This is a guest post from Cliff Goldmacher, a songwriter/engineer/producer/author and owner of recording studios in Nashville and New York City. Cliff’s articles have been published in EQ, Recording and ProSound News magazines and his eBook “The Songwriter’s Guide To Recording Professional Demos” is available as a free download from his site http://www.cliffgoldmacher.com/ebook.

For most songwriters in the early stages of their careers, the idea of being hired as a staff songwriter for a publishing company is close to the Holy Grail. It represents that most coveted prize of industry recognition and validation of your talent along with a gateway to cuts, movie placements and any one of a number of other exciting possibilities. However, keep in mind that wanting or entering into a relationship with a publisher in order to simply validate your talent is probably not the best approach. As with any business relationship, it’s essential that you, as the songwriter, understand what you’re giving up as well as what you stand to gain by signing over partial (or complete) ownership of your copyrights to a music publisher.

What is a Publishing Deal?

Let’s start at the top, in general terms, a typical publishing deal involves the assignment of some part of the ownership of your songs to a publishing company in exchange for a monthly payment known as a draw. The publisher can also provide co-writing opportunities based on their industry relationships and pitching opportunities by members of the publishing company’s staff called song pluggers. I’m aware that there are many variations on this arrangement such as no draw in exchange for giving up less ownership of your copyrights to the publisher but for the sake of this article, I’m going to paint in broad strokes.

The Pros

Listing the advantages of a publishing deal is easy as most songwriters have heard (or dreamed) of these.

1. A Draw – For a songwriter getting started in the business, it’s extremely difficult to write full time without having money to live on. The monthly draw provided by a publisher can help ease that burden. While some draws are enough to allow the writer to write full time, most are enough to, at least, make it so the writer only has to have a part-time job leaving more time for songwriting.

2. Demo Budget – Making high quality recordings of your songs is not cheap and having a publisher to put up the money for these recordings can help out quite a bit.

3. Song Pluggers – These are employees of the publishing company who are specifically charged with finding opportunities for your songs. They pitch your songs relying on their relationships with record labels, producers and artists as well as a variety of other music business decision-makers.

4. Networking/Connections – The credibility that comes from signing with established music publisher is a powerful thing. It can open doors to meetings, co-writes and countless other relationships in the industry. Also, publishers have industry-wide relationships that can provide great opportunities for a songwriter who hasn’t had the opportunity to network much on their own.

5. Validation – The validation that comes from a publishing deal is what most beginning songwriters long for. In the early stages of most songwriters’ careers, they’ve most likely written songs in obscurity and with the exception of friends and family they’ve never received praise and recognition from anyone in the industry. It can even act as a motivator to improve a writer’s work ethic and even inspiration.

The Cons

This is where I’d recommend paying close attention. I know the idea of being able to write songs and have your publisher take care of all the details is an appealing thought…but the reality is a bit less simple. Don’t kill the messenger here, but as a friend of mine once said, “They don’t call it the music ‘friend’ or the music ‘nice.’” This is a business and it helps to remember that a publisher is giving you something in order to get something.

1. Your draw & demo budget are essentially loans – The money that makes up your draw and your demo budget is money that the publisher will take back from your share as soon as your songs start generating income. More importantly, unlike a loan paid back to a bank, even after you’ve made back the money to pay the publisher for the money they’ve invested in you, they will continue to own the publishing on your song and make income from it. In most cases, this is an arrangement that lasts for the rest of your life and then some. Also, in most cases that recording that the publisher split with you or loaned you money to make is their property entirely. This translates into no master fee payment for you, the songwriter, if that recording ends up in a film or on TV.

2. You and your songs aren’t always the priority – Even though the idea of a song plugger getting your songs heard is comforting, the reality is that in most publishing companies, there are many more signed writers than there are pluggers. In other words, your songs, while the most important songs to you, are among the hundreds (actually thousands if you count the back catalogs of most publishing companies) that the overworked song pluggers have to consider for every pitch opportunity.

3. Validation is NOT enough – As a songwriter, I understand how good it feels when someone in the industry tells you they love your songs. In and of itself, this is not enough of a reason to give away your publishing. To me, the analogy would be of a guy going up to a girl in a bar and saying “You’re beautiful and you should sleep with me.” In other words, as a writer, you should work every day until you’re confident your songs are good. Use resources like song critiques, songwriting organizations and your songwriting peers to get good, constructive feedback on your material. Don’t just sign with a publisher because they tell you you’re good.

Your Options

My intention is not to discourage but rather to empower you. By not looking at a publishing deal as the only answer to your songwriting prayers, you’ll put yourself in a position to do for yourself which, ultimately, will be the most consistent and rewarding way of having a sustainable career as a songwriter. In other words, you don’t have to have a publishing deal in order to act like you have a publishing deal every single day. Here’s what I mean…

1. Be your own publisher - You don’t need an established publisher to publish your songs. It’s a relatively simple proposition to start your own publishing company through one of the performing rights organizations (ASCAP, BMI and SESAC). A simple phone call to one of these three organizations can get you started.

2. Put yourself on a regular writing schedule – If you want to be a professional songwriter, act like one. Set aside regular times to write and treat it like a job. Folks in the working world don’t skip work because they “don’t feel like it” and neither should you.

3. Demo your songs – Develop a relationship with a professional recording studio and when you’re absolutely certain you’ve got a song that’s ready for prime time, spend the money to make a broadcast-quality version suitable for a variety of uses from pitching to artists to placement in film and TV. And speaking of pitching…

4. Pitch your songs – Actively look for opportunities for your songs. It’s one thing to write a good song and have a great demo but if no one hears it, then it can’t possibly generate any income for you. This isn’t the glamorous, romantic part of the business but I promise you, the overwhelming majority of successful songwriters – even those with publishing deals and song pluggers – spend a lot of time pitching their own material. It’s tough out there and you need to do everything in your power to get your songs heard. Also, as I mentioned above, no one will make your songs a priority more than you will.

5. Network – Another less-than-pleasant reality for the gifted, introverted songwriter is that there is no substitute for the relationships you make in the industry. Get out there and meet people. This doesn’t mean you have to be fake or stay up until 3am drinking every night (unless you like that kind of thing). It does mean, however, that you have to find opportunities to interact with the decision-makers in the music industry. A few suggestions of ways to do this might be attending music conferences, songwriter festivals and some of the events sponsored by organizations like the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) or the Songwriter’s Guild of America (SGA).

6. Sign an admin deal – If you’re starting to get some cuts and placements for your songs and the subtleties of copyright law, royalty statements and licensing feel like too much to keep track of or negotiate, then consider signing with a publisher to administer your copyrights. In other words, instead of giving away ownership of 50%-100% of your copyright, give a copyright administrator 15%-25% to “mind the store” while you’re taking care of the other stuff. I promise you, if you’re making money from your songs, you’ll have no trouble at all finding an experienced publisher to administer your copyrights.

Conclusion

For the sake of simplicity, I’ve kept this article and the terms of a publishing deal very general. There are all manner of publishing deals from copyright administration all the way to full ownership of your publishing and there are reasons for and against all of these. Music publishers provide a valuable service in our industry but I think it’s important to realize that signing a publishing deal isn’t always your best option. Be absolutely certain you understand what you stand to gain (beyond the simple validation of your talent) and what you’re giving up to get it. In the world of professional songwriting, there is no one way to achieve success and, no matter what, the more you understand and can do on your own, the better off you’ll be. Good luck!

