Songwriting Tips, Ideas, Help and More

Kate Voegele Talks About Songwriting

Kate Voegele won first prize in the Pop category of the USA Songwriting Competition in 2005 and became the youngest winner at that time at just 18 years old as a teen phenom.

She went on to perform at USA Songwriting Competition showcase at SXSW (see picture below) and was signed to Interscope Records shortly after. Her winning song "Only Fooling Myself" went on to hit top 40 on the Billboard charts that year. Her 2nd album hit the Billboard 200 Album charts at #10. She has appeared on major TV shows such as "The Tonight Show", acted in "One Tree Hill" and toured with American Idol winner Jordin Sparks. 

Songwriting Advice: The Missing Structure of the Music Industry

The music industry is an interesting one. 20 percent of the music industry record labels owned by Sony, Universal, EMI and Warner owns 80 percent of the music industry. This Pareto's Principle like "80-20" rule is hard to acknowledge but true. 

Success in the music industry is in the eye of the beholder. Less than one out of a hundred artists (music artists such as singer-songwriters) will have a song or album on the record charts such as Billboard or make 1 million in sales. That's less than 1%. This superstar 1% level control 80% of all music sales, songs you hear on the radio, downloads, concerts, etc. Singer-songwriters such as Lady Gaga, Madonna, Kate Voegele, Darrell Scott have sustaining careers, playing large venues hitting the Billboard Charts or making 1 million in sales.

The remaining 99% of the rest of the industry struggle to get signed, let alone hitting the charts, remaining in perpetual captivity. Most independent artists print 1,000 copies of their CDs and struggle to even sell half (500). They would make $80,000 or less per year in revenues or concert tickets per year. With no direction 99% remain in this captivity as they struggle through each day. The top 1% are using a system that 99% aren't.  

However, there is a solution, it is called The Hit Songwriter Process™ , this is a proven method used by major record labels would release 99% of the music industry. The music artists break through out of that captivity and shatter the ceiling of complexity. This missing structure is what missing in the music industry. The general public thinks American Idol and America's Got Talent are means to an end. The missing structure is a tough 8 step method to make a music artist breakthrough. 

The Hit Songwriter Process™ , is the missing structure where talent and ambitious music artists can achieve the $1 million in sales and above. It is the only way to do it in a strategic manner 

Inspirational Words From Noted Songwriters And Composers

Top 10 Songwriting Teams

These are the top songwriting teams/collaborations. When you put two or more heads together, you may come up with a hit or two.

1. Paul McCartney & John Lennon
With pop anthems such like "Yesterday" and Let It Be". Lennon & McCartney is argubly the best songwriting collaboraion in the world. With a resume of the best selling band in the world and the most successful songwriter of all-time (McCartney). This dynamic duo tops the list. 

 

2. Rodgers and Hammerstein
Richard Rodgers (1902 - 1979) and Oscar Hammerstein II (1895 - 1960) were a well-known American songwriting duo, usually referred to as Rodgers and Hammerstein. With musicals such as "The Sound of Music" and "South Pacific", their songs have made into the mainstream Pop and became household names.


 
3. Burt Bacharach and Hal David
With hits such as: "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head", "This Guy's in Love with You", "I'll Never Fall in Love Again", "Do You Know the Way to San Jose", "Walk On By", "What the World Needs Now Is Love", "I Say a Little Prayer", "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me", "One Less Bell to Answer", and "Anyone Who Had a Heart".

4. Elton John & Bernie Taupin
Elton has made magic with lyricist Taupin and wrote hits such as "Your Song" and Candle In the Wind". In fact the only time he didn't use Bernie was his "Victim of Love" album which resulted with no hits.

 

 

5. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
With hits such as "Hound Dog", "Stand By Me" and Jailhouse Rock". They have written the soundtrack of the 50's and beyond.

 

 

6. Holland, Dozier, Holland
Holland-Dozier-Holland is a songwriting and production team made up of Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian Holland and Edward Holland, Jr. They are one of the greatest songwriting teams in pop music. The trio wrote and arranged many of the songs making up the Motown sound that dominated American popular music in the 1960s with hits such as "Heat Wave", "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)", "You Can't Hurry Love" and more.

 

 

7. Carole King & Gerry Goffin
With iconic hits such as "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", "Up on the Roof" and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman".

