song writing in nashville

8/9/2019 Song Writing in Nashville

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WHAT IS MUSIC PUBLISHING?

We will define what

music publishing is

and some of the common

terms used in the

music publishing

busisiness.

WHAT DO THEY DO?

We will explain the

different things that

music publishers do

for songwriters and

explain how they help

your songwriting

career.

BASICS OF PUBLISHINGAGREEMENTS

We will describe the

different types of

publishing agreements

and how they work.

VYR

ALUNIVE

RSIT

Y


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VYRAL MUSIC

Vyral University: Songwriting 101

SO YOU WANT TO BE A SONGWRITER IN NASHVILLE...There is a specific set of unwritten rules and guidelines by which the songwriters and publishers of Nashville, TN

adhere to on a daily basis in order to function in a city full of dreamers....This article will finally spell them out...

WELCOME TO MUSIC CITY, USA....

So you've taken the plunge and arrived in Nashville, TN, or as some people refer to it, "Nash Vegas". You pull into town

and head straight for music row, passing the amazing but strangely awkward statue on the roundabout. As you take your

3rd trip around the circle, you realize that you are home, and in that moment home becomes a foreign land, filled with

unexpected things and unforeseen pressure. Making your exit onto 17th avenue you almost rear-end the car in front of

you because your eyes are fixed on the ASCAP building, and your head is racing with thoughts of stardom and fame.

Down the row, passing what looks like a residential area, you suddenly realize that these houses contain the studios and

record labels that built this city. RCA Studio B, Sony Music, and so on. Pulling over to catch your breath and take it all

in you tell yourself, "I'm here, ready to change the world one song at a time. And then it hits you all at once like a tidal

wave of uncertainty......... NOW WHAT?

At one point in every songwriter's life, this story has manifested itself one way or another. We arrive here withdreams, and are left to fight and claw our way to the top. This was me, 4 1/2 years ago. I might as well have been a

refugee, straight off the boat. I didn't speak the language, didn't know the customs or traditions. It was if i was entering

into another world. A world of fast money and hard setbacks. Almost 5 years later, i am no closer to a solution, and just

as well there may not be one solution. Every person has their own stories of "making it". This is not meant to be a road

map to success. Instead i would like to share with you the things i have learned throughout my time here in Nashville.

Hopefully it won't take you 5 years to learn what it took me, but trust me, it was worth every minute. Don't forget to

enjoy the ride!


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NASHVILLE

HIGHLIGHTS

A Brief History of Music Row...

Music Row is a section of Nashville, TN home to record labels,publishing companies, recording studios, writers and dreamers. But it

wasnt always booming with the music industry elite.

In 1925, a radio show was created that would change thelandscape of Nashville into what we now call Music City, USA. This

radio broadcast is more famously known as the Grand Ole Opry. The

success of this program, mostly due to the leadership of people like RoyAcuff, George D. Hay & Uncle Dave Macon, was recognized by NBC,

which picked up the show in 1939, launching it into a national spotlight.

The success of this show directly resulted in Nashville becoming known

as a leader in country music.

In the late 40s, after WWII, radio stations began building studiosin Nashville to record and broadcast advertisements. Recording artists

naturally began to use these radio studios to record music, and that

brought record labels such as RCA, Capitol, and Decca to the town to

reap the rewards of a booming music industry.

Many credit two men for opening the first studio on music row.They were Owen and Harold Bradley, and the studio marked the start of a

transformation into what is now simply known as Music Row. Soon after,

publishers and labels started opening offices in the area. Many people

credit low real estate prices as well as the close proximity as the catalysts

for the growth of this neighborhood. Of course it didnt hurt that many

of the great country musicians flocked here as well once the success of the

Grand Ole Opry generated a mainstream buzz in Nashville for country

music. Many believe, (as do I) that the close proximity of these buildings

also had another effect. Musicians and Studios would work closely

amongst each other, crafting and refining recording techniques, andcreating what we now refer to as the Nashville Sound.

Music Row is now home to every major record label, houseshundreds of publishers and recording studios, and offices for each of the

three major Performing Rights Organizations. (SESAC is based in

Nashville, TN).


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Nashville Basics...

Before we dive in to the intricacies of being a songwriter in

Nashville, it is important to know a few things special to the music

community here.

1.) Nashville is a Hub For Songwriters: It may be obvious to those of you

reading this article, but I am surprised at the enormous amount of people whomove to Nashville each year to pursue a career in music. Nashville is home to

over 100,000 writers and even more musicians, publishers, and executives.