Children’s singer-songwriter and Parent’s Choice Award winner Andrea “Dre” Towey writes and performs music that resonates with children of all ages as it touches a wide range of subjects, from the dog across the street to the harrowing experience of losing a balloon. A former elementary school teacher and art educator, Dre “unleashed” her first solo album, “Chester The Dog” in 2006. Her award-winning follow up recording, “Sugar On Top”, was released in 2008. Dre shares her thoughts on writing, recording and performing children’s music in the email interview below. Learn more about Dre Towey at www.litteloomis.com

How did you get your start in music?

I entered the music business as an illustrator. I was illustrating and writing children’s books with hopes of being published when a teaching associate asked me to illustrate her cassette (did I say cassette?!). Later I wrote songs for her and eventually performed with the band. My specialty was monkey noises, ant noises (very subtle) and the shaker.

When did you start writing songs?

I began writing songs as toasts for my family on special occasions. It was kinda the family joke like, “Oh jeez, here goes Andrea again.” I was writing the words to existing tunes. Eventually I found my own sound and I still don’t know where it comes from. Then I picked up the guitar and kept practicing in front of anyone who would listen. Libraries are good places for this because it’s free to the public.

While Michelle Shocked is a clear vocal influence, who are your songwriting influences?

I am a big fan of Michelle Shocked and honored by the comparison, but the truth is I didn’t know who she was until a reviewer covered my CD and said that I sounded like her. I would say that my influences are Rickie Lee Jones, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks and more recently, Sheryl Crow and Ariel from the Little Mermaid. Ariel has red hair and I really like her shell bikini and man, does she have pipes!

What made you decide to focus on children’s music?

The music just happened as I taught and as I had children. It wasn’t like, should I do this or should I do that. Any decision I made regarding my music happened because it felt right, it felt natural and it felt good.

How is writing songs for kids different from writing for adults?

Don’t know. I never write for anyone but myself. Maybe it’s easier for me to connect to my inner child than my inner adult. More recently though I do like to have a couple songs that the kids can follow along during live performances. I think this is same for adults. People, in general, want to relate and sing along to songs. A simple catchy chorus can define a song.

What is your songwriting process? How do you go from initial idea to finished track?

It usually starts with something a child says or does that either hits me or triggers a personal memory. It can start with a phrase and I usually play with it until the melody reflects the imagery of the song. I don’t usually complete a song until I have to – I can’t tell you how many beginnings are on my laptop.

Do you own any type of home recording setup?

Amateur set up. Things I get frustrated with. Not a tech person at all.

How do your songs change once you hit the studio? Do you work with other musicians and/or a producer?

My songs burst when I hit the studio because recording and playing with other artists is the most exciting part for me. Most of the time I like them better, there have been only a couple of occasions when I didn’t put a track on an album.

Are your live shows different from your recordings? In other words, do you play solo or with a band? Is there a different vibe?

My live performances are more interactive than my recordings. Considering my age group they have to be. Sometimes I play solo, or with a percussionist and other times the whole band. It’s always a different vibe catered toward the audience at that given moment.

Where do you find inspiration?

Obviously, children inspire me. Usually I am inspired when I have a quiet moment and I am taking time to listen. Nature inspires me. Dogs inspire me. Humor inspires me.

How often do you write? Do you have a set writing schedule?

I am writing all the time. Not physically at my desk but constantly churning ideas and recording them (even if it’s just on my voicemail). No schedule unless I have a deadline.

Where do you think children’s music fits in to the larger music industry?

Children are born all the time. Why not make more music? They are the perfect audience. It’s been going on a long time, Woodie Guthrie, the Beatles – they got it. It’s not a new thing and believe me there is a lot out there, good and bad and really bad.

Have your albums sold well? How do you promote them?

Ah marketing. My nemesis. Just tackling that now. This interview should boost sales, right?

What are your future plans?

A third CD is pending, a couple of video shoots (I can’t wait!), and I plan to open an intergalactic studio for kids and adults based on Mars with spaceship carpools. Just kidding. How about one in SoNo, CT??? I am going to call it JAM, an acronym for Junior Art & Music. Seriously, come visit me this September.

Listen to Dre Towey’s music at http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/DreTowey

A lot of people come to Serve The Song looking for songwriting templates, so I’ve put together another one. My first  GarageBand songwriting template was built using basic song forms. This new template uses very basic music theory featuring simple I, IV and  V chords along with ii and vi minor.

What The Heck Does That Mean?

With all due respect to those of you who understand music theory, the Roman numerals I, IV and V (1, 4 and 5) describe the first, fourth and fifth scale degrees in any major scale. When you build major triads (three-note chords) from these points in the major scale, you always get major chords. Likewise, when you build minor triads on the second (ii) and sixth (vi) scale degrees you always get minor chords.

Use Basic Chords As Building Blocks For Your Songs

While there are dozens of chord combinations you could use, these 5 basic chord forms are excellent building blocks for pop songs in any key.

Download and use the attached zip file to get started. The template has a basic drum and bass groove and the chords are played on piano as straight half notes. There are also blank tracks available for you to add your own melodies.

Remember, this is very basic stuff. No bells and whistles. Just enough to give your creativity a boost. You are free to build on top of this in any way you choose. To change key in GarageBand simply change the key of your project and all the chords will transpose accordingly. Same goes for tempo.

Have Fun And Write Something New

The template is saved in both Garageband .band format and .mp3 so you can use it in whatever software package you prefer. Let me know if it helps you jump start your songwriting. Use some or all of the chords to give you a starting point for your next song. Use them in any key at any tempo. Stretch them out, chop them up, or put them in any combination you prefer. But most importantly have fun!

Download Songwriting Template

In Part 1 of our exclusive interview with TAXI founder and CEO Michael Laskow, Michael shared his insights about current opportunities for songwriters and the best way to get your music heard by the right people. In Part 2 Michael gives advice on how to work with TAXI and the work ethic needed to compete in today’s marketplace.

Do songwriters need to be well-versed in music theory and audio production? In other words, these days is it possible to sell a tune with a simple guitar/vocal demo?

First and foremost, they need to just be great songwriters. Not good, but great! They really need to know their craft. And the answer is “yes” for some genres. Country, A/C… maybe some types of Pop would accept a piano or guitar vocal demo of an incredible song. I’ve got some examples of hits that came from very simple demos in my office.

For Rock or Katy Perry type of Pop, or for artist demos you really need a full-blown demo to show what the song is all about. If you want to hear some great advice on this very subject, watch this interview I did with Rob Chiarelli not long ago. He’s engineered, mixed or produced more than 70 gold and Platinum records, and he’s got what I would characterize as the typical advice I most frequently hear on this very topic. There’s also a bunch of other incredible advice that comes out in that interview. It’s well worth watching.

For those who don’t have solid studio chops or access to producers/engineers, do music libraries and music supervisors accept tracks created with Band in a Box or similar programs?

Practically never. When it comes from a box, it really stands out as such, especially to experienced ears.

Has the role of a traditional music publisher changed over the last 10 years?

Yes, a lot! They don’t sign nearly as many staff writers as they used to, and the deals are often much skinnier. They’re more likely to spend their time working to pair their writers with artists who need a co-writer rather than plugging a catalog of material from their stable of writers.

