Career Songwriter

It’s true that no two songwriter’s careers are alike. Most of us start with no contacts, little experience, and a lot of inspiration. Gradually we expand our network of contacts that will play key roles in opening doors to that publishing deal, artist deal, recording facility, producer, co-writer, event booker, agent, manager, or that one fan that becomes an unexpected loudspeaker to the world.

Many budding writers wonder what it’s like to work day to day as a songwriter, and the picture is as varied as those who live it. There are a few foundational activities, however, that every one of us finds ourselves immersed in on a regular basis.

Staying afloat in the commercial industry requires that we get out of the house once in awhile. Growing our network of fans and industry contacts is the gasoline we need to keep rolling. When we hole up in our bedroom writing songs all month, we overlook the troublesome reality that no one will hear those songs without a team of believers. This is such an important element of being a career songwriter. Without a network of people who believe in our art, we stand very little chance of influencing a larger circle. The tricky part is wading through the marshes of industry players and audiences who do not take a particular interest in what we do in order to find the ones who do. But when we’re committed to letting as many people know about our art as possible, we see the effects resonate like waves on a lake.

Being a naturally introverted person, I have to make an intentional effort to continue to build my network. So instead of relying on my feelings, I schedule time in my calendar during which I’ll make phone calls, go out to shows, take CDs to non-music functions and tell a few people about my music, or play a show with a friend. I try to expand my network by meeting just 2 new people each month that could play an important role in my next big break. Just 2 people – that’s all it takes. Gradually those two people turn into 4, and 8, and 16, and before I know it, I’m getting emails from someone I’ve never met who heard my music and enjoyed it. Two weeks later I find out my new acquaintance’s uncle is the best friend of a publisher I’ve been wanting to meet, or a writer I’ve been wanting to collaborate with. You just never know.

As I’m building my network of believers, I do a lot of prioritizing and planning. Without my calendar, I’m likely to lose track of where I put my time. Every morning I glance at my to-do list and prioritize those things that are in sync with my vision for my career. It’s easy to want to take every opportunity that comes along because after all, it’s an opportunity. We may never get another opportunity again – or at least that’s how we’ve been conditioned to think as career musicians. When I slip into survival mode, my vision gets put on hold. It’s absolutely imperative that I keep a close watch on the small steps I take towards those bigger goals.

Many of the distractions that masquerade as my career are identifiable by their fruits. They almost all keep me from writing. So when I look back and see that I haven’t written a song in a month, or I’ve got 5 unfinished ideas lying around and haven’t been able to set aside time to finish them, I know I’ve got to regroup. This is a real problem for artists, especially when touring. Setting aside time to write is absolutely essential to being a writer. It sounds ridiculously simple, but it’s amazing how often we overlook that very simple equation. Taking consistent time to write = songs worth recording.

As a staff writer for a publishing company, I wrote about two songs a week. Sometimes more, sometimes less. I also co-wrote a few times a week, collaborating with other writers in appointments set up by either me or my publisher. If my collaborator and I were already friends, we might get together at 10am and begin writing an idea that sprung from our morning conversation, or from the notebooks we carried with scratches of ideas. If the collaborator was someone I had just met, I’d ask to meet for coffee first so we could get to know eachother a bit better. Some writers are comfortable just delving into the song. I need a little time to acclimate myself to the new relationship before my strengths as a writer can really shine. I learned this through the experience of many years of co-writing, and I encourage other writers to do the same. Learn how your strengths as a writer flourish the most, and in what situations. Do you prefer to write from a title, to discuss many different story ideas with your collaborator, or to finish a song in a short 2 hour session and come back to it later instead of laboring over each word? Do you collaborate better when you come in prepared with an idea already percolating? Do you need some time to generate ideas along before regrouping with your collaborator to discuss the best approach? Understanding how you approach the process will help you find what you’re looking for in great collaborations.

Staying inspired is sometimes a challenging task for any prolific writer. As a career songwriter, we often need to write even when not inspired. I often use tools such as Destination Writing to coerce ideas out onto paper, using my 10-step process for writing songs as described in my book, Popular Lyric Writing: 10 Steps to Effective Storytelling. Other times I’ll bring a title, an unfinished verse, or even a short melodic and harmonic progression to a co-writer to help get inspiration. I read books, I watch movies, I go to coffee shops and listen to conversations (I admit it’s true) and write down interesting phrases that could make for great song ideas. I sit out on sidewalks and watch people, I travel, and I listen to music I love. I allow myself the permission to write a mediocre song. That last thought is incredibly important for a career writer. We understand that if we create our art with desperation, as if each expression is the last great thought we’ll ever have, then we’re bound for failure.

I almost always finish every idea I start. When even I’m not certain if what I’m writing is better or worse than the last song I wrote, it’s an exercise in becoming a more consistent writer. Finally, taking time to realize what makes my voice as a writer unique, and how I most effectively express that voice is a valuable enterprise and I wouldn’t be where I am today without it. Taking a look at the typical patterns within the songs I write, gathering feedback from trusted fans and collaborators, and even matching phrases of my life with the song material that sprung from them help me to summarize what I do well, and what kind of artist would be most interested in recording my songs.

Being a career songwriter is a precious gift, and one that comes with tremendous satisfaction. Getting into the studio to record my latest songs with some of my favorite musicians is one of the highlights of the process. On the contrary, pitching my songs through networking contacts is a nuisance I’d rather not have to pursue. But, both are necessary in sustaining a career. Without pitching my material, I can’t influence the world. Great results come at the expense of time and energy, and are a small price to pay for the fulfillment of positively affecting the lives of others through my art.

I hope you find satisfaction in the day to day activities on the road to expanding your circle of influence with your music. When you receive that email from someone who has been profoundly and positively affected by your music, you’ll recognize how your unique road has been leading you in the right direction all along.

