JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Industry Message Forum Getting Songs Cut

Okay Dude,

I am gonna figure you out, but I think you are the best I have ever seen. Or maybe your wife is the best I've ever seen/ Something in there somewhere. Good to hear from you and yeah, we can work something out.

MAB

Thanks Bill, appreciate your encouragement. I guess frustration gets to me sometimes. Age has crept up on me and I know my chances of getting to Nashville are next to none. Living on pensions that keep shrinking in buying power daily, means travel is getting less likely. My kids are far flung across Canada, I try to visit them every two- three years. Sometimes we have to face reality, as much as we hate to, I stand about zero chance of making it, mainly because of where I was born.

OK, I've read through most of this thread and found it very informative. Bottom line: The song had to be great.

One thing that bothers me is that many times a song is noticed and considered great by its unique title...and I know that titles can not be copyrighted. What's to keep these industry moguls from passing on my song, taking my great title, rewording the lyric and calling it their own? I feel sure that it happens all the time...there's not a legal thing that a songwriter can do about it...and I don't think access alone will win a court case.

Now, I'm not saying that a great title is the only factor which makes a song a hit. I know that melody, beat, and universal idea also comprise the mix...but finding a great title is euphoria. I often start with a title so that my lyric has a definite destination. When I develop a great title (IMO), it really drives my creativity.

I’d like to hear everyone’s opinion about this.

Everett,

Maybe you have made it. You write well, have a strong faith and you've had cuts. That's more than 99% of the songwriters out there can say.

Kevin

Shayne,

I think that goes in the "that's the way it goes" pile. I bet it would be safe to assume that just about every title has been taken by now (or it's a close cousin title). I just wrote a song called "Once in a Lifetime Love", so I googled it and a couple of years ago there is a song with the same title by Keith Urban/Alan Jackson. I didn't "steal" it, but there it is, someone got there before me with that title. In fact I just went to bmi.com and there are 29 entries for this title (might be some dups, of course).

Just keep writing.

Kevin

Yes Z, reality is a bitch, a cruel one at that. They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, and I am an old dog, we all know the music scene is for the youth, age and wisdom is frowned on, not revered like in some societies.

Thanks Kevin. I think you are right, it's who gets to the title "first". I have several titles that I thought were the greatest things I've ever thought of, then search BMI ASCAP and find "too many" similar or exact.

I will keep writing, I'm like the story of why the caged bird sings, because HE MUST...

I'm not truly happy unless I am creative in some form...but I would be so much happier if I had at least one hit song...LOL

Shayne, I wouldn't change the title based on it being used before (unless it was a big hit like "yesterday", "Born in the USA" or the "Monster mash"). If the title fits your story and it's a good one -- keep it.

Kevin

Thank Kevin, appreciate that very much. Maybe by some yardsticks I have made it and had some success, but by my yardstick, I have fallen short. Maybe I've set my standards too high and I'll never attain it, could be true, but I would sooner set my sights too high and fall a little short, than set my sights too low and fall short, or even reach it. By shooting for the stars I might hit the moon, by aiming for the moon, with my luck, I'll hit Mt. Everest. LOL

Thanks for the encouragement, Kevin. I just try to avoid any reason for a music exec to say no...

Marc, I guess there are many ways of looking at things, and I can see your point of view and understand where you are coming from, I have no right trying to crash your world without running the gauntlet, but at my age, I don't have the time or stamina to do so, but I don't feel like throwing in the towel, so what do I do? I can't go to Nashville, and Nashville won't come to me, so the twain will never meet. Oh Romeo, Romeo, where art thou. LOL

Everett,

Unless you are only in it for the success or money, you keep doing what you are doing.

Can someone who lives far away from Nashville have a major hit? Yes, it's happened several times. It's just far less likely. The things we are telling you aren't rules, they are probablilities. If you wanted to bet the green zero on roulette all your life, Marc would recommend not to. He'd tell you there's a much better chance betting on all red or all black. Then some bashers would come on and tell him he doesn't know what he's talking about because someone forty years ago someone made a fortune playing poker....different game. Music is a different game then it once was. And back then, it was different than things before it. You can decide to play or not. Those who play have the deck stacked against them and have a very very small...small to a great degree...chance of winning. Those who don't play have no chance of winning.

