Career Songwriter

Among the many opportunities for songwriters to get our songs heard is connecting with independent filmmakers. To get a little more insight into how to approach this, I talked with Tyler Gibb, a talented filmmaker, artist, and songwriter who has experience writing, producing, directing, and promoting film. You can visit his website to learn about his work and view clips of his most recent film “Refrain,” which was selected by the World Film Festival (Montreal 2009) coming up in August. http://www.tylergibb.com.

Q: How did you find the songs for your film?

A: Since “Refrain” itself is a movie about a songwriter, there had to be music for the lead character to appear to write and sing. Therefore, the majority of the music in “Refrain” was written specifically for the film. Most of the lyrics were written by me as I wrote the screenplay, and the musical compositions were written by Vidya Lutchman (who played the lead) and a guitarist by the name of Tom Simpson. The music was written to appear unpolished and off the floor - in keeping with the portrayal of a novice songwriter but sweet and beautiful none the less. All that to say, we needed to write most of it ourselves (Vidya and I are long time partners in songwriting - and in life) so that it would suit the film.

That said, there are still some spots for background songs in the movie that haven’t been assigned yet. We’re still looking for those songs and we’ve been taking our search to the web, mostly on MySpace. And if I could give any advice to musicians out there with MySpace pages it would be: Keep those pages simple, small and clean. If I’m looking for music for my films and I visit your page but it takes five minutes to load and is unsightly - I’m probably going to close the page and move on.

Q: What are some ways songwriters can identify filmmakers and those looking for original music?

A: The internet isn’t a bad way to go about it but I would stress research. Independent films are more prolific than ever and every filmmaker out there is dying to be discovered just as much as an independent musician is. So use those search engines, seek out films and introduce yourself to their producers. Networking is everything.

And don’t underestimate your hometown. If you’re writing songs wherever you are I’d bet someone nearby is trying to write a screenplay. Find them. Work with them. Start your own scene. You can write some music for their short film and in turn they could shoot a video for your band. There’s no wrong way to get your feet wet.

They say you can’t force your way into the film industry, you have to be invited. But no one’s going to invite you in unless you make yourself seen, so work your way up.

Q: In what form do you prefer to receive music submissions - CD, MP3 by email, other?

If a musician sends me a link to their music that has been placed online (either to stream or download) I will definitely check out their music. Unsolicited MP3s sent by email clutter up my email inbox and if I want a CD I’ll ask for it. But having a website, or a MySpace page (that is well built!) means I can visit your music at my own convenience. Though a lot of people I know refuse to visit MySpace pages just because so many of them are out of control. And check your website (an MySpace page) on several computers (including Macs), make sure it works on all of them, some computers give different results.
The Refrain webpage at http://www.tylergibb.com/refrain has a bunch of examples of free media players you can add to you website to play your music and video.

Q: Are there publications, websites, conferences, and festivals that songwriters should frequent in order to develop relationships with filmmakers?

A: There probably are! And I would say this falls into the category of doing some research online for where you can connect with like-minded people. There are festivals that combine film and music and those are definitely on our list of festivals to approach with “Refrain.” I can’t speak about them specifically without having been to them yet, but I’d say any film festival (there’s probably one near you) has got dozens of filmmakers just milling around hoping someone’s going to come and talk to them. Filmmakers talk with each other. And you never know where somebody’s going to be in a year, so get to know some filmmakers who are just starting out, if you connect with them, they’ll remember you.

Q: Is there any other information that may be helpful for songwriters aspiring to get their music heard through film?

A: You will get rejected. But don’t let it get to you. Remember that a rejection doesn’t mean your music isn’t good no matter where that rejection is coming from. Music is subjective, so all a rejection means is that your music may not be suitable for the film you’re hoping to appeal to.
Filmmakers have a vision. My vision while working on “Refrain” was of a young woman who is struggling to write soft, acoustic music. If a heavy metal band had approached me and asked if they could write a song for my film, even if they were a fantastic heavy metal band, that just wouldn’t have been appropriate for the tone of my film. I would have had to reject that band, but it wouldn’t be because they weren’t any good. What would come out of that exchange, however, is that a year later, if I was working on a film that could use some heavy metal music, I’d remember them.

That said, don’t decide not to approach a filmmaker just because you’re trying to guess what will appeal to them. Just introduce yourself, be polite, and make yourself known. Songwriting is an art but finding an audience is a numbers game.

