The Biography Channel has a famous motto that says, "Every life has a story." Well, the same is true for every song...every work of art...every creative conquest. Every one of them has a story, and it is our loss if we don't search it out!
For our anniversary this year, my children gave my husband and me tickets to four performances of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra during the month of June. Last night we heard incredible music from Strauss, Dvorak, and Mendelssohn. But the climax of the evening was the chill-producing "1812 Overture" by Peter Tchaikovsky performed by the 100-piece orchestra which boasts some of the finest musicians in the country.
The house was packed! Almost 130 years after the piece was written, it is still filling huge auditoriums and bringing audiences to their feet.
But what's the story behind this work? I had to go back and do some research. What I learned made me realize that Tchaikovsky, who is undeniably one of the greatest musical minds to have ever graced our planet, was really not much different that we songwriters are a century and a half later.
The overture was actually commissioned for the 25th anniversary celebration of Czar Alexander II's coronation and the defeat of Napoleon's army by the Russians in 1812.
Tchaikovsky took the "gig" because of the exposure it would give him as a composer and hopefully also, some money to support himself. He completed the composition over a six-week period and worked diligently with the event producers to pull it off complete with real cannon fire (16 shots were orchestrated into the piece) and bells ringing from the cathedral.
Unfortunately, however, the performance never came to be -- due to the untimely assassination of the Czar. (If you songwriters have never had the deflating experience of having your latest masterpiece completely eliminated from the gig that was to make it a hit, you cannot appreciate the situation). Keep writing and you will inevitably "get it."
Not only did Peter have to endure the cancellation of the gig due to a national tragedy which completely sidelined his work, he also really didn't think much of the piece at all once he had finished it. He thought it "too noisy," and "without artistic merit." (Raise your hand if you have ever listened to your latest recording and thought you completely blew it!)
Well...like many of us, Tchiakovsky had it a little wrong. Not only did "1812" go on to become one of the most familiar and loved of his entire catalog, it also would have made his estate the most money (if he had belonged to ASCAP or BMI).
One of the most fascinating things about us songwriters is how much we are the same...no matter what style of music we write or what century we belong to. I encourage everyone to turn off the TV...put "1812" in your iPod...lie down on the floor with a pillow under your knees and just let the glorious music wash over you.
Then, read about this amazing composer, his life and his work. You will find the "story behind the song" as fascinating as the music itself!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Vision -- Living What You Want to Be
Anybody out there ever feel as if they are "getting nowhere fast" in the Music Biz?
If you have never felt that hollow depression that comes from listening to the phone NOT ring, you probably just haven't been writing songs and/or performing them long enough!
If you have been around a while (as I have) you will know that the national music business is one of the most difficult in the world to become a part of. Even if you have the good fortune of personally meeting the stars of this industry, there is an unmistakable "glass ceiling" that seems to separate them from us. Unless we have had a Number One Hit that puts us into the inner circle, we will always feel that distance...that boundary. It really has nothing to do with whether we are writing great material -- or whether we are touching the lives of many people through our songs, our concerts or our websites. In fact, we may be selling more product than the writers and artists with "record deals" (whatever that means these days). But unless we have somehow found a way to "leap the wall" that separates the Stars from Mere Mortals, we will never feel like an insider.
Unfair, you say! Perhaps. But that's the way it is. There is, however, something that we can do to be pro-active and play a part to change this paradigm. It's pretty simple, really. We can start to LIVE THE KIND OF MUSIC INDUSTRY WE WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF.
What does that mean? Simply this: We must come to a point where we realize that we are truly all the same. No matter how glamorous or famous a personality may be, they deal with the same stuff we do every day. They get colds and flus. They have problems with their relationships...their kids...their parents and the management of their time. They get headaches, heartaches and stomach aches. They are where they are because a series of circumstances have put them there...just like a series of circumstances have put us where we are.
The same principle applies to people who may not be as well known or famous as WE are...those just starting their music journey. Songwriters who are downright BAD at this craft. Singers with voices that will NEVER be heard on the radio. But they are people too. They have a right to be respected for who they are and what they are good at.
Once we have settled the fact that we are no better or no worse than anyone else on this planet, we will experience something of a metamorphosis. We will start living the kind of Music Industry we really want to be a part of. We will not suck up to the stars or look down on the beginners. And to quote a former president, there will be a "thousand points of light" glimmering amidst the darkness of the Music/Entertainment Business of the past. We will begin to be agents of change in an emerging new culture where Art is again Art and where People are respected as People.
Anybody want to join me?
If you have never felt that hollow depression that comes from listening to the phone NOT ring, you probably just haven't been writing songs and/or performing them long enough!
If you have been around a while (as I have) you will know that the national music business is one of the most difficult in the world to become a part of. Even if you have the good fortune of personally meeting the stars of this industry, there is an unmistakable "glass ceiling" that seems to separate them from us. Unless we have had a Number One Hit that puts us into the inner circle, we will always feel that distance...that boundary. It really has nothing to do with whether we are writing great material -- or whether we are touching the lives of many people through our songs, our concerts or our websites. In fact, we may be selling more product than the writers and artists with "record deals" (whatever that means these days). But unless we have somehow found a way to "leap the wall" that separates the Stars from Mere Mortals, we will never feel like an insider.
Unfair, you say! Perhaps. But that's the way it is. There is, however, something that we can do to be pro-active and play a part to change this paradigm. It's pretty simple, really. We can start to LIVE THE KIND OF MUSIC INDUSTRY WE WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF.
