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

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.

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.

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, 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.