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THE EXCUSE MAKERS AND THE OTHER PEOPLE

9/17/2019

In the music business, I see two general categories of people – the excuse makers and the other people. The excuse makers always seem to have a lot going on. So much, in fact, that they can’t ever seem to get around to doing the things that would cause them to succeed as a songwriter. They are doing LOTS of things and appear to be busy, but somehow there’s always a reason why they don’t have time to do the things that would help them get ahead.

THE LITTLE VICTORIES

9/6/2019

I couldn’t possibly count the number of beginning songwriters, when asked “Who would you pitch this to?”, give answers like Keith Urban, Katy Perry, Blake Shelton, Garth Brooks, Rhianna, etc.
I’ve been writing professionally for almost 15 years, I have had multiple #1 songs and over 3000 songs recorded, yet I have never had a song recorded by any of those artists. What does that tell you about the realistic (or not) nature of those goals?

THE DOS AND DON’TS OF PITCHING YOUR SONGS IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS

8/20/2019

Pitching your songs. It means playing songs for publishers, artists or record label people in hopes of getting them to record or help you get a song recorded and it is one of the most important steps of being in the music industry as a writer – otherwise your songs without being pitched basically means nothing – yet, pitching is one of the areas where songwriters make the most mistakes. And, those mistakes can be costly. Sometimes the cost can be losing all your credibility as a writer while maybe your songs are actually pretty good, but you’ve already ruined your reputation by making these simple mistakes. You don’t get too many chances to make a good impression before you are put on the “burned bridge” list. Here are some of the important dos and don’ts to remember when you pitch songs.

WIN OR LEARN

8/16/2019

Songwriters tend to have this “win or lose” mentality. When I play my songs for someone, I either “win” and they take a copy, or I “lose” and they reject my song (and by default, me). I would suggest that we look at those opportunities as “win or learn” opportunities. Again, if they love my song and take a copy, I have won! But, if they don’t, I have a chance to turn my “loss” into a “learn”. Here’s how I do it.

REASONS PEOPLE SHOULD PAY FOR MUSIC

8/13/2019

As the music economy continues to move toward a streaming based model, people are drifting rapidly toward the idea that music should be free. I think it’s vital to remind ourselves (And our friends) from time to time WHY it is important to pay for music:

For my song to get out to the public, I have to demo it. A conservative estimate of the cost of that demo is $800. I make approximately 9 cents per sale of the song. So, I need 8,888 people to buy the song before I even cover the cost of my demo.

PEOPLE SONGWRITERS NEED TO THANK

8/2/2019

Most songwriters I know have a lot of people who have helped them get to whatever level of success they are enjoying – even if it is simply being able to write regularly. Here’s my list. I’m guessing many of you have similar lists.

KEY HABITS OF EXCEPTIONALLY CREATIVE PEOPLE

7/16/2019

Over the last decade of working with some of music’s top producers, recording artists, and songwriters, I started noticing similar personality traits and habits of highly creative people. These professionals possessed a certain mindset that allowed them to perform at a high level and do it effortlessly. Their personal habits funneled their energy into a kind of creative vortex. I’ve listed 7 of these habits here. There are certainly more, but these are the 7 that almost all of these pros had mastered.

KEYS TO FINDING THE PERFECT CO-WRITER

6/25/2019

Music History is filled with great songwriting collaborations. John Lennon-Paul McCartney, Elton John-Bernie Taupin, Mick Jagger-Keith Richards, and the list goes on. Two heads can truly be better than one when writing a song, but only if it’s the right match! And finding that right match can seem impossible at times. Over the years I have written with many artist, producers, and writers; some went great and spawned multiple hits while others were a dud. Here are some of the qualities I look for in a co-writer.

CONSISTENCY

2/9/2019

Just like most other jobs and careers, making a living from writing songs and being a professional in music industry requires a huge amount of sacrifices and more importantly it requires consistency. If you're anything like me, and the rest of 99.9% percent of other musicians, you'd fail for at least a couple of years! But the key here is not to give up. Not to be stubborn, taking no as an answer is okay here but don't "go home"!

SONGWRITERS WHO ARE DREAMERS

1/16/2019

Through years of working at Flipside, I met a vast array of people wanting to become professional songwriters. People of all ages, races, backgrounds and economic situations, most of whom would love to achieve some degree of commercial success with their music. As a student of people and a guy in love with studying psychology, I have studied what causes some people to succeed and others who are equally talented to fail in that quest.

UNWRITTEN RULES TO SUCCESSFUL NETWORKING IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS

12/12/2018

Networking and relationship building is such an important skill for success in any business specially music business, where these relationships can take you to places you wouldn’t even imagine. You can gain value by attending events or loose credibility pretty quick when you meet people at events. Here are some tips to help YOU on YOUR Journey!

