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We (co-writer Jeffrey Ullsperger and I) are in the same situation as many other songwriters (perhaps not so much with singer songwriters). This is where the best place to pitch a song to an Artists is?

We have had about 40 songs demo'ed. These are more in the folk/country genre'. These are more traditional country songs. Perhaps this style of song is not so popular now ?

Whatever here is an example of the lyrics we have written. What are peoples thoughts on this.

These songs are on www.broadjam.com/lyrics

Song - Montana Mountains.
 
 
verse #1
Montana Mountains, your son has come home,
Through majestic forests and valleys I now roam.
I look upon your mighty peak’s, towering above,
Their grandeur is what I can't help but love.
 
 
chorus
Montana Mountains, reaching for the sky,
Take me to a special place,
To nature's perfect high.
You're beauty captures my heart,
I will be yours faithfully.
So Montana Mountains won't you,
Please speak to me.
 
verse #2
By the campfire’s glow, at night all alone,
I am comforted knowing you're part of my soul. 
Surrounded by your beauty, every night and day,
The sun, the moon and stars do light my way.
 
chorus
Montana Mountains, reaching for the sky,
Take me to a special place,
To nature's perfect high.
You're beauty captures my heart,
I will be yours faithfully.
So Montana Mountains won't you,
Please speak to me.
 
bridge
When I die one day,
And home is Heaven above.
I’ll ask for a room with a view,
Of the mountains that I love.

Instrumental
 
chorus
Montana Mountains, reaching for the sky,
Take me to a special place,
To nature's perfect high.
You're beauty captures my heart,
I will be yours faithfully.
So Montana Mountains won't you,
Please speak to me.
Montana Mountains won't you,
Please speak to me.
 
Copyright © 2016. Ross Mabey / Jeffrey Ullsperger.

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Nobody knows. This song sounds like something John Denver would have done in 1975. It's a nice song, but I have no idea who would do it today.


Colin

I try to critique as if you mean business.....

http://colinwardmusic.com/

http://rosewoodcreekband.com/


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Hey Ross! I listened to a couple of your tunes on Broadjam. Nice work - and excellent singing. After listening, I think it may be better to pitch yourself. Do you do live shows? Good luck with your journey where ever it takes you.

Best, John smile

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"Traditional country" is a term that relates to who is using it. The "Traditional country" now would be the country of the 90's. The country of the 70's is pretty much long gone and there are not going to be anyone interested in it. People who of that age bracket, 50's to 60's, etc. have already lived that and writing it themselves. They don't need yours.

That is pretty much true of ALL forms of music now. It is written by the artist who is performing it, their friends and co-writers, the companies they record for, publishing companies that employ them, you know, the people that SIGN THEIR CHECKS.

The answer to your question, "Where is the best place to pitch to an artist?" WRITING WITH THAT ARTIST, THEIR INNER CIRCLE, OR THEIR PRODUCERS. You are trying to find the artists of today who are going to be stars or in the limelight of the next 3-5 years.

In the late 90's when the bottom started falling out of the music industry due to downloading, the industry changed the way it did business. It was no longer interested in songs, and all focused on artists. Hit writers, publishers, etc. did the development, management, production and all phases of an artists career, and record labels came in later in the process, after an artist was already developed.

If you have been working with a group of people for two-three years, you are in no way going outside for songs. You are really not allowed to.

So your goal now should be is recruiting artists to write with. By building those relationships, you might be able to get some pitches on your existing material. But most of the time, it is going to be what you write with the artists or inner circles that gain attention. Outside of that, you have a nice song for your own web site.

MAB

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Hi Marc, Thank you for your constructive, positive feedback it is greatly appreciated.

We have tried writing to various Artists with limited success. We have written in different styles to show that we are adaptable. However, Hip Hop is where I don't feel very comfortable. However, we could give it a try again. Finding a list of artists and their email addresses is something we need to do.

No one seems to be interested in social issues these days.


Last edited by RossM; 11/26/16 12:55 AM. Reason: may be too controversial
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Hi John, Unfortunately that was not me singing. Jason Adams was the Demo Artist. The lyrics were written by Jeffrey Ullsperger and myself.

All The Best.

Ross.

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Hi Colin, These songs were written in various styles to demonstrate adaptability.

Last edited by RossM; 11/26/16 05:54 AM.
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Hey Ross!