If an angel of the Lord came to me and told me I would never write a hit song...I'd write a song about it.

Everett,

I want to apologize for the tone of my response to you. You hit a nerve. I simply go off whenever I hear that someone suggest that the exclusivity of this town prevents us from making a move. The reason you hit a nerve is because I struggle with this daily as does everyone who's here. I fall into the trap of blaming the 'industry' and their shortsightedness on my lack of progress when at the end of the day I'm the source of my lack of progress, not Nashville. It's the things I hate in myself that I find the most contempt for in others, and you hit my nail on the head in that I STILL limit myself...and STILL blame Nashville sometimes...but not as much as I used to.

It wasn't my intention to "put you in your place". My intention was to say that Nashville can't limit anyone. It can only serve as an opportunity. Sure, it's tough here. I'm a great example...13 years and no major cuts. But I've come closer than I've ever been this year. MORE IMPORTANTLY I've learned more about writing, music, and life as a writer and musician than anywhere I've ever been. Plus, I can hire Garth Brooks guitar player to come over here tomorrow afternoon for $50. THAT's why I'm here...because of what Nashville has to offer.

Again, sorry to go off. I respect you and value your insight.

Sincerely,

Bill Renfrew
www.writethismusic.com

Everett....

p.s....

About this age issue....I went to a party the other night that was put on by some new plugging outfit. I met 3 writers who just got cuts. 2 of them were in their 50s, and one was in his 60s. No, they won't be getting artist deals any time soon, but they're in the money as writers.

I wish I could remember the guy's name who said this. (This guy wrote the song that's been played more than any song but 'Yesterday'...I'll think of it.) Anyway, someone told him about this great new writer who was in his 20s. He said, "How can he be great? Hell, someone in his 20s doesn't have anything to write about!"

br
www.writethismusic.com

I LOVE IT!!!!!!

br
www.writethismusic.com

All of the realities that Marc talks about are hard for any songwriter living outside the Nashville circle to swallow, but there it is. It's all true and there's nothing you can do about it. Moving to Nashville is a laughable impossibility for a lot of us. A friend of mine, Gordie Sampson, was able to do that and it worked out quite well for him but, Gordie, is an exception. He always was an exception. Still, I have demos and I keep pushing them whenever I can. Some are well recorded, some aren't. For some I have had rave reviews but never from the "right people" and that's ok too (well, no not really). Still, I continue to receive a royalty check every quarter and have done so for many years so compared to a lot of starving songwriters, I'm doing ok - not as well as I want to but, still, ok. If anyone is interested in listening to what I have been told are my best demos, let me know. Thanks to Marc for his posts here. I enjoyed them thoroughly.

It is hard to be outside Nashville and imagine what it's like in Nashville. Even if you're successful though it's still tough. There's a writer I know who wrote two top five singles, another top twenty single, with one of them being a George Strait single. He was working at Guitar Center the last time I saw him.

Most people think their songs are great and I'm no different. My only advantage is I know how wrong most of us are about that. Ever watch the tryouts at American Idol? Some of those people might just want to be on TV but the ones who come out crying actually thought they could win.

This year I had the pleasure of watching Susan Boyle shock the world. If you write as good as Susan Boyle sings, you have a good chance. And I personally think it you write that good, you will be noticed. Am I that good? Shoot yeah, just ask me! They must not have found me yet. I'm sure they're looking.

Who's Susan Boyle?

Never mind. I googled her.

You're killing me. But I'll figure it out. Of course I do two on ones. If you have a cute wife the price comes WAY down! LOL!

MAB

Guys,

There are a lot of variables. My job is to work with writers and artists and try to give them some workable advice. About 5 years ago, a woman named Julie Moriva, came to me from Green Bay Wisconsin. She was around mid forties, very sweet and the NSAI coordinator for the Green Bay group. She had been the coordinator for 10 years but had had very little success outside the big events, meeting a few people and getting song critiques.

We started working on her existing material of which she had about 20 songs recorded but only about three "workable." I then took her around the town introducing her to various people. One of the first places was the Harland Howard Birthday Bash with thousands of people at once. I introduced her to Chad Green, from ASCAP, who on my recomendation accepted her into a special writers group where she would come once a month for the next six months, which she did.