Is it possible for songwriters to pitch to industry people on their own?

It’s not impossible, but I don’t know many unknown songwriters who have the arsenal of contacts to pitch often enough to have a really good shot. I know most songwriters think their music is top notch and all it would take would be just one listen by the right person and they’d be on their way. That’s an extremely rare event. Actually, it’s wishful thinking! To put it in perspective, it took Diane Warren 12 years to get her first song cut and she was relentless in her efforts, and she lived in Los Angeles. You need to have a huge network of people. You need to make plugging your music your full time job to get the same results as the other pro writers.

If you think you can write a few songs a year, make a few pitches a year and hit it big, you might as well buy a lottery ticket. It takes consistent effort over a period of years and your songs need to be competitive with Diane Warren’s, Jeffrey Steele’s, Kara DioGuardi’s and a few dozen other writers at that level. Once you get on the desk, that’s exactly who you’ll be competing against. By the way, did you know that all totaled, Nashville has more than 800 songwriters living there who’ve already had Number One hits and more than 20,000 professional songwriters?

They’re doing it full time. To be competitive with them, you need to know who and what they know. Writing great songs is a given. I created TAXI for the people who don’t know who and what the pros know, but just might have the killer songs.

How is TAXI different from the other song pitching services out there?

I hope you don’t mind if I give you a list.

• TAXI has been in business since 1992. None of the other companies can say that.
• TAXI offers a money-back guarantee that we will deliver what we promise. None of the other companies offer that.
• TAXI gives detailed feedback from incredibly well qualified industry experts with amazing resumes. None of the other companies offer that.
• TAXI has 18 years of high-level contacts and connections that our competitors don’t.
• TAXI gives every member two FREE tickets to what is widely considered to be the best convention out there for songwriters, artist and composers – the Road Rally. At best, other companies only sponsor events that cost as much or more for just one ticket, when a TAXI membership includes a year of our service and two free tickets.

Want more?

• TAXI has had thousands more of our customers sign deals than ANY other company out there. The deals have included Major label record deals, Indie label deals, staff writer deals, songs cuts that have gone to Number One, and countless Film & TV publishing deals and placements that have happened because those TAXI members decided to invest three hundred bucks in themselves rather than spend it on designer coffee. No other company even comes close to those stats.

Want me to keep going? Okay…

• TAXI has an “A” rating with the Better Business Bureau and not one of our competitors even belongs to the BBB. TAXI has people on the ground in Nashville, Los Angeles and now New York. Some of our competitors are headquartered in Wisconsin and Massachusetts.
• TAXI’s V.P. of A&R’s last job was Sr. Director of Creative at Universal Music.
• TAXI’s Director of A&R’s last job was Creative Director at Windswept Music Publishing.
• TAXI screens the requests for music that come in, and we only take the very best opportunities for our members. Other companies seemingly take anything so their customers never know what they might be hooked up with.

Anyway… you get the idea. There are a ton of companies that have tried to copy us to varying degrees, but not one of them can claim ANY of the things I’ve just listed, let alone all of them. Sorry to get so carried away, but as you can probably see, I’m pretty passionate about TAXI.

Besides copyrighting their songs, should a writer join a PRO and clear their songs before submitting to services like TAXI?

Their music will need to be with a PRO when they start to get cuts or placements so they can collect their performance royalties. As long as they own or control their masters and their publishing, they should have no problem clearing their music if someone wants to license it.

Will a songwriter do better by focusing more on industry trends or pitching the songs from his or her latest CD?

Hopefully their CD is already in the ballpark of what the industry needs. That’s the perfect storm. If your music isn’t in that ballpark, your chances of success are tremendously reduced. If you sold shoes and a customer asked for a men’s size ten Oxford, what would you have them try on?

The music industry’s buyers are the music supervisors, A&R people, publishers, video game producers and ad agencies. They have needs. You need to fill them. You could go the DIY route, but that takes years of constant work to really get off the ground, and how do you eat while you’re doing it? My hat is off to those full time musicians who have the time and talent to pull it off.

In other interviews and your own marketing materials you stress the importance of building relationships and being easy to work with. Can you elaborate on that more for our readers?

Sure, and I don’t mean to be trite here, but would you rather go to a doctor who you perceive to be professional, friendly, helpful, concerned about your needs and reliable, or one who is none of those things? The music industry is really no different. Don’t be an obnoxious, unreliable, or arrogant jerk. Be a good person who makes other people’s jobs easier for them and they will be more inclined to give you work. It’s pretty simple.

Finally, in terms of overall career development, can you talk a little bit about the 5-year plan you recommend to TAXI members?

One of our long-time members, Matt Hirt, actually came up with the five-year plan, so he should get the credit. Write and produce as many Film and TV cues as possible every week, pitch them as often as you can, don’t sit by the phone waiting for it to ring, keep writing and pitching more stuff, and after five years of doing that religiously, you should have enough material with enough Film and TV publishers that the placements and payments will really begin to add up.

I know it has worked exceedingly well for Matt. He’s been at it for eleven or twelve years now, and if he stopped writing today, my educated guess is that he would have an enviable income for years to come. He’s done it all right, and he’s been generous with what he’s learned along the way. Matt and many other members of our Forum are exactly who I came up with the concept of TAXI for. They make me very proud. They’ve proved that TAXI works if you work at it. The people who haven’t become successful using TAXI are using exactly the same service as the successful members. So what are the variables if they’re responding to the same opportunities and getting screened by the same A&R team at TAXI?

Their pitches, their music and their work ethic are the variables. When they follow Matt’s plan and make great music, they should get similar results from TAXI.

Do you think TAXI can help you with your music? Please leave your thoughts in the comments.

Michael Laskow interviewing American Idol judge and Hit Songwriter Kara DioGuardi at TAXI's free convention, the Road Rally. Photo by James DiModica.

TAXI has been giving artists, bands, and songwriters access to the people in the music business with the power to sign deals since 1992. For an annual subscription fee, songwriters can pitch their material to TAXI industry listings in a broad range of categories. Many TAXI members have achieved chart success and TV/Film music placements using the service. In this exclusive two-part interview, TAXI CEO Michael Laskow shares his insights on the music business with Serve The Song and offers readers candid advice on the best way to get their music heard.

Besides joining TAXI, what is the best thing a songwriter can do right now to break into the music business?

As we say in our brochure and on our website:
“If you’re trying to land a record deal, nothing works better than hitting the road, playing hundreds of gigs, and selling thousands of CDs from the trunk of your car. If you’re a songwriter, moving to Los Angeles, New York, or Nashville and ‘paying your dues’ is often the best way to go.

But, can you just walk away from your life, your job, your family, and your mortgage payment? Okay, that might be tempting, but let’s get real! You need a vehicle to help you get your music to the right people. TAXI will help you do that no matter where you live.”

That’s pretty great advice. If you can devote eight hours a day or more to making connections and developing relationships on your own, that’s clearly the way to go. But if you’re like most people, that’s not really possible because of other responsibilities. If you treat your music career like a hobby — only doing it in your spare time — then you’ll get the results a hobbyist will get.

I created TAXI to bridge the gap for people who don’t have time to do all the research or can’t move to one of the music centers.