What does that mean? Simply this: We must come to a point where we realize that we are truly all the same. No matter how glamorous or famous a personality may be, they deal with the same stuff we do every day. They get colds and flus. They have problems with their relationships...their kids...their parents and the management of their time. They get headaches, heartaches and stomach aches. They are where they are because a series of circumstances have put them there...just like a series of circumstances have put us where we are.
The same principle applies to people who may not be as well known or famous as WE are...those just starting their music journey. Songwriters who are downright BAD at this craft. Singers with voices that will NEVER be heard on the radio. But they are people too. They have a right to be respected for who they are and what they are good at.
Once we have settled the fact that we are no better or no worse than anyone else on this planet, we will experience something of a metamorphosis. We will start living the kind of Music Industry we really want to be a part of. We will not suck up to the stars or look down on the beginners. And to quote a former president, there will be a "thousand points of light" glimmering amidst the darkness of the Music/Entertainment Business of the past. We will begin to be agents of change in an emerging new culture where Art is again Art and where People are respected as People.
Anybody want to join me?
Friday, April 11, 2008
Unshackling the Muse
I have recently started teaching again at Southern Methodist University. This Spring I am teaching my "Build-A-Song" class on the CRAFT of songwriting. Each Tuesday evening a garden variety of people show up. I have a soccer mom, a tax attorney, a stock broker, a retired science teacher, a new single mother and several other various and sundry people from all backgrounds and occupations. They are drawn together each week by ONE common passion -- THEY LOVE TO WRITE SONGS! This single common denominator ignites friendships and collaborations that would probably never happen without the Magic of the Muse.
In getting to know this new class, I am amazed (as I am every semester) at the remarkable musical talent that lies just beneath the surface in so many people's hearts and minds. They may have had piano lessons as a kid...or studied music in college...or they may have just been avid music fans, intrigued by the stories behind their favorite songs. But for whatever reason, they just "grew up" and "grew out of" their Creative Phase. The urgency to make a living...to develop a career...to raise family, somehow pushed the songwriting flame to the back burner of their lives. But, make no mistake, it has never stopped smoldering!
When these aspiring writers come together and we begin rolling up our sleeves to study the CRAFT of songwriting, "something" happens. It's as if a whole room full of Clark Kents step into a phone booth and come out as something bigger than life -- they come out as songwriters. The Muse has been unshackled and you better fasten your seatbelt because you have no idea what will happen next.
Melodies begin materializing. Talents long buried are resurrected. People begin to "follow their bliss" and Odes to Joy are composed (perhaps not as fully developed yet as Beethoven's Ode, but odes nonetheless).
I remember well the first time I discovered that there were "others" -- other people who shared a love of songs and writing. I had gone to a songwriting conference and was stunned to find people who actually took this whole process seriously, working at it, perfecting it, honing their gift into art. I remember calling home to tell my family, "I have found MY PEOPLE!" I was so giddy...so elated...it was almost like falling in love.
Now I have the joy of seeing this transformation happen in the lives of others. It's a great kick for me to pass on the excitement and see the Muse escape in ways that literally transform lives. It's almost as great fun as writing a song myself...which still works its wonders on me every time I write.
If this all sounds strange but somewhat intriguing to you, may I suggest that you step out and take the risk. Go find a bunch of songwriters. Take a class. Go to a seminar. Join a songwriter's group. Find a songwriters forum online. You will find strange stirrings taking place, and you may just fall in love too!
In getting to know this new class, I am amazed (as I am every semester) at the remarkable musical talent that lies just beneath the surface in so many people's hearts and minds. They may have had piano lessons as a kid...or studied music in college...or they may have just been avid music fans, intrigued by the stories behind their favorite songs. But for whatever reason, they just "grew up" and "grew out of" their Creative Phase. The urgency to make a living...to develop a career...to raise family, somehow pushed the songwriting flame to the back burner of their lives. But, make no mistake, it has never stopped smoldering!
When these aspiring writers come together and we begin rolling up our sleeves to study the CRAFT of songwriting, "something" happens. It's as if a whole room full of Clark Kents step into a phone booth and come out as something bigger than life -- they come out as songwriters. The Muse has been unshackled and you better fasten your seatbelt because you have no idea what will happen next.
Melodies begin materializing. Talents long buried are resurrected. People begin to "follow their bliss" and Odes to Joy are composed (perhaps not as fully developed yet as Beethoven's Ode, but odes nonetheless).
I remember well the first time I discovered that there were "others" -- other people who shared a love of songs and writing. I had gone to a songwriting conference and was stunned to find people who actually took this whole process seriously, working at it, perfecting it, honing their gift into art. I remember calling home to tell my family, "I have found MY PEOPLE!" I was so giddy...so elated...it was almost like falling in love.
Now I have the joy of seeing this transformation happen in the lives of others. It's a great kick for me to pass on the excitement and see the Muse escape in ways that literally transform lives. It's almost as great fun as writing a song myself...which still works its wonders on me every time I write.
If this all sounds strange but somewhat intriguing to you, may I suggest that you step out and take the risk. Go find a bunch of songwriters. Take a class. Go to a seminar. Join a songwriter's group. Find a songwriters forum online. You will find strange stirrings taking place, and you may just fall in love too!
Friday, March 28, 2008
FOCUS!
FOCUS!
It's one of the most important elements of writing a song that will communicate to the hearts of millions of listeners.
One of the greatest deficits I find in the work of aspiring songwriters is that they try to cover too much information in one song. They may start with a Great Idea -- and they may even come up with a Great Hook/Title. But then, they get caught up in the PROCESS of writing and begin to "wander" from the central point of the song.
