Career Songwriter

Songwriting Conference and Workshop Highlights

During the summer months I usually take time away from writing to teach at various conferences and workshops around the country and abroad. Conferences such as those offered by Berklee College, NSAI, and other such opportunities are great ways to immerse yourself in the industry when you haven’t the time or resources to do so throughout the rest of the year. Many enlist music industry professionals to talk candidly about a certain side of the industry, or invite artists or songwriters to shed some light on how to break in. Others are focused on songwriting or vocalizing, concentrated 5-14 day experiences to step up your game in those areas. I’d like to tell you about a few of the conferences I taught recently, should you be interested in finding more about them. There are many opportunities out there, so I suggest pinpointing what you’re looking for and how much time and money you can commit before making any reservations.
For two weeks in July, the Grammy Foundation holds a camp for high school students, aptly named “Grammy Camp.” The camp is open to any student exhibiting exceptional skill in music and interested in pursuing a career in the industry. Held at the University of Southern California, students enroll in a specific stream: singer/songwriter, music production, music engineering, concert promotion, music journalism, or the study of their principal instrument: bass, drums, electric guitar, keyboard, saxophone, trumpet, or trombone in the scope of private study and ensembles. The camp culminates in a performance at the beautiful El Rey theater in Los Angeles by each singer/songwriter of an original song worked up with an ensemble. Select students also have the opportunity to record at the legendary Capitol Records.

Another camp I’d like to mention is Seth Rigg’s Speech Level Singing conference in Los Angeles. Prior to the conference I was only vaguely aware of Seth and his techniques. Over the last several decades Mr. Riggs has worked with some of the biggest names in contemporary music, and so naturally I was curious what makes his techniques so popular, revolutionary and even controversial to the world of singing. During our hands-on judging sessions (of which I was on staff to critique the original songs) I witnessed vocalist improve their pitch dramatically by applying simple feedback from certified instructors. I heard breaks diminish and ranges improve in literally 30 seconds of instruction. I realize I’m making it sound ridiculously simple, but I am ridiculously impressed by the simplicity of the techniques and how easily students are able to apply them from certified instructors. Should you be a singer/songwriter looking to improve your voice, you might check out more information on SLS and see if it’s right for you.

This past week I taught at Berklee College of Music’s Summer Songwriting Workshops. Held in mid-August each year, the workshops attract between 100 and 200 songwriters of all ages looking to improve their craft, play their songs for faculty and staff, and connect with other musicians. Leading the workshops are Chair of the Songwriting Department, Jack Perricone, Professor of Lyric Writing Pat Pattison, other faculty members Jon Aldrich, Henry Gaffney, Mark Simos, Susan Cattaneo, Sarah Brindell, songwriter Dana Calitri, and myself. The workshops are held on Berklee’s Back Bay Campus, from Wednesday through Saturday with a short closing ceremony Saturday afternoon. For anyone interested in boosting their creativity and songwriting chops while expanding your understanding of the industry, this is a great opportunity. Information is available on Berklee College’s website.

If conferences or workshops seem like a luxury to you, you might consider giving yourself a songwriting vacation – a holiday to write, that is. These conferences and many more (see NSAI.com) operate for the purpose of regenerating the creative fire within, connecting songwriters with experts in their craft, and facilitating professional relationships. Some workshops last for a day, some for 2 weeks, and can be a rejuvenating step in advancing our hobby or career. Teaching at them is a rare and special opportunity that I consider a privilege and a pleasure. I am glad to be able to learn from my students, and spread what I know to grow my own career and of those around me.

Happy writing,
Andrea Stolpe

I often write about the significance of networking, merely because it is the lifeline of a songwriting career. Most of us will need to establish and expand our networks as the business grows and changes, and so this process continues throughout the life of our career.

We all know about Myspace for artists to showcase their music and attract fans, but what about the songwriter who doesn’t perform? What kinds of networking opportunities are available for those trying to reach a broader audience or who don’t play an instrument or have a specific ‘sound’ like a band or singer/songwriter might have?

I think the first step in answering this question is defining what we want to accomplish with our songs. There are so many opportunities to create and perform music, but not all are going to bring us the fulfillment we’re looking for. You might have the dream of writing a song that will stand the test of time, becoming a household tune. You might aspire to encourage others with your positive music, bridge cultural or social gaps, transform the way we see ourselves or our theologies, philosophies, etc. Or, you may simply want to entertain.

Perhaps a better question then is, ‘who’ do we want to benefit from this dream of ours? If we can clearly define the audience who will appreciate our music, we can more clearly define the road to reaching that audience. The short-term steps will be more effective, and the long-terms payoffs more satisfying.

