Songwriting camps

In the early 90’s, Miles Copeland, most notable for founding IRS records and managing The Police, bought the Chateau Marouatte. Constructed in the Dordogne region of Perigord Vert, France, the Chateau Marouatte is a 14th century fortified castle steeped in history. It was there that Copeland would change our industry with one word: camps.

Having 270 acres to his name, Copeland decided to invite 24 songwriters and artists to the French countryside for a week. He fed them and housed them, only asking for one thing in return: to write and record a song per day in which he would share a piece of the publishing.

For eight years, Copeland sponsored the Marouatte writing camps with Almo Irving Music Publishing. However, in 1999, Warner Chappell became his new partner and I was put in charge. That year, I took 12 writers on an overseas flight to Paris, a cross-country train to the South of France, and finally an hour long bus ride to the Chateau Marouatte for a once in a lifetime experience.

Due to my camp’s success, Warner Chappell asked if I was ready to do it all over again the following year. And, I was, but I had a vision for creating a camp for only our writers.

That year and the next, I set up a camp in Nashville where there was already a community into which I could integrate. However, it became apparent to me that the writers and I needed some new place where we could be isolated from the music industry. And, therefore, I started to host my camps in Lake Arrowhead.

There, I played matchmaker for writers who had left their everyday routines at home to nurture a creative spark. A safe space was provided for everyone to experiment with new genres and words, and make lasting connections. Ultimately, these camps became a very important exercise in taking my writers out of their comfort zones so that they could experience new perspectives and new ideas. For writers like Kevin Kadish, NIcky Sixx, Jodi Marr, and Tim Nichols, camps were a turning point where they figured out who they were and where they could take their art.

Now, I’m doing it all over again. And, this time, I want YOU to be there. I will be putting on a “first of it’s kind” songwriting retreat from June 10-13 in Normandy, France where you can be a part of an eclectic group who will partake in a camp like those that so many prolific writers still participate in today. Come with me for a weekend of inspiration and challenges that will propel you forward in your songwriting journey.

Rewards

I am proud to announce that my book, The Songwriters Survival Guide, is a Forward Review Independent book award finalist.

This is the first time in recent memory where I’ve felt my competitive spirit reignite. When I was a child, my father, by way of his natural spirit for competition, cultivated within me a desire to win. He always wanted to be the first place finisher, the right one in a heated debate, or the one who pulled off some extraordinary feat! Winning gave him an undeniable sense of joy and he surely enjoyed the ego boost from all the attention.

I am indebted to him for a victor’s lesson I’ve carried with me my whole life: hard work is the catalyst for reward. This first became apparent to me when I was swimming competitively in high school. I practiced day-in and day-out for hours at a time. Although it wasn’t always easy, come time for competition, those laps I pushed myself to complete in practice gave me the winning edge.

When I got the news I was a Forward Review finalist in 2 categories early in March, I felt like a twelve year old girl again: body tensed and focused on the pool podium, ready to propel myself through the water at breakneck speed as soon as that starting gun goes off.

However, at this point, all the work that I could have done to win this award is on the pages of my book. Now, it is up to a community of my peers, 120 librarians and booksellers from around the country, to name a winner. There is no lobbying to be done, posters to make, or campaigning of any kind. My work will have to speak for itself and that is both exciting and unnerving. Trust me, the competitor inside of me wishers she could be in that judge’s room trying to win over everybody and get there votes.

That said, no matter what happens, it feels phenomenal to be noticed for all the work that I have put into The Songwriter’s Survival Guide. As a music publisher by trade, most of what I’ve accomplished is behind the scenes, never getting applause, let alone a prize! So, for now, I’ll take a moment to relish in this accomplishment and thank those who voted for me.

My dad would disagree, but just being nominated feels like a win in-and-of itself.

Potus

It started over a week ago, late at night in the hills, while I overlooked a city blanketed in a rare fog. I was brooding over the choices we have left for President and began conversing with myself about the state of the world. I thought out loud: “ Why don’t I run? Then, without skipping a beat, I asked myself, “What would my platform be?”

The ideas came pouring out of me and I quickly resolved to run my platform based on 2 philosophies: 1) If you have a child, then you have to be able to take care of it and 2) in exchange for your place on this earth, you have to grow one crop.