TAXI gets some criticism because only 6% of members get deals. Why is it that so few members make real progress while a small minority does really well?

Why is it that so few golfers make the Tour or so few high school or college football players make the NFL? In any discipline, there are always those who will do the hard work and invest themselves to the point of achieving real success. TAXI and the music business are no different.

It’s always the people who create music that the industry wants and needs that are successful. The folks who say, “I don’t like the crap I hear on the radio. I’ve created my own genre—folk-space-pop—don’t stand a chance because nobody needs that “genre” to attract a radio audience or for film and TV placements.

TAXI’s mission is to take C-level songwriters, artists and composers and move them up to Bs, then to As, then get them deals. The people who realize that and use our A&R feedback to the fullest extent often rise to occasion and become successful.

Look at the people on our Success Stories Forum… ask them why they are successful and others aren’t. They all give you the same answer—they learned to write and produce what the people in industry truly needed. They can still make “folk-space-pop” for fun, but they can also make what the industry needs and make money doing it!

Another observation about the people who are successful using TAXI and those who are not; they’re all using exactly the same company, getting the same opportunities through TAXI, and being heard by the same screeners. TAXI is the constant. Their music and their ability to pitch it at the right opportunities are what make the difference. That’s the variable in the equation, not TAXI.

Are record deals a thing of the past?

Not so much. There are just fewer of them to get. But, how many artists can you name that have become Rock Star wealthy on their own, doing it the DIY way? There have been some blips, but nothing substantial without a label behind them. Even Radiohead’s success with their Indie release was totally dependent on their mailing list that was built with more than a decade of major label money backing them. I don’t see any new artists having success like that yet… at least not to any great extent.

Is writing for other artists a thing of the past?

No, it’s just different in that many of those cuts happen as a result of co-writes with the artist. Now it’s writing WITH other artists, not FOR them. The hard part is getting to the point where they know you exist. That takes networking and introductions. TAXI member Chuck Schlacter calls what TAXI does, “Favorable introductions.”

It seems like everyone is going after film & TV licensing deals now. Is the market for production music getting too crowded?

There’s no question that there are tons of newer, small-ish music libraries out there that have only non-exclusive tracks and songs that are the same songs and tracks that appear in many other libraries under other titles as well. Those libraries have really lowered the quality bar by accepting almost anything that comes in. No skin off their tush to add a song or track to their catalog… it didn’t cost them anything to get it. The problem is that all those new little libraries are inundating the music supervisors with tracks. At least they’re trying too!

Music supervisors are now avoiding music that comes from non-exclusive libraries for the most part. They can’t risk the same piece of music coming from several different sources for the same project. Which one got used? Who gets paid? It’s been a train wreck waiting to happen, and as quickly as everybody jumped on getting their music in as many non-exclusive libraries as possible, the top music supervisors are running away from situations that could cause a lawsuit. They’re now going back to working with a few trusted resources that provide them with exclusive music.

And while TAXI will continue to connect our members with some of the top libraries who do exclusive deals, we are seeing an increase in the number of music supervisors coming straight to us because they know they can license the music directly from the songwriters, artists and composers themselves.

The great part about those deals is that the musicians can keep 100% of the income and they don’t have to split it 50/50 with a publisher or music library. It’s nice to see more income going to our members.

By the way, one big misconception that I’d like to clear up about Film and TV music in general is that they’re always looking for big, orchestral pieces. Not so! About 25% of what they need is songs from bands and singer/songwriters.

What other markets are available for songwriters to pitch their music?

Because we saw the Film and TV markets getting flooded, we began to turn our attention to Video Games and Advertising. Those are smaller markets with fewer opportunities, but the income that can go to the creators of the music can be much larger. For instance —and I’m talking about musicians who aren’t famous— a background placement on a network TV show might earn the composer or songwriter $500-$2,500, depending on the length of the piece used, if it has vocals, did it play on cable or network, and some other mitigating factors. But that’s a decent estimate of the range.

The top, and I’m talking about maybe twenty composers here… but the top people composing for video games are making $250,000 to $1,000,000 a year. Those figures were given to me by the leading agent for video game composers, who is a good friend of mine. I’ve also had it confirmed by a couple of the top composers who I know personally. But, like I said, there are probably twenty or so composers who earn at that level.

The interesting part is there are second and third tier games that also require music. I’ve been told that there are larger numbers of composers who make $50,000 to $250,000 a year, not just the twenty top guys. I suspect there are plenty of musicians out there who would love to make an extra $10,000 a year from their music. Maybe they could get some songs placed in video games and pick up some extra income that way. The opportunities are out there for people with the best music. That’s what we do at TAXI. We find the best music, and we help the rest of our members get their music up to that level when they’re willing to invest themselves in that process.

Getting music placed in advertising, mainly TV ads, can be extremely lucrative. We all know that the Rolling Stones can get upwards of a million bucks to license one of their hits to a top of the line ad for a big product or company. I just got back from a week of meetings in New York with some of the top advertising executives at some of the biggest ad agencies on Madison Avenue, and frankly, even I was surprised at how much money agencies pay for music.

Of course it depends on if the spot is national, how long it runs, and some other factors, but I was told by one creative director that he pays, “… a hundred to a hundred-fifty thousand dollars for music,” and I was given several other examples where agencies paid as much as $300,000 or more, and for acts that aren’t the huge Rolling Stone level types. Again, it isn’t raining those deals, but if you’ve got enough of the right connections, you’ve got a shot at some pretty life-changing opportunities for both songs and instrumental music.

The back end money comes in on top of that, so if you’ve got music in something like a long-running Toyota spot that airs nationally, you could make more money with one thirty-second spot than some people make in a decade. It’s pretty mind blowing when you think about it. And somebody’s gonna get that gig!

I just hired a gentleman who was Sr. Vice President of Music at a top N.Y. agency for 17 years to bring those opportunities to TAXI’s members. He knows a ton of the right people in the right places, so I think we’ll be able to leverage those opportunities for our members and bring some fresh new music to Madison Avenue.

Learn more about TAXI’s role in the music business in Part 2 of our interview with Michael Laskow and feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.

Jeff Greenleaf teaches blind children how to read and write Braille music notation by day and works nights and weekends as a successful film/TV composer from his home studio in Malibu, CA. To date, Jeff has signed over 300 songs to several publishers, one of which places music on the most popular daytime talk shows. Jeff’s music can be heard on many television programs, including “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” on the E! network and MTV’s “Styl’D” and “Nitro Circus”.

Besides successful TV music placements, Jeff has also recorded four studio albums. Jeff talks about his success and the hard work behind it in the interview below. Learn more about Jeff Greenleaf at jeffgreenleaf.com

How did you get your start in music?

I was always involved in music groups as a child. I played the trombone throughout elementary school, middle school, and part of high school. However, it wasn’t until I picked up the guitar (when I was 15) that I really got excited about music. Shortly after that, I took weekly harmonica lessons for about two years. When I was in college, I bought a synthesizer and a 4-track recorder. While everyone else was out partying, I was in my room writing and recording songs night after night.

What is your primary instrument?

I’m definitely a multi-instrumentalist as I play a little of everything, but I consider myself primarily a keyboard player. With all the great sounding sample libraries, I feel I can expressively play nearly any instrument with just a keyboard controller.

