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The CLIMB Show by Brent Baxter, Team SWPro on December 02, 2022
CLIMBer, if you already know how to write great songs, and you just need to be discovered... this episode may save your career!
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TRANSCRIPT:
Welcome to three minutes and the truth, y'all. Today on three minutes and the truth I want to talk about being coachable. About having the mind of a student, no matter where you are in your songwriting journey. I offer some song feedback & coaching services, through SongwritingPro.com, and I recently had a person in the community, email me and say "hey, listen, I don't need to be told how to write a song, I already know how to write songs, I just need to get to the right people. Will you be one of my people? I'm gonna send it to you."
So, okay, I thought. Let's just hear what this is. So this person sent me a song. And it sounded really dated, it was not commercially marketable. And this person wanted to quote-unquote "sell a song." Without even explaining that you don't really sell a song, it was clear is this person was not coachable. This person already knew everything. So there's nothing I could teach them, even if they're if they're open to it.
Because if you already know everything, your mind isn't open to new ideas. This person was very clear that they already know how to write a song. They can sit down and write a song right in front of you in three minutes. And they've done it before for people and they're amazed. And they've done it hundreds of times. They told me that kind of thing. As if that means anything.
Well, it really doesn't mean anything. But that may be a subject for another day.
Listen, if you're only looking to get discovered, and you're not looking to get better, your chances of getting discovered go down tremendously. Listen, I don't know it all. Other hit writers don't know it all, either. And we're all trying to get better because we know we don't have all the answers And - news flash - this guy doesn't know it all, either. The thing is... he doesn't seem to KNOW that he doesn't have all the answers. So if you're not even looking, the odds of finding the answers goes way down.
He thought he knew how to write a song. Thing is, they sounded like songs from 1970. And that's fine, IF YOU'RE IN THE 70s. But it's not so good if you're trying to get cuts in today's market. And if you don't even know that ,and don't realize that there's a difference, then you're in big trouble.
So I tried to let this guy know that his writing needs to improve. And I'm sure he's still not open to it. And hey, it's just my opinion, I could be wrong. But aspiring writers - heck, ALL writers - need humble spirits to say, "Hey, you know what? If people are making a living in the music business, if people have gotten songs recorded, if they're pros, they may know something I don't. I should take their feedback seriously. You may disagre,e and that's fine. It's your art. It's your business.
This has been three minutes and the truth.
God bless,
Brent
PS- Thanks for stopping by Songwriting Pro! I appreciate it. As a matter of fact, I want to give you a special little something just for your visit. Actually, it's a BIG something - over an hour of free interviews with hit-making songwriters and producers! This look into the Songwriting Pro Member Area is full of tips to help you succeed at the art, craft and business of songwriting. You can gain access to all this good stuff at SongwritingPro.com/preview.
Who is Brent Baxter?
Brent is an award-winning songwriter with songs recorded by Alan Jackson (the top 5 Country hit "Monday Morning Church"), Randy Travis, Lady A, Joe Nichols, Ray Stevens, Steve Cropper, Andy Griggs, Buddy Jewell, Lonestar, Gord Bamford (the #1 hit and CCMA Single Of The Year "When Your Lips Are So Close"), The Sound (the #1 hit and Dove-nominated Southern Gospel Song Of The Year "Can I Get A Witness"), Wilburn & Wilburn (#1 hit "Hallelujah Homecoming"), The LeFevre Quartet and more!