As far as getting heard goes, we’re actually trying out a bit of a musical experiment with Refrain that we’re calling the “Side Project”. Essentially we’re opening up all the music that was written for the film to the interpretation of other musicians. No strings attached, just an open-source project for getting artists to collaborate and create some great music. So far the results have been incredible! The Side Project will launch this summer (join our mailing list to keep tabs on it) at which point it will be open to everybody to participate and be recognized.”

Thanks to Tyler for taking the time to answer these questions. If you’d like to know more, check out his website at http://www.tylergibb.com. And remember - musicians and filmmakers need eachother. If you were moved by Tyler’s work, tell someone about it, and you might even introduce yourself to Tyler in a brief email.

Andrea Stolpe

When I tell people that I teach songwriting courses for Berkleemusic.com, it always inspires an interesting conversation. The first question usually is, ‘can songwriting be taught?’ followed closely by ‘how can one teach songwriting online?’

Having been on both sides of the fence with a music degree from the brick and mortar college and now teaching online, I’ve had the benefit of seeing the inner workings of each. I’d like to try to outline some of their value, and talk about which path a songwriter desiring a career in the industry might follow.

Music is often viewed as an elusive art, as something that speaks to the soul rather than something understood by the mind. My experience as a songwriter in the commercial music industry has taught me that whether I enjoy it or not, at some point, my brains do need to be involved. From understanding my own strengths and weaknesses as a writer, taking feedback from my publisher and applying those suggestions, pitching to specific artists looking for songs, and expanding my business network through co-writing and other opportunities, I realized early on that I would never stop learning. I learned from co-writers how to craft songs, from publishers how to rewrite and rewrite again, and from meetings with label executives where my own perspective on the pitchability of my songs drifted from the industry’s perspective. Many of these opportunities to learn were available to me because I had a foundation of tools for the craft that I had gained through my music degree.

This foundation included basic tools and strategies for songwriting, the very same tools taught in Berkleemusic.com’s online songwriting program. Integral to any songwriter wanting to write better songs is consistent practice. With consistent practice comes greater awareness of our own strengths and weaknesses, and how we use or don’t use elements that are effective in songs across all genres. With this awareness comes the ability to control these elements, and that means better songs more of the time.

What I received as part of my music degree was personal, weekly feedback on my writing from an experienced writer. I also received peer feedback, and had the opportunity to give feedback as well. I began to grow the confidence I’d need to start promoting my own music in the field. I had the opportunity to visit my instructor during a weekly office hour to discuss any questions I had regarding my writing, my goals, and my future. I attended the brick and mortar school because I wanted a true 4-year college experience, and that is what I got.

Comparing this brick and mortar experience with an online experience, we find similar elements and some additional perks. We have the opportunity to play our songs for peers and experienced instructors for feedback. We have weekly chat hours where a relationship with these peers and instructors can be built. What’s more, we have daily writing assignments instead of weekly assignments, flexibility to complete the assignments when it is convenient throughout the day, and an opportunity to network with others with similar goals. We can even find co-writers and support groups to keep us writing and pursuing our art, whether that be as a paid writer or as a hobbyist looking for greater fulfillment through the process of creativity. Its drawback is also its benefit - those looking for a 4-year college experience won’t find it online. What they will find is a supportive, diverse community and quality education they can access from the comfort of their own livingroom. There is no need to uproot our family or our jobs, and the financial commitment is light enough to help us take one step at a time towards our songwriting goals.

If you’re on the fence about whether to take the plunge and enroll in an online songwriting course, take a few minutes and talk with an enrollment adviser. Discuss your concerns openly and gather more information to make an informed decision. Many aspiring artists and writers are surprised at how easy it is to get involved, and how far-reaching are the benefits.

A few courses I recommend as you’re getting started:

Lyric Writing:
Tools and Strategies
Writing From the Title

Music and Lyric:
Commercial Songwriting Techniques
Songwriting Workshop: Melody
Songwriting Workshop: Harmony

Andrea Stolpe

I remember a time when I’d scrub the shower rather than try to write a bridge for a song. Bridges are those pesky sections so late in the game we can avoid writing them for months at a time, and sometimes avoid them altogether with a cleverly placed instrumental. But, in many situations they are a wonderful way to harness a final transformation for the tune, and so to avoid them forever would be a missed opportunity.

