Tag Archives: Music

Biz, Money

Should You Copyright Your Song?

July 14, 2014 Brent Baxter 19 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.

Should I copyright my song?

That’s a question I used to ask, and it’s one I’ve heard a lot over the years from other songwriters. Here are my thoughts on it. Hopefully, this will give you some answers, some guidance and some peace. By the way, I am NOT a lawyer, so this is NOT legal advice. Always check with a legal professional before making big decisions.

What do the pros do?

I used to work in the royalty department of Bluewater Music. We wouldn’t send off a copyright registration until the day a song was commercially released. The last time I checked, it cost $40 to register a work, and it’s just financial suicide for a prolific writer or publisher to invest that much per song. I’ve had years when I’ve written 100 songs – that’s $4,000 just to register the copyrights! Even if you only register the songs you demo and pitch, it’s still not a good use of time and money.

What if somebody steals your song?

First of all, it’s hard to sue and prove plagiarism. You can’t copyright a title, idea or approach. Secondly, you have to prove the “thief” had access to your song. Thirdly, and most importantly, they’d have to make enough money off your song to make it worth your time to take legal action. Basically, it would have to be a hit. And that is VERY hard to do! The odds of that happening is so very slim that it’s a non-issue. Don’t let it stop you from pitching your songs or playing them out.

Do you protect your songs at all?

Yes. I leave a paper trail to prove the date of creation (which is a huge part of proving ownership). But, honestly, this is more to protect ME from someone suing me. I keep a paper calendar where I write my cowrite dates and cowriters. I write on a laptop, but I also copy the lyric into a series of notebooks with the date on each page. Additionally, I keep the Garageband file of each worktape. For songs which are part of a publishing deal, there’s an additional paper trail- assignments, Schedule A, etc.

You own the song the moment you write it down or record it. Registering your song with the copyright office just helps to prove it.

So, that’s me. I don’t copyright a song until it is commercially released (on more than just a small do-it-yourself indie project). But how you handle it is up to you. If it’s worth $40 a pop to help you feel comfortable sharing your top songs with the world, that’s cool. I hope that gives you some answers.

God Bless,

Brent

DON’T MISS A SINGLE MvR POST!

If you like this blog, don’t miss a single post! 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. Also, please share this blog with anyone you think would benefit from it. I appreciate it when you share it on Twitter, Facebook, and anywhere else. Thanks!

Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

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

Brent’s Instagram: Razorbaxter75
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Tell Us About Your First Song

July 9, 2014 Brent Baxter 22 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.

What’s the story of the first song you ever wrote?

Did a light come on, telling you, “This is what I do!” Or did the songwriting bug slowly creep up on you? Did you ever play it for anyone? What do you feel about that song as you look back on it now?

Here’s my story:

It was Christmas of 1994. I was back home in Batesville from college at Arkansas State. It was my sophomore year. My buddy, Tim Meitzen, had gotten a guitar for his birthday, and he was starting to play and sing. He was still back in high school, but we knew each other and were friends from church.

Me, I had been writing poetry since my senior year in high school. Bad poetry, mostly venting about unrequited crushes, etc. I had also been writing short stories- mostly superhero adventure stuff. It was an outlet, and fun, but I didn’t consider myself a “writer” really. Or at least, I didn’t know what to do with it.

Anyway, Tim and I got together over Christmas, hanging out at his house. He had started songwriting a little bit. I showed him a “poem” I had written called, “Waiting On Wings.” I didn’t realize it at the time, but the structure of the poem was just like the structure of a song- it had verses and a repeating chorus.

Tim liked it, and he stole the melody off something else he had been working on and applied it to my poem… which was now a lyric. It was a ballad about a girl named Julie who had always been waiting on her wings. “Julie’s just an angel who is waiting on her wings – waiting for her chance to soar above all earthly things.” Each verse told a different story from her life, and (you guessed it) ended with her old, dying, and waiting on Heaven.

Sad, sweet, ballad… does that sound like your first song?

Tim put that melody on my words, and I was hooked. It was such a great feeling to have my words sung back to me! My short stories were in a notebook at home. My poems were in a notebook at home. But this SONG… this song was being sung out into the world! Tim could play it around the campfire with our buddies- which was way cooler than me reciting a poem to a bunch of 18 year old guys out in a field at 2 in the morning.

It wasn’t a very good song. It was okay, but miles away from anything professional level. Of course, we didn’t know that- we thought it was great!

After that night, I still wrote a poem or two, but I mainly wrote song lyrics. I was hooked on hooks… and I still am.

What about you? I’d love to hear your story!

God Bless,

Brent

DON’T MISS A SINGLE MvR POST!

If you like this blog, don’t miss a single post! 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. Also, please share this blog with anyone you think would benefit from it. I appreciate it when you share it on Twitter, Facebook, and anywhere else. Thanks!

