Creative Ideas for Songs- Part 5

While my blogs are usually dedicated to educating and helping other songwriters, I also from time to time post blogs that are meant to encourage songwriters. Well, I'd like to take today to inspire you as a songwriter to write songs with meaning. What made me think about this? I was listening to Marvin Gaye's Make Me Wanna Holler while shopping this weekend and thought where is that type music? Why isn't there more songs out now, especially in R & B, that are talking about the ills of society? Is Hip Hop music and pop music the only genres that dare to say what's going on in society? Why is there a lack of political R & B songs? Why aren't we as the music creators writing and singing about things that's going on in the world? There are only a handful of songs that come to mind that do so: John Mayer's Waiting on the World to Change is one example.

What was true back when Marvin Gaye sung Make Me Wanna Holler is still true today but soul singers don't seem to be singing about that. Instead it seems we'd rather sing songs like T Pain's I'm in love with a stripper, or Plies' Bust it Baby and other songs of such.

I'm all for balance because music is supposed to on some level entertain but dog, seems like we got our eyes wide shut and we see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Those singers that went before this generation saw the things going on in society and spoke out, sometimes at their own risk, but speak out they did. Look at the Dixie Chicks when they choose to sing about their political stance against the war: their music and their group was boycotted. Recently though, they won a Grammy.

So I want to encourage us a songwriters to dig deeper, write more meaningfully, and inspire a generation like the singers of old. And don't worry about who's going to buy the music, don't worry about if people don't "get" the music, or even hate what you are saying. Why? Because if your song is making a difference, a positive difference, it will later be recognized for just that!

Thedy B
Hits A Million, LLC
hitsamillion.blogspot.com

My Songwriting Contest Experience

In my prior blogs, I shared with you 10 upcoming songwriting contests and the benefits of entering a songwriting competition. Now I'd like to share with you my own experience.

I will never forget the first time I entered one of my songs into a songwriting contest! I was at my very first music conference, the Babbie Mason Music Conference, a gospel music songwriting contest. This contest was my very first songwriting contest ever. Songwriting for me was, and is, at times, a very personal thing for me. I was hyper-sensitive about exposing my songs to people until recently. But nevertheless, I decided to shed my song-shy ways to enter this contest.


And the song I entered I just knew was a hit! I loved singing it. Me and the guys who worked on it, worked on this song for hours, days, months even. I wanted it to be perfect! We believed our sweat and tears made the song a hit. I just knew EVERYBODY who heard this song was going to love it. I was confident that this song was going to place at the very least in the top 10 songs out of 100. Being a type-A personality and an over-achiever, I placed high value on my scores and rankings. So imagine my shock when the top songs were announced and I didn't see my song anywhere on the list. Then when I got my song back, my song was returned with a score of 70 out of 100! Are you kidding me?! They basically said I failed!


I was crushed and hurt.

There were three judges who critiqued my song and each had something positive and negative to say about the song. Because I was hurt initially, I refused to listen to the critique. I didn't even want to finish going to the music conference! I didn't want to hear what ANY ONE of those judges had to say to me. They didn't know how much time, and money, and effort had gone into this song! So I started not to return to the conference at all. But listening instead to my instinct rather than my hurt feelings, I went back to the conference, humbled, and ready to listen and learn. Returning was the best decision I made as I learned some valuable songwriting tips, gained some resources now, and am a better songwriter because of it. That's one of the reasons why I encouraged you as I did in my prior blogs to participate in one of the 10 upcoming songwriting contests and gave you some benefits of participating in songwriting contests. I hope you will take my advice!

I want to help you avoid some of the embarrassment that I felt when I found out my song was not up to industry standards. So I'm going to be doing a series of blogs on how to critique your own song. So stay tuned!


