Songwriting - Week 7

Hello....

A&R companies, Record labels, Manager or not, Publisher or self publishing, Looking for artists i could write for, Finding out who they are signed to, Library Music, Diversifying as a writer/artist, Writing commercial music for radio, The differences between writing in Nashville and say the UK, How you can have International Success in different markets - Japanese, American, European, UK, X-factor/American idol - The kind of shows that are producing artists who need us songwriters, Pop, Country, Singer/Songwriter, Folk, What makes Commercial music so, um, commercial?!

Songwriter vs Artist.

Just a few things rolling around my head this week then.

The industrial context seminar this week consisted of us discussing the module so far - what we may include in our essay and evaluating what options could work for us based on academic evidence, and evidence from other songwriters. I kind of waver between excitement, determination and having an idea of the things I would like to achieve - and then wavering to the darker side where I feel miles out of my depth and straggling along somewhere behind. But I am here and doing this. And it feels right. So somewhere I need to kick myself up the a** and make the most of this opportunity!!!

Today - I'm writing this blog in a room of delightful musical chaos with guitars and excited chatter floating about... musical patterns emerge and develop and fade into something else. We move rooms and a grand piano dictates the way I type and the mood of the group seems to grow soft and chords will pull on my heart strings to make me feel a bit sad and then an opera voice will fall in rather dramatically and we all laugh. The groove kicks in and I bounce my shoulders as I write, dah da dah da dah!!! What it is about music that adds a dimension to your mood that just wouldn't exist otherwise? How much thinner would life seem? Ha and as I edge towards being philosophical, a conversation about pasties begins. Mmmmm pasties....

So yeah. Another week passes and more questions arise. I feel so full of questions sometimes, I question whether I actual know any answers at all??! So heres a few more floating about in this pea head...
Could I ever be a credible artist? Or maybe even just an artist?! Do I have the ability to write songs for a living? What route should I take? Why do I need music prominently in my life? How does a single chord resonate with a certain feeling? How does rhythm feel like its really inside me? Is music and day to day life so intergrated that they both consist of sounds, beats, noises, patterns, structures, familiarility, exciting moments, pauses, phrases, waiting, emotions, journeys, frustrations? And sometimes made up of not much? Can it be possible to think too much? Do I not think enough? Why do people hold themselves back? Why are things sometimes so hard and daunting? And do the greatest rewards come from the most difficult accomplishments?
I could actually go on for ages but ha I won't, sorry for the moment of self indulgence...

I think I'll finish off with a couple of quotes, well 3 actually cos I like the last one in particular :-) Wish I could imprint these things in my brain so they stuck.


"Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value." - Albert Einstein

"Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors." - African proverb
"I've seen many troubles in my time, only half of which ever came true." - Mark Twain

Thank you for your appreciated attention

With mighty love from the
gabbling, gallivanting, googling, gazing, ghastly, gift-wrapped geek