This is where I would start, with a collective and universal intention to honor our children and the earth: the fundamentals of our society and our survival. We would ultimately spend less money on programs that punish or mask the problem for those who would be affected. For example, when a child grows up feeling loved, protected and nourished, they are less likely to be depressed and that means that there is no need for the drugs that are used to combat this condition. Take away the root of the problem, i.e. feeling lost, alone and abandoned, and plant seeds that nurture and inspire love.

We would accomplish this by helping women see a specific perspective: it’s not okay to be with a man who has no intention of taking care of mother and child. If you are going to give life to a child, then you need to focus your full attention on that human being in order for them to fully develop and, ultimately, be able to live their own lives. When women have to work outside the home and raise a child, success is nearly impossible. Certainly, there are some superwomen out there! However, mothers should not have to work outside the house until the child is attending school, because the child will suffer from the mother not being present.

That said, Fathers will have to be able to provide and protect mother and child so that they can concentrate on their journey. We need to help fathers see how important their role is as providers and protectors and show them that they should take pride in that honor.

Furthermore, we need to ensure that it is parents, as opposed to nannies, who are the one’s raising their children. In marriage and family therapist Dr. Laura Schlessinger’s book, “In Praise of Stay-At-Home Moms,” conversations are started about internal struggles that women have when deciding to stay home and how that decision impacts their marriage and benefits their kids. Dr. Schlessinger’s writing also raises an important question: If nannies are raising children, why do parents even have them? Considering the implications of this questions, it is easy to conclude that parents should take on the responsibility of raising their own children.

Indeed, parents naturally have the intelligence, intuition and means to breed love in their home in a manner that protects, inspires, and nurtures children. In this type of environment, children will grow up to be loving and decent people, equipped with the tools to create their own life and fly solo by the time they reach 18. And, isn’t this the true prize of life: raising the next generation full of happy, well-loved human beings!

Accomplishing this culture shift would necessitate programs that support long maternity leaves and that teach creative thinking about restructuring how children and mothers bond, grow and flourish during those years. However, if we put importance on the deep bond between mother and child, I have no doubt that this would be possible.

Beyond creating this change for mothers and children, under my presidency, every human being in the United States will have to grow at least one crop in exchange for his place here. Grow what you love to eat in the space you occupy. If you live in a 30 story high rise you can still plant herbs inside or ask to plant something in your friend’s garden or pitch in with a community garden.

If you take from this earth, you must give back and learn how to grow food. This one ritual of growing food will breed gratitude in all other areas of life.

Side note, I promise that any money I would receive for campaigning would be put directly into use for building and developing schools and programs. And maybe…I would give every child a dog to love, feed, exercise and train

So tell me, if you were going to run for the President of the United States, what would your platform be?

Another dream of mine

Another dream of mine is to add a curriculum in our schools that would support the Language Arts Programs starting with upper elementary age students, that teaches them how to tell their stories by learning how to write songs.

Having coached songwriters and artists to find their voice through their songs for over 30 years, I have developed a methodology that teaches storytelling through songwriting.

I would love to start teaching young children this curriculum so they can communicate effectively for the rest of their lives, but no matter what age you are, my methodology and curriculum can help you tell better stories and communicate more effectively in your life.

Learning how to write songs is a simple method combined to enhance your communication skills. At the same time, it is fun and makes the learning easy.

My methodology is based on two very simple but powerful questions. The first question is: What is a song? And the second is: How do you develop yourself so that you can write more effective songs?

What is a song? A song is your perspective on a moment in time. It is a story told by integrating your voice, melody and lyrics.

A song is approximately 200 words and 4 minutes. That’s how long you get to tell one story. This fact amplifies the importance of every word you use in your songs and highlights the significance of words in your writing.

How do you develop yourself into a great songwriter? The answer is you will have to develop facets of your body, mind, and soul in order to achieve results in your voice, lyrics, and melody to effectively create songs. In other words, you will need to be inspired, nurtured, and educated in all of these areas in order for you to succeed as a storyteller.

