JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Songwriter Message Forum Are my songs worth promoting ?

Hi,

Are my songs worth promoting ?

If you would like to have a listen please hear them at:

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/7/davetryner_music.htm

Thanks,
David

If you have to ask, you may have answered you own question!

------------------
bc

D.

I think you have a fine voice, and obviously have taken much time with your music. If you want a yes or no, I say yes.

Keep writing,

But most of all keep Believing and working hard toward more polished productions.

your buddy in music,

Todd Layne Thompson
Songwriter (BMI)

Hi David,not what I'm use to listening to,
yet I find for the most part,they are well
done.Very relaxing ,to me I found the
voice and music similar to John Berry who
I very much enjoy listening to.(Are my songs
worth promoting)Think outside the circle
go for it.

Honestly, it's not something I would put in my CD player.

I would not play metallica in my cd player,but this does not mean that
other people do not enjoy their music.

I listened to a few of your songs.
Addressing these in line with the question.
Yes I think they are worth developing and pedalling.
All I listened to had a fel I can't say brought any similar writing style to mind, and that is a plus to my mind.
All, did have lines in them I felt needed looking at as to musical flow.
Not many songs by anybody don't have that factor.
You don't say if you have aspirations of beimg the artist to perform the songs, but with a little bit of work, I do believe you cou8ld present your own amterial live at least.
And probably sell a few CDs along the way.
I liked the differant to my ears sound you have vocally, and where I think it could be taken.
Music wise.
If that is you doing the backing tracks, I feel you would be well served to try a composing program like Jammer from www.soundtrek.com to enhance and vary what your natural talent puts out.
If the tracks are done using a program, I suggest you give Jammer a try both seperatly and also melded with the one you have.
Remember, there is an audience, and so a market for every sort of song ever writen.
Trick is to find the dang thing, and to meet it.
Best of luck with it.
Graham




------------------
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/2/grahamhenderson_music.htm

Cody, lol...I would listen to Metallica in my CD player. I wasn't hinting this dudes' music isn't worth the time for him to move forward with, just not my cup of tea. It does need a lot of polishing before it would be industry acceptable however.

Keep at it, you'll find your market.

Thanks A1C for the clarification,I just
hate to see people get discouraged.That's
is why I say think outside the circle.
By the way I have read a lot of your lyrics,
where do I find your audio.


[This message has been edited by cody sloan Jr (edited 11-07-2005).]

The songs are very good, and as such, the answer is "yes".

There's a big ongoing debate about the need for polished and 'radio-ready' production values on song demos.

Although a significant minority still contend that a clear-sounding piano and vocals or guitar and vocals rendition is enough...

The majority seem to contend that, since publishers don't appear to have the ears they used to (and more importantly, aren't willing to shell out the money for good demos themselves like they used to), a presentation that sounds like it's already on the radio is necessary to get a fair hearing.

With that in mind, I would say this... take what you feel are your three best songs, check for specific feedback on final tweaks to the lyric that you might deem necessary, if at all, and then consider going into a proper recording studio... or hiring a demo studio (there are plenty of good ones for country in Nashville that you can correspond with through e-mail and phone).

If you're looking to promote yourself as well as your songs, then go ahead and do the singing... I liked your voice and your style.

If you're just looking to promote the songs, there are some great demo singers available 'for a song' in Nashville.

d.atryner--Hey, I'm not a professional critic, first off. I listened to the first song, only. I really liked that one.Very nice lyrics. Is it worth promoting? You'll never know anything until you try it. Every one has an opinion on what they like or dislike. The opinion that counts, is the one you need to get.I don't no where that is or how to get it, maybe someone can help you on here.(JPF) Again, good job. terribob

------------------
http://www.soundclick.com/bpficklen

I think you should go on to CD Baby and browse through the Country albums on there and listen to a lot of tracks. (Check out Eve Selis for some really well done commercial music from an Indie artist who won 2 awards last year from JPF).