Welcome to JPFolks!!!!

Glad you could sign-up and join us!!!!

Now, take a deep breath and settle in:-)

Midnite


Satchel was right. Something is gaining on me.

The Shoebox & Dinner at Eight trailers available at:

http://www.twometer.com/Two_Meter_Studios/HOME.html
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Hi Midnite, Thanks for the welcome. Its Sunset time here in the Land of OZ (Melbourne)on Saturday evening. will a few deep breathes and chill out. Have a great weekend. Ross.

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There is an audience for every genre and style of music ever written, the problem is finding it. What radio plays is what ever the major labels says to play, not necessarily what the listening audience want to hear. Most of what we hear today is singer/songwriters, which is good for them, they get exposure that they might never get otherwise. But writers that are not singers get lost in the shuffle, no matter how good you are. Watch out going the singer development route. Many a good singer is lacking in other ingredients' necessary to make it in the music world. One big one is work etic, sticktoitness( I believe I just invented a new word.)lol

Good luck finding the right outlet for your music, like looking for a needle in a haystack.

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In 1998, I, along with about 150 of Nashville's top writers, were in a very high level panel discussion in a record company boardroom. I was there as a committee member of The Songwriter's guild. We were there to hear of this new thing coming called "THE INTERNET." On the dias were two record company presidents, two of the largest publishing company presidents, hit songwriters, and members of ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, NSAI and the Songwriter's Guild.
In the audience was every major hit writer at that time. Also on the dias were two "TECH" guys who represented the coming technical changes.

The dialogue went on and on with the theme being how great the coming InterWEB (that was what it was called then.) was going to be, we would be able to get our music every where, artists wouldn't have to tour, we would have all kinds of new customers worldwide. It all sounded good.

Toward the end, one of the tech guys said "In the future, songwriters will have to get used to not having royalties, because they won't be there." There was a long silence and Pat Alger, one of the hottest writers raised his hands and said "How will songwriters make a living?" The tech guy said, "You won't."

The room exploded and everyone was arguing and yelling. But the tech guys were talking about the pay method would change, that downloading would pay for itself and all the things you all know today. And as you know, it hasn't. And in my estimation. never will. When something is made FREE, it never gets back to it's former glory.

What the industry did from the side of publishing and writers, the landscape changed. Publishing deals went away. Publishing companies went from publishing to "fee for service" song pluggers. And the hit writers, became their own talent scouts. Finding the artists long before anyone else had a shot at them, developing them, writing songs, doing recordings, building everything just like the record companies had done.

Record companies became distributors and came in later in the game. They expected artists with healthy existing fan bases, and VERY INVOLVED with social media. Artists start much younger and 14 and 15 years old. They write their songs (if you can call them that) record them on their camera phones, and put them on FACEBOOK AND YOU TUBE. They don't think they need anyone else.

That is the problem for all of us .We have to FIND them first. And "having an address" is not going to cut it. you have to get out of the living room and go meet them. Every area in the world have talent nights, writers nights, open mics, karaoke nights, etc. They are on every social media site.

But if you have ever dealt with anyone you don't know on social media sites, you realize the problems with that. Computer viruses, identity theft, and downright creepy people are rampant. So it comes back to PERSONAL meetings.

I've been watching this now from Nashville, for over 20 years and see writers remain frustrated when they try to do an Internet only approach. And I have watched how artists have dealt with it. Here is the realities.

If you want cuts on your songs, you are going to have to write them WITH artists, their producers, their inner circles, members of their bands, etc. The day of the "outside pitch" is dead and gone, just like the 8 track player.

If you are based on an "Internet only approach", you will get an "Internet only result". Which is FREE, mindless pop up ads, misdirection and even if you do get anything, it will probably NOT be what you think you are getting.

The people who succeed are the ones who have the PERSONAL touch.
The Internet has done some interesting things. While connecting us in ways we have never been connected before, it has also put a distance between us and DIVIDED us like no time before. Any one that has just experienced the vitriol, anger, bitterness, and downright insulting nature of people online, see that with a wall separating us, we say things we would never say to someone's face.
It has turned downright nasty in many instances. If you think an artist is going to wade through that to find music, you are not thinking clearly.

The era of the outside songwriter is over. I'm sorry, but that is the truth. You are going to have to find ways to GET INSIDE. And that can often be easier than you imagine. Showing up on a night where not many other people are there to support a new artist, might pay off dividends you can never imagine.