This is truly the only place where music is woven so deep in the fabric of a

community that it is likely 9 out of 10 people you meet in this town will have

some tie to the music industry.

2.) Nashville is a small community: This may sound contradictory to the

1st statement, but it is the absolute truth. Unlike Los Angeles or New York, the

music community in nashville is very closely connected. Everybody knows

everybody. This works in favor of those in the circle, but can also be one of

the most frustrating aspects of trying to jumpstart a career here.

3.) Staying power is the key to success: Nashville prides itself on being a

close-knit community, and in turn, most people who arrive here find it difficult

to navigate the social hierarchy. Remember that it is not necessarily that

Nashville is full of snobs and elitists, it is more that the music community has

seen its share of fast money and broken promises. Things dont happen quickly

here, and they dont come easy. Your ability to press onward and grind through

the failures you will most definitely encounter along your journey will be the key

to finding success.

4.) Nashville is not just country music: You would think that everyone is

walking around in cowboy hats and boots, spitting tobacco and feeding horses

in stables outside their recording studio, (which sounds pretty cool actually),

but Nashville is far from a hick-town. We are home to all types of music, art,

and theater. Nashville is also a mecca of christian music, childrens music, and

has one of the most underrated indie rock scenes in the US.

5.) Nashville is full of celebrities: Nashville prides itself on being a

community where the stars of hollywood and Rolling Stone can lead a semi-

normal existence. It is not uncommon to sit down at a restaurant and see Tim &

Faith (Tim McGraw and Faith Hill), or find yourself at a bar drinking a beer with

Ben Folds. Remember that star-gazing is very frowned upon in this town, and

the people who do are looked down upon. Remind yourself that you are a part

of the same industry as them, and then treat everyone as an equal. You will find

that this treatment is well-respected and common practice here.

CELEBRITIES IN

NASHVILLE


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When you first get to Nashville, you will find that you are a little off-the-grid. The first thing that i

recommend to all newbies is to join NSAI. You may have read about NSAI, and I will be the first to

admit that there are good and bad things about it, but one thing it does do is help its writers.

(especially the novice writer).

NSAI Benefits Include:

- Weekly Workshops: Presentations from industry professionals on different aspects of

songwriting and music business

- Song Evaluations: Maybe the best thing about membership, these are one page evaluations of

songs you submit.

- 1-on-1 Counseling: You can set up 2 meetings each year with an NSAI staff member who will

listen to your songs, offer advice and answer questions.

- Pitch-to-Publisher Meetings: Once a month, a different publisher will come and listen to songs

from NSAI members. Many songs have been picked up as a direct result of this meeting.

- Forums: There are membership forums on the NSAI website where you can get feedback, ask

questions, and hook up with other songwriters.

It costs $150 to join, which may seem like a fairly substantial amount of money, but for a

newcomer, the benefits of having professional advice and a sense of community will help you

tremendously while you get-on-your-feet. There are also a few other benefits of joining, including a

few Song Workshops and Seminars held throughout the year, but the main thing to remember is that

your first goal in Nashville is to network, and NSAI provides a platform on which to do this.

NSAI - NASHVILLE SONGWRITERS

ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL

QUICK FACTS:

NSAI is a Non-Profit Organization

NSAI operates primarily as alegislative group fighting for

songwriters rights

NSAI has local chapters in almosevery city in the US.

NSAI provides all of itsinformation in online format sothat you can enjoy the benefits obeing a member from basicallyanywhere.


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Songwriter essentials...

There are many different aspects of a songwriter. These include the tools you use, the music you

create, and the channels you will use to get your music in the hands of people who are in essence

the decision makers of the music industry. But first the essentials. Everyone will take a different path

to success. These paths will be carved through personal experiences, networking, and yes, even

lucky breaks. (and harsh setbacks for that matter!) But there are a few key components to most if not

all successful songwriters in Nashville. So let's break down the things that every songwriter must do

in order to advance their career, and more importantly, improve on their songwriting.

1. Write Great COMMERCIAL Songs!

If it has been said once, it has been

said a million times in this town. Nashville

depends on songwriter's for commercial

music. I bold the word commercial

because however obvious it may seem,

the one criticism that is more often

placed upon a song is it's ability to sell!