Remember: The thing you want listeners to remember is that ONE line of melody and lyric that expresses the MAIN POINT of the song. It doesn't matter how many beautiful poetic words you use or how much music theory you incorporate into your song. IF LISTENERS GET LOST, THEY CHANGE THE CHANNEL AND YOUR SONG IS GONE! The listener HAS to "get it" if you want to write a song that connects with millions.
The Hook/Title is your ARRIVAL POINT. It is the "focal point" of the song. Everything else about the song...the verses, the bridge and even the rest of the chorus has to arrive at the Hook.
You only have 3-31/2 minutes to get the listener from absolutely NO knowledge of what your song is about, to the heart of its message. DON'T GET SIDETRACKED!
Remember: You have lots of songs in you! You don't have to put all your great ideas and rhymes into one song. Keep your song -- and your listeners -- FOCUSED!
Keep your "eyes on the PRIZE" which in the case of songwriting is that ONE GREAT HOOK!
It's one of the most important elements of writing a song that will communicate to the hearts of millions of listeners.
One of the greatest deficits I find in the work of aspiring songwriters is that they try to cover too much information in one song. They may start with a Great Idea -- and they may even come up with a Great Hook/Title. But then, they get caught up in the PROCESS of writing and begin to "wander" from the central point of the song.
Remember: The thing you want listeners to remember is that ONE line of melody and lyric that expresses the MAIN POINT of the song. It doesn't matter how many beautiful poetic words you use or how much music theory you incorporate into your song. IF LISTENERS GET LOST, THEY CHANGE THE CHANNEL AND YOUR SONG IS GONE! The listener HAS to "get it" if you want to write a song that connects with millions.
The Hook/Title is your ARRIVAL POINT. It is the "focal point" of the song. Everything else about the song...the verses, the bridge and even the rest of the chorus has to arrive at the Hook.
You only have 3-31/2 minutes to get the listener from absolutely NO knowledge of what your song is about, to the heart of its message. DON'T GET SIDETRACKED!
Remember: You have lots of songs in you! You don't have to put all your great ideas and rhymes into one song. Keep your song -- and your listeners -- FOCUSED!
Keep your "eyes on the PRIZE" which in the case of songwriting is that ONE GREAT HOOK!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Radio Requirements -- Part 2
In my last blog I began to identify some essentials for Hit Songs -- songs that may actually receive a hearing by 21st Century Radio program directors, and possibly a spin in their rotation. (See blog for March 4)
In addition to the all-important HOOK and the need for SIMPLICITY, here are a couple more things to consider as you aim your song toward radioplay.
3) Radio Songs Are Time-Conscious
Nowhere is the clock more a part of the action than in radio and television. Programs are timed to the second and within a certain segment, a specific number of time slots must be allotted for the advertisers. This simply means that you as the songwriter must also be very time-conscious if you hope to hear your song on the radio. While there is no hard and fast rule for song length, most radio-friendly songs run from 3 to 3½ minutes. If the song goes over 4½ minutes, it is usually too long.
Think about the clock as you write and record your songs and be a ruthless editor of your work. You may have to shorten or even eliminate that killer instrumental bridge that goes on for a solid minute. You will have to watch the intro length of your song as well – both because of the total time consideration as well as the fact that long intros often lose listener interest. Even jazz numbers that contain lots of improv sections and instrumental solos usually will need a “radio edition” if they are to be considered for airplay. Remember…..less is usually more when it comes to radio songs.
4) Radio Songs Are Genre-Specific
Most radio listeners realize that mainstream stations today are very genre-specific. That is, they play ONLY songs that are consistent with the musical style they represent. While it is true that “a good song is a good song” no matter the style, it is the wise songwriter who thinks before he/she writes (and records). Ask yourself: Which stations might play this particular style of song?
If your song is recorded with a jazz/pop arrangement, for example, it probably will not be considered for a country station. Sometimes it is possible to “straddle the fence” and arrange the music so that it is acceptable to two different formats, but this requires very savvy production skills by someone in-the-know about radio and about song production. It is always wise to consider these factors before you begin approaching radio stations with your next creation.
5) Radio Songs are Discreet
While we as American songwriters are protected by the First Amendment and have the right to say almost anything we want in our creative works, it is usually not that smart to send your most uncensored song to radio. If your song contains offensive lyrics or profanity...if the subject matter is too controversial or politically charged...if it is too far to the Right or to the Left, you will probably find it difficult to get airplay. It is wise to gain radio’s attention – not by being controversial, but by being absolutely excellent at what you do.
To summaraize, Songwriters and Radio live in a symbiotic relationship – in other words, we need each other! Songwriters need Radio to bring their songs to the world and Radio needs great songs to attract the all-important listeners. As in any relationship that is mutually beneficial, each partner must consider the other’s needs and interests. If we as songwriters are conscious of what is important to Radio, Radio will usually be open and interested in what we are writing.
Songwriters…….Start your engines!
In addition to the all-important HOOK and the need for SIMPLICITY, here are a couple more things to consider as you aim your song toward radioplay.
3) Radio Songs Are Time-Conscious
Nowhere is the clock more a part of the action than in radio and television. Programs are timed to the second and within a certain segment, a specific number of time slots must be allotted for the advertisers. This simply means that you as the songwriter must also be very time-conscious if you hope to hear your song on the radio. While there is no hard and fast rule for song length, most radio-friendly songs run from 3 to 3½ minutes. If the song goes over 4½ minutes, it is usually too long.