I've been doing totally this for nearly 40 years, as an artist, a writer, publisher, producer, now, mentor, teacher, and everything in between. Everyone I've ever met, including myself, have the really best relationships
with those people that were there at the beginning or the times when no one else showed up.

Want to get cuts? That is what you are going to have to do.

MAB

Last edited by Marc Barnette; 11/26/16 02:12 PM.
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I tend to disagree with the idea that nobody is interested in social issues these days. I feel there is an abundance of interest; it's just that there's so much gridlock that not enough gets done in a positive manner. The election proved that for sure.

I have been asking the same questions about pitching songs for years, and the best way is probably to find a small-time artist who tends not to write his or her own songs much. Throughout the years there have been artists who have excelled both as songwriters along with covering songs written by others.

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Beechnut,

The problem with social issues is that you alienate half your audience no matter which side you take on. And now it is not just disagreeing with you. It is going after you on social media, it is personal insults and diatribes, it is going to your job and trying to get you fired, it is going after your family. It is a very nasty area out there.

For artists, FACEBOOK and YOU TUBE will end more careers than drugs and alcohol ever did. Everyone gets on their rants, get vitriolic. And EVERYONE has a platform now. The old days of protests, and standing around the drum circle singing "Where have all the flowers gone?" Have left in lieu of the riots, burning cars, assaulting police and the breakdowns of order we see in cities and countries worldwide.

No one NEEDS issue songs to make their opinion heard. And again, the people who do those kinds of songs WRITE those kinds of songs. Exactly which of your songs do you think you could get Bono or Bob Dylan to do?

Issue oriented songs on ANYTHING are THE MOST COMMON SONGS written. Because songwriters and artists see things every day on the news, Internet, have causes they believe in, and they write about that. They don't CARE ABOUT YOUR VERSION OF THOSE ISSUES, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN.

And that is the key to all of this. You are going to have to find ways to do what they can't do themselves. Yes, finding the people who don't write much themselves is a good first step. But you also have to realize that those people also have large egos, and you haven't quite lived until you sit across from a 15 year old that thinks they know more than you do. And don't mind telling you that.

The key to doing this is the same as hiring an employee. Find who is performing in your area. Read reviews. Stay abreast of the local scene of songwriters. Attend songwriter's groups. Find out who is hot in an area. Pay attention to coffee houses or small venues.
Go to some shows. Meet the performers. Watch how they react to people off the stage. Check out their social media, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, You Tube.
Get to know them. Ask if they are open to co-writing. Ask if they are open to listening to outside material. You might get lucky.

But it has to be PERSONAL INTERACTION.

All I have ever tried to do on this or any other social media site is to get people to get out of their living rooms and be physically involved with their communities. If you do that, you will find your world change and things you are asking for happen more than you realize.

Just saying from experience.

MAB

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Well,
After a while people get tired of the same old thing and start looking for something new. I got a couple of Music Catalogs that offered a few re-releases on LP Records! Now who ever thought Records would be offered again by anybody! On top of that they are offering Compact Record Players that are self contained like a suitcase and 3 speeds. And there are also Turntables in the catalogs, so I guess more than a few records are still being sold as well as people that have large collections.

Several years ago I bought a couple of books, the first is the Ultimate Fake Book with over 700 Country songs and sheet music. The second is a Reference Book, Entitled, Who Wrote that Song?
I had forgotten about them until my Brother-In-Law reminded me as he is taking lessons on the guitar. You never when something will make a change. Keep writing!


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RossM Offline OP
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Hi Marc,

The question is if there is an issue that people believe to be important are we going to ignore it and hope it goes away or accept the flack that comes with it?


Ross.


Last edited by RossM; 11/27/16 05:12 AM.
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Ross,

I'm not making any comments on the song itself at all. I believe you come from a mistaken assumption that NO ONE ELSE see's this or are saying anything about it. The fact is exactly the opposite. Nearly EVERYBODY sees it and if they are songwriters, they say something about it.

Literally about every fifth song that is performed, recorded, or even written, on any writers night, any pitches, anything, are "ISSUE oriented songs." I have heard literally hundreds of songs about the same subject as this. "Drowning in debt", "A trillion dollars here, a trillion dollars there, pretty soon you are talking about real money", DON'T THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING?" "WHERE HAS OUR COUNTRY GONE?" Pretty much word for word what you have here. It is really not that a unique idea.