So, what is a bridge? How do we figure out what to write after it seems like everything’s been said?

A bridge is the section that follows the second chorus in this common song structure:

Verse
Chorus
Verse
Chorus
Bridge
Chorus

It is also the section that follows the second verse-refrain in a verse-refrain structure, or AABA structure:

Verse/refrain
Verse/refrain
Bridge
Verse/refrain

If we define the verse as the section that sets up the story (the what, when, who, and where), and the chorus as the section that delivers the main message (the why), then we might say that the bridge delivers the (what now?). Musically and lyrically speaking, the bridge is a section that provides stark contrast to the rest of the song. We might hear chords not yet played in the tune so far, melodic pitches higher than any other in the song, new rhythms, and a lyric that takes our story one large leap forward. Sometimes I like to look at the bridge as the place where our character undergoes that final transformation. The guy who realizes he misses his old girlfriend vows to get her back. The woman working a dead-end job decides she can and will do better. The alcoholic recognizes that getting sober will be a challenge, but to not try is to lose the battle before it’s even waged. In these scenarios, the bridge makes that final statement of why the story matters at all.

Another handy technique is to look at the bridge in terms of the future. Think about your characters and that main message. What will the future look like? What kinds of struggles must the characters overcome to step into that future? Is it all worth it? Why?

These are just a few of the questions you might ask yourself to conjure up some good bridge material. Don’t hesitate to listen to many of your favorite tunes and summarize the content of those bridges. Listen to the harmonic movement as well, and transcribe the chords you hear – especially the first chord of the bridge that is pivotal in moving our ears away from that familiar chorus sound. Take note of the melody and where it launches and lands at the end of the bridge. The key is contrast, and a bridge that can give our ears several seconds of fresh chords, pitches and rhythms allows the last chorus to shine even more brightly.

For more in-depth study and practice writing bridges, I recommend the berkleemusic.com songwriting course ‘Commercial Songwriting Techniques’ and companion book Popular Lyric Writing: 10 Steps to Effective Storytelling.

Happy writing,
Andrea Stolpe

Writing a great chorus is integral to catching the ears of our listeners. Within the chorus lies the heart of our message, and that heart is summed up in the title or hook that often supplies the first and last lines of our chorus. Some choruses have the incredible effect of tying up an idea so perfectly, it almost breathes a sigh of ‘ah-hah’ throughout the audience as it is uttered. But what makes a title really work, and how can we apply that knowledge to the writing of future songs?

You might keep a notebook of title ideas in your back pocket, and that’s an excellent idea for gathering lots of little snippets from which to generate song material. If you don’t start from the title when you’re writing, you can certainly end up with great song material through some of the techniques I’ll explain here. Both ways are completely acceptable processes for writing songs.

If we start with the title, we have a unique advantage of knowing the conclusion before setting up the situation. We already know what we’re ‘foreshadowing’, so designing the clues that end in that final explosion of realization should be easy, right? Well, theoretically. I still end up in a corner sometimes, realizing that I intended to end up at the perfect place to deliver my title in the chorus, only to see that I didn’t quite set it up right in my verse. This kind of misdirection can be remedied, however, by a few simple ideas.

First, look at each word in your title. Let’s say the title is ‘Picture Me Gone’. There are three important words there, and two that are heavy meaning carriers. So what I’m going to do is brainstorm some ideas for the content of my song based on those heavy meaning carrier words. I’ll start by listing all the words and phrases that come to mind when I consider each word. For instance:

Picture
Hanging on the wall
Imagine
Frame
Crooked
Nail in the wall
Wire
Glass
Stand
Cardboard
Old farmhouse
5×8
Old photograph
Creased edges
Glue
Tape

Even though my original idea of ‘picture’ was a verb, I took the word out of context and let my mind wander where it wanted to go. Then I’ll do the same for the word ‘Gone’:

Gone
Disappear
Left in the dust
Coming and going
Without a trace
Wisp of smoke
Hubcab spinning in the road
Tired skidding
Packed up
Over
Nothing left to say

Now as I write the content of my song, I can use these words and phrases to foreshadow the title that lies ahead. When I include ideas that link directly to the title, the title will feel as if it were handpicked for this song. In other words, I have carved out a hole in the chorus the exact shape of my title. No other title will have the impact that title would have.

