JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Songwriter Message Forum "Nashville style and process" is everywhere.

Of course lone writers can write great songs -- even great commercial ones. But since there are untold thousands upon thousands upon thousands of new songs being written every year, how do you get your songs heard? OK, you are not! You either have to be an artist or find an artist to perform your song. The only artists you can get near are your local unsigned ones.

I know many people argue against the "committee" style of co-writing, but it is really not like that. In my limited experience and from what I have witnessed over at MAB's songramp thread, co-writing is done a lot of time between friends who have supported each other, seen each other at numerous writer's nights, laughed and joked until all hours of the morning. So these folks see co-writing as a joyous adventure to be savoured and never taken for granted.

I am sure there are writing sessions where folks meet for the very first time -- but the feeling of let's be friends first seems to be evident in the Nashville writers that I have met.

I don't do nearly the face to face or live co-writing that I should -- but co-writing will always get you a song that is DIFFERENT than what you can do own your own. Whether that song is "better" or not is an artistic opinion.

Kevin

P.S. Never underestimate the power of group dynamics. Writing a song in a team format is almost like jamming with musicians. You have to have some structure, but each person should be able to get heard -- and the sum of the parts can sometimes be pretty dang spectacular.