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

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Craft

Shuffle The Deck To Beat 2nd Verse Hell

July 7, 2014 Brent Baxter 8 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.

“2nd Verse Hell” is that lovely place you reach at the end of the first verse and chorus where you stare at the page for an hour, pulling out your hair and trying to figure out what to say next. I’ve been there, and it’s not fun.

Sometimes the solution to 2nd Verse Hell isn’t what happens next. Sometimes, the solution is what happened before.

Think of each section of your lyric, or even each thought, as a single playing card out of a deck. Shuffle the deck. Take what you thought was your first verse and move it to the second verse. Now what needs to be said in the first verse? Or maybe verse two is really the chorus and the chorus is really verse two.

Don’t be afraid to shuffle the deck several times. If you don’t like the result, you can always put the cards back in their original order. Go ahead. Give it a try.

Shuffling the deck just might change a losing hand into a winning one.

God Bless,

Brent

YOU VS.

What about you? Do you struggle with 2nd verse hell? What ways have you used to fight it? I’d love to hear from you!

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If you like this blog, don’t miss a single post! Just put your email in the “Follow Man vs. Row via E-mail” section on this page, and I’ll send each new post right to your inbox. The “Follow” box is either in the upper righthand corner or down below. Also, please share this blog with anyone you think would benefit from it. I appreciate it when you share it on Twitter, Facebook, and anywhere else. Thanks!

Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

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

Brent’s Instagram: Razorbaxter75

Biz

Don’t Let Songwriting Success Kill Your Momentum

June 30, 2014 Brent Baxter 2 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.

Don’t let songwriting success kill your momentum.

That sounds crazy, right?

But trust me, success can be just as big of a stumbling block as failure.

And here’s why: In the music biz, it can take a long time for success to bear the fruit of success.

Let’s say you get a big cut. It’s an amazing feeling, for sure. It’s tempting and easy to spend too much time and attention on what is now out of your hands. “Did it make the record? Will it be a single? Let me spend my solo songwriting time daydreaming about my #1 party! Oh, and let’s make sure I spend too much of my cowriting time annoying my cowriter by talking about it!”

But here’s the truth- it may take months, years, or never for your cut to ever see the light of day. (It took TWO YEARS after my Randy Travis cut for the album to come out- and other cuts never came out at all.) Even if the record comes out, it’s easy to wait around to see if it becomes a single. If you are too focused on that one cut, you might miss several good opportunities in the meantime.

For example, you might be tempted to wait until your song is released to call for that cowrite you want (thinking it’ll make you more credible). Or maybe you’re waiting to book some particular songwriting show until you can say, “Yeah, this song came out last week…”

Or maybe your success is getting your first song picked up by a publisher. It’s tempting to see what happens to that song before approaching other publishers or certain songwriters about writing.

Maybe you just had a great publisher meeting, and you’re waiting to see if you can get a single song publishing contract before calling a venue and trying to book a songwriter round.

But the thing you’re waiting on may not happen, and you wasted time when you could’ve been making something else happen.

Write your next song. Find your next pitch opportunity. Don’t stop working your backside off! Now’s not the time to coast- now’s the time to put the hammer down while you have a success under your belt to give you some street cred.

Please understand me, though- I’m NOT telling you not to celebrate your victories. It’s very important to savor the wins (see my post “6 Ways Songwriters Can Keep Motivated”).

Go ahead, dance in the endzone. Spike the football. But then huddle back up and run the next play.

The game isn’t over yet- don’t stop playing.

What about you? Have you experienced a success that hurt, or threatened to hurt your forward momentum? I’d love to hear your comments!

God Bless,

Brent

THANKS!!

Thanks to the Songwriting and Music Business Conference for having me out to speak on the 20th! I had a blast, and I enjoyed meeting several of ya’ll in person. And thanks for all the kind comments in person and on Twitter and Facebook!

DON’T MISS A SINGLE MvR POST!

If you like this blog, don’t miss a single post! 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. Also, please share this blog with anyone you think would benefit from it. I appreciate it when you share it on Twitter, Facebook, and anywhere else. Thanks!

Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

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

Brent’s Instagram: Razorbaxter75

Craft

Are You Writing Songs For An Audience Of 1 Or 100 Million?

June 23, 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.

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…

I’m sure we’ve all had this experience: we’re in the room with someone who’s on the phone and is really excited about something. She’s saying, “really?” and “that’s awesome!” But we have no idea what she’s talking about. Of course not- she’s speaking to an audience of one- the person on the other end of that call.

While the people on the phone are communicating, they’re not communicating to you. So you either get frustrated or you tune it out.

Sometimes, unfortunately, we write songs that way.

We write for an audience of one- either to one other person who already knows what’s going on, or to ourselves. Either way, the song may bore or frustrate other listeners- the people overhearing your “call.”