Think about the clock as you write and record your songs and be a ruthless editor of your work. You may have to shorten or even eliminate that killer instrumental bridge that goes on for a solid minute. You will have to watch the intro length of your song as well – both because of the total time consideration as well as the fact that long intros often lose listener interest. Even jazz numbers that contain lots of improv sections and instrumental solos usually will need a “radio edition” if they are to be considered for airplay. Remember…..less is usually more when it comes to radio songs.
4) Radio Songs Are Genre-Specific
Most radio listeners realize that mainstream stations today are very genre-specific. That is, they play ONLY songs that are consistent with the musical style they represent. While it is true that “a good song is a good song” no matter the style, it is the wise songwriter who thinks before he/she writes (and records). Ask yourself: Which stations might play this particular style of song?
If your song is recorded with a jazz/pop arrangement, for example, it probably will not be considered for a country station. Sometimes it is possible to “straddle the fence” and arrange the music so that it is acceptable to two different formats, but this requires very savvy production skills by someone in-the-know about radio and about song production. It is always wise to consider these factors before you begin approaching radio stations with your next creation.
5) Radio Songs are Discreet
While we as American songwriters are protected by the First Amendment and have the right to say almost anything we want in our creative works, it is usually not that smart to send your most uncensored song to radio. If your song contains offensive lyrics or profanity...if the subject matter is too controversial or politically charged...if it is too far to the Right or to the Left, you will probably find it difficult to get airplay. It is wise to gain radio’s attention – not by being controversial, but by being absolutely excellent at what you do.
To summaraize, Songwriters and Radio live in a symbiotic relationship – in other words, we need each other! Songwriters need Radio to bring their songs to the world and Radio needs great songs to attract the all-important listeners. As in any relationship that is mutually beneficial, each partner must consider the other’s needs and interests. If we as songwriters are conscious of what is important to Radio, Radio will usually be open and interested in what we are writing.
Songwriters…….Start your engines!
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Radio Requirements
Hearing a song that you have written on the radio is definitely one of life’s great highs! In fact, in the rich fantasy life of most aspiring songwriters, hearing your song on the radio ranks right up there with visions of winning the lottery!
In the world of 21st Century Radio, however, the chances of hearing one of your songs on a major station anytime soon are extremely slim. It will require far more than "fantasy" to make your dreams reality. Your songs must be so irresistable to the coveted radio audience that program directors simply can't refuse you! You must learn to write from the listener’s point of view with a keen understanding of the listener's mind (see previous blogs). Below are a couple of essential ingredients of radio-friendly songs. If you are an avid student of what is being played on the radio these days, I think you will find these ingredients almost every time. Here they are:
1) Radio Songs are Hook-Driven
The word – hook -- is an important one in the vocabulary of either a songwriter or a radio executive because it summarizes the goal of each. Radio and the songs it plays are all about hooking and keeping listeners’ attention. To a songwriter the hook is the most memorable musical and lyrical element of a song. It is the thesis statement – that one-phrase summary of the whole creation – that line you want the listener to be singing long after the song is over. It is like the punchline of a joke – the payoff – the “Eureka Moment” when everything else in the song suddenly has meaning in the light of that one diamond-on-velvet line.
The hook is usually also the title. A well-written hook/title will be so clear and obvious that listeners will know it from the first hearing and will be able to request the song BY TITLE when they call the radio station to request it.
If a radio listener cannot accurately identify the title of a song after one hearing, it is clear that the songwriter has not mastered the effective use of the hook. It’s time to go back to the drawing board and polish that all-essential skill before you can hope that your song will be attractive to radio – or to the listeners that are the heart and soul of both radio and hit songs.
2) Radio Songs are Simple
We flaky right-brained songwriters love to hang out with other flaky right-brained songwriters. We love to compare chord progressions, and innovative melody lines. We pride ourselves on our creativity and poetic abstractions. But remember – we flaky right-brained songwriters are definitely a minority group. The vast numbers of radio listeners are NOT songwriters. They are ordinary people caught in rush-hour traffic who are trying to find something on the radio dial that will touch them emotionally and allow them to sing along.
Don’t believe me? Just take a few moments to look at the drivers in the lanes on both sides of you on your next commute. If they have found a song they like on the radio, they almost seem to be oblivious to the “audience” of other drivers on the highway. Watch them as they sing along with the radio….playing air-guitars or beating out a rhythm on the steering wheel in their mobile studio as they sit in bumper-to-bumper gridlock. These are not music theory majors. They are ordinary people who purchase records, request songs and create hits.
Next time you are channel surfing, analyze the most popular of the songs you hear. I can almost “gar-awn-tee” that the melodies and the lyrics will be SIMPLE! Why? Because ordinary people can GET simple songs – they remember them because they can sing them! That's why "Falling Slowly" won the Academy Award (see February 24 Blog). It is a simple song at its finest -- one that haunts the listeners' minds so that they simply can't forget it -- and then, they request that song from their local stations.
Now, let me hasten to say that simple does not been simplistic or predictable and it certainly cannot mean boring! Songs must be fresh and interesting to listen to. But remember – songs have four main elements: melody, lyrics, harmony and rhythm. If the melody and lyrics are simple, singable and memorable – added interest and freshness can be added in the harmonies and rhythm used to arrange the song.
Hooky and simple...two adjectives that define hit songs of every genre. Next time, I'll add a couple more.
Let me know your thoughts....