But you don't hear them on radio? Why? Because radio doesn't DO ISSUES. It has no interest in alienating half it's audience. You see, YOU think that a trillion dollar debt is a terrible thing, yet half the people in this country don't think we spend ENOUGH. So you might come off as a "penny pincher who wants old people and children to starve in the streets just because you don't want to spend any money on them."

Those people would tell you that you are an evil captitilst and all you care about is the almighty dollar and you are using up the natural resources and you DESERVE to be driven into the ground. Have you actually SEEN anything Hollywood has turned out in the past 15 years? Have you not seen Leonardo Decprio telling YOU that YOU ARE THE EVIL OF HUMANITY AND NEED TO BE DESTROYED BEFORE YOU DESTROY THE EARTH!

You see, now ANY ISSUE, no matter how benign, can be twisted into something it was never intended. And there is a mindset of people that believe YOU deserve everything you get. You see those people in the streets, you see them creating havoc. Their main reason? BECAUSE YOU DESERVE IT BECAUSE YOU HAVE CREATED SO MUCH HAVOC IN THE REST OF THE WORLD.

Artists, actors, musicians, poets, authors, are NOT having any LACK of comments on social issues. The problem is GETTING THEM TO SHUT UP! They are on every news program, every talk show, every point of their lives. They eat up the blogosphere with their issues.

They can't have a Broadway play without lecturing a politician after it's over instead of taking their curtain call. They can't do an awards show without giving a twenty minute diatribe on their political pet causes, while the theme music is trying to get them off the stage. You can't go five minutes on television without some commercial with some overpaid Hollywood celebrity giving THEIR take on what EVERYONE ELSE SHOULD DO. But of course don't ask THEM TO DO IT!
You can't watch a football game without them taking a knee during the National anthem, wearing a Communist t-shirt, spewing out gobbeldy gook, on a press conference and then telling people they have NEVER VOTED IN THEIR LIVES.

My question to you would be WHAT ISSUE DO YOU THINK IS NOT BEING PAID ATTENTION TO? Because that is just about ALL I hear and each one is as out of touch and as boring as the next. They are quite simply, "EYE ROLLERS" and opportunities to go to the restroom or make that phone call you were needing to make.

So yes, you can make your statement. Why should you be any different? Everyone ELSE seems to be displaying their pet issue. Why not yours?

But if you think for one second that there is any issue that is not being addressed, I suggest you do a GOOGLE search. On any issue, you will find songs, poems, screen plays, television shows, movies, commercials, or pretty much someone saying SOMETHING about it.

Personally I would just appreciate if most of these people would SHUT UP AND SING. I don't need them to RAISE MY AWARENESS. I'm already pretty aware.

MAB

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Hi Marc, I rarely write about these issues. I prefer to write the old favourite love songs that have endured the test of time.

However, when I feel that the issues are being ignored I add my bit to it. Not that my contribution is going to make much difference. My intention is NOT to rile everyone but to have a discussion on this subject as to how effective a songwriter is highlighting these issues.

You have a unique insight that most of us don't always have the opportunity to see.

Thanks for sharing them.

Ross.

Last edited by RossM; 11/27/16 06:34 AM.
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There is nothing wrong with a good protest song! That being said, the chances of getting one published are nil.

To play devil's advocate, I would certainly be more willing to listen to an unknown or indie artist performing a "social issues" tune than some spoiled Hollywood celebrity lecturing me on how to live (while they have the carbon footprint of an entire town!).

If you are moved to write a protest song, just write it! I may even listen to it. Who knows? If it is really good, you may get lots of people to listen.

Peace,
TC


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Hi Ross:

Welcome to JPF. Pitching! The most difficult aspect of the process today. Too many songwriters, too many performers and too many people with different tastes. As TC advises, protest songs are fine... but don't bet the farm on getting a cut.

Write what pleases you and if you find an audience, find out what makes them "tick musically" and find a way to tap into that channel. Having talent is not enough today. Promotion takes money and influence and most of us will never even get near those two parts of the equation.

Write because you love writing. Consider it a hobby until someone with real influence comes along and says, "Let's try making an album... or something in that direction." Miserable odds, my friend... but never impossible.