During each trip, she booked a day with me. We wrote songs, worked through her process and helped develop her skills and networking. After two years and recording her own "artists CD" (She doesn't sing or perform, we had Nashville musicians and singers do the songs and a showcase) this put her in contact with hundreds of people.

Over the past five years she has come to Nashville about 6 times a year, each time getting off the plane, and getting right into her first of 6-8 writing appointments over four-five days. Within a very short time (people LOVE this woman!) she had developed a network and written with 5 number one hit writers, was part of an 18 person song plugging group from people across the US, and was working with a variety of artists.

Two of those artists, Megan Lindsey and Josh Jones, are Steel Magnolia, who this past Saturday night, won the "YOU CAN DUET" television program. They won a record deal with Scott Borchetta, (Taylor Swift's label) $50,000, and worldwide stature and promotion. They go on tour with Taylor next year. The song they won on was the one they wrote with Julie. She has about 15 more with them for consideration for their upcoming record deal.

Julie still lives in Green Bay with her husband and daughter. She has no plans to move here and doesn't need to.

It can be done in this day and age ladies and gentlemen. It just takes drive, determination, skill, personality, dedication, and (with all humility) a group of people who help you get to your goals while achieving their own.

Make memories, not excuses.

MAB

Hey Marc,
That's exactly the kind of story that keeps me coming back to Nashville. I don't live there, and can't feasibly move there! But to make trips as often as I can, attend as many meetings as possible, play as many "writer's nights" as my fingers will tolerate,....and to have a person in the crowd recognize MY name, and request one of MY songs,....makes it worth everything! If I couldn't write songs, I'm afraid I'd be in someones 12-step program!?

No excuses, Droptine

Droptine,

(I'm gonna figure you out yet.)It is about focus and direction. If you will do three things every trip:

#1 Network as much as possible. Meet friends and COLLECT BUSINESS CARDS! Find out about other people and what they are doing. Put your ego aside and get to know people. Be genuine.

#2 Write as much as possible. Hopefully your trip with me have given you some insights into ways to approach people and getting the best bang for your buck. hopefully you when you are in town, you meet a lot of people and set up for your next trip. Collect cards, write down where you know them, CONTACT them when you get home and foster the relationship for the future.

#3 Perform. Meet the hosts, meet other writers to do rounds with. When you get your shot, play interesting songs that stand out. Listen to the other boring people, where they lose audiences, what their subject matter is, and avoid that like the plague.

#4. Be yourself.

MAB

Marc,
This question may be moot, the minute I ask it!? What type of songs catch your attention at "Writer's nights"? I've heard that if you write towards an "artist", or an artist's style, that you're already behind before you start. I've also been advised to just write what comes to me, but write it well no matter what the "genre"! I've heard many styles from the writer's on stage in Nashville. What is your take on this topic?

Droptine

Droptine,

It is not so much what attracts me as what repels me. I have been here 21 years. In that time I proabably have done 10,000 writer's nights, thousands of shows in Nashville and other areas. It amazes me how mediocre most people are simply because they DON'T LISTEN to ANYTHING.

You sit in a writer's night and see the first writer in a round of four. The first one, after tuning for five minutes, will tell a three minute story about the song. Then launch into the song.Eight minutes later when he has gotten to the second verse, it just drones on and on. Then the next person, sitting three feet from that one, does a song that is almost the EXACT song as the one before it. Same key, same subject, sometimes the same lines.

I have to admit, I am a bit spoiled. When I moved here in 88's we would have writer's nights where everyone got their own little set. There would be 7=8 people doing 25 minutes. Chuck Cannon would get up and do "I Love the Way You Love me" a future Toby Keith number one. Stephony Smith would do "It's Your Love' a future Faith and Tim number one. Jimmy Stewart would do "Brotherly Love" a posthumeous hit for Keith Whitley and Earl Thomas Conley. In the audience, would be Pam Tillis, Deana Carter, Tanya Tucker, Mike Reid. It would be future hit after future hit. And you could tell it.
21 years later and you have 30 people doing three songs each. If one keeps your attention through the second verse you are amazed. There is no sense of story, the rhymes are so bad every thing is cliched' and so trite.
And Negative. It is as if they have emptied out every depression group, every angry chick singer, every bad attitude talking about how backward Nashville is and how they don't know any "Real songs" like the one he is doing. Of course eight minutes later, he gets to the second verse, you have already found your place to go to the bathroom.