In the world of 21st Century Radio, however, the chances of hearing one of your songs on a major station anytime soon are extremely slim. It will require far more than "fantasy" to make your dreams reality. Your songs must be so irresistable to the coveted radio audience that program directors simply can't refuse you! You must learn to write from the listener’s point of view with a keen understanding of the listener's mind (see previous blogs). Below are a couple of essential ingredients of radio-friendly songs. If you are an avid student of what is being played on the radio these days, I think you will find these ingredients almost every time. Here they are:
1) Radio Songs are Hook-Driven
The word – hook -- is an important one in the vocabulary of either a songwriter or a radio executive because it summarizes the goal of each. Radio and the songs it plays are all about hooking and keeping listeners’ attention. To a songwriter the hook is the most memorable musical and lyrical element of a song. It is the thesis statement – that one-phrase summary of the whole creation – that line you want the listener to be singing long after the song is over. It is like the punchline of a joke – the payoff – the “Eureka Moment” when everything else in the song suddenly has meaning in the light of that one diamond-on-velvet line.
The hook is usually also the title. A well-written hook/title will be so clear and obvious that listeners will know it from the first hearing and will be able to request the song BY TITLE when they call the radio station to request it.
If a radio listener cannot accurately identify the title of a song after one hearing, it is clear that the songwriter has not mastered the effective use of the hook. It’s time to go back to the drawing board and polish that all-essential skill before you can hope that your song will be attractive to radio – or to the listeners that are the heart and soul of both radio and hit songs.
2) Radio Songs are Simple
We flaky right-brained songwriters love to hang out with other flaky right-brained songwriters. We love to compare chord progressions, and innovative melody lines. We pride ourselves on our creativity and poetic abstractions. But remember – we flaky right-brained songwriters are definitely a minority group. The vast numbers of radio listeners are NOT songwriters. They are ordinary people caught in rush-hour traffic who are trying to find something on the radio dial that will touch them emotionally and allow them to sing along.
Don’t believe me? Just take a few moments to look at the drivers in the lanes on both sides of you on your next commute. If they have found a song they like on the radio, they almost seem to be oblivious to the “audience” of other drivers on the highway. Watch them as they sing along with the radio….playing air-guitars or beating out a rhythm on the steering wheel in their mobile studio as they sit in bumper-to-bumper gridlock. These are not music theory majors. They are ordinary people who purchase records, request songs and create hits.
Next time you are channel surfing, analyze the most popular of the songs you hear. I can almost “gar-awn-tee” that the melodies and the lyrics will be SIMPLE! Why? Because ordinary people can GET simple songs – they remember them because they can sing them! That's why "Falling Slowly" won the Academy Award (see February 24 Blog). It is a simple song at its finest -- one that haunts the listeners' minds so that they simply can't forget it -- and then, they request that song from their local stations.
Now, let me hasten to say that simple does not been simplistic or predictable and it certainly cannot mean boring! Songs must be fresh and interesting to listen to. But remember – songs have four main elements: melody, lyrics, harmony and rhythm. If the melody and lyrics are simple, singable and memorable – added interest and freshness can be added in the harmonies and rhythm used to arrange the song.
Hooky and simple...two adjectives that define hit songs of every genre. Next time, I'll add a couple more.
Let me know your thoughts....
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Falling Slowly Wins the Oscar
Well, I just finished watching the 80th Annual Academy Awards and, as usual, I was most interested in the Best Original Song Written for a Motion Picture.
The field of nominees this year was extremely fascinating. Three of the five nominated songs were from the Disney animated film "Enchanted." The three titles are: "Happy Working Song," "So Close," and "That's How You Know." Each song was exquisitely crafted by the amazing team of Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz whose discography of hits spans decades. Menken is an eight-time Academy Award Winner for songs from such Disney classics as "Pocohontas," "Aladdin" and "Beauty and the Beast." Schwartz has won three Oscars, a bunch of Grammys and has collaborated as a lyricist with Menken on many of his award winning songs. So...it seemed as if "the deck was a bit stacked" tonight, with no less than three of the five possibilities co-written by this hit-making power team.
BUT -- the Oscar went to newcomers Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova for their haunting song, "Falling Slowly," from the movie, "Once." If you didn't hear Glen's and Marketa's acceptance speeches for the award, you owe it to yourself to check them out at:
http://www.oscar.com/oscarnight/winners/?pn=detail&nominee=Falling%20Slowly%20-%20Once%20-%20Music%20Song%20Nominee
For those of you who have taken my "Build-A-Song" class at Southern Methodist University, you may remember "Falling Slowly" from our sessions on melody writing. When I first heard the song, I realized that it is the essence of simplicity, using only four tones of the scale in its basic motif. It also uses the listener-friendly technique of repetition to bring home the Great Idea with its Great Hook/Title.
I encourage every aspiring songwriter to study this song carefully. Download it from iTunes. Type out the lyrics on your computer. Pay special attention to the rhymes and the melody. Then go pick out the melody line on your instrument. If you wax creative, find the harmonies too. You will be amazed at the genius of the honest, simple message conveyed by these unadorned but ever-so-memorable words and music.
You can do this! You don't have to be Alan Menken or Stephen Schwartz with a library filled with stauettes to write a great song. The winner could be YOU next year! Songwriting is ALWAYS about communicating -- writer to listener -- emotion to emotion.
It ain't rocket science. It's the Art of the Heart!
Thoughts anyone???
The field of nominees this year was extremely fascinating. Three of the five nominated songs were from the Disney animated film "Enchanted." The three titles are: "Happy Working Song," "So Close," and "That's How You Know." Each song was exquisitely crafted by the amazing team of Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz whose discography of hits spans decades. Menken is an eight-time Academy Award Winner for songs from such Disney classics as "Pocohontas," "Aladdin" and "Beauty and the Beast." Schwartz has won three Oscars, a bunch of Grammys and has collaborated as a lyricist with Menken on many of his award winning songs. So...it seemed as if "the deck was a bit stacked" tonight, with no less than three of the five possibilities co-written by this hit-making power team.
