Songwriting: Staying Connected For Life

I was asked to submit an article for the USA Songwriting Competition's site last month and wrote about the 'backyard connection'; finding people to work/write with in your area.

It got me thinking about all the people who are still in my life (professional and personal) that started with the smallest of connections. So many of these have proven to be the gift that keeps on giving. Quite a few friends I made in the beginning of my career are friends to this day, and continue to be important connections in my songwriting and artist world.

We Have Contact

At the time I doubt I gave much thought to growing old with these folks, I don't think that's on anyone's radar when you're out to conquer the world. But looking through my contact list today I'm seeing lots of them. I've connected with my favorite teacher from High School Jim Rose through Facebook. Jim has recommended  my coaching to some local musicians.There's Nic Marcy who I did the miles with in one of my first bands in upstate New York . He's in Austin teaching drums. Bob Terry is another great friend who I've stayed up with over the years. He now works with Yamaha Drums and does workshops all over the world including recent ones with another old friend, Kenny Aronoff. Bob also sends me clients. There's the guys in Faith Band who I shared a lot of stages and many of my Malcolm Gladwell '10,000 hours' with. 

And the C's

I talk with John Cooper pretty often. He was the sound man for Faith Band. He now mixes the Boss all around the world. John also introduced me to Wynonna Judd. Wy cut a song of mine. One of my good buddies, Bob Britt played on my home demos years ago. Bob and John Cooper eventually worked together with Wynonna. I send my coaching clients to Bob these days for his demo production. We re-connected.

Then theres Torquil Creevy, who I first met in England as an artist signed to Riva Records. Torquil moved on to Miles Copeland's publishing company and offered me a deal when he got there. This led to attending Miles's writer retreats in the south of France and those contacts led to meeting some wonderful writers who are in my contacts still. Torquil and I are friends to this day. He introduced me to Kipper, who went on to produce for Sting. Kipper came to Nashville and wrote with me for Wynonna Judd. We've been friends for more than 25 years now. Torquil also introduced me to Nick Battle at Windswept Pacific Music, who signed me and got some of my best cuts. Building my case here.

Piper And Beckham and Spice!

Nick introduced me to Eliot Kennedy, one of my best friends and who I've written some of my favorite songs with (including a number one called "Day And Night" by Billie Piper). Eliot has always been generous with his connections including introducing me to Bryan Adams, the Spice Girls and even David Beckham. Eliot is still the first person I get in touch with if I'm excited about an artist or development project.

Co-writers And The Stones

Some of my favorite co-writers and friends were introduced to me by another connection. Most writers I know are good like that. Kye Fleming introduced me to Nashville, I connected Kye with Brenda Russell, we wrote "Dancing In My Dreams" for Tina Turner. Countless connections that have lasted through the years. Brenda even introduced me to Lisa Fischer--who introduced me to the Stones. 'Connection' is one of my favorite Stones songs, but I'm going off here...

Lets Stay In Touch

I'm coming to the point, I promise: It's just as important to stay in touch with your connections as it is to make them in the beginning. Cultivate the friendships, touch base from time to time. Keep your info updated. You never know where one of your old friends will land in this business, and someone you shared a moment with years ago can easily re-enter your universe. 

I'm not suggesting you 'work' your contacts as much as work at keeping them. Along with your family and your talent, they're the most valuable asset you have!

-Mark Cawley

2/4/14

Nashville , TN

Pic: Goggle Images

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About: 

Mark Cawley's songs have appeared on more than 15 million records. Over a career based in LA, London, and Nashville his songs have been recorded by an incredibly diverse range of artists. From Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Wynonna, Diana Ross and Chaka Khan to The Spice Girls, Tom Scott, Kathy Mattea, Paul Carrack, Will Downing and Pop Idol winners in the UK. He has had #1 records in the UK and throughout Europe as well as cuts in Country, Jazz & R & B. His groundbreaking website Song Journey created with Hall of Fame writer Kye Fleming was the first to mentor writers from around the world one-on-one online. He is currently writing and publishing as well as helping writers and artists worldwide with a one-on-one co-active coaching service, iDoCoach.