Yes there is a place for great music that

was not meant for radio success, and

yes i agree that more often than not, my

favorite songs are the ones that did not

achieve the most in regards to radio or

charts. Nonetheless, it is imperative to remember that as a songwriter who is living in Nashville, yourfocus should be on creating songs that are commercially viable, and more importantly, songs that

have the ability to sell records. Some would regard this as selling out, or giving in to the pressures of

sacrificing artistic freedom for monetary gain. Remember this: " Your goal as a songwriter is to get

cuts. You can't get cuts unless you are writing material that artists want to record, and fans want to

purchase"

2. Write Mid-Tempo & Up-Tempo Songs

I read a statistic from Ralph Murphy, who runs a great songwriting website called Ralph Murphy's

Laws of Songwriting. In this article there was an article that analyzed the Number 1 country songs of

2008. His analysis of the 26 number ones saw that 65% of them were up-tempo songs. I don't ever like

to go into a writing session, or for that matter sit down and write with that purpose in mind, however it

may be beneficial for you as a songwriter to force yourself to write more up-tempo music. As the sayin

goes, "Practice makes perfect!"
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3. Co-Write

One of the cornerstones of the songwriting

community here in Nashville is the co-write. When

i first moved to town, I viewed the co-writing

process as something that i would never be apart

of. I kept telling myself, why would i want to give

away half of my great song idea to someone, and

at the same time be forced to compromise my

"artistic integrity"? Well i have learned through

time that not only was it foolish to think that i

could write a bunch of hits by myself, but in turn

failed to notice the amazing benefits of co-writing.

1st - "Expands Your Creative Catalog"

The 1st, and to me, the most important thing co-writing does is expand your "creative catalog",as i like to call it. Not only do you have two great songwriters throwing ideas back and forth, but you

also have the ability to create melodies, chord progressions, and lyrical phrases that you may never

have come up with on your own. Don't believe for a second that you are too good, or too novice to

collaborate. I will use this opportunity in the blog to shamelessly reference another worn out saying,

"Two heads are better than one!"

2nd - "Double the Pitch"

When two writers are co-writing a song, the vested interest in the success of that song doubles.For example: You come to writer A with a great idea for a song. You sit down and start writing the

song, and a couple of hours later, you have something that resembles a "hit". Now writer A has a

publishing deal with UMG, and you have one with Sony ATV. So this is the brilliant part of this

process. You take the song back to your publisher to listen, as does writer A. Your publisher loves

the song, and in the next few days begins to pitch it, with no success. At the same time, across

town, Writer A has gotten word that his publisher might have gotten the song cut by Tim McGraw. If

you don't already see what happened the idea is simple. Two writers, two publishers, twice as many

pitching opportunities.

3rd - Networking

Co-writing offers a unique opportunity. This opportunity is especially valuable to unsigned writers,

because co-writing allows you to network with writers at all levels, from the hit writers, to unsigned

artists, and even other writers on the same level as yourself. By co-writing, you are increasing your

exposure to publishers, managers, and labels.


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4. Play Live

One of the great added values of being a songwriter in

Music City, USA, is the enormous amount of opportunities

for you to showcase your music in a live environment.

There are literally hundreds of writer's nights, open mic

nights, and venues that cater to songwriters. If there is one

thing that i have learned through my experiences inNashville, it is that playing out provides the number one

opportunity for you to network. Think of it in this regard.

Where would you find the most concentrated collection of

like-minded professionals pertaining to your songwriting career. If you answered "Writer's Nights", then

you are correct. By playing your songs out live, you have a unique opportunity to meet other writers, se

up co-writes, debut new material, and gage the response of your songs.

5. See and Be Seen

Nashville is built on personal relationships. The

best way to advance your career as a songwriter,

other than writing, is to go out and meet people.

Now this doesn't mean that you should approach

this with gorilla warfare-like tactics, but the truth of

the matter is that for you to become a successful

songwriter, you must be visible to those people who

have the power to make the decisions that will

ultimately lead to your success. This brings up another important point about socializing in Nashville.

Remember that you are always on-the-clock so to speak. Every time you are in public there will be

people from the music industry around. Remember to act accordingly because there is nothing worse

than a bad first impression.

6. Record Demos

Obviously, i will go into greater detail about the intricacies of demorecording, but for now, lets remember that as a songwriter, it is

imperative that you have recordings of your songs. Otherwise, there will

be no way for you to let those who matter hear your music. Most

situations will involve someone asking for a CD or you to send MP3's so

that they can listen and evaluate your music on their own time.