Thedy B, Attorney/Songwriter
Hits A Million, LLC
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ASCAP Writer's Roundtable - Part 2 (the Scoop)

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In my last blog, I told you that I would reveal what was said during the songwriting panel at the ASCAP Writer's Roundtable, which was held on March 6, 2008 at the Robert Woodruff Library Exhibition Hall at Clark Atlanta University. Okay, so here it is:

1. Publishing - much was said about this subject, a subject that is near and dear to the hearts of all songwriters.

• If you can wait, wait. Most of the songwriters suggested that you wait before getting a publishing deal. In particular, wait until you have a single and wait until the publishers are coming to you asking you for a publishing deal. The reason behind this advice was so that you can get a better deal. Having a single will provide you better bargaining power. If you instead only have album sales, you still can get a publishing deal but the publisher will most likely not give you the best publishing deal because you don't have a single. By album sales, I mean you have a song on someone's album and you have sales only because people bought the entire album, but your song wasn't released as a single.

• If you need the money, then do the deal. Depending on how desperate you are in terms of money, you should decide on whether to sign a publishing deal or not. Again, if you can wait, then wait.

• Sign a publishing deal that requires the least amount of published songs. Johnta Austin, one of the panelists, mentioned that publishing 10 songs a year or even 4 songs a year is still a lot of songs. Why? Because most publishing contracts require that you publish a certain number of whole songs. If you collaborate on the song with other writers, then you only get credit for your portion of the song. So if you and a 3 other writers wrote a song, then you'd only get credit for writing 1/4 of a song. You still have 3 3/4 published songs to go. If you use samples of a song, you may also have to share a portion of your song with the original artist and that will again, cut into your credits. I say may because RL indicated that he refused in one instance not to give up part of his publishing to a producer who unilaterally chose to use a sample in his music to which RL wrote the lyrics and melody. Since RL didn't make the decision to use the sample, he refused to allow his portion of the publishing to be diminished because a sample was used. Plus, the publishing contracts require that the songs be published. Since the number of albums being put out are diminishing and the number of artists are too, then getting your required number of songs published is harder than it was previously. For these reasons, the panelists suggested songwriters sign a publishing deal which requires the least amount of songs.

• Be sensible about the amount of money you are requesting in your publishing deals. Why? Because first, you only get paid after recoupment. Publishing contracts are essentially loans that you must pay back. You only get paid after the publishing company recoups the money loaned. So with that in mind, the panelists recommended that you make sure you only get the amount you need and don't spend your advancement on frivolous things yet.

• Publishing contracts have bonuses in them. There are bonuses in some publishing contracts that will reward you if your song is ranked, and the length that it is ranked, and I think also if your song is placed with major artists. They all said they liked the bonuses.

• Artists may try to get a portion of your publishing. They indicated that some artists will attempt to get a portion of the songwriter's publishing. Artists will sometimes ask to get a writer's publishing because of the artist's reputation or because they want to be seen as part of the writing team, and/or because they want some of the publishing money even though they didn't write any of the song. So the panelists recommended that you consider the source of that request. If the artist is major and you know that your song will be a single, then perhaps giving up a portion of your publishing will be worth it. Johnta Austin and Manuel Seal both said that even if you gave away all your publishing to a major artist, you will still win because your name is on the song and your name on the song will now lead to other songwriting opportunities. However, they indicated that if the artist is just starting out, is not signed, etc, then there may be less of a reason to give up portions of your publishing.

• People get publishing deals because they are scared. Lyfe Jennings said that. He said people get publishing deals because you are scared of what to do with your success and the money. He suggested having a plan for what you are going to do with the money that you get from a publishing deal, such as investing it into real estate or a business.

• In addition to keeping your deals to the lowest number of songs, keep the number of years of the publishing deal low too. Lyfe Jennings said that he was in a three-year publishing deal which he liked because afterwards he can do his own thing. He doesn't need the publishing deal after that.