BUT -- the Oscar went to newcomers Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova for their haunting song, "Falling Slowly," from the movie, "Once." If you didn't hear Glen's and Marketa's acceptance speeches for the award, you owe it to yourself to check them out at:
http://www.oscar.com/oscarnight/winners/?pn=detail&nominee=Falling%20Slowly%20-%20Once%20-%20Music%20Song%20Nominee
For those of you who have taken my "Build-A-Song" class at Southern Methodist University, you may remember "Falling Slowly" from our sessions on melody writing. When I first heard the song, I realized that it is the essence of simplicity, using only four tones of the scale in its basic motif. It also uses the listener-friendly technique of repetition to bring home the Great Idea with its Great Hook/Title.
I encourage every aspiring songwriter to study this song carefully. Download it from iTunes. Type out the lyrics on your computer. Pay special attention to the rhymes and the melody. Then go pick out the melody line on your instrument. If you wax creative, find the harmonies too. You will be amazed at the genius of the honest, simple message conveyed by these unadorned but ever-so-memorable words and music.
You can do this! You don't have to be Alan Menken or Stephen Schwartz with a library filled with stauettes to write a great song. The winner could be YOU next year! Songwriting is ALWAYS about communicating -- writer to listener -- emotion to emotion.
It ain't rocket science. It's the Art of the Heart!
Thoughts anyone???
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
What Did You Think of the Grammys?
I'm very eager to know what you all thought of the Grammys this year. What were the highlights, as far as you were concerned? Do you think the songs and artists chosen for awards this year were ones that really "connected with listeners" (as we have been discussing in previous posts)?
Personally, I thought Herbie Hancock's award was well-deserved and long overdue. If you haven't heard his recording, "River: the Joni Letters," it's well worth the investment. A REAL musician REALLY interpreting the works of a REAL songwriter, Joni Mitchell! Wow! Could it possibly be true that the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences is finally starting to "get it?"
Other highlights for me were the Beyonce / Tina Turner performance of "Proud Mary." For once I agree with Bill O'Reilly who concluded after that performance that "whatever it is that Tina Turner is eating to look that good at 68, I want to eat it too." Amen to that, Bill! And what a great classic song! How could you not want to dance?
While I love Josh Grobin and Andrea Bocelli (who couldn't admire their talent?), I have to say that I have heard "The Prayer" too many times at too many high-powered events to feel any more goosebumps. Are there no new songs for great tenors these days? Maybe somebody needs to write some!!
Now, let me hear from you guys. I started this blog to interact with YOU...not to just vent into thin air in a monologue.
There's still time for Grammy Nominations 2009....
See you there!
Mary
Personally, I thought Herbie Hancock's award was well-deserved and long overdue. If you haven't heard his recording, "River: the Joni Letters," it's well worth the investment. A REAL musician REALLY interpreting the works of a REAL songwriter, Joni Mitchell! Wow! Could it possibly be true that the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences is finally starting to "get it?"
Other highlights for me were the Beyonce / Tina Turner performance of "Proud Mary." For once I agree with Bill O'Reilly who concluded after that performance that "whatever it is that Tina Turner is eating to look that good at 68, I want to eat it too." Amen to that, Bill! And what a great classic song! How could you not want to dance?
While I love Josh Grobin and Andrea Bocelli (who couldn't admire their talent?), I have to say that I have heard "The Prayer" too many times at too many high-powered events to feel any more goosebumps. Are there no new songs for great tenors these days? Maybe somebody needs to write some!!
Now, let me hear from you guys. I started this blog to interact with YOU...not to just vent into thin air in a monologue.
There's still time for Grammy Nominations 2009....
See you there!
Mary
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
The Mystery of the Listener's Mind
Successful songwriters intuitively learn to think like the listeners they hope to reach. They understand the "mystery of the listener's mind."
Have you ever been sitting in church, listening to a soloist sing a special song when your pre-lunch, nearly-noon stomach begins to growl? Suddenly, you begin to think of the roast that is in the crockpot at home. Your mind then quickly moves to the mashed potatoes, salad, and apple pie that will accompany your meal -- and then it drifts into thinking about what you are going to do this afternoon…take a nap, finish that new novel you've been reading or go for a walk. Before you know it, your mind has covered a couple of dozen concepts, and yet you have not missed a word or note of the solo. Some may call this simple daydreaming, but it illustrates the first fact that songwriters must understand about the listener's mind: The mind is far faster and more multi-faceted than the human ear and aided by the power of imagination, the mind can envision almost every thought as soon as it enters consciousness.
Another amazing fact about the human mind, as it relates to hearing, is that the mind is capable of tuning out many non-essential sounds. You seldom consciously realize that your refrigerator actually hums or that your air conditioner is cutting on and off all day long. In a crowded restaurant you can tune out the background sounds of other people talking and carry on a completely focused conversation with your lunch date.
A third fact about listeners is that their minds subconsciously expect to hear songs that follow certain structures or forms. They may not be aware that they even know anything about song form, but over years and years of hearing and singing songs, they have learned to expect certain elements at certain points of the song. For example, they expect to hear the title/hook as the payoff line in the chorus of a Verse/Chorus song…or in the A sections of an AAA or an AABA song. If the song they are hearing does not fulfil these subliminal expectations, the listener becomes disoriented and tends to lose interest. The songs we write must be able to cut through all the background noise of daily life, keep the listener's mind from flitting to other places and deliver the goods for his/her music expectations
I remember the first time I heard the Linda Ronstadt/Aaron Neville duet, "Don't Know Much" -- written by master songwriters Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil and Tom Snow. I was cleaning my house -- my kids were "helping" -- hence, we had the usual low roar of sibling chatter, quarreling over assigned tasks, vacuum cleaner noise and other assorted and sundry distractions. The radio was on at background-level volume. Suddenly, we became aware of something wonderful -- a melody and words that "broke through" all of that and caused us all at once to say, "Hey, turn up that song!"