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I have written very few if any song lyrics covering social issues. I mentioned that because it had previously been brought up. Most of my recent efforts are throwbacks to the kind of traditional country that you don't hear as much on mainstream radio these days. And I have a rather small presence on social media. The company that does my demos has urged me to get a video up on YouTube but so far haven't done it.

I did, however, self-publish a book which I would hope more people would look up and read that DOES deal with a social issue. Inspired by an actual occurrence, JUDAS TIMES SEVEN, published by AuthorHouse, is a story of greed, betrayal and jealousy in the modern workplace where office politics and political correctness trump reason; where petty jealousies can and often do lead to real-world consequences. Part of the reason I wrote and self-published this is to illustrate the fact that today's workplace is often a hostile and unfair place that has little or no regard for any kind of fairness. Hope at least a few of you will check this one out.

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Well, when you stop to think about, SIXTEEN TONS, which is a true classic, is an issues-oriented song. That one stuck out when I saw the line about drowning in debt.

As far as an issue which I feel doesn't get covered as much as it should, mine is the unfairness of today's workplace, where one can now get fired over much less than in the days when they usually had to have a very good reason for doing so. I'd like to see us go to more of a system where a just cause would be needed. If we did this I think a lot less of us would be leaving jobs on their own accord. That's my soapbox for right now.

I shall now add that the irony here is that back around the 1890s there was so much more labor unrest than right now, even though in that earlier time there was no safety net such as unemployment insurance.

Last edited by beechnut79; 11/27/16 07:57 PM.
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Sounds just like the odds of winning your state's lottery. I guess getting further in music is a lottery in and of itself.

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If there is a plus side to all of this it is that there are so many more outlets for folks to get their stuff heard than there were in the pre-Internet days. Then you had these shady outfits in the tabloids that you never knew were real or not. And that may be the plus side to social media, and that is that it is much harder to get away with a lot of fakery, this despite things like ID thefts being a major problem.

Here is a song written for one who passed away without reaching her musical dreams:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q1UqD5yt18

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Beechnut, Ray, and many others here.
I always here about your fondness for "classic country music." You all seem to like the "older style" and wonder where that can be found today.

Well, as I have said on many occasions, that type of music IS MOST CERTAINLY AROUND. Just often you have to find it. And as usual, I have a personal example.

One of my very good friends is songwriter/artist/radio personality, SCOTT SOUTHWORTH. Scott, orignionally from Oregon, has been in Nashville about 11 years and has spent a lot of that as host of the MUSIC ROW SHOW, on WSM radio. (home of the Grand Old Opry. the radio numbers are 650 AM on WSM on Sunday nights.
He and his partner Heino Molleor, host Nashville's top writers, artists and producers and give a behind the scenes look at the realities of the music industry.

Scott is also an EXCELLENT singer/songwriter specializing in those kinds of songs many of you would like. Recently, he has picked up a following in Europe, most notably, England, and has a chart record shooting up there. (Many of Nashville's hit writers and some older artists are now finding new life across the big pond.)
In response to the demand, he has a new song, WHISKEY BOTTLE, and last Saturday we filmed the video on the song. He released it on THANKSGIVING DAY on YOU TUBE AND FACEBOOK and it is really cool.
In addition, yours truly plays the guitar player in the band here. Hey, I can FAKE MY WAY through anything! LOL! The actual guitar player on the record is BRENT MASON who is Nashville's current top studio player. So I FAKE FROM THE BEST!

I hope this might scratch some of your collective itches for some "old style country, "HONKY TONK" music. If you like it, let him know by commenting and sharing the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCo-EzhkHrE&feature=youtu.be

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Catchy tune with a nice hook, Marc. Some solid production, too.

Some really nice slide guitar playing going on in that tune.

Peace,
TC


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Marc,
Traditional Country Music has always been popular in a lot of Europe. Not sure how it is today but there were DJ's over there that had to buy, or were given the music they played. For a long time ROSE MARIE, by Slim Whitman was the number one song and held the Number One spot of the song that stayed at the top of the Charts the longest. Slim Whitman and Traditional Country was what inspired the Beatles. Again, not trying to return to yesterday or Traditional Country just want good music that you, or me would buy and play. All of the Old Country Music is still in the Catalogs,on CD now and sells. And I know it is hard to write new good songs. Getting someone to listen today is even harder. Most don't even accept submissions today. Even the good writer's in Nashville are rejected by people that can do something with a song.