 

Songwriting: The Backyard Connection

Proud to be asked to write another article for the USA Songwriting Competition site. Great people! This first appeared as an article on their site on Jan 23, 2014.
http://www.songwriting.net/blog/bid/204648/Songwriting-Tip-The-Backyard-Connection?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=3543424

If you've been writing songs for awhile you have to have heard someone preach about the value of networking and getting connected.

Pretty much a given, you can create in a vacuum but you can't grow there.You may be all alone in your room and in your head when you create but to get that song (and you as a writer) in front of people it takes more people. More people means connecting and more connecting. Takes a village to raise a hit. Where to start?

Scour the village!

What does that look like for a beginning writer or a writer living outside of a major music center? It takes some digging on your part. For instance, I coach songwriters from all over the US and beyond these days and many live in places like Indiana, just to pick one. I urge them to look for a local resource first. If you write lyrics but don't play an instrument see if you can connect with someone who's a good player. If you're a songwriter but don't have production skills look for someone around you who's making magic in the basement. Grow together.

One of my favorite ways to connect in these cases is to, in the words of John Hiatt "pull my pony up and hitch my wagon to your star". Is there someone you've heard in a local club? Online? At church? Who's a diamond in the rough? Connect with them. So many writers made a career of working with an unsigned artist and as the artist gained attention, as good ones tend to do, the songwriter’s name was attached. I'm not just suggesting you pitch your songs to this budding artist but suggest you offer to co-write. Get them invested in the song and as they rise so will you. Not every artist we know and love came from LA, New York or London. Some of them came from small towns and for the sake of my point, the pride of Seymour, Indiana, John Mellencamp.

I Was Born In A Small Town

I know John a bit from my days of playing in Indiana and most of the people connected to him in the beginning were all local players. The guys I saw in the local bars where the same ones I saw years later at the LA Forum. Some of his earliest hits were co-written with a local lyricist named George Green. John worked with what he had around him.

Sure the odds go up if you move to one of the cities I mentioned and put yourself out there but in the meantime make the most of what's right in your backyard. Might seem like a small connection but it just might be the one to hitch your pony to. Oh yeah, one more Hoosier...John Hiatt.

Got Nothing Against the big Town

In defense of the writers and artists that make the big leap to a major market, most of the ones I know worked hard at making and keeping connections. One of my favorite illustrations would be the number of them that offered to sing demos for songwriters, sometimes cheap, hoping that as the writers song gets heard someone will discover the singer. In my first few years in Nashville it was common for me to call some of these folks like Gretchen Wilson, Brett James, Clay Davidson, Ruby Amanfu and Neil Thrasher to sing a demo for me. Worked out pretty well for me and for them.

No matter how you get your break, you never stop connecting on any level in this business you've chosen.

-Mark Cawley

iDoCoach

Nashville , TN

Hope you'll sign up to follow future blogs at 

http://idocoach.com/blog/  

Please be sure and hit the share button!

Picture: Goggle Images

"Small Town" lyrics: John Mellencamp

John Hiatt quote from his song "Real Fine Love" 

About: 

Mark Cawley's songs have appeared on more than 15 million records. Over a career based in LA, London, and Nashville his songs have been recorded by an incredibly diverse range of artists. From Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Wynonna, Diana Ross and Chaka Khan to The Spice Girls, Tom Scott, Kathy Mattea, Paul Carrack, Will Downing and Pop Idol winners in the UK. He has had #1 records in the UK and throughout Europe as well as cuts in Country, Jazz & R & B. His groundbreaking website Song Journey created with Hall of Fame writer Kye Fleming was the first to mentor writers from around the world one-on-one online. He is currently writing and publishing as well as helping writers and artists worldwide with a one-on-one co-active coaching service, iDoCoach.