• Know why you need a publisher. New writers need publishers because they don't know anybody in the business. They don't have direct access to major artists. They need help with getting placement of their songs. They need better relationships. However, once you become a seasoned writer with some hits, you then have direct access to major artists. The artists themselves will call the writer asking to write with that writer. No in-between person is needed then. At that point, the writer needs a publisher just to exploit the copyright to its maximum by getting the song licensed to say film, ringtones, overseas, etc. So know what you need and why you need it.

2. Writing - the essence of what we do!

• Write real records! By that, each panelist meant that you as a writer should write songs that you can feel. (This goes back to my three key elements needed to write a hit, one of which was that the song had to be heart-felt).

• Write songs that are timeless. Don't "date" your record by simply writing songs that are going to be hits now. Johnta Austin noted that some songs, when they are timeless, may not be hits at the time the song comes out. But because the song is timeless, it still has the potential to become a hit. He gave examples of Lyfe Jennings' CD which during its first week sold only 3,000 copies but is now a platinum album. He also cited John Legend's album as another album that didn't have a lot of sales the first week out but because it was a good album, has sold millions of copies and go on to win various awards.

• Real, timeless records will always in the end win. Johnta Austin noted that because Clive Davis believed in Alicia Key's talent and sound, he kept her with just her piano and vocals without the use of rappers on the track. They said so don't succumb to writing songs that are dated or try to keep up with the times just to stay relevant.

• Hit records consists of: a great melody, great lyrics, a good song concept, great production, great performance of the song, believeability of the song, and a team who believes in, and works, the song, according to Manuel Seal. He said that a great performance of the song where an artist really believes what he's singing and the song is ringing true to the artist will make a good song a great song. He said that it used to be that artists were really worked in the studio on making the song believable and making sure the artist felt the songs they sung. I recently saw an example of this when Sean "P. Diddy" Combs refused to allow the men from the Making of the Band IV (or Day 26 as they are now known) to go into the studio and record until the men became passionate about what they were singing about. P. Diddy got the guys a vocal coach, Ankra, not because they were off key, or needed vocal training, but to help the fellas connect with the song and with their audience.

• Write simple words and hooks: Atozzio said that he had to simplify his lyrics to keep up with the times. He noted that at times he wrote a more catchy hook by simpling repeating a line. Lyfe Jennings said that his hardest problem with writing was saying more but saying it more concisely.

• Reseach your song concept idea: Cri$tyle said that she researches her song ideas before writing the song. She studies whatever she is writing on so that she can clearly and effectively write a song about say, water. For her, researching helps her creativity. And I agree. I recently wrote a song about a subject that I myself wasn't familiar with but always wanted to know. I researched the subject by going to Wikipedia. It helped my creativity.

• Spark your creativity: Cri$tyle indicated that she prays before writing every song. Atozzio and Johnta Austin related that their songs sometimes come from his experiences or from things they simply wanted to say but couldn't. Lyfe Jennings indicated that he tries to put himself in the song as well as think of other people who are also going through the same situation and how they must feel. RL said that sometimes because writing is so personal that sometimes its a writer's therapy so don't be afraid of what content comes out during difficult times. He indicated that the songs he wrote while going through a divorce were all related to those feelings. I laughed in agreement to this statement since I was recently looking at the slant that all my recent songs were taking and thinking they all dealt with one subject, love.

• Write and then move on. Cri$tyle indicated that she would mistakenly marry her songs. By that, she explained she meant that she couldn't write another song because she was still worried about the last song she wrote. She knew that the last song she wrote was great so she worry about its placement and what everyone else was doing with that song, instead of just writing. I could definitely relate to that as well! Write, give the song to your publisher, let them deal with the particulars, and just keep on writing!

3. Building business relationships - each person opened up the panel discussion by talking about how they got started in the business. Inevitably it all boiled down to meeting the right people.