Can you imagine how your life might have been affected if you would have known how to tell your story better? I believe that If you know how to present yourself with the gift of storytelling: to a potential employer or partner, to whomever you are dating or whomever you are leading, life becomes much more rewarding.

Let’s teach children how to find and stand in their perspective and then how to use their voices and words to tell their stories.

Good things come to those who wait

Written October 2015.

In 2013 For King and Country won Best New Artist at the Dove Awards. This past week on October 13, 2015 they won again for Best Contemporary Christian Band. Congratulations!!!

It reminded me that on Labor day this year I went to the LA Country Fair to see For King and Country to perform. They were only the second Christian band to ever play the fair, and the crowd did not let them down!

My relationship with For King and Country began in 2006, when Shaun Shankel, a great producer/writer, who I had a Joint Venture deal with at Warner Chappell introduced me to Joel and Luke Smallbone. Back then, the band was just a glimmer in Joel’s eye with Luke following close behind. We signed them to the Joint Venture and spent the next 5 years developing their songwriting, sound, brand and themselves. From integrating their voice, stories and ideas, they became one strong voice.

It took a while to get the first record out but the boys were patient. They knew to they had to just let go and let the process happen. They had their faith to keep them going.

They are now on their second record with 2 Grammy wins, 2 Dove Awards, a new tour, and a universe of new possibilities.

So last month when they took the stage and held it in command the whole time at the fair, I was not surprised. Joel climbing the rafters of the stage, Luke beating triumphantly on huge percussion pieces, and their entire band taking turns center stage playing multiple instruments- their performance filled the space with raw energy.

They had an audience comprised of mostly loyal fans but who had never seen them live before; singing- no chanting- their songs. They had always been great performers but there is nothing like the consistency of the road to whip you into shape!

The music filled my soul and I left there feeling nurtured...and I resisted the temptation to eat a fried oreo at the fair.

All in all it was a good night.

Wearing many hats

We used to live in a society where a craftsman's hat signified what he did for a living - baker, welder, banker, butcher. So when someone was described as wearing "a lot of hats", they meant it literally. Nowadays, wearing a lot of hats is what we do for a living.

I recently interviewed Brian Malouf, who is a songwriter, drummer, musician, producer, engineer, mixer and executive. Oh, and father, husband, friend, mentor, advocate and leader. That’s a lot of hats.

I have many parents who come to me with the question of how to guide their child who wants to wear one of the hats I just mentioned. I advise them to keep their children in school as long as possible. That way, they learn as many skills as possible related to their field.

If a child doesn’t want to go to an already established institution, he or she can put a program together themselves. Voice lessons, dance lessons, acting classes, literature classes, debate classes etc. offered “a la carte" are great alternatives to a formal program that can help students hone in their skills. Whether a student chooses a formal or self-made program, it is extremely important to allow room for self discovery.

Learning is one of the best preventative medicines you can take to have a healthy career.

After you graduate, you are expected to get a job, support yourself, and live your life. Usually this happens with no further education. This is one reason why many people get stuck in the same old routine for a long time.

Learning something new gives you psychological real estate to expand your own consciousness. You become more aware and see new opportunities. You also become more valuable when you wear many hats, and I guarantee you will be less bored when you can offer more than one skill.

When Brian Malouf is working with an artist, he may be hired for one job but always brings the others along for the ride, just in case! This makes him more valuable, and gives him new, fresh challenges in any job.

Can you wear more than one hat?

The art of finishing

This moment right now makes up for everything.

Recently, in a room of 20 songwriters, I asked the question, “What bad habit do you want to break?,” and the most common answer was, “Finishing what I start.”

It’s hard work to transform yourself, to learn a new skill outside your comfort zone and actually finish something.

So when I sat down last year and declared I was writing a book, I had not really thought too far ahead of what that actually meant. The bug was planted by my marketing consultant who thought writing a book would be beneficial for my company and for up-and-coming songwriters, so I thought, “Sure, why not?”. I had little idea of the process and journey I was about to begin.

I would sit in my office, after my day was supposedly done, and play either Brandi Carlyle, Cristina Perri, or Joy Wiilams through my speakers while I poured out all that I knew I needed to say. I was trying very hard not to edit or judge myself. I was practicing stepping out of my own way, and letting whatever come through.