When did you start playing gigs? Were you a solo artist or in a band?

I started playing in rock bands when I was 15. We would just play at school events. In college, I played in a couple groups but I was already establishing myself as a solo artist. My performances were few and far between, as I was never fully comfortable as a vocalist, much less a frontman. In any case, I did secure a small but loyal following. Looking back on it, those early days were crucial building blocks in my musical development. That small, but strong fan base truly believed in me (more so than myself) and encouraged me to follow my dreams.

What made you decide to pursue TV/Film music opportunities?

While I was in high school, my harmonica teacher made a living with TV placements on popular sitcoms. I never knew how to get my foot in the door with this side of the business. I just figured if I practiced enough I would be prepared if the opportunity came along. So, my harmonica playing really did excel because of this.

I recorded a couple of CDs of my singer-songwriter material and pitched a few of the songs through TAXI A&R. I got some great feedback, but I quickly realized that the music industry wasn’t necessarily looking for my type of music.

I started looking at TAXI’s Instrumental listings and got excited by the opportunities. Somebody needed Fun, Quirky music for a TV show and someone else needed Chinese music for cooking shows. So, I dived right in and wrote for every type of Instrumental listing available. I was really getting it down and TAXI kept forwarding my music to different publishers and music supervisors.

Was TAXI the only A&R-type company you submit your music to? Have you tried other outlets such as Pump Audio and YouLicense.com?

I’ve tried all the other companies, but TAXI is the only one that has given me results.

Have you ever worked with a manager or promoter?

When I was at the TAXI Road Rally conference, I was introduced to a publisher who supplies most of the music to a very popular daytime talk show. After reviewing my CD, he asked me to become a staff composer for the show. In turn, I signed a management contract with him. It has been a great experience and I have learned so much about creating production music as part of a team.

When did you sign your first Film/TV deal?

I was offered a contract in October 2008 after TAXI forwarded my music to a publisher who works with popular reality shows.

What kind of music got signed?

The first piece of music that got signed was an “80’s New Wave/Electronica” cue. Since then, the company has asked for instrumental music in all styles.

What were the terms? Were you OK with them?

The contract I signed was very standard. It basically said that I would receive 100% of the writer’s share and the company would receive 100% of the publishing. In other words, it was a 50-50 deal. The terms made complete sense to me and I figured the company deserved at least 50% of all royalties for getting my songs on the air. Also, the contract was non-exclusive which meant I could still pitch the same songs or use them on CDs. However, I’ve learned to treat every non-exclusive song as if it were part of an exclusive deal. This way, music supervisors won’t get the same song over and over again from multiple production companies.

How long was it between the time you signed your first deal and when you got paid?

It took one year, between signing my first deal and hearing my first song on TV. Then I started hearing my songs more frequently on different shows. It takes roughly 9 months to receive payment after the first time a music cue is aired. So, my first royalty check will actually be this summer.

Have you ever received multiple payments for the same piece of music?

Fortunately, the shows I’ve heard my music on replay week after week, sometimes day after day. Because of this, I will be getting royalties for some time ahead.

What is your current studio setup?

I’m currently using Logic Pro 9 on a new iMac. I use an old Roland synth as a controller. I have the Apogee Duet for an audio interface. My favorite hardware synth is the Access Virus TI. I use Ultrasone headphones, which are so comfortable my ears never fatigue. For microphones, I have a Rode NT2 Large Diaphragm and a Shaker harmonica mic. I have always used Lee Oscar harmonicas, which I highly recommend for anyone starting out. My guitars are pretty basic, nothing too special, other than my Beard Gold Tone Dobro.

I’m using sample libraries more and more these days. Some of my favorites are Sample Logic Morphestra, Kontakt 4, Plectrum, Best Service Accordians, and lots of plugs in Logic 9. Probably the most expensive piece of equipment I own is my studio chair. I got it at a specialty store for people who have back problems. Thankfully, I don’t suffer from back problems, so my chair is more preventative than anything.

Was it hard to learn how to use Logic? Was it trial and error or pretty straightforward?

It took me years to finally switch over to a computer based system. I had always used a standalone multi-track digital recorder. People were always surprised that I could get broadcast quality tracks out of my setup. As my needs changed and my demands increased, I was looking for greater flexibility. I started using Logic in September 2009 and found it to be very user friendly. I did need a lot of help for the first few weeks, but things are moving along quite well now. It has really sped up my workflow as well.

Do you write any songs with lyrics for Film/TV or is it all instrumental?

I only write Instrumental music.

How else do you promote your music?

I try to develop and maintain a “web presence” by having my music available on as many digital distribution sites as possible. CDbaby has been great from the very beginning and they helped get my CDs selling on iTunes. I used a service called Music Submit which has gotten my CDs on several different sites.

You have 300 signed titles in circulation. Why so many? What drives you to keep producing music?

I have production music deals with 5 different companies and they all request music somewhat regularly. The amount of material I have is dependent on what is being asked of me. However, when I was just starting out, 300 songs was a goal I had. I had heard that to make a living off of production music you had to have about 300 songs working for you at all times.

I think writing music for TV is very motivating for a number of reasons. The most important reason is the sheer joy you experience when you hear your music on a popular TV show. Imagine how it feels to be emotionally involved in a television program and, out of nowhere, your song plays. It plays with purpose, to make the scene better…and it always does. There really is nothing quite like it.

Of those 300, how many have produced income?

Based on watching some of the shows I’m writing for, I know I’ve had at least 10 music placements since November 2009. That number could be higher, considering I haven’t watched many of the shows. I will certainly find out this summer on my PRO (Performing Rights Organization) statement.

How do you handle copyright/PRO registration with the songs you turn around so quickly?

Normally, I register the songs online to be copyrighted after they have been approved by the publishers. The publisher will register them with my PRO. Sometimes they do it right after they sign the song, other times they wait until they send it to a show. Some publishers may wait until it has been licensed by a show before registering it.

You also mentioned that you are keeping your day job for now. Isn’t it possible for you to do music full-time with so many deals?

I think it will take me a few more years to really see a substantial increase to my income through music placements. It’s a bit slow moving, but it eventually pays off if you keep producing great cues. I’m definitely on the right path and I’ve got my foot firmly in the door of this part of the music business. I have a pretty great career teaching blind children Braille literacy skills. I’ve been doing it for 15 years. If writing music for TV doubles (or triples) my income, I suppose I could be looking at an early retirement.

What’s the average licensing fee you receive per song?

For TV, it’s generally pretty small (or nothing at all) unless the company wants to exclusively own the copyright to your songs, which is also known as a buyout deal. I was recently offered $200 per song, plus royalty payments for several of my songs for a new show. From what I understand, that’s pretty good.

What’s the average PRO back-end payment per song?

There are many variables for royalty payments and the amount can depend on things like the time of day it airs, the network, the duration, the type of use (background/feature/vocal), the number of times and markets it plays in, etc. I’ve had songs air on a very large cable station that pays roughly $30 per minute and I’ve had songs on a smaller station that pays about $2 per minute.

I’m currently writing for a big network station that pays nearly $200 per minute for instrumental music. If your song has vocals in it, the rate is actually much higher. The key is to have as many songs in as many different shows as possible. That’s the most fun way to do it, too. That way, you’re associated with those shows as well, which is cool.

