Tag Archives: Songwriting

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.

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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

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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!

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Muse

Songwriting Success Is Like Buying On Layaway… Really.

June 16, 2014 Brent Baxter 13 Comments

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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

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Muse

Are Your Songs Contagious?

June 11, 2014 Brent Baxter 13 Comments

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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

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Biz

5 Things Songwriters Shouldn’t Do In A Mentoring Session

June 9, 2014 Brent Baxter 8 Comments

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.

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Set Your Goals Like Dominos

June 2, 2014 Brent Baxter 1 Comment

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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

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Muse, MvR Community

Songwriting: My Highest Self?

May 27, 2014 Brent Baxter 43 Comments

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!

To get your FREE, INSTANT download of “THINK LIKE A PRO SONGWRITER,” just click on the image below, or CLICK HERE!

Biz, Muse

Why Benton Blount Is Successful

May 21, 2014 Brent Baxter 1 Comment

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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…

The first time I met Benton Blount, I thought I’d walked into the wrong room. My cowriting buddy, Skip Black, had set the three of us up to write, telling me, “This guy named Benton… country singer… record deal on Golden Music…” Well, my default answer when it comes to writing with a signed artist is “yes.” (See my post, “Things I Say Yes To”)

So I go walking in, but Skip isn’t there yet. There’s a guy sitting there looking like a rock ‘n roll UFC fighter. “Uh… you seen Skip?” Then Benton opened his mouth and filled the room with his Carolina drawl. Immediately, I knew it was gonna be an interesting day. (That was the day we wrote “Could’a Fooled Me,” which is on his album, “Stripped.” Check it out here.)

We continued to write, but as these things happen (too often), Benton’s label folded and he made the move back to the Carolinas. I don’t know for certain, but my guess is that his phone wasn’t ringing quite as often. But he didn’t quit, he just kept working. Guess you could call that, “drive.”

Benton and I have stayed in touch- not just because he’s a good guy and cuts my/our songs (“I Don’t Have To Prove I’m Country” “Could’a Fooled Me” “Go To Him” “God Sent A Woman”) I’ve been sure to always send him songs when he’s looking and to write when we can for one simple reason:

I believe in Benton Blount as an artist.

And this is more than just a gut feeling. It’s based on a few factors- ones I think you should consider when deciding how much time and energy to invest in an artist.

1. Talent

Benton is a singin’ fool. No doubt that he knows how to sing. And his voice would stand out on country radio. He’s also a solid songwriter (who’s smart enough to cut the right outside song).

2. Hustle

Benton isn’t waiting on Music Row to pick him. He’s already picked himself. He’s writing, recording and releasing albums. He’s out on the road playing a lot of shows. It’s obvious that he’s not afraid to work. And his booking agency and sponsors apparently agree.

3. Fan engagement

The Benton Blount experience isn’t confined to one of his shows. He’s been consistently engaging with his fans (and making new ones) through social media. At this moment, he has over 16,000 Facebook fans, 44,000 Twitter followers, and 27,000 Instagram followers. He’s also put out a lot of videos on YouTube. Careers are built on fan support, and he certainly has that (his latest album was fan-supported on Kickstarter).

Of course, hard work, talent, and persistence don’t guarantee anyone a major label record deal and radio hits (though it’d be nice if they did). But either way, I’m happy to have songs I’m proud of sung by a real singer- no matter how many people hear them at the end of the day. But given what I know about Benton… I’m betting it’s going to be a LOT of people.

You can find out more about Benton at… www.bentonblount.com

God Bless,

Brent

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The Artist Camp: Multiple Points Of Contact

May 19, 2014 Brent Baxter 4 Comments

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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…

Gaining access (and keeping access) to an artist is kind of like rock climbing- you always want to have more than one point of contact with the mountain. It’s a dangerous thing to be hanging by one hand- if that one rock gives way or that hand slips… bye, bye.

Likewise, if your only point of contact with an artist is her producer, what happens if she switches producers? What happens if you have a light point of contact with the artist herself, but she starts letting her A&R person book all her cowrites because she’s too busy out on the road? Bye, bye. You might’ve just fallen off the mountain.

This kind of stuff has happened to me, so I’ve learned the hard way not to rely on only one point of contact with the artist. Nowadays, if I’m targeting an artist or a project, I try to secure multiple points of contact. If I know the A&R person, I try to develop a contact with the producer as well. If I’m writing with an artist, I’ll suggest a 3-way cowrite with one of her other regular cowriters. Bascially, I want to surround the artist. I want to dig in deeper than a tick in a dog’s ear so there’s no way they can scratch or shake me off!

Of course, you want to balance the time you spend surrounding one artist with taking time to develop other points of contact in other artists’ camps. Just like you want to have more than one point of contact with an artist, you want to be in more than one artist’s camp. Think of it as diversifying your portfolio. After all, most new artists aren’t very successful. What happens if the ONE artist you’ve invested all your time in fails? Bye, bye.

God Bless,

Brent

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The Artist Camp

May 14, 2014 Brent Baxter 7 Comments

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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…

You may hear about songwriters trying to get into an artist’s “camp.” What does that mean? Well, it’s not a place to unroll a sleeping bag and sing your songs around a campfire, that’s for sure.

An artist’s camp is made up of the people in the artist’s inner circle- those who have access and influence. For each artist, the mix may be a little different, but an artist’s camp usually includes the artist, producer, A&R point-person, and favorite cowriters. The camp may also include the artist’s publisher or other friends in the music biz.

Each artist has his or her own camp, and it’s often hard to know who really has the artist’s ear. For example, the A&R person for Artist A may be a big influence on what gets cut, but Artist B may not care at all what his A&R person thinks.

Think of it like a dart board. The artist is the bullseye (usually- though sometimes the producer or label head REALLY makes the final decision on what gets cut). The members of the artist’s camp occupy the various concentric circles around the bullseye. The closer to the bullseye, the more influence that person has over the project.

If you’re looking to get into an artist’s camp, it’s good to figure out the layout of his dartboard if possible. And remember, nothing gets you in a camp like GENUINE friendship. If you’re just using the artist, it’ll be really hard to get past the outer edges of the dartboard. Good luck!

God Bless,

Brent

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Chasing Rhymes And The Thought Behind The Line

May 12, 2014 Brent Baxter 1 Comment

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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…

It’s easy to start chasing rhymes. This is when you write a line with a setup rhyme and, instead of concentrating on what needs to be said, you just try to get the payoff rhyme to work.

For example, line 2 of your verse says, “You’re the one I love” setting up an “of”-sounding rhyme in line 4. It’s easy to spend lines 3 and 4 just getting to, “Girl, we fit like a glove,” without really stopping to consider what the thought behind the lines should be.

The thought behind the line is more important than the rhyme at the end of the line.

It requires intentionality, discipline and time to build the habit of putting the thought behind the line first. But it’s worth it. It helps your song to be more thoughtful (less surface) and more interesting (less cliche’). Figure out the THOUGHT first, then figure out the rhyme.

God Bless,

Brent

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

2. Don’t ask for a cowrite.

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

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

5. Respect your mentor’s time.

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I believe in Benton Blount as an artist.

1. Talent

2. Hustle

3. Fan engagement

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Helping songwriters turn pro.