It is common sense. Who wants to hear all this negative poor poor pitiful me ballads? Where do they think music ends up? Well, actually, their music doesn't end up anywhere.

What attracts me? Real stories with a rope of hope or something positive in it. Something that inspires without being syrupy. Something that has some touch of humor or light feel that doesn't make you want to shoot the entire round to put them out of your misery.

A common thread on this and many other forums are the dearth of a lot of material out there right now. Well, you haven't seen anything yet. Every really bad amatuer is in the game, clogging up the works. Some will find their way through. Might as well get the airsickness bags out.

There is always a really huge difference in professional writers and amatuer writers:

The amatuers write what they want to say.
The professionals write what other people want to hear.

In the words of my mentor, ASCAP's Ralph Murphy, "people need to GET OVER THEMSELVES" and quit writing and performing, ego filled crap.

That would impress me.

MAB

Whoa Dude!?
That definitely answers my question! Your mentor, ASCAP's Ralph Murphy once told me ( after listening to my guitar/vocal home demo ) "If you can produce a demo like that, don't spend one dime on a Nashville demo. Take that money, put it in your gas tank, and make more trips here and do exactly what you are doing!" I try to hear him anytime I can. He's a real classy guy! Thanks again for your feedback.

Droptine

Great insight Marc, I haven't been around for awhile how is everyone?????

April,

Most everybody is dead. Just kidding. It is the same as it always has been. Some people do well, some are on top for a little while. everybody trying to find a way in the doors. The Internet has made huge changes but most of the stuff is the same. Building a product, manufacturing a product, putting your soul into it, building demand for it, getting it front of people who have the demand.

There is nothing about the music business that has ever changed one iota. The delivery systems have changed, and the ability to get your product in front of literally millions of people has improved. But other than that it is about the same.

And of course the complainers never change. i hear things on this thread and other pages that are almost verbatum what I heard twenty years ago and then people who had heard it twenty years before that and so forth and so on. I am convinced that one day they will find some cave drawing of a caveman telling his son how music wasn't the same as music was "back in his day."

Overall, I just laugh at pretty much all of this. I take people's money, hopes and dreams very seriously. But I never take myself too seriously. I don't have too much to complain about. I am paid to do what I love to do, I help people get places they couldn't get to on their own or take years to do and overall I make things a little better place than they were before I was here.

How are things in your neighborhood? Bowling ball is not that far. We have a GREAT party on the third Sunday of every month in the West Meade section of town. Sign up for an internet newsletter, www.nashvillemuse.com and follow some of the things going on.

Love to have you down. Let me know if I can help you.

MAB

Shane,

I was reading back over this and we have just had a "Title" situation that might be interesting to you.

Two of the people I have been working with for a while, Steel Magnolia, a duo who just won the "Can You Duet" television show, are getting ready to release their first single, "Keep on Loving You." Now apart from that being a huge hit for REO Speedwagon in the 70's, it is also the title of Reba McCentires new CD.

So what happens? Well, Scott Borchetta, head of their label, Big Machine records, has to make a decision based upon test marketing. If Reba gets more attention, they will drop that as a single and move on to the next one. So it is not always a copyright thing. It is often who gets there first.

I had a song with a title "My Wish." I wrote it about 9 years ago and did it as a close to my shows. Really a love song to songwriters. About three years ago, Rascal Flatts came out with a song, My Wish, written by Jeffery Steele, who I am friends with and had played with on several shows. It doesn't mean either of us stole the title. I know it has been written before both of us and will be written after us.
But his was the hit. So mine is unpitchable, at least for now. That is the nature of the music industry.


MAB

Marc...once again you have answered one of my unasked questions!
I have a couple of lyrics that I am trying to do surgery on just because of this situation. I wrote my lyrics seversl yesrs ago, and one of them is titled "Just Not Today" well we all know the big song with that title.

It is a great exercise to take the same idea and rebuild the story. It's sort of like doing plastic surgery on a baby. But you can test your talent if you are succesful.

