Happy Birthday, Kay Hanley
Age is relative. I have friends who are 70 who are younger than others who are 40. They never lose their sense of wonder, curiosity and the capacity to be inspired. Their imaginations are alive and well. They’ll be young forever, at least at heart. I want to be one of them. Like Kay!
Filling The Empty Nest
I wouldn’t exchange a minute of my mommy years with songwriting sessions I turned down, or didn’t get called for because I skewed...too mature. Feh. And even though the empty nest has it’s advantages I still stand in Layla’s bedroom and take in “the shrine” — artwork, nick-nacks, photographs and memories. The only thing that’s missing is her.
SongSex Gone Wrong
Every co-write is a like a blind date. You were psyched about that session. You had this killer idea—at least you thought so—one that made your heart beat faster. Sadly, it just didn’t have the same effect on your co-writer. So what do you do?
Bebe Rexha is a Classy Mess
Inquiring minds have been inquiring and the answer is yes. Meredith Brooks and I received co-writing credit on Bebe Rexha’s “I’m A Mess.” The writers, Justin Tranter, Jussifer & Bebe herself, felt the hook on Mess had enough of a likeness to “Bitch” to offer up a piece. Most writers would have gone into denial and skipped merrily along onto their next co-write.
You Can Take The Girl Out of NY But...
Years ago The Big Apple was a budding songwriter’s dream. It set my synapsis afire. It still does. I wrote a song on every corner.
Mayday Mayday: Calling ALL Songwriters
Unless you live under a rock, you must have heard of the MMA —The Music Modernization Act—the copyright reform legislation so desperately needed by songwriters. It’s the one we’ve been fighting for for years. Well, it’s being blocked by SESAC. That's right, the PRO SESAC. So roll up your sleeves.
Aloha and Mahalo-Songwriting in Hawaii with Kenny Loggins!
Kenny remarked, “ya know...luck smells a lot like sweat.” Even if he managed to be in the right place at the right time over and over I think we can agree that he backed it up with the right stuff. No one should ever feel guilty if they get lucky. Maybe luck is something the Universe rewards us with when we’ve done the hard work and believe in ourselves.
Vocal Rest
I’ve been thinking about the timing of my laryngitis. It usually coincides with air travel, which I’ve been doing a lot of lately, and…as it happens, right before a performance. So what’s really going on?
The Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project
I’ve heard it said, “those who can, do; those who can't, teach.” I reject that notion. I’m enjoying “doing” (writing songs) more than ever. I may not be making as much money as I did when physical albums were flying off the shelves but is that how we measure success?
Up Close & Personal
No matter how gloriously any recording artist delivers a song, there’s simply nothing like hearing the songwriter who wrote it sing it. Perhaps it's not as glamorous or controlled but there is a primal element in the the voice of the writer from whom the song emerged and that's something that nobody else can own.
Join The Noise
If the business model of 20 years ago was as it is today, that favorite song of yours...the one you sang to your baby at bedtime ("Surfer Girl" for me), or danced to at your wedding, might never have been written because the writer who wrote it might not have been able to sustain themselves long enough to stay in the game. Well, things are about to change. Hopefully!
Will You Cross That Bridge When You Come To It?
If there is no bridge, there has to be another element that replaces the psychological function a bridge would have served, in order for the emotional arc of a song to do it’s job. Juss sayin'.
Daughters & Mothers...Mother's Day 2018
“I’m losing my lip line,” my mother assessed as she regretfully stared at her reflection in the vanity mirror. I was standing beside her looking up. What on earth was she talking about— ‘Losing her lip line’?? Where did it go? Now I understand.
But Sex Sells
In these trying #MeToo #TimesUp times, if we don’t want to be objectified why are we objectifying ourselves?
Shhh! We're Not Supposed to Talk About It!
Apparently, anyone with a platform risks losing half their community of support if they veer off that platform. Is that an excuse? Maybe. But I’m more than a songwriter. So let’s discuss….
For Love Or For Money
There’s plenty of talk about how the music business is thriving and worth billions. It's all true except that those billions aren’t making their way to the pockets of the writers who create the product that make a music business possible.
Reconsidering Nashville
I seem to fit in better now. Maybe Nashville has changed. Or maybe I’VE changed. Or maybe I used to try too hard to fit in. Now I’m comfortable just being myself. Maybe that’s the key to life in general.
