Why a Passion on the Side is a Must
Why does it feel like water boils so much faster when we're not tapping our foot and holding a tea bag?
Blurred Lines: Did Sam Smith Cross Them?
Whether or not one ultimately gets busted for a transgression, premeditated or not, depends a lot on the zen of the infringee. And you can't get much more easy going than Tom Petty...
All About That...Grammy
We're all running around trying to get in the right room. And sometimes we don't even realize that the right room is right there in front of us...the one we are in with one trusted ally. Or two.
Mini-Pad Girl
I’m not recommending that you affix a feminine hygiene product to your iPad when you’re on your way to meet a prospective collaborator, but you never know what’s going to break the ice and get the ball rolling. Hopefully something will.
Help Me!
I downloaded two new albums last week from iTunes. I was interested in the first one because I heard a song from it that I loved on KCRW. I bought the second on a friend’s recommendation. I was stoked. Went to the gym, excited that I had some new music to listen. Got on the treadmill and...
Session or Soup?
Is it okay to cancel a session you originally had booked if you are subsequently invited to a session with a recording artist?
And The Winner Is......
Television talent shows offer great opportunities for songwriters. But, I have to admit I have conflicting feelings about them. To me, it seems like an unlikely environment in which to birth a star.....
Taylor: Swift Boat or Love Boat
Maybe what us non-superstars need are more Big Machines like Taylor spreading the word that music has (or should have) value. Hail to the messenger...
So Your Kid Wants To Write Songs
You can lead your child to music but it doesn’t mean they’ll write a great song. That they’ll have to do by themselves...
A Teacher Who Changed My Life
It must be strange for teachers. They give us a gift and then we leave and a fresh new class comes in. It's like a turn-style. Every year the teacher is a year older but the students stay the same age.
Ch-CH-CH-Changes
I'm going where the love is. And there is love. So it's not a big ol' cake with buttercream and filling. It's a cookie. Nothing wrong with cookies. I'll keep munching but I'm keeping my heart open for the future.
Say Cheese
One day I took a picture of my daughter and her first love. She looked so happy in it, like the sun bursting through the clouds. I gave the photo a name....
The Songwriter Mom Seesaw
When my daughter was born, after years of round the clock songwriting sessions, I’d only write with someone if they could work between the hours of 10 and 4. That was my window. And never on a weekend....
Generation Gasps
In the music business, where 25 is considered over the hill for a new artist and 30-year olds have been lying about their age since they were 20, age is an interesting number...
To Approach Or Not To Approach
Last week I made a big deal (in a Huffington Post Blog) about knowing when and when not to whip out your iPhone for that magical social media moment. I professed that sometimes it’s best to leave your camera in your purse (or back pocket) and enjoy a chance rendezvous. I stand by that. I do. But....
Pendulums Swing
Some of us are asking…”Why can’t my publisher get me more song placements?” It wasn’t too long ago I was asking myself the same thing. But then I got to thinking: If circumstances make it harder right now for us to pitch our own material it’s got to be harder for them too....
What Every Aspiring Songwriter Needs To Know
I get an email or a Facebook message from an aspiring songwriter almost every day asking me how to make it in the music business…how to get a song cut…etc…My answer?
Songwriter's Pie (Repost from Huffington Post 6-19-14)
I can't believe I'm actually going to say this. I many never work in this town again. But here goes.
DiZzY
I’m so spaced out from screens. And then more screens. The reality is everything I do involves one. Writing song lyrics, writing my book, checking my shopping list, social media. I have to use them. I require many different screens. I’m repeating myself. I know. It’s all the screens.