I'd say upon a brief listen to several of your tracks you're somewhere around the middle of the pack.. meaning 40-60% percentile. That shouldn't be too discouraging but should also indicate you have a long way to go to be in the top 1 or 2% it takes to break through commercially. To pour money into something, you need to be up near the top 5% or better. To really break through, you need to in the top 1 or 2 percent. So though you might be better than half of your peers, (which is positive), I think you need to listen to more music and keep working at it to improve. That's just one opinion.. feel free to ignore. You're the only judge that really matters when it comes to your own career.

Brian

I like your music, and I will say "yes".

Cody, u can check out some of my audio on: www.myspace.com/officialjadenmichaels (the song she recorded for me is Fly Away) and you can also goto www.myspace.com/ianmaxion to hear 2 other songs of mine. He recorded "Try Imagining" and "Nothins Gonna Make Me".

Enjoy

Greg

Thanks Greg ,Fly away nice song,strong
vocals for a 14yr old.

Thanks Cody.

Yeah, Fly Away began radio rotation in Santa Clarita, California today. I'm pretty happy about that.

David,

I've been thinking about your question for a few days. It's hard to answer. On the one hand, most of what you've written appeals to what I'd call the young teenage girl market (I have 4 daughters, so I feel qualified to say that ).

On the other hand, "I'll Say I Love You" is a winner. There's just something really nice about it that could very well jump out of the ordinary with the right performer.

Good luck with it!!

Though I am not professional, I have witnessed a lot on the topic being a record collector, and knowing those who were close to the scene. I established 3 important conclusions.

1. Musicians, producers, and music insiders make terrible forecasters: There are all kinds of pivitol acts from decades back whose influences are still felt in the music scene because they got lucky and met someone that fell in love with their music when the critics, musicians and marketing insiders were calling them terrible musicians.
Bands such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Chicago.
They would have never been heard if they were deprndent on musical insiders, producers, and musicians. Same with Dylan and Elvis.
Zep's company even wanted them to drop John Bohnam.
Hard to believe.

Often it took someone with a lot of money and connections that could bank roll them.
They were often not musicians themselves or had nothing to do with the "inside" track themselves.
They were schrewd and were often record collectors with stores.

2. Thinking what's marketable makes for quality music: Just tell me, what the hell is quality music?
Yeah, you may not pop it into your CD player or most people would'nt for that matter.
Very few have had more than a minority of the population buying their music anyway.
They acquired that cult following and it made a splash on the masses.

3.Thinking you have to spend hundreds on lessons to play a certain way: I hear many musicians with great physical playing talent thinking they have to spend tons of money on some washed up musician to show them how to play music a certain way.
As funny as it may sound to the "pros", if they listened to my mp3's, I have taken guitar lessons.
Not that I have playing skills worth crap.
Contemporary music forms don't require that.
Not that I am knockin the craft, many do have that.
I have stuff laying around from the period I took lessons that people off the net have indicated they like even better than what I have up. But that is not what I want to do.
Music is a lot deeper to me than that.
I'm not in it to do it how someone else does it.
I would have more fun in the so-called lyrics forums (no offense).
I think words in a song should support a melody, thus being lyrics.
Some of the biggest songs would be deemed as incoherent in many lyric foruns.
Because lyrics is not the same as poetry.
I know many would disagree.
I can't be the only one here that starts a song out with a riff.
I guess what I am trying to say is that music is subjective.
Although I know I am right about that one.

To the lyrics forums credit and especially here, they offer good tips on word structure.
I would probably learn a lot more from them than an over paid hack.
And they do it for free.
If you really felt like doing things everyone else's way that than that is one thing.
People get so trapped in the genre zoo that that limits creativity.
I would rather go nowhere with it than look back and know that I cheapened myself just to kiss the ass of some marketer or to spend many $$$ taking lessons from a "do it this way" hack.
If I wanted to do that, I could save much money going back to my local store for $15 lessons.

I guess it is all a matter of your perogotive.
I do not underestmate the critiques from those involved in making music either.
But musicians can only tell me what works for them, getting the chops down, and where I might be able to go with my individual goals.
Not "how" I can.