That's great songwriting by writers who think like listeners!
Have you ever been sitting in church, listening to a soloist sing a special song when your pre-lunch, nearly-noon stomach begins to growl? Suddenly, you begin to think of the roast that is in the crockpot at home. Your mind then quickly moves to the mashed potatoes, salad, and apple pie that will accompany your meal -- and then it drifts into thinking about what you are going to do this afternoon…take a nap, finish that new novel you've been reading or go for a walk. Before you know it, your mind has covered a couple of dozen concepts, and yet you have not missed a word or note of the solo. Some may call this simple daydreaming, but it illustrates the first fact that songwriters must understand about the listener's mind: The mind is far faster and more multi-faceted than the human ear and aided by the power of imagination, the mind can envision almost every thought as soon as it enters consciousness.
Another amazing fact about the human mind, as it relates to hearing, is that the mind is capable of tuning out many non-essential sounds. You seldom consciously realize that your refrigerator actually hums or that your air conditioner is cutting on and off all day long. In a crowded restaurant you can tune out the background sounds of other people talking and carry on a completely focused conversation with your lunch date.
A third fact about listeners is that their minds subconsciously expect to hear songs that follow certain structures or forms. They may not be aware that they even know anything about song form, but over years and years of hearing and singing songs, they have learned to expect certain elements at certain points of the song. For example, they expect to hear the title/hook as the payoff line in the chorus of a Verse/Chorus song…or in the A sections of an AAA or an AABA song. If the song they are hearing does not fulfil these subliminal expectations, the listener becomes disoriented and tends to lose interest. The songs we write must be able to cut through all the background noise of daily life, keep the listener's mind from flitting to other places and deliver the goods for his/her music expectations
I remember the first time I heard the Linda Ronstadt/Aaron Neville duet, "Don't Know Much" -- written by master songwriters Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil and Tom Snow. I was cleaning my house -- my kids were "helping" -- hence, we had the usual low roar of sibling chatter, quarreling over assigned tasks, vacuum cleaner noise and other assorted and sundry distractions. The radio was on at background-level volume. Suddenly, we became aware of something wonderful -- a melody and words that "broke through" all of that and caused us all at once to say, "Hey, turn up that song!"
That's great songwriting by writers who think like listeners!
Friday, February 1, 2008
Thinking Like a Listener
Hi Everybody:
Thanks for the encouraging comments to my new Blog. I have been doing a lot of ruminating lately about how important it is for songwriters to start THINKING LIKE THE LISTENERS THEY HOPE WILL HEAR THEIR SONG.
Imagine this scenario: You have just written an incredible song!! You have worked hard on it. Everyone who has heard the demo (mostly your family and friends) thinks it is a "hit waiting to happen." You are convinced that your song is as good as or better than most of the songs you hear on the radio. So what is the secret to getting your song played?
Experienced songwriters and artists know that getting radioplay can be an extremely dicey deal. There are several realities -- both from the creative side and the business side of songwriting -- that must be understood before you and your song become "household names."
The first reality is simply that the radio is not primarily about songs -- it is about LISTENERS!! The primary focus of radio stations these days -- especially in the light of competition from Internet and Satellite Radio -- is to REACH and KEEP listeners. Competition among stations is fierce and program directors literally lose sleep trying to come up with new ways to attract listeners and then keep them from changing channels. Ratings are all about NUMBERS OF LISTENERS and stations with the most listeners attract the best and highest paying advertisers. The bottom line with radio -- as with any business -- is consumers. Songs and music, therefore, become the means to the end -- the way the station can increase its power and ultimately its income.
In the light of this reality, you -- the songwriter -- must learn to think and write from the listener's perspective. Resist the urge to write only for the incredible rush of venting emotions through a song, or to see how many inventive chord progressions you can put together to impress your musical colleagues. While these experiences may be personally satisfying to you as a writer or a performer, they may not even begin to appeal to John Q. Listener who knows nothing about music except whether or not he likes a song. And it is the millions of "John Q. Listeners" that the radio is trying to capture. To get a song on the radio, you need to determine what radio audiences like and then write songs that "hook" them.
How do you learn to think like a listener? First of all, you have to listen! Listen to all kinds of radio. I recommend that you have every button on your car radio set to a different genre of music. Pay attention to which songs are getting the heaviest airplay on which stations. If a station has a "Request and Dedication Program" at night, pay special attention to the songs the listening audience requests. Keep a log for a month and see which songs are requested most. Then analyze those songs. Whether you as a musician think a song is good or not, if it is selling millions of copies, there will be something about it that you can learn from. Ask yourself:
What is it about this song that "hooks" people?
What lyrical techniques capture the listener's ear?
What melodic, harmonic and rhythmic elements in this song appeal to
listeners?
What universal emotions are being expressed?
Now, objectively look at that incredible song you wrote from the same perspective. As you listen to the demo, imagine that you are a listener tuning into a station that is playing your song. Would you stay tuned? Be honest. If the answer is, "No," do some re-writing and tweaking until the answer is an emphatic "Yes!"
Let me hear from you..