4. Humility- All of the artists expected greatness from themselves but they were so humble. Cri$tyle was the most humble as she said several times that she felt so blessed to just be able to write for the people she has been able to write for. When asked does she get upset or feels it is unfair that a track is being given to her as well as to other more seasoned writers who have the ability to directly talk to the artists and find out exactly what the artist wants to talk about, she said no, she doesn't get upset. Instead she expressed her gratitude about even being considered in the same category as these writers to get the same tracks they get. She said that as a new writer, she understands paying her dues. She understood that she doesn't have the business relationship with an artist that say a Johnta Austin has since he's been in the business much longer and has written for so many different people and has some awards and hits under his belt. So the point is, be humble, stay humble.

Thanks for reading! And remember, if you like reading my blogs, subscribe today and tell a friend!

Thedy B

Hits A Million, LLC

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Melody first or lyrics first?

Okay, I admit we all as a songwriters have a preference of how we write songs. Some songwriters start with the lyrics first and some songwriters start with the melody first. Well, I have in the past typically started writing my songs with the lyrics. That's why I bought a lot of songwriting books on lyrics (which I will discuss in a later blog).

But recently, I was working on three songs at the same time and I noticed that while I thought the lyrics were good, I couldn't remember the melody for one song. The other song, I had a good melody but the melody was too low for a female unless of course, you're Toni Braxton. While I would love to write a song for Toni Braxton, I want my songs to appeal to more than one singer. So realistically, because the melody was low, the song would only appeal to a male artist. The problem was I thought the lyrics were better suited for a female. The last song was just alright: the lyrics were good but the melody just went nowhere. So I scrapped all three songs and started over. And it wasn't hard to start over because the melodies were not memorable, pretty, or engaging.

And it made me remember something I heard in an audio book on songwriting and that is, when you come up with a melody, come up with additional ones and then pick the best. Perhaps you as a songwriter think that the first melody that comes to you is THE melody you have to use. I know now from these three songs to test my melody and that I can reWRITE my melody. Besides songWRITING is just that, writing. So just like you can erase something you wrote, you can erase a melody and start over with a fresh one.

How do you know if you need to rewrite your melody? Test your melodies for:

1. Memorability - Do you find yourself humming the melody? Can you remember it? Sometimes you can't tell if your melody is memorable yourself because you know the melody from playing it several times so sing it for someone and ask them to repeat it.
2. Movement - does your melody move? Your melody should be memorable but not to the point that it's boring. So make it move. Try changing some of your notes. Or trying changing the rhythm. And since if writing a contrasting rhythm sounds better. In other words, if the accompaniment is slow, try writing a faster melody to see if that adds some spice to your song. Or trying going up or down a note. Use the method that works best for you.
3. Parity between vocal range and lyrics - Does the lyrics match the melody you wrote? If your melody is low and thus, better suited for a male singer, does the lyrics sound like words a man would use? And vice versa for writing for a female singer. If the melody and lyrics match the targeted singer, there is parity. If it does not, then rewrite either your lyrics or your melody.

While I hate that I had to rewrite these songs because an A & R person is waiting to hear them, I'd rather rewrite them now, knowing that I can write a hit, than to rush and submit what would only be an okay song. So it's okay to rewrite. I like challenging myself!

Song Selection for Recording Artists - Tip #3

So in the last two tips on song selection for recording artists, I noted the significance of content and vocal range. Those two tips are good starting points to proper song selection. However, to be a hit recording artist, you must also have the next ingredient as noted below.

Tip #3 - the songs you choose should be heart-felt. Heart-felt songs are timeless. They touch us at the most sensitive times. They are universal in that they transcend gender, race, religion, genre, ethnicity, etc. They simply tell the story that we have all had to deal with at some point in our lives. When people hear a heart-felt song, they tend to react. Somehow that song becomes their favorite song and they want to hear it over and over again. Why? The song touched them.

To determine if a song that you are considering is heart-felt, ask yourselves some questions: Does the song move you? Does it make you laugh? Or cry? Does it make you think? Or does it make you remember, feel, hurt, reminisce, regret, or love? Does it help you express your anger? In other words, do you have an emotion after hearing the song? If so, then the song may be heart-felt.