If we’re not writing from the title, we can look inside our verse sections for clues to what the title might be. As I posted in a previous blog, we can look for the title within the first few lines of the song. We can also see if there is a metaphor we might lift out of the verse sections that could be continued in the title. Continuing one metaphor throughout a song can be more effective than mixing and matching metaphor for this very reason. The more we make the listener jump around from thought to thought, the less invested the listener may be in each of those ideas.

Next time you develop your song based on a winning title, try making lists of related words to help brainstorm content and keep that content focused on your title message. The more focused the song content towards the title, the more bang for your buck your title will have.

Happy writing,

Andrea Stolpe

Repetition makes the world of commercial music go round. It’s in our lyrics, in our melodies, in our harmonic progressions, the arrangements – every aspect of a song uses repetition to make it memorable. Even song forms utilize repetition on a larger scale of verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus. So how do we know how much repetition is necessary in getting the audience to remember our song, and how much is just beating a dead horse?

The answer depends a bit, I think, on what we’re trying to accomplish with our songs. We could try to compare the value of repetition in a variety of songs across the board and wind up with very different conclusions on how much is enough. But, for the sake of keeping it simple and straightforward, I’d like to throw some rough guidelines up and leave the exceptions for each person to decide for themselves.

A chorus is where most of the repetition in a song happens. It’s no wonder why. That’s where the main message of the song is delivered, and without that repetition, the listener is at risk of missing it. Many songs use the power positions in a chorus section to provide that repetition of the main message – the title. The power positions are the first line and last line, and sometimes the middle of the chorus too depending on the structure. Sometimes all four lines are used to repeat that one title message, ‘dude looks like a lady.’ But one thing’s for sure, if we don’t set our title message in the power positions in the chorus and we don’t provide repetition, our listener will almost surely miss the main point of the song. And what’s worse, our song will come across unfocused on any particular point. What listener wants to listen to a song in which even the songwriter himself isn’t sure of the message? So repetition in the chorus is highly important, as well as using those power positions to our advantage.

One other area in which we can take advantage of repetition is the prechorus. If I’m writing a fairly wordy tune, which I sometimes do, I find that after a long verse section the listener needs a break. In this case, I try to begin my prechoruses with the same phrase. I may not repeat the prechorus section exactly, though that’s certainly an option, but instead repeat the first few words and let them introduce the new thought. This allows for some consistency in my message, while still enabling further development of the story.

Sometimes we need to identify whether the song we’re writing is going to fly within the commercial market, or whether it’s going to appeal to a more niche-oriented audience. In other words, the songs that immediately capture the attention of our audience within 45 seconds to a minute may be our ‘singles’, while those that require the full attention of the listener to digest may be our ‘album cuts’. I myself have fallen completely in love with songs deep within an obscure artist’s album, just as I have immediately fallen for singles that require only half of my attention to keep me up at night. The singles undoubtedly involve much more repetition, shorter song sections, and perhaps a more universal and simple message. But whether that’s better depends on what the artist is trying to accomplish with those songs.

As a songwriter looking to make a living from my songs, it is pivotally important my listeners (and the industry folks I pitch to) remember my songs after just one listen. And, I need to capture their precious attention within a very short period of time. So for my needs, repetition is critical. Simplicity is also critical. I must think about using the chorus melody as the melodic hook in my intro, keeping the lengths of the verse and prechorus short so that my chorus enters between 40 and 55 seconds, and making sure that the first line of the chorus is hooky and generates plenty of energy to bop the listener’s head all the way through the chorus. I know that the more repetition I use, the fewer new ideas I introduce to my listener, and the more focused my song can become. As songwriters, we have a tendency to write dense lyrics when we’re unsure whether our idea is really coming together. In taking great care to say what we want to say, we ironically dance around it, and what results is an idea that requires too much of the listener’s attention to digest. Try challenging yourself to write a song of short sections, such as a verse of six lines followed by a two-line prechorus and four-line chorus. Or, try a four-line verse followed by a six-line chorus. Try writing a chorus where the title is in the first and third line of four lines. Or, try setting the title in the first, fourth, and seventh lines of a seven-line chorus. You might even challenge yourself to write a four-line verse followed by a four-line chorus in which all four lines repeat the title. See how simple you can get, and see how quickly it forces you to get to the main point. Sometimes by trying to be subtle, we end up vague. And vague has a terrible effect of malaise over audiences everywhere.

