Greetings From Nashville
"Concept is everything…some writers write themselves into a circle and wait for the main idea. Sometimes they get lucky. But if you have the concept right from the start the songs write themselves.”
#CarlySimon
Many artists sing about their incongruities, their longings, their insecurities. But what she said and how she said it resonated with the girl I was. She gave me my palette.
Songwriting Camps
A few months ago, my esteemed colleague, producer/songwriter Greg Wells, who hosts a yearly event at a castle in Bordeaux, invited me to France.
Grammys 2016
Taylor. So happy for. Nobody could take it away. No Kanye in sight. You remind us that we are women hear us roar! But Taylor, how about the 10 male producers standing behind you? Where was the vagina? The Linda Perry? The Eve Nelson? Why all the testosterone?
Straddling the Old and the New
I am of a certain age and they call my generation, "digital immigrants" for a reason: we had to adapt to the digital world, unlike the young "native" millennials who were born into it. They make it look easy. But I'm determined.
Songwriter Therapy
I guess I’m just enjoying taking stock and remembering what matters to me—brushing up on and what I once knew so well. Because as soon as you think u know it all, you know nothing.
Disney's "Descendants": The Journey of a Song
It's pretty much a guarantee that every song that makes it all the way to someone's ear buds has a story to tell...
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.
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?
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....
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....
Doubling Up
Last summer I went to London on a writing trip. I was scheduled to work with an Aspiring Artist, (AA) and a Hot Young Programmer, (HYP). I was sent a link in advance to a couple of AA’s videos but she had me at hello. I didn't even get completely passed the first one. She was special. I was in.
