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.
Light at the End of the Streaming Tunnel
If you didn’t sell your catalogue during the gold rush, fear not. We may have to think of it as “holding on to real estate during a down market in a neighborhood that could get really hot.”
Bon Appétit
How far do we need to go to feel like we've boldly gone where no one has gone before?
A Songwriter's State of the Union
There is much work to do and it’s not going to be easy, but if we don’t try we can forget the idea of a next generation being able to make music and earn a living like many of us did. And then music will be written by amateurs, imposters, and the uninspired.
Does Ed Sheeran have Cryptomnesia?
Cryptomnesia (or inadvertent plagiarism), occurs when a forgotten memory returns without it being recognized as such by the subject, who believes it is something new and original.
Rolling With The Changes
In the age of hashtags and ampersands what can we do if we’re a gifted musician but clueless when it comes to self promotion? And what if we can’t afford to hire someone to assist us but our success hinges on quantity of followers?
A Songwriter's Dilemma
How do we, as songwriters, make peace with the idea of patronizing a business model that undercuts the value of our work?
Survival of the Richest
I’m happy here on planet digital where I get all the songs I want whenever I want them, wherever I go. I simply want my community to have as healthy an earning trajectory as the CEOs and label heads who are running their companies on the backs of the creators who write the songs that make their business possible.
Blurred Lines Revisited
With the "Blurred Lines" case in appeal Pharrell & Robin have a chance to turn the verdict around.
Back To School
The students I’ve been with this week have been open, curious, reasonable and interested. Most of all, they want a future in the music business!
H-O-L-D: The Forgotten 4 Letter Word
Songs got put on and taken off of H-O-L-D all the time. No one was immune. No matter your status. Even if you won a Grammy. Soon it would just roll of your shoulder. You’d dust yourself off and write another song.
Broken Record
The perception of free is a dangerous drug and the longer we believe it’s okay to use it the harder it will be to get sober.
Where is the "Justice" in the DoJ?
“I can't help wondering if this may be the moment for the songwriting community to try to make a stand as a united front.”
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to The Airport....
The streaming revolution has been a gift to users. We can access as much music as we want, whenever and wherever we want it. For ten bucks. And, we can put our selection back on a shelf and opt for something else if for any reason we aren’t satisfied. That’s a pretty good deal. One would think that for an all-you-can-eat buffet, the value of music would have risen, not declined.
Farewell CD
There was just something a bit more tangible about handing someone something that wasn’t invisible…something they could touch…that took up space.
Dear Songwriters....
Our industry is a hot mess. Everyone’s trying to hold onto what’s slipping out of their control in this (still rather new) digital terrain.
What If Your Favorite Song Didn't Exist?
Those who go into the business with fortune or fame as their goal will never write a song as good as those who do it for Love.
Glass Half Full, Please
You never know when or where you’ll find your luck. Luck has more of a chance when we believe it does. It’s as simple as that. Our attitudes are more powerful than we know.
Is MusicAnswers The Answer?
I want songwriting (and yes—composing, performing and producing) to continue to be a legitimate occupation in which good people who work hard can at least make a living.