Thanks for the encouraging comments to my new Blog. I have been doing a lot of ruminating lately about how important it is for songwriters to start THINKING LIKE THE LISTENERS THEY HOPE WILL HEAR THEIR SONG.
Imagine this scenario: You have just written an incredible song!! You have worked hard on it. Everyone who has heard the demo (mostly your family and friends) thinks it is a "hit waiting to happen." You are convinced that your song is as good as or better than most of the songs you hear on the radio. So what is the secret to getting your song played?
Experienced songwriters and artists know that getting radioplay can be an extremely dicey deal. There are several realities -- both from the creative side and the business side of songwriting -- that must be understood before you and your song become "household names."
The first reality is simply that the radio is not primarily about songs -- it is about LISTENERS!! The primary focus of radio stations these days -- especially in the light of competition from Internet and Satellite Radio -- is to REACH and KEEP listeners. Competition among stations is fierce and program directors literally lose sleep trying to come up with new ways to attract listeners and then keep them from changing channels. Ratings are all about NUMBERS OF LISTENERS and stations with the most listeners attract the best and highest paying advertisers. The bottom line with radio -- as with any business -- is consumers. Songs and music, therefore, become the means to the end -- the way the station can increase its power and ultimately its income.
In the light of this reality, you -- the songwriter -- must learn to think and write from the listener's perspective. Resist the urge to write only for the incredible rush of venting emotions through a song, or to see how many inventive chord progressions you can put together to impress your musical colleagues. While these experiences may be personally satisfying to you as a writer or a performer, they may not even begin to appeal to John Q. Listener who knows nothing about music except whether or not he likes a song. And it is the millions of "John Q. Listeners" that the radio is trying to capture. To get a song on the radio, you need to determine what radio audiences like and then write songs that "hook" them.
How do you learn to think like a listener? First of all, you have to listen! Listen to all kinds of radio. I recommend that you have every button on your car radio set to a different genre of music. Pay attention to which songs are getting the heaviest airplay on which stations. If a station has a "Request and Dedication Program" at night, pay special attention to the songs the listening audience requests. Keep a log for a month and see which songs are requested most. Then analyze those songs. Whether you as a musician think a song is good or not, if it is selling millions of copies, there will be something about it that you can learn from. Ask yourself:
What is it about this song that "hooks" people?
What lyrical techniques capture the listener's ear?
What melodic, harmonic and rhythmic elements in this song appeal to
listeners?
What universal emotions are being expressed?
Now, objectively look at that incredible song you wrote from the same perspective. As you listen to the demo, imagine that you are a listener tuning into a station that is playing your song. Would you stay tuned? Be honest. If the answer is, "No," do some re-writing and tweaking until the answer is an emphatic "Yes!"
Let me hear from you..
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Welcome to My Blog
Hi Everybody:
Thanks for coming by to visit my new blog. I'm really excited to have this little corner of cyberspace to share with my fellow obsessive-compulsive songwriters, and I hope to hear back from many of you.
I've been haunting the Internet for over a decade now...showing up in e-zine articles like those on the Writers Write (http://www.writerswrite.com) or the Muses Muse (http://www.musesmuse.com).
You may have run into me through my Internet radio talk show, "I Write the Songs" (http://www.iwritethesongs.com) or through my Dallas-based umbrella company, CQK Music Group (http://www.cqkmusic.com). Perhaps you have even read my book, "How to Get Somewhere in the Music Business from Nowhere with Nothing" (http://www.fromnowherewithnothing.com) --or taken one of my songwriting courses at Southern Methodist University.
Whether we have ever "met" before or not, I hope you will return soon and frequently. I will post a new entry every week. Most of the time my thoughts will center around songs and the craft of songwriting, but I may -- from time to time -- wax a bit philosophical, or don my promotional hat and talk about ways we can find our way through this maze we call the Music Business to the Oasis of Success.
Wherever my sometimes scattered mind may lead, I am absolutely confident that I will NEVER run out of things to write about. Music is as infinite as the universe and as much of an adventure to explore. It is the language of the heart, and the heart is never empty of emotions. As Shakespeare so beautifully put it in Twelfth Night:
If music be the food of love, play on!
All Good Things to You,
Mary
Thanks for coming by to visit my new blog. I'm really excited to have this little corner of cyberspace to share with my fellow obsessive-compulsive songwriters, and I hope to hear back from many of you.
I've been haunting the Internet for over a decade now...showing up in e-zine articles like those on the Writers Write (http://www.writerswrite.com) or the Muses Muse (http://www.musesmuse.com).
You may have run into me through my Internet radio talk show, "I Write the Songs" (http://www.iwritethesongs.com) or through my Dallas-based umbrella company, CQK Music Group (http://www.cqkmusic.com). Perhaps you have even read my book, "How to Get Somewhere in the Music Business from Nowhere with Nothing" (http://www.fromnowherewithnothing.com) --or taken one of my songwriting courses at Southern Methodist University.
Whether we have ever "met" before or not, I hope you will return soon and frequently. I will post a new entry every week. Most of the time my thoughts will center around songs and the craft of songwriting, but I may -- from time to time -- wax a bit philosophical, or don my promotional hat and talk about ways we can find our way through this maze we call the Music Business to the Oasis of Success.
Wherever my sometimes scattered mind may lead, I am absolutely confident that I will NEVER run out of things to write about. Music is as infinite as the universe and as much of an adventure to explore. It is the language of the heart, and the heart is never empty of emotions. As Shakespeare so beautifully put it in Twelfth Night:
If music be the food of love, play on!
All Good Things to You,
Mary
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