Do your homework. Research the people who will be at the event in advance. If it is a #1 party, find out who the songwriters are and research the writers and publishers to learn a little about them before you go.

PREPARING FOR YOUR PHOTO SHOOT

11/7/2018

The more people I photograph, the more I've come to realize something: a great portrait is a collaboration between photographer and subject. When both are working together the result is far more than what comes from direction alone. Our subjects often aren't experienced in having their photo taken, and don't know a lot about the process.
The number one thing I always start out with when I meet a new client is to explain my style and what to expect from me and what I expect from them; as well as any others they may have with them, as many have spouses, management team, wardrobe stylists, hair and makeup team etc. I encourage them to be themselves… Talk, move, and most importantly, relax and have fun!

THE 9 DEADLY SINS OF MUSIC WEBSITES

10/27/2018

With so much interaction happening on social media these days, many musicians think that maintaining their own personal website is a thing of the past. But that couldn't be further from the truth! In fact, artist, musician, composer, and music company websites are more essential than ever for establishing and developing a brand.
Your website is your home base. It's where you ultimately maintain control of what and how you communicate with your fans and/or customers. It's your virtual HQ. And whether you know it or not, it speaks volumes about you and your music before anyone ever hears a note.

EVERY ARTIST IS A MEDIA COMPANY

10/20/2018

Every company is now a media company. This isn't a new take or an innovative take. It's the reality of today's business landscape. It's the standard. CEO and Marketing expert, Gary Vaynerchuk has talked about it. Consulting firm PWC has written about it. With the barriers to entry to media creation shattered by innovative technology, there's very few reasons not to play in the content creation game.

In most instances, the focus is on traditional businesses evolving as media companies, but I want to talk about why this is essential to artists and how they can employ similar tactics.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU CHASE

10/4/2018

You can tell a lot about a person by what they are chasing. Some chase money. Some houses or cars. Some chase relationships. Some chase better jobs or promotions. Some chase dreams. I watched an interview one time with Ted Turner. The interviewer asked him what it was like to look at your net worth and, for the first time, see $1,000,000,000. A one and nine zeros. Ted sat there thoughtfully and then he spoke some profound words. With a sigh, he said “It‘s an empty bag, but you don’t know it’s empty until you get it”.

CALM THE STAGE FRIGHT!

9/19/2018

We have a choice to be “problem” focused or “solution” focused. Fright or fear comes from focusing on problems, real or imagined. If you identify the problem for even a second, then switch to solutions, things often improve right away!

People won't like me. Re-frame the thought to “What can I give to my audience?” or “What can I share with them?” or “How can I help them have a better day?” Perform to individuals with eye contact and share the meaning of the song. Become the actor or better to say, become the character in the song.

3 BRANDING TIPS FOR MUSIC PRODUCERS

9/12/2018

Producers are the power of music industry. They are some of the most influential people in the music industry because they set the sonic landscape by creating new sounds and pushing the culture forward. In a level can say they are “The Brain” of the music industry and “The Heart” of the studio sessions.

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF WORKSHOPS, CONVENTIONS AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS

9/5/2018

How do you make the most of networking opportunities and workshops to learn and network?? Oh, you can attend, show up at the start time sit by yourself, take a couple notes, not talk to anyone OR You can show up at these events in the future at least 15 minutes in advance of the start time. Check in with the host, talk with people in line with you, ASK about THE OTHER person and what they do, where they are from and see what similar interest and goals you may have in the music business.

DO WE BLOG OR BLAH, BLAH, BLAH?

8/29/2018

OK so I have often been asked the question "What should we blog about?". It’s a very good question indeed. The truth of the matter is, there is no correct answer. Some use blogging to vent, advertise, preserve their current client base or gain new ones. Others just blog to make a simple connection with others that share similar interests or ideas. Each one of these reasons has their own level of validity.

NETWORKING TIPS

8/22/2018

We've all heard that networking is a critical tool for those wanting to get ahead in the music business. But what exactly does it mean, and how do you do it effectively? Networking is an essential reality in any business environment.

We can define it as "Creating mutually advantageous relationships that will further careers."

Carbon Credit (Part 1)

8/9/2018

What is a carbon credit?

Before we start understanding about carbon credit, it is important to know about carbon emissions, or rightly put, the emissions of carbon dioxide into the environment. Carbon dioxide is one of the most common greenhouse gases that goes up into the atmosphere, along with water vapour, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone. The word “greenhouse” implies that these gases formed a layer that traps heat from the sun, causing a greenhouse effect on the earth surface. These gases will eventually escape into space gradually and this warming of the earth’s surface is important to sustain life.

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