 

 

8. Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil
With pop anthems such as You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", "Never Gonna Let You Go", "Make Your Own Kind of Music". This husband and wife team went on to create songs for numerous contemporary artists, winning a number of Grammy Awards and Academy Award nominations for their compositions for film.

9. Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman
Also known collectively as "Stock Aitken Waterman", this UK team has written #1 80's iconic hits such as: "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley, "Respectable" by Mel and Kim, and more.

10. Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
They have written hits for Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Mary J Blige, etc.

 

 

 

Top 10 Most Influential Songwriters Alive

By Ira Greenfield

A few weeks ago, I sent out a tweet to ask who you think is the best songwriter alive. We received many messages on who they think is the best. This is a list I have compiled:

 

1. Bob Dylan
With inconic songs such as "Blowing In The Wind", "Like A Rolling Stone" and "Times Are A Changing", Dylan social messages ranked high above other songwriters today.

2. Paul McCartney
Paul is the most successful songwriter in the world, according to the Guiness Books of world records. With his stints in the greatest rock group in the world "The Beatles", later with "The Wings" and went on to a solo career. With his late co-writer Lennon,they are considered one of the greatest songwriting collaboration in history.

3. Elton John
He has written numerous hit songs with Bernie Taupin, their iconic songs "Your Song", "Candle In The Wind", "Rocketman". Not a day goes by that you do not hear any of these songs in a cover band in a hotel bar.

4. Neil Young
Neil has been in lengendary bands such as "Buffalo Springfield", "Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young" and later on a solo career.

5. Bruce Springsteen
With rock anthems such as "Born To Run", "Born In The USA", "Glory Days", need I say more?

6. Diane Warren
Just about every artist has cut a song written by Diane Warren. She was the first songwriter in the history of Billboard magazine to have seven hits, all by different artists, on the singles chart at the same time. Warren owns her own publishing company, Realsongs, which gives her control over her songs. Her number 1 hits include "Because You Loved Me", "Un-Break My Heart", "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing". She still remains the most in demand songwriter in the music industry today.

7. Desmond Child
Desmond has written iconic number 1 hits such as "Livin' on a Prayer", "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "Livin' La Vida Loca". His diverse list of artists such as Bon Jovi, Ricky Martin, Cher, Aerosmith and Clay Aiken, Desmond is running close to Dianne Warren.

8. Paul Simon
From his days with Garfunkel, his solo career, his stint with South Africian music, Paul has written songs that mean something.

9. Brian Wilson
Brian was the primary songwriter in The Beach Boys, also functioning as the band's main producer, composer, and arranger. In 1988, Wilson and his band-mates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which refers to him as "One of the few undisputed geniuses in popular music".

10. Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. In 2010, Cohen received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Lou Reed described Cohen as belonging to the "highest and most influential echelon of songwriters."

Songwriting Tip: Keep a Book or Recorder of Melodic Or Lyric Ideas

I sent a tweet last week and received so many comments and ideas from songwriters on how they record any ideas of melody, chords and lyric ideas.

These spur of the moment ideas can develop into a hit song or developing parts of a song when you least expect it, run out of ideas or need to finish writing a song. 

Here are some quick and simple ideas:

1. Scrap Book Paper. Have a book by your desk, bed or car handy to record any ideas you may have.

2. Flash Cards. Misha Sakharoff, a songwriter that is a fan on USA Songwriting Competition's Facebook page said he uses flash cards together with flash compatible cell phones.  He also remember to make backups once in a while.

3. Recorder. Whether it is old-schooled cassette recorder like the sony walkman recorder, MP3 or WAV recorders, this can be a great tool to record your most spontanous melodic ideas. Even hit songwriter Diane Warren records on a small tape recorder gives proof that you do not need the most advanced tools all the time.

4. Music Manuscript Staff Paper. For composer and songwriters who think in terms of melody, a quick sketch of how you want the melody to go can be great especially if you have writers block. 

5. Cell Phone. Yes, with cell phones getting more advanced these days, songwriters record ideas on thier cell phone wherever they are. China Street, a fan of USA Songwriting Competition's facebook page said "I also record mine on my cellphone and along with my mini cassette player."

 

 

USA Songwriting Competition Showcase At Bluebird Cafe

Inspite of the floods in Nashville, the Bluebird Cafe showcase, presented by the USA Songwriting Competition was a full house! A big thank you to all that showed up to support our songwriters.