What’s the best piece of advice you could pass along to readers who want to get started in film/TV music?

If you are capable of producing broadcast quality tracks in your own home studio, use TAXI’s instrumental listings to hone your craft. It’s very educational, you will get detailed feedback from screeners, and your tracks may get forwarded to production music libraries for film/TV placement. Also, use TAXI’s online community/forum to learn more about this business and develop relationships with other composers.

What are your future plans?

I plan on recording as much new music as possible and target one or two genres to really excel in. I want to continue learning about engineering and hopefully take some classes so I can stay competitive in the field. More importantly, I will work to become a better musician and composer.

John Braheny is a consultant for songwriters and the author of “The Craft and Business of Songwriting”.  Learn more about him at www.johnbraheny.com.

In Part 1 of our interview with John Braheny, he talks about the importance of mental preparation, current opportunities and demo production strategies.

In Part 2 below, John gives some great tips on getting the most out of your songwriting sessions, the value of re-writing, and learning how to communicate better with your audience.

6. What are some common mistakes you see songwriters make?

A. Assuming the first thing they think of will be their best idea.

B. Settling too soon just to get it finished. Have a check list you go through on each song you write so you keep up your own standards.

C. Deciding not to write any more until you get your songs demoed, published etc. That’s a good sign you’re not writing because you love to write. Most successful writers have written hundreds of songs before they get their first cut. That’s certainly not a rule, but as Malcolm Gladwell observes in his great book “Outliers,” most people who are successful at anything have spent at least 10,000 hours practicing their art or trade. In songwriting, it took Diane Warren 10 years to get her first cut after writing several songs a week. I can attest to that work ethic after hearing about 150 of the songs she wrote when she was 15. Check out her site at www.realsongs.com.

D. Listening to friends and relatives who tell them they can’t do it because: “You’ll never make any money,” “It’s a waste of time,” “What makes you think you have talent?” If you let yourself internalize those comments as negative self-talk, it becomes the voice of a destructive inner critic that’s poison to your creativity.

E. Refusing to re-write. Re-writing is how you learn and grow.

F. Not investing in classes, workshops, critique sessions to learn the craft that will better serve your imagination and creativity.

G. Giving up  when other priorities compete for your time. Even with a day gig and a family, if you want to write songs, write songs. Hang in there and make things happen.

H. Not getting help when you need it. For example, if you’re a great guitarist/singer but need help with production, you should seek the help of a knowledgeable producer.

7. What are some simple exercises songwriters can do to immediately improve their craft?

Write for 10 minutes every morning about anything that occurs to you. Julia Cameron, author of “The Artists’ Way”, calls it Morning Pages. Berklee songwriting professor Pat Pattison calls it “object writing” because you start by picking an object then just free associating. Don’t stop to worry about grammar, style and don’t rewrite. Just let it flow. Stop at 10 minutes. It gets so your subconscious knows you’ll be doing it and you find that during your day you’ll make a little mental note of what you’re going to write about. You’ll have a reason to pay attention. You’ll have to think about how you feel about things – how you’d describe things. You’ll write more clearly and deliberately, even when you free associate. Practice describing what you feel in detail in sensory detail.

You might invest in some Jump-starters. My friend Lisa Aschmann has a great book called “1000 Songwriting Ideas” that will give you that little shove to get the ball rolling. Another book like that is Barbara Jordan’s “Songwriters Playground: Innovative Exercises in Creative Songwriting.” Also, Robin Frederick’s “Shortcuts To Hit Songwriting” is full of great tips and exercises. It’s like a companion workbook to my book, “The Craft And Business Of Songwriting”.

On the music side you can do the same thing. Pick up the guitar or get with your keyboard for 10 minutes once a day. Try to just come up with a new chord progression, melody line or guitar riff each time. Record every session. Just sing nonsense. If you’re primarily a lyricist it’s very important to get used to focusing on the melody, otherwise you may have a tendency to get too wordy. Every time you get something started and come up with an actual lyric line, while recording, try out 4 or 5 more variations of the melody line.

8. How often should songwriters re-write?

As often as you need to make it as good as it can be. Although there are songs that come out pretty much finished the first time around, they’re very rare. In Nashville, the pro writers say “You don’t write songs, you re-write songs.” Jon Ims did 32 re-writes for his Songwriters Hall Of Fame hit, “She’s In Love With The Boy.” I asked him to chronicle that process for the “Rewriting” section of my book. It’s a great lesson.

It’s so difficult to come up with a unique idea that you owe it to yourself and your song to make it as good as possible. That’s how it is for Nashville writers and others who write for hit artists. They know those songs will go through a lot of scrutiny before a label will decide to invest a million dollars in producing and marketing a song. On another level, if you’re an artist who writes for yourself, you’ll become known and appreciated for the unique way you express yourself.

You want to take as much time as possible to hone your songs to reach into those listeners, your potential fans, and express their feelings as well as your own. Don’t be pretentious. Tell the truth. They’ll like you and identify with you because they feel they know you. So let them know the real you. Don’t obscure your feelings and attitudes by writing lyrics that are deliberately (or unconsciously) uncommunicative. Consider your songs to be conversations with your listeners. Don’t talk nonsense to them.

There are many creative, unique, poetic, profound and even somewhat abstract ways to express yourself. You rewrite with your imagination, art, and craftsmanship to achieve those goals, to communicate clearly and to entertain your listeners whether you’re delivering a message, expressing your feelings or just making music that makes them shake their butts and forget the world.

9. Truly successful songwriting depends on finding a receptive audience. With that in mind, how important is it for writer-performers to connect with their audiences? What can they do to improve their efforts?

Practice alone and with an audience every chance you get. When you practice alone, visualize an audience. Use a mirror or use a cheap video camera to record yourself and study it. Keep a daily journal of funny stuff you observe or think about in your normal life. Be honest. Work on developing those funny personal stories and sharing them with your audience in a regular blog and between songs at your showcases and gigs. No matter what your personality is, you’ll draw an audience who likes and identifies with it. Don’t forget that you’re not on stage just to express yourself – you’re there to entertain your audience and make them feel good that they invested their precious time coming to see you.

I see way too many artists just get up and stumble through their songs, apologizing, “Sorry I’m out of tune” (Just shut up and tune or learn to tune as you tell them a story.) “Sorry I’m not at my best/ I didn’t get much sleep” (This one better be accompanied by a VERY funny story!) “Hey I just wrote this today and I haven’t quite got it worked out yet.” (Don’t inflict it on them. It’s like saying “You only deserve to see me at my worst.”) They don’t care!! They didn’t come to see you at your worst! Don’t apologize! You don’t exactly have to put on a suit and tie (Unless you’re Michael Buble), but wear something that shows some respect for your audience. Comb your hair. Look like you care – like you’re going to meet your girlfriend/boyfriend’s parents. Well, that might be a little extreme but you know what I mean.

As a singer, make sure you’ve written lyrics that represent your true feelings, convictions, experiences and that you personally connect emotionally with every line you sing. Quantum Physicists are finding that there is an actual transfer of energy that takes place. It’s why you see some American Idol contestants who hear from Simon or Kara “You’re just not inside the song.” when they’re thinking about how they’re singing and how they look etc. and not what they’re singing. There are singers who can fake it and audiences who will buy it. There’s a famous line of David Lee Roth, if I remember correctly when asked by Johnny Carson what was the secret of his success, he said “Sincerity, Johnny, and if you can fake that you’ve got it made.” It’s much better, however, if you are sincere.