Step out of my own way? What a concept!

I could not have perceived how the ‘throwing up your words’ process while writing would affect me. Seeing my words staring back at me was eye-opening! I was re-creating my life right in front of me, shaping it just-so it all fit together seamlessly so that you could benefit from my experiences. It worked, beautifully forI am most proud of the sense of accomplishment I feel.

This book is my voice, my stories, and my methodology. It’s me.

Through all the hard work, I now have a product that will live forever and hopefully touch a lot of you out there.

This moment is worth it all.

Time to reminisce

Before the internet, computers and Ipads, there were paper, pencils and file folders with colored tabs to keep you organizied.

As a Song Plugger in the Music Industry, I was pitching songs left and right, all day, every day to record execs, managers and producers who were looking for songs for their artists. Naturally, I needed a way to keep track!

On my desk I kept white, lined 5x7 index cards, which were alphabetized and separated into two file boxes - A-L in one and M-Z in the other.

At the top left was the name of the person I was pitching to, and below was a list of the artists they represented and which songs I had sent. Songs they liked got circled and songs they actually cut got marked with lots of stars.

Above is a photo of the card I had for Robert Kraft - an award-winning songwriter, film composer, recording artist, record producer and President of Fox Music (1994 to 2012).

I first started sending him songs when he was producing Bruce Willis’ debut album, "The Return of Bruno". Six months later he hired Sheryl Crow to sing backup on the Johnny Mathis album, “Once In A While". During one of their sessions, she told Robert of her dream to be a solo act.

He set us up to meet in hopes that I could help her find some songs. We all went to lunch at a Thai restaurant on Barham Blvd. Afterwards, Sheryl came back to my office at Screen Gems Music, where we spent hours listening to my catalogue of writers and she played me some of her own originals.

That was a great day, to say the least!

P.S. If you look closely, you can see that I spelled her name wrong - lets just say I never did THAT again! and the (pm) after her name is in reference to a band she sang with in St. Louis that we had just signed to a publishing deal.

Always a student

How do you sustain a career? How you keep yourself relevant year after year?

When I interviewed Walter Afanasieff recently, I was fascinated to find out that he still takes piano lessons. I have known Walter for over 20 years and he is an amazing pianist who can really sit down and play anything. And yet he still feels it necessary to take lessons. He feels it’s important to keep himself challenged.

I have found throughout my life, that something that many of the most successful people have in common is that they are great ’students of Life.’ They know how important it is in order to continue evolving and developing. Often, the most paralyzing things to one's life are a resistance to change, refusal to go the extra mile, or hosting an ego that won’t allow room for improvement.

Knowing you don’t know everything can really free up the space in your mind to imagine new things into your life. When integrated with what you already know, it can lead to so many possibilities.

Being a committed and constant student assures a future. Not learning anything new leaves you standing where you are.

Focus

If I could put a picture next to the word focus in the dictionary, it would be of Kevin Kadish. He keeps his eye on the ball, at all times.

I recently interviewed Kevin when he was in town for the ASCAP awards and was instantly reminded of why I loved working with him; his commitment to his craft.

In this episode Kevin talks about how “All About That Bass” was conceived on their first writing trip and has great advice for young songwriters everywhere.

And remember, focus on what you want and need in order to get what you want and need.

Omg, I wrote a book!

2014 was one of the hardest I have had in years.

All the growing pains of creating not only my own business in the last 5 years, but also creating different relationships and a new me, turned into the perfect storm. On top of that, my family was dealing with multiple injuries that took a good part of my attention.

The gift out of it is that I wrote a book.

I spent time a significant amount of time close to home. So with a seed of an idea, I created a book that would allow me to use my voice to help songwriters find theirs.

The first stage was just getting the words out of my head and onto the page. Not surprisingly, I talked to myself a lot during that time. After I said all I could say, I teamed up with an editor who understood exactly who I was and provided me a great mirror. I was so excited I had a real live person to bounce ideas off of. Finally, after a few (or more) edits of the book, I began to understand the connection between all of the chapters. What started out as lots of individual ideas, magically morphed into a book!

And wouldn’t you know it, I wrote my "album." I gained a whole new appreciation for what my writers and artists have gone through over the years, in the process of creating and releasing their music.