Thanks Again,
Janet Snow

Marc,

Maybe there is hope for my songs Great Balls of Fire, Mack the Knife, and Yellow Submarine?

Maybe you could change them to Huge Orbs of Heat, Okowi the Ginsu, and Sunflower Seacraft.

Sorry

Sunflower Seacraft
(c)2009 redwing and Mike Dunbar

I'd like you and me,
To go under the sea,
In my Sunflower Seacraft, we'd be

It would be sweet,
Like Great Orbs of Heat,
From the Sunflower Seacraft, we'd see.

Okowi the Ginsu carving Suki Tawdri,
That kind of love would shake up a lobotomy

So just us three,
Would be set free,
You, my Sunflower Seacraft, and me.

##################

Now that was the hard part. All we need to do is get it cut!

I think that would be perfect for the next American Idol's
first cut.

Redwing

Uuuhhhh.... Rrrriiiiiiggggghhhhhttttt!!!(Dr. Evil voice)

MAB

What happens when a writer writes two completely different songs with the same title?

Everett,

Happens every day. Right now I am seeing that situation up close and personal.

A few years ago, I wrote a song called "My Wish." It was kind of a tribute to songwriters, that I did at the end of my workshops and shows. I even made a greeting card out of it and it was around for a while. One of the guys I did several shows with and knew fairly well was Jeffery Steele, who is pretty much the top dog of all writers in Nashville and one of the top money makers in the world right now.

Last year I started getting conglaturatory e-mails, and phone calls about my new Rascal Flatts cut, My Wish. The only problem was it wasn't my song. It was one written by Jeffery Steele. now did Jeff steal that song? Of course not. We write all the time and titles pop up all the time. Happened 13 times ot me in 6 years.

But what happens is it renders your song un pitchable. Just the way it is. Any publisher or record company sees the title and goes, "Uh, there is already one out there." So you move on to other songs.

Right now, two friends of mine just got signed to Big Machine, Taylor Swift's label. they are "Steel Magnolia" a duo that I have known and worked with for about three years. They jsut won a major television show here. There first single has been shipped to radio. It is called "Keep on Loving You."

Now the problem is that Reba McCentyre, just released her brand new CD. It is titled "Keep on Loving you." And aside from that, it was a BIG hit from the 70's on a group named REO SPEEDWAGON and is still played continually on classic rock radio.

So they all have a problem. Reba is Reba and has been very successful so whatever she wants to do is going to have sway. She can also claim the other song was in a different genre and thirty years ago, so she can be somewhat clear.

Steel Magnolia have another problem. They are a new band and will have to see what the test market is. If people identify that with Reba's CD, they will have to drop that song in favor of another one. Which happens in some situations. If a song doesn't "Test well" it can be dropped very easily, just as an act will be if they don't sell well.

That is why I don't go along with the "The public will buy what they are told to" nonsense. Just doesn't hold up in reality. And if there was a way to do that, record companies would never have anything that fails on their lables. People don't just throw away millions of dollars and the "Tax write off" silliness is a myth. Nobody throws money away. Nobody. Well, the government, but they just print up more. Companies can't do that.

So the answer to your question is you never put all your eggs in one basket. You understand that if another one comes out, and is from a bigger source, yours is sunk. If you were to write two songs with the same title, there is nothing wrong with it although you create confusion for yourself. And in this day and age, self created confusion is the last thing anyone needs.

MAB

Ray,

I just saw this and wanted to respond to it. The question being "Why would he have to play it for anybody else, and not just pass on it?"

I just played in Cincinatti with about 13 hit writers from Nashville. Including the writer of the current number one, "Going out with my Boots On." There is not one of them that have not had cuts on songs that were turned down over and over.

Songs like "I've had moments" a HUGE "Can't Miss" song was turned down for 8 years before it was cut. Over and over again, songs that turn out to be hit songs are passed over by different people. The Gambler, by Kenny Rogers not only was turned down for years, but was cut 8 times before it got to Kenny. This is an element of the business that has been there for years.

Another song I personally know of "I Swear' by John Micheal Montgomery, was around for about 8 years with a very pop sounding demo. It was turned down by everybody. Then they re-demoed it country and got the John Micheal cut almost immediately. It was then cut by a pop group after it became a big hit in country.

