Songwriting Pro is a community for songwriters who are ready to WRITE like a pro, DO BUSINESS like a pro and CONNECT to pros. Hundreds of songwriters from all over the world use Songwriting Pro to get their songs in front of music industry professionals, find collaborators and gain real-world, real-time knowlege about the music business. We'd love to have you join us... so what are you waiting for? Join today!
Tips & Resources by Brent Baxter, Songwriting Pro on November 11, 2019
Here's great songwriting - and pitching - advice from a hit music producer.
Ted Hewitt produced Rodney Atkins' multi-platinum breakthrough album "If You’re Goin' Through Hell,” which yielded four consecutive #1 singles and an ACM nomination for "Album of the year" ~ To date he has produced six #1s as well as 3 top 20 hits on Rodney. He’s also a producer on Rodney’s current album, “Caught Up In The Country.” And that’s not all.
Ted was a recent guest on Frettie.com's "The Hang," and he shared some great, real-world advice for songwriters.
Here is a bit of Ted's advice (paraphrased):
On searching for songs for Rodney Atkins:
I get songs through Laurel (A&R) at Curb Records. She's great. There are also some publishing companies that I go to that I know have done their homework on Rodney and where he is as an artist. And they have great writers and great songs, too. So that’s mainly where I go. But it’s not the only place I go. Rodney’s manager is a good song person, too. It’s sort of a joint effort.
I ask myself, “Can Rodney sing this? Can he be the character in this song?”
When pitching to an artist, there’s a brand involved, and there’s also where the artist is at that point in his/her life. The song may be great, but it may not fit the artist’s current life. That’s as important as understanding the artist’s brand.
It’s important to study the artist and pitch for where the artist is going. Don’t just pitch to where the artist has already been.
In Nashville, everybody’s talented. The songwriters that are doing really well are also really hard workers. In this town, you can’t get by on talent alone.
Songwriter mistakes when pitching:
Don’t misspell the artist’s name. It’s Rodney Atkins, not Rodney Adkins. If an artist sees their name misspelled, it’s just not gonna fly.
It’s hard to pitch songs about life with kids. It’s just so personal.
A songwriter may have a great idea, but they often mess up by making it a ballad when it didn’t have to be. Give it some energy! And so many songs are written with the “default groove.” Go for something different and more interesting!
There are a lot of things you can do as a songwriter to increase your odds of a cut. Write with more tempo. Avoid the "default groove." Write with the artist. Find your peer group, your fellow travelers, so you can all rise together. Focus on the people you really click with.
If you want to hear EVERYTHING that Ted had to say, you can listen to the episode right here...
And if you want to check out our other Hang videos (featuring hit producers, hit songwriters, etc.), you can log into the Frettie Member Area right on this site! (If you aren’t a Frettie subscriber, it’s a great time to join.)
Oh, and do you have a question you'd like ask a hit songwriter or a hit music publisher? If so, I have TWO great opportunities coming up for you... and they're FREE. On November 18, I'm hosting a "Know The Pro" event with pro music publisher, Butch Baker of Mojo Music & Media. Butch has mentored hit songwriters including Dean Dillion (George Strait, Kenny Chesney, etc.) and Phil O'Donnell (George Strait, Blake Shelton, etc.) Then, on November 19, we have another "Know The Pro" event with hit Christian songwriter, Michael Farren. He's penned hits for Lauren Diagle ("Come Alive [Dry Bones]" & "Trust In You"), Michael W. Smith ("Let It Rain") and others. And you can ask these pros YOUR questions. And it's an online event, so you can join us from anywhere in the world.
This is YOUR chance to sit down face-to-face (online) with two real-deal music professionals, and I hope you won't let it slip away.
Here's the best part: these events are FREE for Frettie subscribers! So if you're already a Frettie subscriber, you'll receive an invitation to these events. If you are NOT a Frettie subscriber... what are you waiting for? Heck, it's only $5 a month!
CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE DETAILS AND JOIN FRETTIE AND THESE EVENTS!
God bless,
Brent
PS- Thanks for stopping by Frettie! I appreciate it. As a matter of fact, I want to give you a special little something just for your visit. It's my FREE ebook "Think Like A Pro Songwriter," and it reveals valuable I-learned-it-the-hard-way-so-you-don't-have-to tips to help you succeed at the art, craft and business of songwriting. You can download it at www.GiftFromBrent.com.
