Warrior 2018
I am a warrior. I wake up every morning and practice being brave. I'm ready for another year. One vertebra at a time.
Christmas in L.A.
Songwriters! If you’ve ever written an original Christmas song you know the drill: REMEMBER THE BULLET POINTS...or as they say in Nashville—the particular pieces of "furniture" that represent all things Christmas—the snowmen, the carolers, the mistletoe, etc. And whatever you do, do NOT forget the jingly bells in the production. It’s not a Christmas song without jingly bells!
The Bluebird & The Bucket List
I pondered the first blog I ever wrote, where I wondered if I should stay in the music business…if I fit in anymore. I was a different girl back then. Now, I’m having the time of my life conquering my fears, fear by fear. I’m doing the things I was too afraid to do when I was younger. (I recommend this highly, by the way.)
In Good Company
I wanted to go to bed without hope in my heart. Because if I had too much hope, upon awaking I could surely be devastated.
Taylor is Not Too Sexy to Share Writers Cred
Taylor is an accomplished role model. Say what you want about her—many of us do…and it’s not always favorable—I believe she has a thing about, well, doing the right thing.
I Can't Keep Quiet
As the late great Nora Ephron put it, "Everything is copy." Art, resulting from a traumatic experience, is still something worth sharing.
The Room Where it Happens
I love these young faces. College campuses. Skateboards. Limitless possibility in the air. I want to be part of the movement that helps make those possibilities possible. Perhaps it’s a different road than I traveled but even a detour should eventually lead to the same bliss, sense of accomplishment and livelihood.
Dear Kesha...
I hope you continue to journey through life, along with its joys and “incidents,” with dignity and perseverance.
Imagine
Every party involved in the process of getting a song to your ears should be compensated. We’re nothing without each other. The songwriter, the record label, the delivery platform, the technology. The imbalance of royalty distribution is the result of archaic music licensing laws that are no longer relevant. Imagine how workable things would be if we had some new laws.
Born This Way
We never feel so high as when we wake up in the morning and listen to the song we wrote the day before and realize it’s as good as we thought it was. And we’re never so bummed as when we wake up and realize it isn’t. But we write another. We know who we are. We are each other.
For Your Consideration: Confessions of a Serial Songwriter
BEST SPOKEN WORD ALBUM GRAMMYs 2018
For Your Consideration: Confessions of a Serial Songwriter
It’s important that the professional songwriter, and our story, be represented in the small group of audio books nominated for a GRAMMY. After all, the GRAMMYs is an award platform that revolves around the music industry. And songwriters are at the heart of it. Without songs there'd be no music business.
Life After Songwriting
Franne Golde confesses, “I never say I used to be a songwriter, I'll always be a songwriter and I'm so grateful I was lucky enough to come up in a time when I could make a great living at something I truly loved."
Song Splits
It’s hard to weigh a contribution. Who’s to say a hook is worth more than the verse that allows the hook to make sense?
Here's To Kelly
Kelly Clarkson refuses to take writing credit when she didn’t participate in writing a song. Imagine that. Sometimes she even refuses when she did participate if she feels her contribution was minimal. How we wish there were more of you.
Shelly on Sirius XM Fab Fourum
If you follow me at all then you know what a huge Beatles Fan I am. They are my favorite subject in the Universe so lets have at it.
Her Name is Diane
In any profession there’s always a force that must be reckoned with. That someone makes us better simply by the virtue of us always having to catch up with them. For me, that someone was, still is, Diane Warren.
Pitching & Playlists
There just has to be an easy way to share material (released and unreleased together) on one link, professionally, streamlined, EASY. What am I missing?