If your goal is to have millions of people hear your song, you need to include them in your conversation. Make sure your song includes all the information they need in order to understand it.

Don’t just talk… communicate.

After all, if you’re the only one who understands your song, you may be the only one who ever hears it.

What about you? Have you made this mistake? I have, and I’d like to know I’m not alone- so leave a comment!

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!

FOLLOW AND SHARE THIS BLOG

If you like this blog, don’t miss a single post! 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. Also, please share this blog with anyone you think would benefit from it. I appreciate it when you share it on Twitter, Facebook, and anywhere else. Thanks!

Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

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

Brent’s Instagram: Razorbaxter75

Muse

Songwriting Success Is Like Buying On Layaway… Really.

June 16, 2014 Brent Baxter 13 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.

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…

Remember the days when people largely believed in paying for something BEFORE they walked out of the store with it? Back then, lot of stores like Wal-Mart and Sears used to offer something called layaway.

It works like this: My mom would pick out a big item like a bike or something and “put it on layaway.” The nice folks at Wal-Mart would put it in the back with Mom’s name on it. She would come in periodically and give them some money toward the bike. When she finally paid off the whole thing, she could take the bike home to me. Merry Christmas!

Funny as it sounds, success is a lot like buying something on layaway.

We pick out our “bike” – our desired success. But just choosing your success doesn’t mean you get to leave the store with it. You still have to pay for it before you can take that success home. Your success, whatever it might be, goes behind the counter. How soon you get to actually OWN that success largely depends on how often and how much you put down on it.

You can have an awesome goal in mind, but if you never come back to the store and put payment toward it, you’ll never get it.

Even little successes never happen if you forget about them.

You put down payments on your success with your time, your energy, your effort, and your wise decisions.

There is no credit card for success. You have to pay for it before you get it.

What about you? Is there a success you achieved like layaway? What success are you currently paying for, one payment at a time? I’d love to hear from you- leave a comment!

God Bless,

Brent

MAN VS. ROW… LIVE!

I’m excited to be speaking on song idea discovery and development at the 2014 Songwriting And Music Business Conference in Nashville, TN! Click the image below to find out more. I’d love to see you there!

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!

FOLLOW AND SHARE THIS BLOG

If you like this blog, don’t miss a single post! 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. Also, please share this blog with anyone you think would benefit from it. I appreciate it when you share it on Twitter, Facebook, and anywhere else. Thanks!

Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

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

Brent’s Instagram: Razorbaxter75

Muse

Are Your Songs Contagious?

June 11, 2014 Brent Baxter 13 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.

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…

I read this quote (of a quote) in the book “If You Want To Write” by Brenda Ueland. I think it’s worth considering, so I thought I’d share.

“Tolstoi, in a famous essay called, ‘What Is Art?’ said something like this:

Art is infection. The artist has a feeling and he expresses it and at once this feeling infects other people and they have it, too. And the infection must be immediate or it isn’t art. If you have to puzzle timidly over a picture or book and try, try to like it and read many erudite critics on the subject so that you can say at last, ‘Yes, I think I really do begin to understand it and see that it is just splendid! Real art!’ then it is not art.”

Are your songs contagious? Do they infect the listener immediately with the feeling you put into the song?

God Bless,

Brent

MAN VS. ROW… LIVE!

I’m excited to be speaking on song idea discovery and development at the 2014 Songwriting And Music Business Conference in Nashville, TN! Click the image below to find out more. I’d love to see you there!

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…

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!

FOLLOW AND SHARE THIS BLOG

If you like this blog, don’t miss a single post! 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. Also, please share this blog with anyone you think would benefit from it. I appreciate it when you share it on Twitter, Facebook, and anywhere else. Thanks!

Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

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

Brent’s Instagram: Razorbaxter75

Biz

5 Things Songwriters Shouldn’t Do In A Mentoring Session

June 9, 2014 Brent Baxter 8 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.

I’ve published a series of posts about how to maximize a songwriter mentoring session (you can read part 1 HERE). Now, I’d like to share some things you SHOULDN’T do in a mentoring session.

1. Don’t ask your mentor to rate you on a scale of one to ten.

One to ten based on what criteria? It puts too much weight on the opinion of one person. What really matters is trend. Are you better than you were a year ago? Are you working to be better next year?

2. Don’t ask for a cowrite.

It’s awkward and unprofessional. Believe me, if your mentor wants to write with you, he or she will ask you to write. If he doesn’t want to write, it can make things uncomfortable for the mentor and possibly make him or her less likely to schedule another appointment with you in the future.

