Career Songwriter

I don’t know about you, but I spent years recoiling from this question for fear of what I’d say or wouldn’t say that would pigeonhole my music forever. You’ve probably listened to a lot of styles of music, and like me, you’ve found remnants of each floating around in your melodies, harmonies, and rhythms. You may have been told your voice or guitar stylings are reminiscent of another artist, dumping you into a specific genre you may or may not be completely characterized by. Or, you may be limited by your instrumental abilities so that your songs consistently fall short of the commercial sound where you intend them to fly. These are all issues we deal with as songwriters trying to compartmentalize what we do in order to put ourselves out there as shows, CDs and MP3’s.

Before I sat down and took a look at the thin red line that ran through my lyrics and musical inklings, I would describe my music as pop/rock. The conversation would usually end right there. Either the person I was talking to liked the genre, or didn’t. Once in awhile I’d get the chance to name a few commercial artists I sound like, but the mixture fell flat when one or more of those artists was unknown or disliked by whomever I was talking to. Needless to say, it wasn’t a very good way to illicit interest in my music. Why would someone want to buy my songs when they can go listen to the real Alison Krauss, Jonatha Brooke, or Sting who they know and love?

I had to learn how to talk about my music in a way that connected with people. It wasn’t that I fit into a genre that was particularly important. What was important was that people could begin to imagine how my music could be useful to them. What am I intending on causing with my music? What issues do I consistently write about? Do my songs make you laugh, tear up, get in touch with old memories, yearn to live more passionately, or bounce down the freeway on your way home from work? How can I summarize the purpose that is consistent throughout my songwriting style so that people are interested in learning more about me and my music?

An artist friend of mine describes her style as ‘Music that soothes the wounds of modern life.’ Knowing how she describes her music in just that simple phrase, a first time listener can approach her music with that foundation. We all have wounds, and we all have our idea of what it means to soothe those wounds. Before she even plays a note I can feel what she’s about. She won’t be a copy of some other artist out there, but a unique voice that is easy to characterize and remember. Furthermore, I can immediately think of other people and situations in which her music would be a good fit. All because of 8 pivotal words.

Imagine yourself in conversation with someone you’d like to expose your music to. What would you say?

If you’re finding this question difficult to answer, grab a notebook and pencil and start journaling about your songs. Read over a few lyrics or titles of yours. Start to talk about the songs in conversational language as if you were telling them as a story to your best friend. What are the far-reaching themes that continue to emerge?

Another exercise might be to grab one or two friends who know your music. Ask them to help you list adjectives or verbs that capture the essence of your music and lyrics. Notice any common threads and start thinking about how you might include them in your own ‘8-word pitch.’ Don’t be confused by songs that land outside this circle of common themes. It’s not so much ‘what’ you write about that may matter in these instances, but ‘how’ you have approached it. Go back to the list of words and think about what experience you’re causing with your music. Everyone wants to experience something, and the more clearly you understand how your music is perceived the more confident you will be that people need what you do.

Andrea