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Thanks for listening TC. Yes, Scott is one of those writers I am priveledged to know, who walks the walk and talks the talk. There are many people I know that are amazing writers and artists but just have not gotten the recognition they deserve. Scott is one of those. Great songs, and very much in the CLASSIC country style. The CD is "When The Last Honky tonk Closes" and is a great piece of work.

He uses the top studio players, who play on the hit records. Steel, guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, all are tremendous players and you have probably heard many things they have done on the radio. One of the great things about recording here is you can hire the same guys who play on your favorite hit records for not much more than you would spend on anything recording wise. And there is nothing like having the "REAL GUYS" on your recordings.

Once I was producing a session on a client and we got to the guitar overdubs. I asked him what kind of sound he would like on the electric guitar. He said, "I'd really like that sound and attitude Garth Brooks had on "FRIENDS IN LOW PLACES."
I pushed the talk back button and said "Chris, do that sound you used on Low Places." The guitar player was CHRIS LUZENGER, who actually PLAYED on "Friends in Low Places."

Scott uses those same people. I'm proud of him for that.
MAB

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Ray,

You and I actually have similar tastes in music. I was always partial to Johnny Horton, Homer and Jethro, and Ray Charles doing the "Modern Hits of Country and Western." There is great demand around the world for that type of music, it is just hard to get NEW music like that pushed, because the radio formats here never support it. But with the Internet, That ultimate of two edge swords, it is out there all the time. But we all have to find our "niche." My friend Scott is doing just that.

For four years, he has attended the "BELFAST TO NASHVILLE SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL" in March. People have gotten to know him through that, and his music has spread to England, where, as you say, there is a great appetite for it. Much like there is a great appetite here for English R&B music.

You had mentioned that Vinyl is making a comeback, which I mentioned a few years ago, and one of the songs I wrote with Jim Peterik is called "VINYL REVIVAL." Sales are indeed up, and record players are selling all over now. It is a rennessance.

But you can't expect little blurbs to re-invent the format. It won't. You just have to be happy, that the kinds of music you like is out there, with the old records, renewed interests in artists and songs, and like this, NEW MUSIC that does come out.

Might not hear it on Mainstream radio, but you can find it.

MAB

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But don't you think that sooner or later if the demand increases that radio programmers will take not and start including it more. And do any of you feel that a new traditionalist movement in country music could be right around the corner?

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Beechnut,

No. Because music never moves backward. There will be elements of it, and actually there are elements in it, people like Chris Stapleton, and others are somewhat a "throwback" to the earlier times. But that should never be thought of as changing the landscape.

The reason is that the INFLUENCES of the people who write, record, are artists, produces the records, populate the industry landscape. They are FAR FAR removed from that era. The listeners, are FAR FAR REMOVED from that era. They enjoy some of the older stuff, George Jones, and Johnny Cash. But they are as likely to be influenced as much by Snoop Dog, John Mayer, and Taylor Swift.

There are no more 'JUST COUNTRY" listeners. Now people have thousands of songs on their phones, computers, I pods. They have classic country, but the next song will be some rap or hip hop song. That is why the "crossover." And I contend it has always been that way.

Conway Twitty "crossed over" because the "rock and roll"he was doing no longer supported his style. Rock changed in the 60's and 70's and so did country. It always does.

And while there are always "retro artists", (Dwight Yokum in the 80's was a throwback to Buck Owens, k.d.lang was a throwback to Patsey Cline) they are abberations and don't "reset" the playing field.

Label execs look at sales figures and market reports. And what sells the most are always the more mondern sounding things. Because the AUDIENCE is into that. Do you know why music is marketed to the young? Because they are the ones who go to the shows, who buy merchandise, who join fan clubs.

Would you imagine 30 plus people doing that? Are you kidding me? They are dealing with health care, child care, schools. dealing with jobs. They are not going to go out at 10:00 on a Monday or Tuesday night to support some new band or singer.

People stop listening to NEW music around 30 years old. They don't listen to the current radio. So they don't buy the cars, the alcohol, the various things that terrestrial radio advertises. So the products they are interested in are more expensive cars, insurance, Viagra, Cialis, which you see on television and in other uses like the Internet they tune into.