If the song causes you to have an emotion, next ask yourself whether you can convey that feeling when you sing it? How do you know for sure if you can convey that emotion? Before you record the song, sing it for others and see if the song moves them when you sing it. Usually when a song moves the audience, they will come up to you and say, I like most of your songs but I really like that one song (unstated: the heart-felt one). The audience may not be able to fully explain why they like that song but they know that that song really said something to them. So if you get positive feedback, then there's a good chance that the song you selected was a hit song.

But if you get no response and no feedback, there is a possibility that the song was not right for you or right for your targeted audience. Ask yourself: Did your listeners really not "get" the meaning behind the song? Are there blank stares when you perform the song? Do people tend to listen to the song or treat your performance like it's background, i.e. elevator, music? If any of those latter things occur, the song may be good but it's probably not a hit song, not right for you, or not right for your targeted audience. Choose a different song to record.

Finally, if you are the songwriter, does your song really convey what you were feeling at the time you wrote the song? Did you as the songwriter really tell the story so that others can feel the way you felt when you wrote the song? If so, that's great! You have properly wrote and selected the right song(s) to record! But, if you really can't put into words what you were feeling , then consider using a hit songwriter to help you write the song. You can always come up with the concept for the song by telling the ghost writer what you want to sing about. Remember, concept is just as important. The ghost writer can then in turn, help you find the right words to convey the right emotion so that you can sing your song. But not just sing the right notes, but sing an original heart-felt, heart-inspired song with passion and conviction!

Thedy B, Esq., Hit Songwriter
Hits A Million, LLC
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Song selection for recording artists - Tip #1

As I mentioned in my previous post, song selection for recording artists is extremely important! As I mentioned in that blog, choosing the right songs is half the battle in becoming and remaining a top-selling hit-recording artist. In order for the recording artist to be a hit recording artist, one of the first tips is to realize content is key! As a renown author named Jawar, author of the Music Industry Connection book series, told me, content is key. In other words, pick a song with great lyrics!

That tip applies to all pieces of written work, such as books, poems, and spoken word, but it is ESPECIALLY true for songs! Too many recording artists forget to seriously consider the content of their songs, specifically their lyrics. Lazy lyrics and song titles have a much harder time becoming a hit. Hit songs that make millions of dollars are usually originals. Hit songs that span decades and genres are songs that touch the heart in some way. Artists looking for longevity in the music business - ones who don't want to be one-hit wonders - should carefully evaluate the content of the songs they sing before spending all their time and money in recording, mixing, mastering, distributing, marketing, advertising, and touring and then having their CD or single flop because they forgot: content is key.

ThedyB, Hit Songwriter
Hits A Million, LLC
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Song Selection for Recording Artists

Are you a recording artist wondering how to pick the right song to record? Ever wonder how some singers seem to just know how to choose the perfect song to match their voice? Are you bombarded with a lot of good songs to sing or record, but are not really sure which song to choose? Which song will be the hit song for you or your group? Perhaps this blog can help you. No matter how great a recording artist can sing, if the song is bad, naturally, the recording artist won't sound right singing it and definitely will not sell the targeted number of records he or she intends to sell. As any viewer of American Idol can tell you, song selection is one half the battle of being and remaining a top, hit-recording artist. So make sure that in choosing a song to record that you choose wisely. This simple rule seems obvious and one would think it's recognized and followed by all. Yet how many times have we heard someone with a great voice choose the wrong song and sound absolutely horrible? On the other hand, when the right vocalist chooses the right song, it's like magic. In this series of blogs, I want to offer tidbits for recording artists, vocalists, garage bands, groups, singers, songtresses, etc to pick the perfect song for you and/or your group, so continue reading my blogs for updates!

Thedy B,
Hit Songwriter,
Hits A Million, LLC
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myspace.com/hitsamillionmusic.com - to hear, buy, and download current hits of Thedy B
hitsamillion.ning.com - to meet, find, locate, and network with other hit songwriters