JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Songwriter Message Forum What is the reality behind selling lyrics in Nashville?

When it comes to finding someone to give you the truth about writing country songs today I doubt many of you will cross paths with anyone who knows as much about the reality of it than Marc who is also willing to hang with you all and answer questions straight up without the bull. If you disagree or don't like his answer that is fine, but make no mistake my money is on that he's right and you're just disgruntled.

There are many things I defer to Marc completely and this is one of those thing. We may disagree on other topics (and often do) and I feel in some areas my expertise trumps his knowledge. But arguing with Marc on writing country songs with an eye on success in Nashville is about as futile and feeble as it gets. Will some Lyric only writer who is an outsider somehow find success in the field via ways Marc doesn't acknowledge? Probably. And someone often defies the odds in the lottery and actually wins it. So out of the million songwriter wannabe's out there are you the 1 that might make it outside of conventional pathways? Do you want to bet your life's work and pursuit and all that time proving Marc wrong? Life is short, but whatever floats your boat.

I'll say what I always do in these cases.. do you want to make great "art" or do you want to make yourself into an attractive commercial product? Only the best of the best can do both. For me personally, making great art is more important. For Marc, I think he's chosen the commercial route. Neither way is wrong. But making great art is wide open. Making great commerce is far more limited and has a long long line waiting for another long line of gatekeepers who couldn't care less if any of us existed, and only cares about making a quick and more importantly easy buck.

Good luck and thanks to Marc for telling it like it is.

Brian