Finally, repetition can always be replaced with an original line if you feel you’ve overdone it. Try to imagine yourself listening to your song for the first time. Would you be able to take it all in? Complex isn’t better, just complex. Set your song aside for a month and bring it out again, listening to a demo or a rough work tape. Sometimes distance is just what we need to be able to put ourselves in the shoes of those we hope will live and breathe to the sounds of our heartstrings.

Happy writing –

Andrea Stolpe

Sometimes it’s difficult to know what options are out there for us as songwriters when we’re on the outside of the industry looking in. It’s true for any endeavor that the more immersed we become in the field or industry, the more options we see and the more we recognize what holes in that field are not being filled.

Recently I received an email from a workshop attendee of mine who described his frustration in securing an internship in the music industry. Many internships are reserved for students wishing to receiving college credit for their service, and I imagine companies benefit from that by the only compensation needed being the actual credit itself. But, whatever the legal and tax reasons behind that decision, it does bring up an interesting question about how we often pursue our goals. Do we follow what we assume is the path towards success, or do we forge a path of our own based on what we want to do at our destination?

I went to Nashville just after graduating with a music degree. There was nothing I wanted more than to write songs for a living. I began my own job search under the assumption that a job in the industry would afford me the opportunity to make connections. Connections, I had come to understand, was the fuel with which I’d get my songs into the right hands. This is absolutely true, but what I didn’t take into account was the types of connections I’d be making in various industry jobs. I had the opportunity to apply for a job at a performing rights organization as the person who calls and collects fees from clubs, bars, shopping malls, and anywhere else that pays fees for playing music. It seemed like a great job at the time with a salary, benefits, and supposedly placing me right there in the heart of a building I wanted to affiliate myself with as a songwriter. But what wasn’t so great about this job was the circumstances under which I’d be working for them. I’d be spending 40 hours a week forming relationships with accountants and lawyers, and others who provided the framework for that performing rights organization to be successful. Beyond that, my contacts would include small and large business owners who saw me not as a songwriter, but a low-level business woman. The fact that I would be working in the industry was smoke and mirrors. I would be no more connected to what I really wanted to do than if I’d have taken a job at the local grocery store. At least the grocery store would allow me to start up conversations with any songwriters who wandered through the check-out.

So as you’re looking for opportunities within the music industry, I encourage you to think strongly about where you want to end up. I eventually took a job in a non-profit office, working 30 hours a week with a team of people I learned so much from and enjoyed being around. The schedule was flexible enough that I could leave work early for scheduled co-writing appointments later in the afternoon. I had no work in the evenings stealing precious writing and family time. When I was seen and heard in the industry, it was as a songwriter and not as an employee of a label or publisher or PRO. All of my efforts were directed towards becoming a staff writer, and all those who met me knew it. There was no confusion about who I was and what I was trying to do.

If you’re struggling with what steps to take next, think about what situation allows you to do what you want to do most often. The more consistently you keep doing the thing that interested you in the music industry in the first place, the quicker you’ll get there and the less likely you’ll be sidetracked or forgotten in a job that doesn’t utilize your best skills and talents. Take heart knowing that when you feel you’re furthest away from your dream job, you might be closer than you think.

Andrea Stolpe

One of the most important elements of any successful endeavor is focus. It’s no different for musicians, though it’s often us creative types that find ourselves flitting from one interest and opportunity to the next, overloading our schedules and budgets with more than we can reasonably handle. When I feel like I’m about to have a schedule-induced anxiety attack, I know it’s time to start trimming.

Every few months I make myself sit down and write out my goals. I also make a list of all the activities that spend my precious time. It’s interesting to see how my lists can contradict one another, even in the course of a few month’s time. The reasons usually are that slowly, I started saying ‘yes’ to opportunities that weren’t in line with my end goals, or projects I thought would be completed took longer than expected, etc. Eventually, I’ve got to dig myself out of the muck.

Sometimes it’s difficult to know how to get where we’re going when our goal is to be a paid songwriter. So you might start by listing the most obvious. To get paid to write songs, you’ve got to write songs. Making sure I carve out at least 15 minutes a day to write songs ensures that I’m doing that central part of being a songwriter. I know that if I just start the project, 15 minutes will turn into a half hour, and a half hour an hour on days I swore up and down I didn’t have time to write. What I really meant was, I don’t have time to write if it’s not going to go well That kind of thinking doesn’t write tunes.

