7 Qualities To Look For In A Songwriting Mentor

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Let me set your suspicious mind at ease.  This is NOT a “hire Brent” blog.  I’m really not doing mentoring right now.  It comes out of family time, and that’s where I’m focused.  That, and on my own writing.  Just wanted you to know.  Now, on to the good stuff…

I’ve you’ve been following Man vs. Row, you know I’ve been posting a lot on the topic of mentoring.  If you’re new, a good place to start catching up is “11 Tips To Maximize A Songwriter Mentoring Session.”  I’d be doing you a disservice if I did all this talking about mentoring and left out one of the most important parts of it- finding the right mentor.  So here are seven qualities to look for in a potential mentor.

1. Credibility.

Does this person have relevant real-world experience?  Not every great football coach was a great player, but I want my coaches to have spent a good amount of time in and around the game I want to learn.

2. Recommendations.

Look for recommendations and reviews of the mentor from friends and from online sources.  Are they associated with credible songwriting associations or schools?  Do your homework.

3. Goal-compatibility.

A mentor that specializes in country lyrics will be of limited value if your goal is to write hit rap songs.  Make sure you get a mentor that understands and respects your goals and can help you get closer to achieving them.

4. Style of mentoring.

Some mentors are a kick in the pants, and some are a hug around the neck.  Know what gets the best results with YOU, and choose a mentor accordingly.

5. Relevance.

If you want to write the hits of the future, it’s best if your mentor isn’t stuck in the past.  It’s not a question of age, it’s a question of whether or not your mentor has kept current.

6. Attitude.

Does the mentor seem to enjoy the mentoring process?  There are several pro writers that have taken up mentoring to pay the bills, but not all of them have the heart of a teacher.  Try to find the ones that do.

7. Pricing.

Not all mentors are priced the same – nor are they all of the same quality.  Shop around.  Make sure you’re spending your money wisely.

If you’d like to discover much more about how to find a songwriting coach- and get the most out of that relationship- check out my Amazon bestselling ebook, “Hit Songwriting: How A Songwriting Coach Can Fast Track Your Success.” It will help you prepare for the coaching session- what to do before, during, and after the session- and more! CLICK HERE TO FAST TRACK YOUR SUCCESS.

 

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!

SHOUT OUT…

I have songs on two records which are released today.  First, we have Gord Bamford’s new album, “Country Junkie,” out in Canada.  It contains two of my songs, “Nights Like You” and “When Your Lips Are So Close,” which (at the moment) is in the top 15 and climbing on the Canadian country singles charts.  I also have the title track to Joe Nichols’ new album, “Crickets,” which is available today.  Thanks, Joe and Gord!

www.joenichols.com

www.gordbamford.com

 

Biz, Craft

Cut Study: Gord Bamford, “When Your Lips Are So Close”

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Gord When Lips Single

I’m blessed to have written Gord Bamford’s new single, “When Your Lips Are So Close.”  Gord is a hit artist on Sony Canada who is nominated for seven Canadian Country Music Awards.  If all goes according to plan, he’s going to debut our song on the 2013 CCMAs.  Today, I’d like to briefly discuss how I got the song cut and what you can learn from it.

I networked my way to the artist.

I started writing with hit songwriter, Byron Hill, back in 2004.  It wasn’t until later that Byron became Gord’s producer.  Because Byron and I had written several good songs together and he trusted my skill and work ethic, he felt comfortable bringing me into a cowrite with him and Gord.

I asked for the cowrite.

Byron and I are buddies, but he and Gord had a good thing going before bringing me in.  I already knew Byron pretty well, but I still used a patient approach to getting in the room.  It took months, but that’s okay.  You want to be persistent, but you don’t want to push too hard and make your contact uncomfortable.  You don’t want to lose the contact.

I did my research.

When Byron said he’d hook up a cowrite with him and Gord, I got copies of all of Gord’s records.  I listened and wrapped my head around Gord’s brand- what he likes to sing about and his lyrical “voice.”  I also talked to Byron about what works well for Gord.

I did my pre-writing.

I started an idea called “On My Best Days” and tailored it for Gord.  Gord and Byron liked the idea and the sketch I brought in, and we finished it.  It was an album cut on Gord’s album, “Is It Friday Yet?”

I didn’t get lazy.

Even though they cut the only song we’d written, I didn’t assume they’d call me up when Gord was writing for his next record.  Every once in a while, I mentioned to Byron how much I’d love to get back with Gord when he was in town to write.  After several months (and a couple of cancelled trips), we were back on the books.

I did more research and pre-writing.

I didn’t assume that Gord wanted or needed more of the same.  I asked Byron what they wanted for Gord’s next album.  Based on what Byron told me, I spent a few hours on my own looking through my ideas and adapting a few for Gord.  I ran them by Byron, and he liked two of them, “When Your Lips Are So Close” and “Nights Like You.”

