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Why Co-Write At All?

Why Co-Write At All?

Posted by on Oct 24, 2019 | Comments Off on Why Co-Write At All?

It’s a valid question. Why co-write at all?  I mean, you know how to write songs, and other people sort of get in the way of your...

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Co-Writes Can End With Two Versions Of A Song

Co-Writes Can End With Two Versions Of A Song

Posted by on Sep 22, 2019 | Comments Off on Co-Writes Can End With Two Versions Of A Song

Whenever you go into a co-write, you’re usually thinking “OK – we’re going to write a song.” And usually,...

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Co-Writing 101: Getting Started With Co-Writing

Co-Writing 101: Getting Started With Co-Writing

Posted by on Jul 2, 2019 | Comments Off on Co-Writing 101: Getting Started With Co-Writing

I get a lot of questions about co-writing and how co-writing happens in the room. The biggest question is what should I expect to happen...

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Beats Per Minute: Online Tools

Beats Per Minute: Online Tools

Posted by on Jul 27, 2016 | 0 comments

Beats per minute (BPM) is a major component of your song. It’s basically the tempo of your song.  It helps set the overall tone of...

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Songwriters’ Notebooks: Nashville Pro Writers

Songwriters’ Notebooks: Nashville Pro Writers

Posted by on Apr 20, 2016 | 0 comments

Songwriters’ notebooks are the holy grail of ideas, titles, hooks and great phrases. Afterall, a songwriter’s notebook is a...

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Songwriter Craig Wiseman

Songwriter Craig Wiseman

Posted by on Mar 11, 2016 | 0 comments

Craig Wiseman is one of Nashville’s pre-eminent songwriters. He’s had more than a dozen songs reach number one on the country...

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George Harrison: While My Guitar Gently Weeps

George Harrison: While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Posted by on Jan 30, 2016 | 0 comments

How did “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” evolve from George Harrison’s songwriting self-assignment? In his own words from...

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Organize Your Hook Book

Organize Your Hook Book

Posted by on Nov 1, 2015 | 0 comments

Organize your hook book! It’s one of the best things you can do to make sure you’ve got ideas and lines at your fingertips...

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Pro Tip: Having A Songwriting Life

Pro Tip: Having A Songwriting Life

Posted by on Jul 24, 2015 | 0 comments

I was recently in Nashville recording a demo at The 515 Studio, and got to know Chip Hardy, a long-time music industry producer and...

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Songwriter Ashley Arrison

Songwriter Ashley Arrison

Posted by on May 14, 2015 | 0 comments

Below are excerpts from an interview with Ashley Arrison on Rob Brayl’s BeyondBeyonce.com back in January of 2011.   Q  So I...

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6 Tips To Make Your Songs More Commercial

6 Tips To Make Your Songs More Commercial

Posted by on Mar 6, 2015 | 0 comments

Guest Post By Brent Baxter   If your goals are like mine – getting cuts, hits, etc., then your best bet is by writing...

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Original Demo: “Bette Davis Eyes” Bluegrass

Original Demo: “Bette Davis Eyes” Bluegrass

Posted by on Feb 15, 2015 | 2 comments

The third best-selling song of the 1980’s sung by Kim Carnes was a originally a pop ballad appearing on Jackie DeShannon’s...

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Songwriter Lori McKenna

Songwriter Lori McKenna

Posted by on Dec 19, 2014 | 0 comments

Lori McKenna is one of my favorite songwriters on the planet – Janet (sorry – just a habit from the 80’s). You may know...

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Original Songwriter Demos

Original Songwriter Demos

Posted by on Oct 26, 2014 | 0 comments

Hit songs come from the original songwriter demos being pitched to different publishers in Nashville. Ever wonder what your favorite...

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Songwriter Lance Carpenter

Songwriter Lance Carpenter

Posted by on Oct 19, 2014 | 0 comments

I met songwriter Lance Carpenter (@LanceCarpenter) because he had volunteered to kick off NSAI coordinator training. He ended up spending...

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CMA Songwriter Series Interviews

Posted by on Aug 29, 2014 | 0 comments

On its 10th anniversary, interviews with founder Bob DiPiero on why he started the series as well as perspectives on participating from...

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Pistol Annies’ Angaleena Presley On Songwriting

Pistol Annies’ Angaleena Presley On Songwriting

Posted by on Aug 23, 2014 | 0 comments

Angaleena Presley talks about songwriting and the 12 tracks she wrote or co-wrote on her debut CD ‘American Middle Class.’...

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Songwriter Brett James

Songwriter Brett James

Posted by on Aug 17, 2014 | 0 comments

In this songwriter profile we’ll take a look at one of Nashville’s biggest hit makers, Brett James.  He’s had over 300...

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Story Behind Townes Van Zandt’s “Pancho And Lefty”

Story Behind Townes Van Zandt’s “Pancho And Lefty”

Posted by on Jan 16, 2014 | 0 comments

“Pancho And Lefty” Wasn’t Historical Townes Van Zandt is one of the the best songwriters who ever walked the planet. ...

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Guy Clark’s “My Favorite Picture Of You”

Guy Clark’s “My Favorite Picture Of You”

Posted by on Dec 15, 2013 | 0 comments

Guy Clark has been writing for years and goes back to the early days of hanging out with Townes Van Zandt. Who better to answer the...

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Songwriter Interview: Bob McDill

Songwriter Interview: Bob McDill

Posted by on Sep 28, 2013 | 0 comments

Interview with Nashville songwriting legend Bob McDill in American Songwriter on the state of country music. [Excerpt from the interview]...

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Interview with Marshall Chapman

Posted by on Jun 3, 2013 | 0 comments

American Songwriter Magazine spent some time with Marshall Chapman.  This is a great interview covering her songwriting process, some new...

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NPR Project Song Moby & Kelli Scarr

NPR Project Song Moby & Kelli Scarr

Posted by on Apr 20, 2013 | 0 comments

Despite being given only 48 hours to complete a song, Moby and his collaborator Kelli Scarr completed theirs in one day. And it’s...

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NPR Project Song: Chris Walla & J. Robbins

NPR Project Song: Chris Walla & J. Robbins

Posted by on Oct 15, 2009 | 0 comments

Project Song documents the songwriting process over the course of two days. All songs created as part of the project are based on an image...

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