The next priority is research/learning. Taking a few minutes a week to meet new people and at the same time learn about the industry in your area is right up there with breathing if you’re going to be a paid songwriter. If you want to get your songs into the right hands, you’ll need to shake lots of them. Go to shows, read the music critic columns in your city paper, read articles on how to slip your music into film/TV, attend conferences, join your local songwriting group, and expand your circle of influence. You’ll gradually find yourself more knowledgeable about the industry and clearer on where you want to go and what you need to do to get there. Consider the road ahead like going to college. As a freshman you don’t necessarily know what you’ll major in – and before you graduate you may change that major several times.

If you’re doing these two things – writing every day or most days a week, and expanding your network of people, you’re doing everything you need to do to move forward in your music career. As you do move forward, you’ll be able to evaluate what you enjoy and what you don’t. For instance, do you enjoy playing with a band or performing at all for that matter? Do you prefer co-writing, and focusing on lyrics rather than music? Do you see yourself writing for other artists, or only for yourself? Do you have the quality of demos to pitch in the markets you write in? Do you need to improve on your instrument, or would your time be better spent writing? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, try exposing yourself to all these areas. Find out what feels natural and what doesn’t by immersing yourself in the culture of the music you love. After awhile you’ll begin to notice how your strengths play towards the kind of success you want, and you can keep returning to those strengths to stay focused on the goal.

I’ve had to recognize that I can’t do everything all the time. I can’t book shows, write solely without the help of any other musician, record all my own demos, promote my music, and pitch to all areas of the industry without help. Of course, I’d like to see all these things happening all the time, but I’ve got to get real. After all, I did choose a career in music because I enjoy it, right?

Prioritize and save your life. Do the things that matter most, even if they’re hard. Undoubtedly, it’s the hardest things that pay the biggest dividends in years to come.

Good luck -
Andrea Stolpe

Great lyrics have the power to vault listeners into the midst of a compelling story within seconds and keep them there. Choosing good verbs, writing conversationally, and allowing our rhymes to fall naturally with convincing content are important elements of great lyrics. But the element of ‘how’ we sing our lyrics to the melody is just as important. I’m not talking about the emotion with which we sing, but the rhythm with which we sing the words. The English language has a natural ebb and flow, a natural phrasing that translates into the rhythm of our melodies if we’re allowing it. When we say a phrase out loud, we can notice the syllables over which our voice rises in intensity, and those over which it lowers in intensity. We call these points ‘stresses’, and phrases of multi-syllable words produce ‘stress patterns’ of strong, weak, and secondary stress points. When we retain the stress pattern as we sing the phrase, our listener will have no trouble understanding the words we’re saying. But, if we disrupt the natural stress pattern, our listener can become distracted from ‘what’ we’re trying to say and focus more on ‘how’ we’re trying to say it. In some instances, the content of the lyric can be misunderstood or mistaken for something other than what we intend.

Alanis Morissette uses improper stress settings throughout many songs on her release ‘Jagged Little Pill’. It’s true that properly stressed lyrics create a tight marriage between melody and lyric, as if they were born at the same time. With such smooth lyrical settings, we are left to focus on what the lyrics are saying rather than how they’re sounding. But I like to bring Alanis up because in her case, I find the result interesting rather than distracting. No doubt, so did millions of fans who gobbled up her tunes for years after her huge commercial break-through. So why is mis-setting lyrics in some cases okay, and not in others? How do we apply that information to our own songs?

When you consider what is important to you in a song, what ideas come to mind? Do you listen mainly to lyric, or are you captivated by a hooky melody? Do you prefer story songs, or do you like more repetitive messages? Do you gravitate towards a simple harmonic groove, or do you like picking apart complex arrangements? Look for these kinds of elements in your own songs. Understanding what makes your songs appealing to others is critical in determining how important lyrics, melodic ideas, harmonic ideas, etc. are to the final result – intrigued listeners. If lyrics are a critical element in your songwriting, then you might want to consider the value of setting your lyrics in a way that will not distract the listener from what you’re trying to say. In the case of Alanis, her music is everything but calm and reserved. Her image, her attitude, and the very title of her record all pointed to the same message – pushing the limit of what is acceptable and appropriate. That she would not conform her lyric to her melodic rhythms served to create prosody, the effect of musical shapes and rhythms emphasizing a lyrical idea and vice versa.

When we’re writing our own songs, it’s important to consider how we’re writing with intention. Are we making lyrical setting decisions to emphasize the meaning of our lyric, or are we lazily trying to cram the lyric into a rhythm it cannot fit?