I focused on the artist’s needs.

Byron and I originally thought “Nights Like You” would be a midtempo, but Gord liked it as a ballad- he thought it would really connect well with his audience.  Well, he’s the successful artist, and nobody knows his fans like he does, so I’m not going to argue with that.  (He cut that song, as well.)  We also worked to make sure “When Your Lips Are So Close” fit where Gord wanted to go and sat really well in his voice.  Thankfully, it worked out.

So, three cowrites with the artist and producer, and three cuts and one single- I’ll take it!  (I wish all my other artist cowrites worked out this well.)  So, here’s what I learned from this experience:

Use patience and persistence in your networking.  Do your research on the artist.  Pre-write.  Don’t get lazy.  Focus on the artist’s needs.  Of course, there are never any guarantees in the music business, but I believe this process gives you a better chance of success.  Good luck!

THANKS!

Thank you so much, Byron Hill and Gord Bamford, for writing with me and doing such a great job on our songs!  I’m honored to be a small part of your success!

www.gordbamford.com

www.byronhillmusic.com

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If you like this blog, please subscribe by putting your email in the “Follow Man vs. Row via E-mail” section on this page.  It’s either in the upper righthand corner or down below.  Thanks!

Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

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

Biz, Craft

11 Tips To Maximize A Songwriter Mentoring Session, Part 1: Before The Session

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I’ve been on both sides of the mentoring desk- I’ve been the newbie on a visit from Arkansas, and I’ve been a pro mentor to hundreds of NSAI members.  Over the next few weeks, I want to share with you 11 tips that I believe will help you get the most out of mentoring sessions. Today, let’s start with how to effectively prepare for the session.

Define your goals for the meeting and beyond.

Do you want to write hits or just write better?  Those are two different conversations. Are you writing for yourself or for the radio?  How can a mentor help you get where you want to go if you don’t know where that is?

Write down a list of questions and/or topics you want to cover.

Don’t just make a mental note- write it down.  By the way, write it down- and have it in front of you during the meeting.  When you get into the session, when you get nervous or happy or frustrated or whatever, you’re likely to forget something you wanted to talk about.  Prioritize the list to make sure it’s as easy as possible to get to the important ones.  Did I mention that you should write it down?  Write it down.

Choose your songs.

Decide on your songs based on which are most relevant to your goals.  If your goal is to be a hit country songwriter, but you bring in a novelty gospel song to show your range, it’s kind of a waste of time.  Bring songs that are aiming in the direction of your goals.  Put your songs in order of importance.  You might not get to them all, so play your “must-play” song first.  Burn a CD, even if you plan on playing live- what if you break a string or a finger in the middle of the first song?  What if the mentor wants to play the song for a publisher friend later that day?  Be prepared.  Also, have the labeling on the CD be clear and professional with all your contact info on it.

Type your lyrics.

Make two copies of your typed lyrics- one for you (in case you get nervous and forget them in the middle of your song) and one for your mentor.  Some mentors don’t look at lyrics, but others do.  Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.  And I don’t care how much you like your own handwriting- a typed lyric is more professional and makes a better impression.  Also, put all your contact info on every page of every lyric.  It doesn’t matter how awesome your song is if they can’t find you or remember who wrote it.

Research your mentor.

I’m not talking about hiding in the bushes.  But who is going to be sitting across the desk from you?  Have they written a hit?  Knowing some of their cuts 1) makes you look more prepared and professional 2) can spur relevant, helpful conversation (“How did you get ‘Happy In Love’ to George Urban?”).  Also, nothing is worse than badmouthing an artist or song to your mentor then seeing that artist’s album hanging on the mentor’s wall.  Oops.

Hope that’s helpful.  Check back next week, when I’ll be discussing how to maximize your mentoring session DURING the session.  Thanks!

If you’d like to discover much more about how to find a songwriting coach- and get the most out of that relationship- check out my Amazon bestselling ebook, “Hit Songwriting: How A Songwriting Coach Can Fast Track Your Success.”  It will help you prepare for the coaching session- what to do before, during, and after the session- and more!  CLICK HERE TO FAST TRACK YOUR SUCCESS.

YOU VS…

Any great experiences with a mentor?  Any nightmares?  Any advice on finding a great mentor?  Leave a comment!

SHOUT OUT…

Be sure and tune in to the Canadian Country Music Awards this Sunday night (September 8, 2013).  Not only is my cowriting buddy, Gord Bamford, nominated for seven awards, word has it he’ll be debuting a song he and I wrote with Byron Hill.  Thanks, Gord!

www.gordbamford.com