Sometimes understanding ‘who’ we want to influence starts with our own introspection, but sometimes it starts with looking at the songs we’re already writing and the people they’re already affecting. Each of us has to consider that our unique voices can’t be everything to everybody. I have a unique sound that is a combination of my voice, my influences, my knowledge about the craft, my life experiences that direct my lyrics, etc. Though I may love all kinds of music, the music I create is not appealing to all kinds of people. It serves me well to understand the genre my music fits within. That understanding allows me to isolate the opportunities that are going to afford me the most success and satisfaction.

As a songwriter in the Nashville music market, I had to learn what characterizes the songs artists there are looking for. Then, I had to begin to understand what it is about my music that is unique, but also where my musical voice and that particular market intersect. The more I am able to offer something that no one else can offer while staying relevant, the more success I have.

As you’re thinking about your own musical style, you might think back to times where your songs have been played well or especially appreciated by audiences. Aside from your mom, who has been particularly inspired by your songs? What were the circumstances? If you haven’t yet had the chance to play your songs for many people, this would be a great time to start. It takes years to grow into our own skin as writers and artists, and lots of failed attempts too. If you’re just beginning to write regularly, start recording rough demos of your songs and gauging reactions from listeners. Your own reactions are telling too, as those areas we’re not confident in speak more loudly when there is someone else in the room.

There are a few activities every songwriter can do to generate interest in their writing and inspire forward movement along the path to writing more skillfully.
The first is getting involved with a songwriting community. It may not seem like much, but in my opinion it is one of the most powerful steps you can make. You can receive and give feedback, you can find co-writers, you can expand your knowledge of the industry from the experiences of others, and you can become more aware of opportunities in your own city for musicians and songwriters. You might find a guitar player or pianist who can help you record a good version of your song. You might meet a vocalist you like who can sing that song. You’ll learn about song camps in Nashville and other places, how you might expect to pitch your songs when the time is right, and advice about song competitions, TAXI, and other organizations like ASCAP and BMI. It’s the information and the relationships that are important here, and they are the doorway to the informed decisions you’ll be making later as a writer in the competitive market.

For ideas on how to find workshops or communities in your area, I recommend two websites. The first is the Nashville Songwriters Association, International.,
www.nashvillesongwriters.com. The second is Just Plain Folks, at www.jpfolks.com. Tour these sites and understand what they do. Whether or not you decide to become a member, it is the consistent participation in these groups that will gain you those first steps in moving your hobby or career forward. Another great site to check out is The Muse’s Muse at www.musesmuse.com. This site has some excellent resources for writers, from articles to co-writing opportunities.

As you get more familiar with the way the industry works and meet other writers, you’ll begin to understand new ways you can market your own talents and skills. Becoming immersed in the community is the first step to opening up doors to opportunities you didn’t even know existed. Each of us arrives at our destination by a different route, so your path will be like no one else’s. Just keep writing and gathering knowledge, always comparing your information with what you hear and see around you. Have fun along the way, and roll with the punches. There are some things we can control – like our craft and our relationships. Keep focusing on what gives you the energy to try again and again, and you’ll surely look back in amazement at how far you’ve come.

Songwriting like any other art brings with it a fair share of critics. After all, anyone can listen to a song and form an emotional opinion. In fact, music is an art that anyone can make, whether novice or experienced. Anyone can call themselves a songwriter by writing a few tunes, effective or ineffective in creating a good experience for the listener. In addition, hindsight can make some of the most memorable songs seem simple to have written. The melodic ideas are short strings of connected tones, the harmonic progressions basic root, four, five, with an occasional six minor, and the lyric phrase after phrase of everyday language we hear ourselves using in conversations and love letters. What could be so difficult about that?

Songwriting isn’t often thought of as an art to be mastered, like classical piano or upright bass. Truly remarkable artists begin with an undeniable gift, but that gift doesn’t truly shine until it is invested into with time, focus, and dedication. But in popular songwriting today, I find that the focus is nearly entirely on the gift, rather than the development of that gift. What results is a viewpoint that either a songwriter ‘has the gift’ or ‘doesn’t have the gift’, and furthermore, that each utterance from the songwriter with the gift is art worth listening to.

I write songs for two reasons: for the pleasure of writing, and for the pleasure of those listening. Sometimes I’m fortunate enough to achieve both those elements at once. But sometimes the process is slow and frustrating, and the real pleasure only comes from knowing my craft and process well enough that those listening find pleasure in my end result. Sometimes the song was pleasurable to write, but the experience of the listener fades in comparison. The truth still stands that in order to excel in my art, I need to practice my craft. Regardless of the ‘gifting’ I may or may not have started with, I take all the credit for developing it into the useful tool it is today.