Everything is about upping the level of your odds. The demo is simply another step. And EVERY one has to go through those steps. Even the hit writers. Jeffery Steele spends a lot of money every year on demos. Those songs sound like records. So anyone that wants to take a chance on a minimal demo in this day and age, does so at his or her own peril. Just another thing that makes it harder or easier depending on who how you look at it.

MAB

Marc,
If a Publisher signs a song then why would he play the song for a bunch of people to see if it is worthy of a cut. He already decided that when he signed the song. I believe you said in your post that the publisher would then play it for numerous people to see if it was worthy of a cut. I said, (in so many words), why didn't he just pass on the song in the first place if he was unsure if the song was worthy of a cut.

True that many songs are passed on that finally gets cut and goes somewhere. I have no doubt that plenty of writers have good songs that are still un cut. I know I have several of them.

If all goes as planned I will have some songs posted by the end of the year. Geronimo!

Ray,

It is not whether a song is "worthy of a cut". It is if the song fits into a catagory for an artist. That is the record business side. But we are in a world now where if it is not recorded properly, it doesn't get to a publisher, who doesn't get it to a record side to a producer, to an A&R representative, to a producer to an artist.

Now, you have to start out with the song being recorded like everything out there. Publishers are paying less and less for demos. So if the writer doesn't do it, it doesn't get done.

In every stage of the music business, every one is playing it for someone else. That is the nature of the music business. A "Hold" is simply one person "holding on to the song" to play it for someone else. There is no ONE person that makes a decision on a song. There are committees that make decisions on all facets of artists careers. The actual publisher is only one step. A publisher and song plugger will pitch multiple songs at any one time. Any one song is only one part of that. Again, this is business. Songs are commodities just like any product.
And at any stage publishers, song pluggers, artists, producers, managers, agents, record company people are SURE that some song or another is perfect.

All music is done by committee. It is incredibly political and everyone is up against everyone else.

MAB

Ray,

Again, no one knows anything. If you have ever noticed the "Special 3 bonus tracks" on a greatest hits record, those are songs that were recorded but not released on another project.

For a project:

An artist in this day and age will write between 30-60 songs of his or her own.

They will also have between 20-50 songs that they have had for years from their own catalogues. Songs they loved growing up or had written in past years.

They will record demos on between 15-25 songs to see if the songs fit.

They will listen to between 25-300 songs of the major hit writers
friends, friends of friends, the producer's (who are usually writers) publishing companies or the one's they have written themselves.

They will have over 3000 songs submitted by people they know or have reputation. The actual artist or producer will only hear about 100 of these. The rest will be filtered out by underlings.

All songs be weeded down to about 30 possibles for the next project. Their own songs and those of major writers will recieve highest consideration.

Those will be heard by committees for the record companies and any one can be derailed at any time by variety of sources and a variety of reasons.

That will come down to 15-16 that are actually recorded.

12-14 of those will be chosen for the CD.

There will be between 10-12 acts on each label (5 major labels) doing the same thing.

There will be around 1500 songs released on major labels each year. Outside sources have a shot at 52 or less of those.

All music is done by committees. The committees simply get smaller the larger the status of the artist. At any one time there are about ten-fifteen artists that fuel the sales of the industry. Those acts can call more of their own shots. But they still can be vetoed.

Several years ago, Toby Keith was stopped from releasing his entire record by the president of his record company at the time. He formed his own label, bought back his record for one point five million dollars. Released it himself and had very good results with several hit singles. The artists that can pull up that kind of cash are very few and far between.

MAB

Those are great insights, Marc.. Thanks for sharing them!

How are you doing yourself? I read another post that even you are becoming disillusioned..

Magne,

I am fine. Thank you for asking. I try every day in every way I can to bring something good and positive to the world in the way of writing, conversations, teaching, critiques, whatever. That is my personality. I could die tomorrow and I have had a pretty good life. My personal feelings are not so much about myself as it is the future. Future for our industry, for our kids, for people who come after us. And of course I am sure that there are people out there who might be reading things we say here and it could have either a positive or negative affect on us and that could lead to a financial or career move that could be great.