When my first impression notices that a lyrical line of mine is not setting well, I immediately take note of it (except in those instances where I would rather deny the lyric isn’t fitting properly!). I have found that after I sing the line several times, I begin to convince myself that it’s really not that bad – when my first impression served me better as the voice of the listener. Many times the rewriting process can be simple, just omitting a word or syllable here and there, or asking myself how this idea could be said in another way. But my decision to keep a lyric as it is and change the melody, or keep the melody and change the lyric, is intentional as often as I can muster.

Try writing with your eyes and ears perked to how you’re singing your lines to your melodic rhythms. Are you emphasizing meaningless words like ‘with’, ‘for’, ‘the’, ‘at’, etc? Do you feel like any lyric is crowded or rushed? Do substantial meaning-carrier words get less stress than they deserve, such as nouns, verbs, and adjectives? Let your ears and your instincts be your guide. Very often we know where the issues lie, and just need to find the courage and resources to attack the issues with rewriting tools.

For more in depth study on stresses placement and content, refer to Writing Lyrics to Music, now enrolling for Spring Term.

Andrea Stolpe

The Anatomy of Hit Songs
Recently a student of mine brought up a very interesting website and service, called Hit Song Science at http://www.hitsongscience.com/. The service offers the capacity to analyze any song and gauge its potential to become a hit single. It’s an intriguing idea to say the least, and one that has inspired interesting debate.
The company appeals to independent musicians and songwriters by suggesting the service helps you to reach new fans, understand who those fans are, know the success potential within different markets, and choose the best channels and targets.
They describe the way it works like this:
Our algorithms start by analyzing a large and representative sample of music…The analysis application is able to “listen” to any CD and isolate patterns in many musical events, some of which are melody, harmony, tempo, pitch, octave, beat, rhythm, fullness of sound, noise, brilliance, and chord progression. Each song is then mapped onto a grid …and is positioned according to its mathematical characteristics. Each song is represented by a dot on the ‘universe’ and the songs on one end of the universe are vastly different from songs on the other end of the universe. Songs with mathematical similarities are positioned very close to one another…The HSS software compares the sonic characteristics of a new piece of music with a database of the analyzed data of music that has demonstrated commercial success in the past, either through record sales, digital downloads or radio airplay.
With commercial data such as sales, highest chart position, and release date, the program can help to gauge a song’s success potential. Songs are eventually given an overall score:

Overall score: the song’s main score, and how that fits into the selected hit database, in terms of overall “proximity” to the hit clusters.
A score of 7.30 or above denotes clear mathematical hit potential.
A score of 6.75 to 7.29 is a borderline score. This reflects a song whose mathematical patterns that will assure performance in the market but might require a little extra marketing thought and push.
Other scores probably mean your material does not have the optimal mathematical patterns that will assure performance in the market.

As I read through the website, I felt a variety of emotions. Part of me was offended that songs could be analyzed in such a fashion. Another part of me believed that this kind of analysis was indeed possible and useful. But there was one phrase that stuck out to me on the site that was particularly revealing. They say: we’ll guide you on the road to creating a hit. Really? Creating a hit? That insinuates two things – that I’m gaining the knowledge and tools to actually apply to my writing in the future, and that I have all the resources I need to have a ‘hit’ once I’ve written that clustered pixel of notes and words.

In a sense, as Berkleemusic.com instructors we’re doing the same thing by teaching the craft of songwriting. We’re breaking down the craft into tools that prove over and over again to sell songs. But we’re also breaking down the craft into tools that inspire great art that speaks to the very core of our souls. We’re learning how to apply these tools so that we can use them where our intuitions guide us in the future. If our goal as songwriters is to merely write the most commercially viable songs we can write, then this service would absolutely seem to be useful. If we’re focused on leading the trend instead of following the trend, and using our own unique voice as writers and artists to inspire audiences all over the world, then I’d predict this service may not the vehicle for getting there.

What the song analysis won’t do for us as independent songwriters and artists is make connections. If we know we’ve got a hit on our hands, that’s wonderful information to have…but then what? There is no solution for getting out and meeting people better than getting out and meeting people. We can have all the talent in the world, but without enough diligence and persistence to develop connections and a fan base, we’ll still be sitting in our living-rooms.