3. Don’t ask your mentor to get your song to an artist or producer.

The answer is probably, “No. I have a hard time getting so-and-so to listen to MY songs, much less someone else’s.” Or the answer might be, “Yes, I can get it to them, but your song isn’t good enough and now I have to find a nice way to tell you that.” Besides, if your mentor does have an open door to an artist or producer, you’d be asking him to NOT pitch one of his own songs so he can pitch one of yours instead- with no benefit to him.

4. Don’t bad mouth other songs or songwriters.

Nashville is a small town, and there’s a decent chance that your mentor knows someone involved with that song or artist. Heck, your mentor may have even written that song! It’s okay to state that certain things aren’t your cup of tea, but running a song, songwriter, or artist through the mud won’t be helpful. The point is how YOU get better, not how you wish someone else were better.

5. Respect your mentor’s time.

Whether you’ve scheduled a 30 minute coffee or a 2-hour sit-down with your mentor, stick to the agreed upon timeframe. It’s uncomfortable and rude to overstay your welcome. Believe me, there’s probably nothing your mentor can tell you in that 20 minutes of overtime (“Just one more thing…” “Just one more song…) that is worth being annoying and inconsiderate.

I hope that helps. Remember, your focus should be on getting better, not on getting discovered. The rest will take care of itself.

You can check out these related posts here:

“4 Ways Songwriters Benefit From Mentoring”

“7 Qualities To Look For In A Songwriting Mentor”

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.

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!

FOLLOW AND SHARE THIS BLOG

If you like this blog, don’t miss a single post! 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. Also, please share this blog with anyone you think would benefit from it. I appreciate it when you share it on Twitter, Facebook, and anywhere else. Thanks!

Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

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

Brent’s Instagram: Razorbaxter75

Biz, Mini, Muse

Set Your Goals Like Dominos

June 2, 2014 Brent Baxter 1 Comment

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.

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…

Per Michael Hyatt, prioritize your goals like you’re setting up dominos. Which of your goals, when you accomplish it, will make it easier to accomplish your OTHER goals? Like toppling dominos, which goal, when met, will help to knock over your next goal, then the next, then the next?

Look at your goals and how they interrelate. Pick the goal which can really kickstart the others, and go after that goal FIRST.

I thought it was a cool idea, and I wanted to share it with you.

God Bless,

Brent

MAN VS. ROW… LIVE!

I’m excited to be speaking on song idea discovery and development at the 2014 Songwriting And Music Business Conference in Nashville, TN! Click the image below to find out more. I’d love to see you there!

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…

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!

FOLLOW AND SHARE THIS BLOG

If you like this blog, don’t miss a single post! 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. Also, please share this blog with anyone you think would benefit from it. I appreciate it when you share it on Twitter, Facebook, and anywhere else. Thanks!

Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

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

Brent’s Instagram: Razorbaxter75

Muse, MvR Community

Songwriting: My Highest Self?

May 27, 2014 Brent Baxter 43 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.

Songwriting is, without a doubt, my sweet spot. It’s that incredible place where my passion meets my talent and my ambition. It’s where I feel like I’m my truest, best version of myself. It’s the hard work that usually gives me more energy than it takes. When I’m in the zone, writing with people I enjoy, it’s a great feeling. It never gets old.

Unfortunately, I’m not able to write full-time right now. I have a day job that I’m thankful for, but I don’t love it. I work hard, and it definitely takes more energy than it gives. (After years of being a full-time songwriter, I’m relearning what it means to look forward to the weekend.) The job doesn’t need me to use my “best” skills- skills I’ve spent years developing. In short, it doesn’t allow me to be my highest self.

Maybe you feel that way, too. Yes, your job gives you a paycheck, but you feel like you’re wearing a mask every day at work- that the real you is hidden at home inside your guitar case or notebook. It’s the feeling of, “yeah, but a lot of people can do this job. I have this songwriting thing where I’m SPECIAL.” Man, I get that in a big way, and I struggle with it sometimes.

But maybe, just maybe… I’ve had the wrong definition of my “highest self.” Where I tend to think of my highest self as being the guy that can turn an idea into a song that makes you laugh or cry – the guy that hears his words sung back to him over the radio- the guy with a platinum album on the wall… what if my true highest self is the guy that puts his dreams into a corner of his life and gets up every day to go to a day job so that his wife can live her dream of being a stay-at-home mom? What if my highest self is the guy who turns down most cowrite opportunities so his son has someone to wrestle with after dinner? What if THAT guy is my highest self?

What about you? I’m not saying to give up your songwriting dream, but what if your highest self is when you are… selfless?

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!

Also, if you want to become a pro, you need to think like a pro, too. In my FREE e-book, “THINK LIKE A PRO SONGWRITER,” I not only reveal several of the mindsets which separate the pro songwriter from the amateur, but also…

How to get on a music publisher’s radar
How the pros know who is looking for songs
Six simple ways to make your songs more commercial
And more!

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Helping songwriters turn pro.