Recommended songwriting books - Part 2

In addition to the songwriting books I recommended in my prior blog on recommended songwriting books, here are some additional songwriting books that will help you with the business of songwriting, promotions and music publishing so click on the links below and purchase your books today!

Music Business Books:
1. Music, Money And Successby Jeffrey Brabec and Todd Brabec - (a must have! This is the only book on the market that I know of that teaches songwriters how to make a lot of money with their music)
2. 6 Steps to Songwriting Success by Jason Blume (Jason Blume is an awesome teacher on the subject of songwriting. He also has an audio book on melody writing but I couldn't find that book to list it).
3. All You Need to Know About the Music Business by Donald Passman-(a must have! - this book answers some of the legal issues that arises with your songs)
4. Everything You'd Better Know about the Record Industry by Kashif with contributions by Gary A. Greenberg - (another must have! - helps with not getting scammed in this business)
5. The Truth About Record Pools, Music Conferences, Talent Shows and Open Mics Ebook by JaWar (a must have! If you want to know how to get the most out of going to a music conference, showcase, talent show, etc- this book will teach you how)
6. This Business of Global Music Marketingby Ted Lathrop (just bought)
7. This Business of Songwritingby Jason Blume (just bought)
8. This Business of Music Marketing and Promotionby Ted Lathrop (just bought)
9. Confessions of a Record Producer by Moses Avalon - good book that talks about how not to get conned in the music business).


Music Industry Resource Books:
1. Atlanta Music Industry Connection Ebook by JaWar - (a must have - helps with starting a business, finding an attorney, manager, distribution company, and pretty much anything else a musician, artist, or manager will need)!
2. Los Angeles Music Industry Connection Ebook by JaWar - (a must have - same book as the Atlanta book but it has all the contact information for LA attorneys, managers, etc.)!
3. The Official Contact Pages: The Music Industry Dictionaryby James Hickman

Music Publishing Books:
1. How to Pitch and Promote Your Songsby Fred Koller - (so far, a little slow - lot of stories, not enough info)
2. Getting Noticed: A Musician's Guide to Publicity and Self-Promotionby James Gibson - (book is old, some info may be out of date but some info is still applicable)

Music Production Books:
1. Sound Advice on Recording & Mixing Vocals by Bill Gibson (this book is okay -it's probably great for sound engineers though)
2. Pro Tools for Dummiesby Jeff Strong - (love this book since I'm still a beginner on Pro Tools! it answers most questions that I have!)
3. Reason 3 Powerby Matt Piper & Michael Prager - I haven't been using my Reason program so I haven't read this book yet.

Thedy B, Attorney/Songwriter
Hits A Million, LLC
myspace.com/hitsamillionllc

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
Hitsamillionmusic.com - for more information about Thedy B & Hits A Million, LLC
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

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
Hitsamillionmusic.com - for more information about Thedy B & Hits A Million, LLC
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