So from time to time I see a culmination of things converge that lead me to want to throw up my hands and say "What the hell?" It doesn't last long, I am usually ready to up and go the next day. And I do. I keep moving forward.

But what I do mostly on these threads and others is respond to what other people say or thoughts that are put out there. And my opinions and information are not just made up or read in an Internet piece, but are straight from either personal experience or from the actual people who are involved in these issues, such as television producers, major artists or industry people. I sometimes know about these issues before they become public and know at least some of the people involved.

Does that make me know everything? Of course not. I just have some specific information from specific sources. It is not the only side, but at times the only side that makes sense for me.

We all have opinions here and that is why I come out. I simply want to be able to insert my own when it seems relevant. For the most part it is best for me when people are talking about things I deal with every day, demos, writing, co-writing situations, networking, business areas, that I try to impart some specific knowledge. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it is irrelevant to the situations some people are in.It is an opinion but often a somewhat educated one.

We saw over the past few days someone getting into some weirdness regarding a critique. Fine. If that person has a problem with the critique, that is part of it. And why you get multiple critiqes. If several people independently say the same thing, you might want to listen. But these are JUST SONGS! There is no reason to get in a snit about it. And this same kind of attitude, defensive, angry, bitter, are EXACTLY what we see in the music industry all the time.

It is why I have said over and over that you are judged 85% "off the field when it comes to music. The people who come in to Nashville from out of town and then get mad because their songs may be with overdone subject matter, trite rhymes or cliched' titles, or weak sounding demos. That does not mean anything toward them, just that they need to understand the market better.But they don't take it like that and it creates unnessasary friction. That leads to bad feelings and terrible reputations.

So that is what it is. Every once in a while I get kind of tired of some of the same things over and over here that I see in my regular life. When I am being paid to consult and guide people, I have to take that into consideration. I have their overall career welfare in mind, not just one or two songs.

Here I just respond to what other people say. They can take it or leave it. And once in a while you may hear that from me. I try to keep it to a minimum and stay mostly on subject.

Thanks for the comments and always thanks for your opinions. You are very insightful. I hope to meet you face to face someday.

MAB

Great thing about this is that the Nashville community seem so open towards new people. I love that it's all about the song, and no matter who you are, the best song will get ahead. You get the same critique as any in Nashville would get, and are treated equal. It's a non disriminating community like that, and different from NY, LA, London ect. where money counts, I believe. So I hope I'll make it to ya one fine day, Marc. I have made an appointment with Jan Hopkins in Nashville in two years.. hope I can make it. We'll look you up at the All Good :-)

Magne,

If you don't want to wait two years, I know of a place you can stay.

MAB

Hey Marc,

Mags is my co-writer and I'll be meeting him there, so does that include me as well? HA.......I don't eat much.

Jan

Absolutely,

You are here. Why don't you come down?

MAB

If I thought they wouldn't throw me out, I just may do that...HA.

I am not a performer.....so no Commodore or Bluebird for me, but would love hearing those who do.

You wrote with one of my co-writers, I believe. It may have been at the Kalamazoo NSAI group. His name is Clayton Sawyer.

Jan

I've heard a lot about that southern hospitality, but never met it in person! Im a 1000 miles from you, yet you make me feel at home where you are! Elvis' "Home is where the heart is" keeps ringing in my ears, even though he was from Memphis I can't recall.. did Craig Wiseman write that one?

Jan, you might might get the early bird soul food treat listening to Marc's songs, but please leave some Pecan Pie for me!

Mags......I might even send you the recipe for one......just like I told you this morning.....

Jan

Jan,

First off. No one throws anyone out. They have to deal with MAB. (Otherwise known as the MOB)Second of all, how are you going to meet the potential singers you need for your music. The Bluebird and the Commodore!
Third, I have written a bunch of songs with Little Clayton. great guy. We are kind of producing a couple of artists. he is writing with them, they send them to me, I shape them up and we get them in the studio. You have probably heard of them, Shelaigh Brown and Nate Dewsouth.
They have a weekly writing group headed up by Rene' Mauve, the head of the NSAI group there and the guy who sent me Frankie Ballard. We got him signed to Warner Brothers. We are getting a lot of action from those Michigan fields.

MAB