Carla Cappa performing:

 

Here is a picture of 4 songwriters in a round. This "songwriters in a round" format was orginated here at the Bluebird Cafe. Since then, many showcases around the world feature this "in a round format": Jonathan Ferreri & Carla Cappa facing camera: 

 

Here is Will Hopkins performing:

 

 

Here is Anadara Arnold performing:

The Songwriters line-up included:Carla Cappa (1st Prize - Rock/Alt, 14th USA Songwriting Competition)
Greg Trafidlo (1st Prize - Novelty, 14th USA Songwriting Competition)
Sherri Gough (Finalist - 14th USA Songwriting Competition)
Anadara Arnold (Honorable Mention)
Mandee Radford, Alathea (Honorable Mention)
Will Hopkins (Honorable Mention)
Jonathan Ferreri (Honorable Mention)
Lauren Strange

Liz Miller was the host for the showcase. Thank you Liz! She took pictures and videos.Here is a video of Carla Cappa performing with Jonathan Ferreri:

 

 

Click here to see other videos from the showcase:

http://www.youtube.com/user/usasongcomp 

 

 

 

USA Songwriting Competition Podcast

Tune in to the USA Songwriting Competition Podcast.

Music featured in this episode by:

Melissa Greener – Bullets To Bite

Kyler England – You And I

Eric Colville - The End of War

Nicole Morier – Good Boy

Carla Coppa – I’m Not

Anne Simoni – Papagaio

Sarah Lonsert – Dancing Through Life

Jordan Zevon – Home

Ari Gold – Where the Music Takes You

The Waifs – Bridal Train

Kate Voegele – Only Fooling Myself

Listen to the songwriters radio podcast show here: 

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

Songwriting & Composition Tool: NOTION SLE for Miroslav Philharmonik

 NOTION SLE for Miroslav Philharmonik


Just released today, First Playback and Music Notation Tool Designed Specifically for use with IK Multimedia’s Miroslav Philharmonik. IK Multimedia and NOTION Music have created NOTION SLE for Miroslav Philharmonik™, a special version of the award-winning NOTION3 scoring software that is customized for use with the award-winning Miroslav Philharmonik orchestral library by IK Multimedia.

NOTION SLE for Miroslav Philharmonik features instrumentation and articulation presets that automatically handle all articulation changes in the background, allowing for very realistic playback directly out of the score.   Songwriters and composers no longer need to spend hours programming presets, templates and articulation changes — they can now simply focus on creating compositions.

As you write and articulate your score, NOTION SLE will follow your instructions and automatically change to the appropriate Miroslav Philharmonik articulation patch during playback to accurately and realistically perform your score. Additionally, you can take full advantage of NOTION’s live performance features and conduct the full orchestra with an unmatched level of control.

Also included is a 32 stereo channel. Virtual, full mixing console that facilitates mixdown of the score, eliminating the need for an additional DAW.  Full export controls are included for producing MusicXML, audio and MIDI. For more information, visit:
http://www.ikmultimedia.com/notionsle

GrooveMaker for the new iPad, Great Tool For Songwriting

Released for the iPhone and iPod touch in August 2009, GrooveMaker has become one of the most popular mobile loop remixing apps. The GrooveMaker Free version has consistently been in the top 100 music apps with over 600,000 downloads, and the entire GrooveMaker family features 11 style-based apps for the most popular genres of music.
 
GrooveMaker for the new iPad offers the same smart features and streamlined workflow as the iPhone/iPod version for making music with loops, but also takes advantage of the new larger multi-touch surface to provide enhanced operation with an integrated, advanced controller.

Users will find a convenient mixer-like environment with large slider controls for volume, pan and master volume of the 8 controllable loop tracks, plus instant access to tempo, solo and mute functions all on the same screen.  

Also, GrooveMaker for iPad adds even more control when working with loops, providing a new level of creative flexibility.  Users can now switch “snapped” grooves with a single touch, plus control the number of loops that are automatically combined during a random mix. GrooveMaker iPad is the perfect addition to a DJ set, providing unlimited creative flexibility in live remixing and DJ applications.

GrooveMaker House, Hip-Hop and D’n’B contain over 300 loops each and are only $9.99/€7.99 from the iTunes App Store.

For more information on the new GrooveMaker for iPad apps, please visit:
http://www.GrooveMaker.com/ipad