And now that it is over, I have to say that it's bittersweet.

There is a huge part of me that is jumping up and down that I don’t have to be constantly writing anymore. However, I am sad to say goodbye to the process. I will always have this book to remember that time by, but I will miss it’s company.

The Songwriters Survival Guide will be released Spring 2015.

If you are at the ASCAP EXPO next week, I am pre-launching 100 copies just for the event. You can come see me in person Saturday May 2 at 1:10.

Interviewed on CT Style

I had the pleasure of speaking with CT Style, a morning show in Connecticut, on how to hit it big in the music industry. It was a blast sharing some examples of clients and students I've mentored to build their career in this challenging industry.

Great songwriting tip

Be an idiot, be stupid, completely embarrass yourself in the first ten minutes so everyone can relax.

– Rune Westberg

He is so right.

As you may know, I teach writing workshops. After a night of co-writes one of the main things that my students usually reflect upon is that at first, they were afraid to speak up if they didn't like a line or a melody. They were afraid to step on their toes or be disliked. So rather than risk ruffling feathers, they keep quiet, and of course, the song suffers.

However, I am always there to reassure them that there is no such thing as perfect and there are no dumb ideas.

During my years at WarnerChappell, I worked closely with producer/writer Jamie Houston for 9 years. Throughout that time he also tried to make it as a solo artist and with his band, Me and Buck. I went to 90% of Jamie’s gigs, critiquing and cheering him on. My favorite part of any gig was when Jamie would mess up something onstage - a flubbed lyric, a broken guitar string, a wrong chord, you name it.

Unlike a lot of artists, Jamie would turn the moment, the mistake, into a whole other experience. He would use it as an opportunity to tell another story or a joke, making the audience and himself laugh and relax a little more. Jamie connected with his audience by showing that there is strength in vulnerability, and going on in spite of it.

Do you consider vulnerability a strength or weakness? Comment below – I'd love to hear.

Katy Perry rocked the Superbowl

The Super Bowl delivered its highest overnight TV rating ever, and I can't say I'm surprised. The football was great, but if you ask me, football is football. Katy Perry's performance, on the other hand, was a total game changer.

She delivered the performance of a lifetime. No easy feat, considering Beyonce and Bruno Mars have set the bar high over the past few years.

What she did do that left me in awe? She delivered not just a concert, but an experience. It felt like the opening of the Olympics. She tastefully pushed boundaries, respecting the sport, her fellow performers, and the audience. It's refreshing to see something so exciting, yet tasteful on TV. What a positive role model.

Her voice penetrated the TV set. It transcended the airwaves. If you didn’t pay attention to her before, you will now. In the time that I’ve known her, she’s done everything she’s set out to do. She’s living her dream.

Congratulations, Katy.

Would you rather?

I had an absolute blast asking my Door To Door interviewees a lightning round of "Would You Rather?" A big thanks to Bonnie McKee, John Shanks, Pamela Shayne and Gabriel Mann for playing along. Enjoy!

Versatility

It used to be that if you were a songwriter writing for other artists, then that’s all you did. You were never the artist too and you very rarely crossed genres. If you wrote Pop then that is where you stayed.

But now, thanks to the evolution brought upon us by things like the Internet, everything has changed. And that is what I love about this point in time. Now, you can be more than just one thing. If you can manage to find your voice and the flexibility to to use it to tell your stories in different structures, then there are no more restrictions.

Sitting down with Gabriel Mann reminded me of the huge playing field that songwriters have the freedom to explore. You can write show tunes, Country songs, compose for Film and TV, write for other artists, write a theme song or a commercial, a lullaby for your first child, or an inspirational song for your staff when you need to keep them going - the possibilities are endless.

It doesn't matter how your voice is heard. All that matters is that it is heard.

Do you know an instrument?

I wish I could play an instrument by ear.

I was 15 years old and so proud of the fact that I had taken 8 years of piano lessons and could sit down and play most any sheet music put in front of me. I couldn't necessarily play everything well, but I could read music, practice and get better. But then one day my buddy Rusty came over, sat down and played the piano like a pro. I gaped and asked “How long have you been taking lessons?” He answered so nonchalantly, “Never, I play by ear. “ And my jaw dropped even further to the ground.