10. What can people do to keep their connection to an audience once they establish it?

Get their e-mail address. Make sure they can reach you. If you’re playing a club, persuade the doorman to use a stamp with your website on it so they can go to their iPhone or computer and enter it. Then send them something every week. Tell them about your next gig, video yourself and send them a link. Send them a newsletter, do a blog on your site, let them know with a Facebook message or a Tweet. Try using a site/service like www.Reverbnation.com that will let you post your songs on you fans’ sites so they can promote you. There are lots more of these things. Check Ariel Hiatt’s www.arielpublicity.com and Bob Baker’s www.bob-baker.com for great self-marketing info.

John Braheny is a consultant for songwriters and the author of “The Craft and Business of Songwriting”.  Learn more about him at www.johnbraheny.com.

John Braheny is a top consultant for songwriters, performers and industry entrepreneurs. He is a consultant and screener for TAXI, the independent A&R company, and offers valuable feedback on songwriting craft and business and career strategies for performers.

John is one of the most respected people in the music industry, and, more specifically, in the songwriting community. From 1971-1996 he co-founded and directed the legendary Los Angeles Songwriters Showcase (LASS), which BMI sponsored for 18 years.

During that time the organization gave exposure and opportunities to a virtual Who’s Who of up and coming singer-songwriters, including Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham, Janis Ian, Warren Zevon, Karla Bonoff, Stephen Bishop, and Diane Warren.

John graciously took some time away from his busy schedule to discuss songwriting with Serve The Song over the phone and via email. Below is the first part of our conversation.

1. Most readers of Serve The Song are DIY songwriters and producers. Can you talk a little bit about how they need to think like entrepreneurs to move their careers forward?

Sure. In some way or another we’ve always had to be entrepreneurs, even during the days when everybody aspired to a major label deal. We had to find managers, booking agents, hire or select musicians for our bands, select and book recording and rehearsal studios. We had to handle and budget our money and we had to promote ourselves. If we found a manager, many of those tasks would be taken over by him/her and/or a business manager. If we got a major or indie label deal, the company would often take over the jobs of finding a booking agent, selecting a producer and paying for marketing and record promotion.

One of the most expensive items was marketing/promotion. The record had to be good enough for radio airplay and promoted to radio with a combination of in-house and out-sourced promoters. In the old label deals most of that cost would be recouped by the record companies through record sales. Production costs, tour advances and sometimes promotion costs were recouped from the artists royalties before the artists got their first penny.

Currently, most of those things still have to be done, but DIY artists now have a vast array of services and resources to help them with booking, accounting, and fan-base management. What that does, however, is to put the responsibility of developing your career solely on your own shoulders. It requires self-discipline, good time management skills, networking skills, the willingness to seek feedback on your work (an often under-appreciated service that was provided in the past by music publishers and record companies) and to commit to growing and learning as an artist. So without the record label or a good manager, you can’t blame failure on anyone but yourself.

The bottom line is that even if you do aspire to a major label deal, labels want to sign successful entrepreneurs who have demonstrated a real commitment to their careers. I’ve heard many record execs through the years remind artists that when the deal is signed, that’s when your REAL work begins. These days I’d disagree. Your work as an entrepreneur starts when you decide YOU want to make a living doing what you love.

2. Besides pitching songs to established artists and TV/movie music supervisors, what other opportunities are available to today’s DIY songwriters and producers?

Getting your songs into film/TV is the biggest but there are other opportunities. Video games are using more actual songs aside from scores and more games are getting set up so that the songs can be changed out and new songs used. Songs in greeting cards are getting big, although they’re still dominated by old hits. There are many compilation CDs created for charities that will use songs that focus on their particular interests (medical, animals, armed forces family charities etc.). You won’t see a lot of income from those compilations but it’s a good way to get your songs out there to help people discover you. Sponsorships and endorsement deals can be a good income generator or a way to finance your road tours, equipment, etc.

Some contests offer cash prizes and all offer recognition if you win. Good indie producers are always in demand if you’re willing to work on “spec” until you get real opportunities. It’s also good to attend audio school combined with internships that prepare you and put you in line for those opportunities. Always look toward your classmates and contemporaries as potential partners on projects. Join forces and collaborate wherever possible and jump on any creative opportunity. This is not a time for competition, but for cooperation.

I’ll mention here that one of the best ways I know to connect with new opportunities if you feel you have a viable catalog of songs is to join TAXI. It’s a great opportunity to get constructive critiques to help you grow as a writer and artist.

3. In the old days we used to be able to pitch material with just a simple guitar and vocal demo. Given the current level of competition out there, what is the minimum quality standard songwriters should shoot for when pitching their demos? Does everything need to be slickly produced? Is it possible to get an acceptable level of quality in a home studio environment?

If you learn to use your home studio equipment well – your software and samples, plug-ins and outboard gear as well as old-school microphone placement techniques, you can do very good demos on your own that are comparable to masters costing thousands of dollars in expensive studios not all that long ago. So don’t think you have to get that elaborate. You need clean, undistorted sound. The kinds of demos you present to whom is a topic I cover extensively in my book but I’ll try to be brief here. If the song is for country or a pop ballad, and has a great, unique lyric and melody, you can get away with a well-played guitar or keyboard and vocal. The vocal MUST be very good. If you know anyone who’s a better singer than you, hire them to sing it. If you’re a band, you obviously use your band. If you write rock or R&B, Hip-Hop, etc. you need a great rhythm section and a great singer. This is a generalization and there are a lot more nuances to this question.

4. How important is storytelling when it comes to writing a great song?

What’s most important is engaging and holding the listener’s attention lyrically, melodically and rhythmically. Storytelling is one of the most successful time-tested lyrical approaches. There have always been great story songs in all cultures. Holding a listener’s attention with a well-developed story has been a staple in all genres. The linear narrative like “Coward of The County” or Eminem’s “Stan” or Dan Fogelberg’s “Same Old Lang Syne” is one kind of storytelling but you can also tell a more non-linear, abstract, emotional story that leaves more to the listener’s imagination. Ultimately, it’s a magic combination of lyric, melody, groove, production and arrangement and performance that together tells, and sells, the “story”, regardless of how you define it.

5. How important is an understanding of music theory and various song forms?

What both of those give you is a toolbox. If you only know one chord progression or one melodic mode, you’ll start repeating yourself very soon. Your writing will get stale. Though it’s not necessary to know music theory to write a good song, understanding the theory will help you to know how to analyze your own instinctive artistic choices. Once you know them you know how to control them and expand them.

Song form, or structure, is very important if you’re writing contemporary music that you want to be commercially viable. There are many viable structures to choose from. Although you should have them all available in your toolbox, it’s equally as important that you understand why they work. Song structure serves as a matrix that helps to guide the listener through the song with a combination of predictability and surprise that serves to hold their attention. If you have 5 0r 6 verses in a row with the same melody, it doesn’t hold a listener’s attention as well as a verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus structure that introduces a listener to 3 different melodies to keep it interesting. Note that the bridge (surprise factor) comes after a repeat (predictability factor) of two verse/chorus modules.