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A SONGWRITERs TOOLBOX

There are a few things you will need to have in order to function as a songwriter. Here are the thing

that i use on a daily basis.

A Guitar

Although it is not entirely uncommon for a songwriter to writewithout an instrument, you will find that most writing is done using

primarily guitars. Keep yours handy at all times, and make sure you

have taken a little time to learn the basics of the instrument.

PEN AND PAPERIt might sound obvious, but this novel combination can be a

lifesaver. Especially in situations where your laptop battery runs out or

you are in a place where you need to jot things down quickly.

HandHeld RecorderIf you write regularly, you will want to have some type of handheld

recording device, whether it be a handheld recorder like this one, or

your phone. This also comes in handy when you have an amazing

melody pop into your head and want to make sure you remember it.

COmputerMy computer is at the center of everything i do. It allows me to

send and receive files, keep track of my schedule, and store my lyrics,

mp3s, and photos. Your computer should be reliable, and if possible,

portable, so that you can bring it with you when you write somewhere

other than your house.

OrganizerAlthough i use my computer for this task, it is nice to have an

organizer handy because many times things are planned and datesare scheduled when you are not around your computer.

Business CardsBusiness cards are essential in Nashville. What many have dubbed

the Nashville Handshake, it is a common practice to exchange cards

with anyone you meet.


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SONGWRITER ROUNDS

What is a Round?

A writer round is basically a way of performing in which multiple performers get on stage at once,

(usually 3 or 4). and perform songs one at a time. The first songwriter (usually one on either end) will

perform a song, and then the next songwriter will perform a song, and so on. What is unique about a

writers round is that while the other songwriters are performing, you stay on stage. Once the round ha

completed it comes back to the first songwriter and continues until everyone has performed a certain

amount of songs usually designated by the host of the writers night.

It is not uncommon for writers to play or sing backup on other songwriters songs. This is

sometimes referred to as noodling. It is best, however, to not do this unless you know the other

songwriter and/or they have asked you to play during their performance.

Why this format?

With the unusually large amount of songwriters in Nashville, writers nights attract a large number o

people who wish to play. This method of performance was created in order to get more performers on

stage.

There is another benefit of playing in a round that is not as obvious. If you are new to town, or do

not have many fans/friends who come to see you play, performing in a round usually gives you the

added benefit of being able to perform for the people brought by the other songwriters on stage with

you. Sometimes this could mean family and friends, and other time it might be that songwriters

publishing company, record label, or musician friend.


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DOS AND DONTS OF PERFORMING AT A WRITERS NIGHT

Here are a few tips that will help you during the early stages of performing out in Nashville. Learn these

now, or learn them the hard way through an embarrassing moment. Your Choice....

Do....

- Tune your guitar before you get on stage....there is nothing more annoying than listening to someone tune

their guitar. There is also nothing more annoying than trying to enjoy a great song when the guitar is out of

tune.

- Say the name of the song before you play it. It may sound trivial, but with the enormous amount of songs

being played each night, you want to at least allow people the opportunity to remember the name of a song

they enjoyed.

- Play your best songs every time. It does get boring playing the same songs over and over, and it is ok to

throw in a new one every now and then, but it is important to remember that the crowd will be different eachtime you play, and if you dont play your best stuff, you may have missed an opportunity to showcase that

song in front of someone who might be able to do something with it.

- Thank the host for having you out. It might sound like a small gesture, but these hosts put time and effort

into their night, so take the time to let them know you appreciate the opportunity to play.

Dont?

- Play cover songs. Most of the time it is against the rules anyways, but even so, remember that you are her

to showcase your skills as a songwriter. Cover songs should be reserved for performances where your job is tentertain, such as a bar gig or a longer show.

- Leave right after you play. There is nothing more frustrating as a songwriter than playing for an empty

room. It is ok to leave early if you have something scheduled, but in most cases, you should at least stick

around to see the next group of writers before bailing.

- Play long intros or solos. This is a SONGWRITERS NIGHT. The idea is to showcase the song, and it is

hard to do that amidst the 40 measure intro or the elaborate solo in the middle of the song.

- Explain in detail the meaning of each song. I once heard a comedian say, If you have to explain it, then itnot funny. If the audience doesnt get what you are trying to convey, then you should be concentrating on

writing better lyrics.

- Talk to much during a performance. If you are in the audience waiting your turn, it is usually common

practice to keep conversations at a low level. You will be able to tell what type of atmosphere the writers night

trying to create when you sit through a few songs.

song writing in nashville

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