The gatekeepers of the industry are becoming fewer and fewer, and it’s up to us as songwriters and artists to reach the ears of those who will believe and invest in our music – particularly our fans. There is no substitute for doing the work. Tools don’t write great songs, you do. Data doesn’t sell songs, you do.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this –

Andrea Stolpe

Writing a song from start to finish can be a daunting task without tools and strategies. I’d like to share with you one tool for outlining our song ideas stemming from an understanding of the structure of our songs.

When I say structure, I’m talking about the form. Verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus is perhaps the most common and widely used structure there is, highly effective in getting right to the main point without much dallying around. Verse/prechorus/chorus/verse/prechorus/chorus is another common structure, that short prechorus connecting the main message with the story development in the verses. These structures often omit the bridge, depending on how long the song is getting after that second chorus. If there’s time, the structure may include a bridge, or may end with one more repetition of the second chorus.

Other structures include verse/refrain/verse/refrain/bridge/verse/refrain, or as it’s often called, AABA. In this structure, the refrain line is the title capping off the most important position of the verse – the last line. Sometimes songs with choruses have an extra verse at the end. In this case, the third verse often provides a break-down, taking the dynamic of the song back down to a simmer before the last chorus takes us up again for one last burst of energy. Look for these forms used by your favorite artists. Commercial songwriting rarely incorporates a form outside of these typical structures, so they should be easy to find.

These forms are common because they’re so effective. They are what we’re used to hearing, and what get the message of the song across with clarity and a pace that keeps the listener compelled. So our question might be, how can we use these forms to increase the interest our listeners feel in our songs?

You might have had the opportunity to be in the audience during an open mic where songwriters showcase their new and often rough material. Perhaps you noticed yourself getting bored, impatient, disinterested, or even confused. When we listen with a critical ear to songs, we can use what we know about form to diagnose some of the major elements that can cause these negative or apathetic reactions from our audience. Let’s look at what some of those elements are.

Power Positions
The function of a chorus is to drive home our main point. The section as a whole should speak with clarity towards one main idea, and within the section, the power positions should hold the title. Power positions are often the first and last line, and sometimes the middle line depending on the structure. When we use repetition of a title, we are clearly showing the listener what message is most important. If we have varying messages in the power positions, what we’re showing the listener is that we’re not sure what our main message is. Watch for instances where you might have dueling titles. Two titles don’t make for a stronger message, but a more diluted song idea.

Verse Length
The function of the verse is to set up the foundation of the story. We’re drawing a convincing argument here towards why the listener should invest emotionally in our song. We might provide a more personal viewpoint in this section, drawing from real-life detail, describing a specific moment or event. Consider the length of this section, and how each line adds interesting and valuable new information. If you find yourself redundant, or expressing yourself in vague, abstract language, the listener may wander off for lack of understanding. Finding a good balance between concrete information and an explanation of that concrete information as it relates to the thoughts and feelings of the characters is important. You can read more about this in, Popular Lyric Writing: 10 Steps to Effective Storytelling. Verses that last too long, or too many verses before the chorus section delays the main message. It’s like a conversation in which one person talks and talks and talks. We begin to forget where we’re going, and though the words may have value on their own, they have little context within the bulk of the message.

Repetition
There is a reason why commercial songs are so repetitious. Repetition makes a song easier to remember, even after just one listen. Repetition also clarifies the main point of the song, and allows for melodic and harmonic hooks to burn themselves into our unsuspecting brains. Consider whether you’re putting too much pressure on yourself to write ‘smart’, or offer the listener a new title with each line of your chorus. Challenge yourself to repeat the title in the first and last line of a 5-line chorus. Or, repeat the title in the first and third line of a four-line chorus. Give yourself permission to write a four-line chorus where each line is the title. If we’ve set up the story in our verses, the chorus doesn’t have to do the work of giving that title value – it’s already been done.

Bridges
The function of a bridge is to change the lyrical perspective, lift the melody or break the dynamic down one last time, and add interest and energy to the last chorus. Beware of bridges that are too long, as we lose our direction heading towards the last chorus. Short two-line bridges can be very effective, giving us the contrast we need to make that last chorus really pop.

I hope these brief descriptions on form are useful as you write your next tune. As you become more versed in writing these forms, you’ll discover areas in which you can break the mold, stretching the forms and allowing other elements such as production quality to help emphasize any structural decisions you’re making.

Happy writing -
Andrea