As I said before, anyone can write a song, and anyone can critique a song. But that doesn’t mean we should listen to just anyone. As a songwriter reading this yourself, I strongly urge you to do the same. As a songwriter writing about songwriting, I realize that I’m a critic right now, so I urge you to sift my words as well for those ideas that ring true, and those that do not. The most valuable lesson I’ve learned as a writer over the years is that another writers’ process is not my own. Their process may serve as signposts for my own, but the more I practice my art, the more I learn to hear and trust my own instincts.

Songwriting is an art that for some comes very naturally, and for others takes a lot of practice. But until you’ve given yourself adequate time to find out how far you can develop your gift, don’t stop writing. Consider critique or feedback in context of those giving it. Some people care very much about lyrics, some don’t. Some people swear that a great melodic hook is the key to a hit song. Some think it’s all about the guitar riff, the tempo, the vocals, etc. Some have spent years in Nashville and believe that the storyline should be clear and the title apparent. Some come from a heavy metal background and believe that lyrics should be open for interpretation from the listener. The list goes on and on, but for each opinion, there is a musical context from which these preferences were formed. Allow yourself the grace to find out where your own preferences lie, and how they direct your process.

To truly call yourself a songwriter, you must write. You’ll know you’re making progress when you intentionally apply tools of the craft to achieve desired effects. You’ll know you’re excelling when the tools of the craft become instinctual, integrated into the very process you’re developing.

Many critics in my humble opinion don’t understand the level of dedication and time required to truly excel as a songwriter. To create something with intention and to do it over and over again takes immense skill that can be directed, but only truly developed through practice. If you’re in the early stages of developing your own process, I hope you find the courage to continue amidst colorful critique, both helpful and destructive. Anyone can write a song, but not anyone can create valuable listening experiences over and over again.

When it’s not possible to send each song we write off for a critique by a skilled writer, we need to get a good critique system going at home to learn how to rework our own material. I’ll go through 5 basic ideas below that I use to rewrite my own material, in hopes that they may help you to become more critical of your work where it counts. For a more in-depth study on several of these techniques, please refer to my service called ‘Songwriting Made Simple’, available at http://www.andreastolpe.com/.

1. What is the main message of the song?
Perhaps the most important element of a song is the chorus, and within that, the title. Look at where you’re singing the main idea. Is it set in the first line or last line of the chorus, or hidden within the chorus in a less prominent position? Sometimes our listener can be left confused and disinterested in our song if the title is not highlighted by its position in the chorus section.

2. Can you sing the melodic hook of the verse and chorus sections?
Every song begins with a melodic idea that is made up of pitch and rhythm. That melodic hook is like a first impression, and repeats throughout the section to form one consistent pattern. Often that hook or parts of that hook makes up other sections of the song, giving the whole piece one consistent fingerprint. Consider what that hook is for your song, whether two notes or two measures. If you can’t identify one hook, then you may have several different melodic and rhythmic ideas all fighting against each other. Listen to some of your favorite songs and notice how simple the basic hook idea is.

3. Do the song dynamics rise toward the chorus?
Consider whether the chorus section is overshadowed by the energy level of a previous section. Do you hear the chorus as the main message, or is it possible the listener may be misled to believe the second verse or pre-chorus section is the main message of the song? If your pitch is lower in the chorus than in previous sections, that may be the case.

4. Is there plenty of contrast between the song sections?
A lack of contrast results in choruses sounding just like verses, pre-choruses, and bridges. If you find the listener confused as when the chorus actually starts, then consider taking a look at the harmony, melody, and lyric in a new way. Harmonically, you can add a new chord to the first measure of the chorus, or change chords more of less frequently than in previous sections to add contrast. Melodically, you can raise the pitch, or lengthen or shorten the notes to create contrast. You can also change the beat on which the chorus melody begins. Starting before, after, or on the downbeat are the three options, and so choose one that contrasts with the starting area of the previous section. Lyrically, you can start the chorus with your title idea, and immediately repeat that idea. That repetition and setting of the main idea first distinguishes the section from others that came before.

5. How long does it take to get to the main point?
If you want your listener to wait through an intro, two verses, and a pre-chorus before arriving at the chorus section, you’d better give them a good reason to give you their attention. Production alone can do the job, but consider that you’ll need a slow build if your chorus will stand out as the highlight when it finally arrives. A much better way to ensure that your song is structurally sound without all the bells and whistles of production is to keep your sections short. Take a look at the basic verse and pre-chorus and chorus rhyme schemes in your favorite songs. Notice how many lines each section is, and take note of how many seconds each section lasts. This kind of research can yield a great deal of information about the attention span of your audience, and clue you in to how best to display your ideas so they are received with the most impact.