Judge between what musicians and non-musicians say with your recordings, and you would be amazed.
I had to do a lot of soul searching to come to these thoughts.
Even though I should have known all along.

I hope you keep it from your heart.

Just some thoughts from a no-rank amateur that has followed many acts.

Better to run in the wilderness than to be owned.

Matt

Just to describe better with conclusion 3.
Talent is not the same as craft.

Craft takes creativeness, talent takes commiting and excelling to a given standard.
Even though it might not say that in Webster's.

As Zappa would say, "shuddup! Just play the damn guitar!"

Matt

[This message has been edited by My Name? (edited 11-19-2005).]

Hi,

Thank you to all of you who have replied to this topic. I didn't expext this many replies.
I really do appreciate all the comments and advice that you have all given me, this will help me in the future.
I would therefore like to take the opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and all the Best Wishes for 2006.

David

Without even listening to the song, I say Yes. If you don't you'll always wonder, and wonder, and wonder, and wonder. I'm 52, and I'm getting back into songwriting because the back of my mind has kept wondering for the last 30 years because I never really gave it a ligitamate shot before giving it up.

Think of it as a gamble. However slim the odds are for breaking into the bigtime, it's better odds than you'll get at Vegas or the Lotto. And you'll have the emotional bonus of either becoming a star and feeling great about yourself, or having given it a good hard try and being at peace with yourself.

Promotion at any level can be learned from. The key is to keep improving in every aspect of the music end, as well as gaining experience and knowledge in the promotion/business end. Use each project that is being promoted as a step for the next. Through the process of promotion, we all may find others that can further help us, or gain fans for the next project and so on.

Just keep moving forward in every way,(voice, songs, recording, promotion, business) and above all, to have fun with it all. Most of us will not see our songs or names in the top 100 of Billboard, no matter the quality or time put in, so enjoy the ride that makes your life more complete by just "doing music"! It's all worthwhile! Promote away and at the same time, learn from it and improve on everything. It's when we stop improving that we should question about that.

John Daubert
"Too Little Time" (promoting!)



[This message has been edited by dhsongs (edited 12-23-2005).]

hello

I dropped by and had a listen, to be honest
I don't think those songs are ready to pitch. Unfortunately they don't sound like songs that were written by professional songwriters.

So here are my suggestions

1) Get professional critiques and rewrite your songs, www.jasonblume.com or NSAI
http://www.nashvillesongwriters.com
can provide them

2) When the songs are ready to demo
create better demos with awesome vocalists

Galen Breen at www.thegatorhole.com in Nashville does nice work
there's a thread that lists several Nashville demo houses


Here's several examples of
how good your songs need to be and
how excellent your demos need to sound,

plus you can also hear some songs from some amazing songwriters who probably didn't sing on the demos they pitched to artists.

Ande

Skip Black
http://www.songramp.com/homepage.ez?Who=skipblack


Dana
http://www.songramp.com/homepage.ez?Who=Mr%2EDana


Helen Darling who wrote "Bring on the Rain" for Jo Dee Messina
http://helendarlingmusic.com/listen.html


Tia Sillers who wrote "I Hope You Dance" gets other vocalists to perform her demos
http://cdbaby.com/cd/tiasillers/from/ande


Karyn Rochelle sang the demo for "I hope you Dance" and she cowrote "Georgia Rain"
http://www.cmt.com/news/articles/1508102/20050822/index.jhtml?


Marcus Hummon one of the cowriters of "Bless the Broken Road"
http://cdbaby.com/cd/hummon6/from/ande


Lori McKenna
wote Fireflies, if you ask and stealing kisses which were recorded by
Faith Hill
http://cdbaby.com/cd/mckenna/from/ande
http://cdbaby.com/cd/mckenna2/from/ande


Chip Taylor
was born James Voight (brother of actor Jon Voight),
Chip wrote "Wild Thing" for the trogs and "angel of the morning"
http://cdbaby.com/cd/gadfly220/from/ande


Steve Seskin Live
features Steve's live performances of Life's A Dance, Wrong, Don't
Laugh At Me, I Think About You, Pictures, and Grown Men Don't Cry
http://cdbaby.com/cd/seskin6/from/ande


