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?
Speed Songwriting, Writer's Block and Short Cuts
I started this blog and then couldn’t finish cuz I was glued to the news. I THINK it was real news. Some of us aren’t sure of what’s real and what’s fake anymore. Facebook friends have urged me to keep doing what I’m doing. No matter what. So…with that…Sometimes I’m asked how long it takes to write a great song.
Long Walk Home
I'm stepping off the Long Island Railroad and the first thing I see is the roof of what used to be Freeport Bowl, where girls made out with boys in cars—“Midnight Oasis” on the radio. “Put your camel to bed.” How about THAT for a lyric?
Writing Up
One of the participants at SongStudio asked what it would take for her to get in a room with me. I explained that we all have to work with writers of our own level and one day, something will happen out of the blue…an A&R might give her a favorable recommendation or a hit writer might love a song she wrote and voila, she’ll get her session with a more experienced songsmith. And she'll be Writing Up!
Confessions of a Serial Songwriter is now Available on Audible!
As I get older I need new endeavors. I’m not good at getting up every day and doing the same thing over and over. I want to learn how to do what I have no clue about. I want to get stuck. I want to get unstuck. I want to feel like I’m moving, progressing and growing.
A Day Without Likes
Words are precious. Every "LIKE" is a substitute for what we really mean. Don’t tell me THAT she was like…tell me WHAT she was like. I want to know. Was she blue? Was she beige? Did you hurt her feelings? Did he say nothing at all? Write me a song. Paint me a picture.
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.”
So Far Away
As it turns out, sending a kid off to college results in growing pains for Moms and Dads too. Nice to know we can still have some.
I Write, Therefore I Am
I’ve developed a latent crush on the English language—obsessed with learning new words (and I’m delighted when I actually remember their meaning the following week)! I'm having a love affair with thesaurus.com and I feel high when I discover a perfect adjective.
Born To Run
Serial Songwriters (The Bruce Springseens as well as the Suzie Smiths) have creative common threads. They just manifest themselves slightly differently in different souls. I like reading about these threads because I recognize myself as part of a larger Tribe. It’s like a link to a religion I belong to. I’m confirmed.
Bon Appétit
How far do we need to go to feel like we've boldly gone where no one has gone before?
Getting The Single
When we're told we have the Single our self esteem rises over night. Obviously, we tell ourselves, it was just a matter of time and all the recent rejection was absolutely leading up to this very moment. We’re sure of it. (Even though the week prior, we were wishing we had chosen another profession. Something easier. Olympic figure skating perhaps.)