The biggest money makers? The Dinosaur rock groups, The Eagles, Kiss, Fleetwood Mac, Kansas, Boston, etc. that tour during the Summers. JIMMY BUFFETT.
But if you have NEW groups LIKE that, they don't follow those people. They stick with what they know.

With the Internet you have MILLIONS of options. There are all kinds of people doing what you are liking. I just showed you one with Scott. But younger people are going to look at that as "OLD PEOPLE'S MUSIC." Believe me, that is EXACTLY what anyone under
35 years old thinks of what you are liking.

Disliking what the generations before us like is as American as Apple Pie. And goes back throughout history. I am sure one day they will find some cave drawing of some older cave man, telling his cave teenage son, "HOW IT WAS BACK IN HIS DAY."

Find the music you like. Support those artists. Go to their web sites and order a CD. Enjoy it. Support your heroes that you grew up with.They are PLAYING the casinos in your area.

But don't expect the world to go backwards, especially in music, just because YOU WISH IT DID. It never works that way.

MAB

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John Mayer and Snoop Dogg are a bit long in the tooth these days as well. I can't even remember the last time I heard anything about Mayer.. is he still releasing new music?


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Let's face it, RADIO is not the dominant medium for music anymore. Those days are over. Most people I know listen to their mobile device or XM in the car, and NO one listens to the radio at home anymore.

Radio is shrinking influence in a generation of expanding technologies and platforms. A lot of older people I know opt for talk radio when they do listen to the radio (which is not often).

Let's say that some type of music you love (traditional country or roots rock, or w/e) starts getting a bunch of airplay on some stations. It's not going to make a huge difference in the music landscape. And, it's certainly not going to generate a big income stream. By the way, you better have friends at Clear Channel.

It sucks for new artists. Everyone expects free downloads. The album format is all but gone so everything has to be a 'hit' - no sleepers anymore. Bands are making the same money per night in clubs that I made in the 1980s starting out. And radio is irrelevant.

Peace,
TC


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TC,

That is actually a very popular myth, along with Bigfoot and "The record labels are all going to fail. Sounds good saying it but unfortunately very wrong. Terrestrial radio is still how about 70% people get their INITIAL introduction to artists, songs, etc. The RIAA and other pretty much every other label and company do intense research every year and those stats are still borne out.If that were true they would never spend billions of dollars on advertising on the "old standbys. They would skip that completely. They don't. The major parts of their marketing budget (and they have pretty healthy profits) are spent on Terrestrial marketing. The Internet is too wide and dispersed to focus ONE artist or song. People are scattered. That's the way people are FOCUSED. Everyone doesn't have satallite radio. Everyone doesn't do pod casting. Many do. But it is far from "EVERYBODY."

They do get a lot of music from the Internet, Satalite etc. but just like there is still ABC, CBS and NBC, there are still terrestrial stations that basically rule the roost in how people get their initial information on artists.

It's the same as the "Major labels are all going away." Nonsense. They simply diversify into other areas, many of them most people never even realize, corporations have a LOT of tentacles. It is always a fun thing to believe in like Santa Clause, but in reality is pretty different.

But like always, we will see. I personally just wouldn't get too caught up in it.

MAB

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I'd say give up trying to get your music to an artist. Unless you know someone in taht artist's entourage, it ain't gonna happen. Even if you did, it would have to be a blockbuster for anyone to record it. It's not enough for your song to sound as good as "what is in the radio", because the artist or people in the artists entourage are writing those songs, and if your song is not a blockbuster, they way they look at it is like this: Why should they cut you in when anyone in their entourage can write a song just as good and better?

Write a blockbuster, and maybe, just maybe, you might have a chance.

Short of that, google "how to license your music to film and TV" and go from there -- the reason is that to license a song for film and tV, often they just want a generic "country" or "bar song", or "singer/songwriter" etc, type song and it doesn't have to be a hit. But, for film/tv licensing the demo must be a master.

Good luck


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Hey Ross,

In my view, there is no longer a "pitch to an artist" kind of thing left. Sure, if you know the artist, that's fine, but if you don't, then good luck.

Most artists write their own material and/or collaborate with pure songwriters who make their work better.

An outsider ? It's not impossible, but highly improbable.

If you're just a song writer then mix with your local community of musicians. You might just make an impression if your work is "worthy".

cheers, niteshift



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