Steve Seskin
Studio recordings of Dont Laugh at Me and "Cactus In A Coffee Can"
http://cdbaby.com/cd/seskin2/from/ande


Along the Way + Steve Seskin
Grown Men Dont Cry that he wrote for Tim McGraw
http://cdbaby.com/cd/seskin3/from/ande


Lifes a Dance + Steve Seskin
Lifes a Dance recorded by John Michael Montgomery
http://cdbaby.com/cd/seskin4//from/ande


Stephen Dorff
I Cross My Heart and other songs performed by by
Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, George Strait, Whitney Houston, and
many others....
http://cdbaby.com/cd/dorff2/from/ande


Darrell Scott
You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive was cut in the same year by both
Patty Loveless and Brad Paisley
http://cdbaby.com/cd/dsdtkm/from/ande


Russell Smith
lead singer of the Amazing Rhythm aces
"Old School," originally performed by John Connelly,
Look Heart, No Hands by Randy Travis,
Dont Go To Strangers by T. Graham Brown,
Heartbeat in the Darkness by Don Williams,
Keep It Between The Lines by Ricky Van Shelton as well as the grammy
winning
The End Is Not In Sight,"
Third Rate Romance and
What I Learned From Loving You," all hits for the Aces.
http://cdbaby.com/cd/russellsmith/from/ande


Billy Yates
My Infinite Love George Strait
http://cdbaby.com/cd/billyyates/from/ande
http://cdbaby.com/cd/billyyates2/from/ande

Jenny Yates
wrote several songs for Garth Brooks
http://cdbaby.com/cd/yates/from/ande


Bruce Robison
http://cdbaby.com/cd/brobison/from/ande


Thom Shepherd
wrote "Redneck Yacht Club" for Craig Morgan
http://cdbaby.com/cd/thomshepherd3/from/ande

Johnny Lee
"Lookin' For Love,"
"Pickin' Up Strangers,"
"Cherokee Fiddle,"
"Yellow Rose of Texas,"
"Hey Bartender,"
http://cdbaby.com/cd/leejohnny1/from/ande


Kimmie Rhodes
Kimmie's songs have been recorded by such stellar acts as Willie
Nelson, Wynonna Judd, Trisha Yearwood, Amy Grant, CeCe Winans, Joe
Ely, John Farnham, Waylon Jennings and Peter Frampton.
http://cdbaby.com/cd/kimmie4/from/ande


Templeton Thompson
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/templetont2//from/ande


Gloria Loring
She co-wrote the theme songs for the hit series, "Diff'rent Strokes"
and "Facts of Life."
http://cdbaby.com/cd/loring/from/ande


Bobby Gosh
Bobby played and sang a selection of his songs, from the Dr. Hook
classic, worldwide hit, "A Little Bit More", to a medley of his
commercial hits
http://cdbaby.com/cd/gosh2/from/ande


Bertie Higgins
The recording artist/singer songwriter who brought you such great
hits as "Key Largo", "Just Another Day in Paradise" and the double
Platinum smash, "Casablanca" proudly presents his second album. It is
filled with tropical love songs and adventures.
http://cdbaby.com/cd/bertie2/from/ande
http://cdbaby.com/cd/bertie1/from/ande


Jim Weatherly
Jim Weatherly has written such hits as
"Midnight Train to Georgia",
"Neither One Of Us Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye", and
"You're The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me",
all pop and r&b hits for Gladys Knight & The Pips, who recorded 12 of
Weatherly's songs.
http://cdbaby.com/cd/jimweatherly/from/ande
http://cdbaby.com/cd/jimweatherly2/from/ande




------------------
Ande Rasmussen
AndeRasmussen@aol.com
http://www.AndeRasmussen.com
http://songramp.com/ande

http://www.MySpace.com/anders

Editor Of "Inspirations for Songwriters"
Message archive:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DIFS/messages
To receive IFS,
SEND an EMPTY email to:
difs-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

[This message has been edited by Ande Rasmussen (edited 12-23-2005).]