Just not fair. I immediately signed up for 4 more years of lessons.

I was reminded of that story upon visiting Greg Wells at his studio. Each room contained a different variety of instruments that he can play! In one room, he had close to a dozen different kinds of pianos, another room for guitars, and another for percussion.

Greg possesses both the flexibility and strength to know so many different ways to make sound. It isn't that different from knowing many different languages. And what a great gift to have when creating.

I advise my clients that if it’s not too late (and it usually never is) to learn an instrument. You add value to your songwriting, artist and producing career.

When the development process works

A few months ago, Jennifer Paige came by to interview me for her new podcast series, Breakthrough Artist. As we visited, we reminisced about our history together.

Jennifer is a great example of how the Development process works.

I met Jennifer when she was a background singer for Crystal Bernard in 1996 and had just moved to LA . I introduced her to my writer/producer, Andy Goldmark and we took her under our wings and gave her all the tools she needed to start her career.

She,  Andy and various other co-writers (including Mark Mueller, Wayne Kirkpatrick and Jamie Houston) wrote the album. Andy produced it and I gave her all the guidance she needed to grow herself as a performer, writer, singer and woman.

Strategically, we had her cover “Chain of Fools” so to introduce her to the world. But it was her single “Crush” that made her a household name. She sold 11 million singles worldwide and 5 million albums. When it was covered on the Glee Soundtrack, I laughed at the mileage one song can get.

One of the reasons this project worked was that Jennifer, Andy and myself were on the same page. We each had a job to do, independent of one another and integrative at the same time.

We knew what and where the goal was at all times. We were a great team and the proof is in the pudding.

Co-Writing

Relationships are what help propels us towards accomplishing our dreams.

One of my favorite quotes is the African proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child." There are very few people in this world that can achieve greatness on their very own. Most of us need others to help guide, educate, inspire and bounce off of!

When you co-write with someone else, you are entering into a relationship with another human being. You agree to create a product together, that can result in a placement in some fashion (cover, cut, license, etc).

Co-writing songs is no different than if you went into business with someone to manufacture shoes, in the sense that you are partnering with another human being to create a product that combines both of your perspectives and experiences. It is this particular combination that makes it special.

The better you are at having relationships, the easier the co-write can be. Meaning, are you agreeable or difficult? Are you flexible or unchangeable?

I guided a co-write during my weekly workshop one evening, where the woman was badgering her co-writer so much that he got defensive and shut down. How she spoke to him was a big factor in how he reacted. All she had to do was phrase her concerns differently and he would have been happy to meet her in the middle...which is what they eventually did after we spoke about it.

You are part of a team the moment you involve someone else. Team-building results in self-development, positive communication, leadership skills and the ability to work closely together to solve problems.

John Shanks is one of the most versatile producers I have worked with, mainly because he is able to relate to so many people. I have seen him talk fashion with the girls and sports with the boys while at the same time, guiding them to their greatness!

Where John is concerned, I never got the impression it mattered what genre he worked in, as long as he loved the voice, the songs and the integrity of the project. He was happy to be a part of the team. It is that mentality that results in successful co-writes.

Writing a story in a song

A song is approximately 200 words and four minutes. That’s all you get to tell your story. If you are writing a screenplay then you would have 2 hours and over 600,000 words, leaving plenty of time for character development.

In a song, every word has to count, unfolding the story line by line. And that seems to be the challenge – to tell a story in such a short period of time without sacrificing the content.

Your story should still contain plot, setting, characters and theme.

Plot - introduction of characters, situation and circumstances, the action of the story.

Setting - the background where the action takes place.

Characters - living beings in the story that act or think in order to keep the story going.

Theme - total meaning of the story.

A song is a point in time. It’s not the whole story. It's one moment or perspective of a bigger picture.

It’s the story of what the boy is thinking and feeling when he is about to knock on the front door of his girlfriend's house to ask her forgiveness. It’s the moment when he questions whether this is a good idea or not. But the moment he knocks, it’s another story, another song.

Be consciousness of how you frame your stories.

Pam Sheyne figured this out early in her career and in return, has sold over 50 million records!