Andrea Stolpe

Whatever stage you are in as a songwriter, artist, producer, engineer, studio musician, touring musician, or jack of all trades, you’re probably starting to develop a strategy for receiving criticism. If you’re out there working your connections at all, whether it be performing, asking co-writers to write with you, or wading through all the possible ways to promote yourself as an artist, you are inevitably forming your personal perspective of the music industry. The industry itself is wide and multi-faceted, and it’s no wonder two artists can have completely different paths aiming for the same success.

Students in my online classes often ask me ‘what’s my story?’ In other words, we want to know how another writer got where they are so that we can do some of those same activities that may get us where we want to go. The trouble with this thinking is that we are setting out into a completely different landscape with new people and new and different opportunities. The industry itself has changed, but even more importantly, the people we meet along the way will not be the same. The only thing that has ever earned me any success comes down to just one person. That one person was someone who believed in my music. There have been several ‘one persons’ over the years, but I hang my gratitude on those few I had to sift through the haystack to find. Without my searching, I may not have found them. But without their ability to hear me and see some potential in what I do, I wouldn’t have been able to expand my career.

I began this blog by talking about a strategy for criticism, and that very idea of criticism leads me to the thoughts I’ll try to verbalize here. It’s very easy for us ambitious artists, songwriters, and musicians alike to become overwhelmed with the amount of work that can be done to promote ourselves. The seeds we plant today often sprout several months or more often several years later, and that’s a long time to wait for a harvest. Being a creative person, I spend quite a bit of time reflecting, deriving great pleasure from finding new ways to express myself and share myself with others. I am not alone on this creative island, and so I wish also see my expression received by others, affecting others. This is why the idea of writing songs that never leave my living-room is like death to my creative spirit.

With my business so closely linked to my creativity, like most artists I have had to develop a strategy for living and working that nourishes my happiness rather than starving it. As we can see in the entertainment industry, many have not found working strategies. But the strategy itself is not a ‘goal’ that is achieved, but one we consistently have to commit to day after day. The business is constantly changing, and so are my creative goals. While I’m doing all the things I know are good for moving my career forward, such as writing, performing, and networking, I also make decisions about future activities based on the following.

What give me energy?
I’ll be honest, sometimes taking the day off and going to the beach is what I need to do to forward my career. There are times for writing when I don’t feel like it, or going out to shows and networking when I’d rather stay home. But there are also times for slowing down and erasing my agenda. If I lose the energy to believe in what I’m doing, then I lose my effectiveness in getting what I want.

Is what I’m doing busyness or opportunity?
There is a difference, and I constantly assess what projects I may become involved in that are going to lead me somewhere, and ones that are simply filling time or my pocketbook. It’s easy to get caught up in the talk that flies around in the industry. People talk about the next big thing and then that thing flickers flat like a damp firework. The only true question I need to answer is if the project is worth my time. Whether it’s worth my time depends on my specific goals. If my goal for the moment is to make money, then I make choices based on that. If my goal is to invest in a project I believe strongly in, then I make choices based on that. Sometimes it’s a balance, but I always try to make those choices intentionally.

Pretending I’m managing my career as an outsider, how do I view where I am, and what are some steps I would make to further my career?
This idea has been so invaluable to me. Stepping outside of myself and looking at my career from a distance enables me to see more clearly the way things really are. I sometimes have ideas about new opportunities I can make for myself when I’m not tethered to my own hesitations and concerns. I can also extend to myself more acceptance and forgiveness when I see clearly what things are within my control, and the things that are not.

I encourage you to continue practicing what you enjoy at least a little while each day. When weeks go by and we find ourselves constantly focusing on business ideas rather than writing, it can suck the energy and purpose right out of us. Take some time each month to evaluate new goals and aspirations as you unearth new opportunities. Allow yourself the flexibility to change as you grow in your art. In an industry where persistence is the name of the game, keeping our self healthy and happy is the smartest decision we can make.

A question I get asked a lot as a working songwriter is “What else can I be doing to grow my music career while I’m writing songs?” It’s true, the most important thing you can be doing as a songwriter is writing songs. But as you’re writing, there are activities you’ll want to adopt that will help open doors for those songs to be heard. After all, feverishly writing songs without an outlet to play them for other people can eventually thwart our creativity altogether.
For the next several weeks, I’d like to post a weekly blog with an activity you can add into your schedule that I hope will help you grow as an artist and musician. Even if you perform the activity for 10 minutes a day, such as picking up a guitar or sitting down at the piano, you are building connections between your life and your creativity. I’ll also separate the activities into business and craft, so you can identify what activities might benefit the work you do in the writing room, and what benefits you outside that circle. Eventually, these activities will all run together as you knit a lifestyle that fosters creativity and connection in the music world. I encourage you to tailor the ideas to your own environment and run with any extra ideas you might have. Let’s get started!

Business:
Check your local paper for who’s playing at a nearby music venue. Try to attend one show this week of an act that is similar to your writing style or the style you aspire to. If you aren’t familiar with any of the artists or venues in your area, pick one at random. If you have a musical friend or co-writer you haven’t connected with in awhile, ask him/her to come along. If you have family or work related responsibilities, consider how you can take your family along, or schedule your meeting to include the show.

After the performance: If you enjoyed the show, introduce yourself to the band or artist afterwards. Mention that you are a songwriter and that you enjoyed their music. Be sure to ask when they’ll be playing again…..and plan to attend.

Craft:
Pick up any newspaper, magazine, or book, and choose an article or page at random. Begin reading, and as you do, consider each phrase - no matter how insignificant - as the title of a song. What might you write sparked from the ideas of those titles?