You always need at least two of something before you can introduce a surprise. If, say, you had 4 different sections in a row where nothing repeats, though it may be interesting to progressive rock or jazz fans, it’s hard to hold the attention of a mass market audience who likes to “own” a song by learning the chorus and participating.

There are styles of music that don’t need to use the same structures as pop music because the audience doesn’t need these structures to hold their attention on radio while they’re thinking about/doing something else. Dance music is generally built for clubs where the music surrounds the listener and depends on a different mix of ingredients (groove, sounds, etc.) to delight its audience. Musical theater uses songs to move the story along and develop characters and already has the attention of a viewing audience. To some extent, music for film/TV doesn’t always require the same kind of structure and dynamics as radio music because its function is more about supplying a “vibe” or emotional underpinning to what’s happening on-screen or saying lyrically what the characters are thinking. In that case, the screen, not the music should hold your main focus – unless the film is about the music.

Check out Part 2 of “A Songwriting Conversation With John Braheny”, and please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments!

Singer-songwriter Ari Hest is a self-made success story. Even while under contract to a major label, he decided to break loose so he could record and release new music directly to fans on his own terms. The result was “52″, a collection of 52 individual songs written, recorded and released one at a time every week for an entire year.

Ari recorded almost all the songs on “52″ using Apple’s Garageband, a laptop and a microphone. One of the songs, “The Weight”, made USA TODAY’s “Listen Up Music Pick”.

The ambitious project yielded a follow-up album called “Twelve Mondays”, a collection of 12 fan-selected songs from “52″ reworked in a studio.

Ari took some time away from his busy schedule to share some of his insights about songwriting in the email interview below. His achievements show what is possible for aspiring, talented songwriters willing to put the time in to make things happen for themselves.

1. How long have you been playing music?

I’ve been singing since I was a kid, playing guitar since age 16 and writing music for a decade now.

2. Did you take lessons or are you self-taught?

I took a handful of voice and piano lessons, but my piano skill is questionable…guitar came much easier to me, didn’t need lessons for that.

3. When did you write your first song?

My first song was called “Surrounded By Surprise” and was written around ‘98. I burned the lyrics in shame, but I still remember the melody, so that part is good.

4. When did you record your first song?

I recorded an EP my sophomore year of college at Cornell in 1999 called “Incomplete”.

5. What was your first gig like?

My first gig was a battle of the bands at my high school. I lost to a math teacher whose Axl Rose impression was spot on.

6. What made you decide to persue a music career?

I’m not really sure why, I guess I just enjoy music more than any other activity, and it comes naturally to me. So I figured it’d be wise to do something I love for a career and started to work hard at it.

7. When did you decide you wanted to take the DIY (Do It Yourself) route?

I’ve been DIY since ‘07, but was also independent from ‘99 to ‘03. I’ve enjoyed it a lot more than the stint I had on a major label. I like the freedom of putting out music whenever I feel like doing so.

8. What is your writing process? How do you go from spark to finished song?

My writing process generally begins with a melody and then chords underneath it. I usually flesh out a whole song of music before getting into lyrics. Lyrics take a considerably longer amount of time for me, and I like to have the music in place before I focus on them.

9. How do you decide if an idea is worth persuing?

An idea is worth pursuing if I can’t stop humming it for at least 24 hours. I come up with a lot of musical snippets all day long, and most of them I don’t do anything with. The few that survive are usually good, and I go from there.

10. Do you copyright everything before you release it to your fans?

Yes, copyrighting is a necessary step at the beginning.

11. What are the pros and cons of doing everything yourself vs. working with other musicians?

I work with other musicians. I just dont have a record label supporting my albums, so I cover the cost of having musicians play on my records and on tour. I have a band that generally plays on everything I write these days.

12. Do you ever work with producers?

I still work with producers as well. I’m working on a new album now which is tentatively titled “Sunset Over Hope Street” with a producer named Alex Wong. Producers can help sculpt your songs and make the process of making a record more efficient, and Alex was great for that.

13. Do you miss working with a major label? Would you do it again?

I don’t miss the major label but I wouldn’t rule out signing with someone in the future. It’s nice to have the financial backing. Ideally I’d just like to take someone’s money and use it the way I see fit to promote my album, but that’s a rarity these days.

14. There’s been a lot of press about your use of Apple’s Garageband, especially for the Green Room Sessions and 52. Are you still using it? What do you like/not like about it?

I use Garageband every day for my demos. I also occasionally use Logic to record. Both are essential to how i create and work. They’re a huge asset, and really easy to use, even for computer idiots like me.

15. Do you use anything else for recording?

I use an Apogee Duet which links the signal from my instruments to my computer. It’s great. Small and portable, very handy. Thats pretty much it. Oh, and a mic. I bring a Shure SM-57 on the road for most of my tours.

16. What’s your current home studio rig?

I use the same rig at home.

17. How important is mastering to the recording process?

Mastering can help a lot, but that’s one of those things I really know very little about. There are preset mastering tools in Logic that anyone can use to enhance the sound of their recordings, but if you don’t know what you’re doing that can get dicey. Better to ask a pro about that.

18. What was the inspiration behind the 52 project?

The 52 project came about because while on a major label I didn’t have the creative liberty to release music when I felt like it, and I wanted to try something that would set me apart from other writers. It was the best thing I’ve done in my career, mostly because I wrote a lot of good material that year. I’m not sure if I could do it again though. It was a strain on the rest of my life. We’ll see.

19. What has been the response to 12 Mondays after the release of 52?

I think the response has been better than any album I’ve had, and it makes perfect sense, because this is the best record I’ve made. It’s the best representation of what I do. My other albums were good but in some cases, in my opinion, fell short of where I intended to go with them. This one has been received quite well worldwide.

20. What are your plans for the future?

I plan on releasing my next album sometime later this year. After that who knows. There’s no master plan, I just wanna enjoy doing this.

Learn more about Ari and his music at arihest.com.

Hello! I’m Mary Shaw, and I have just taken over the reins as publisher at Serve The Song. I’d like to thank Brian Casel for creating a wonderful blog and giving me the opportunity to continue his efforts to bring you the best information on songwriting, performance and production. These are some big shoes to fill, so I’ll do my very best to bring you the latest and greatest on a topic very near and dear to my heart.

A little about me – I was a touring singer-songwriter on the college circuit for 12 years from the mid-80’s to the mid-90’s, performing solo shows as Mary Brooks (my maiden name) at over 150 college campuses across the U.S. When I wasn’t on the road I was gigging in clubs or playing at festivals.

It was a great adventure, but when I settled down into married life I hung up my guitar strap for a while. Since that time I’ve been working in web design, but still play and write music for fun and the occasional extra cash. As an avid reader of Serve The Song, I approached Brian a while back and asked him if he’d be ok with me taking over as publisher. Ever gracious, he gave me his blessing, so here I am.

And now back to you. What do YOU want Serve The Song to do for you? Do you want more articles on songwriting, performing, production, promotion, or all of these? Do you want tips on how to play your instrument better or learn how to read music? Do you want tips on how to launch your next tour? Do you want interviews with established songwriters who understand the current state of the music business?

As you can see, there’s lots to cover. My goal is to deliver timely, actionable songwriting and music business advice and articles that can help you achieve your music goals. So please let me know what you’d like to see in the comments. Together we’ll make this the go-to place for aspiring songwriters.