When The Songwriters Well Runs Dry

Mark Cawley iDoCoach.com

I don’t believe in writers’ block so much. I do think you’re gonna have dry spells; periods of being uninspired from time to time. If it goes on long enough, self doubt can creep in until you wonder how you ever wrote a song in the first place. So how do you do your best to keep the well full?

You prepare. One definition of prepare is to “make ready beforehand for some purpose”. Nothing beats that moment of divine inspiration…but if you’re writing songs for a career you know you can’t conjure up these things every time. Sometimes it helps to have done some homework and stockpiled ideas for those days when you need something to get you going.

Keeping a list of ideas/titles has always been my favorite. I can’t tell you how many times these lines that I heard, read, or found have worked their way into a song on a day when I had nothing. I’m not the first to come up with things you can do to be creative when you’re not actually writing; there are some tried and true ways to use your time wisely: writing down bits of conversation, walking down the aisles of a bookstore and jotting down titles that catch your eye, watching movies and television with your paper and pen close by. You can highlight lines in newspapers, magazines, and books until all these things make their way onto a list of ideas for the future. Being intentional in your search for ideas can really pay off in the long run.

One of the secrets for me has been to make sure I get these lines all in one place. Doesn’t matter if they seem disconnected, I found them at all different times so there’s no thread anyway. Keeping them handy has been the key. Being able to throw out lines to a co-writer or just pore over the list while I’m playing guitar/keys or looking for a drum groove has gotten me unstuck more times than I can count. Some of these never turn into anything but can spark something else, some of them become titles, and lots of them find their way into verses or bridges.

If you write music, switching instruments is another lifesaver. Write on something you’re not familiar with and you’re bound to eventually come up with something different and inspiring.

Lastly, just taking a break can help. Give it a rest for awhile and do whatever lets you replenish your mind and body. I’ve taken breaks that range from just taking a quick walk to going weeks without touching an instrument. 

Refresh, replenish, and refill the well... before it runs dry!

Mark Cawley

Nashville, Tennessee

3/6/13

About Mark Cawley

Mark Cawley is a hit U.S. songwriter and musician who coaches other writers and artists to reach their creative and professional goals through iDoCoach.com. During his decades in the music business he has procured a long list of cuts with legendary artists ranging from Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Chaka Khan and Diana Ross to Wynonna Judd, Kathy Mattea, Russ Taff, Paul Carrack, Will Downing, Tom Scott, Billie Piper, Pop Idol winners and The Spice Girls. To date his songs have been on more than 16 million records. . He is also a judge for Nashville Rising Star, a contributing author to  USA Songwriting Competition, Songwriter Magazine, sponsor for the Australian Songwriting Association, judge for Belmont University's Commercial Music program and West Coast Songwriter events , Mentor for The Songwriting Academy UK, a popular blogger and, from time to time, conducts his own workshops including ASCAP, BMI and Sweetwater Sound. Born and raised in Syracuse, NY, Mark has also lived in Boston, L.A., Indianapolis, London, and the last 20 years in Nashville, TN.

Inside A Songwriters Toolbox

If you’ve been writing lyrics long enough, you’ve been working with some basic things like color and detail, language, and painting a picture for a listener. Things like moving the action forward throughout the lyric and especially object writing become tools in your toolbox.Pat Pattison writes about object writing much better than I can, worth brushing up on).

The better you get and the longer you write, the more these tools become instinctive and the better your lyrics become. The idea has always been to make a listener see and feel what you do while still giving them room to make it their own.

In coaching and speaking at workshops the past few years, I’ve sometimes used my own songs to illustrate a few important points. The elements of good storytelling and some of the other practices I teach come into play with one song in particular.

A quick history: I love to walk down book aisles and see if titles stick in my head. I usually don’t open the books during these trips, just see what catches my eye and write it down for later. On this day I did open a book about British film, flipped the pages and a few things stuck out. One was the title of a 1985 film, Dance With A Stranger. I wrote it down and moved on.

I keep all these thoughts, lines, and potential titles on one long list and keep it close during writing sessions just in case something inspires me. It was the early 90’s and I was writing on my own for a few days, just trying to come up with a groove. My publisher had mentioned Tina Turner was looking for a couple of new songs to go on her upcoming greatest hits album. With no solid idea yet, I started playing feels that reminded me of her. A rough melody was working its way in there…but no more than that for awhile. 

I kept going back to my list of lines; and on a new day I sat down at the keyboard, let a loop play, and stared at the lines I’d collected. Dance With A Stranger just fell in there and began to turn into a story. I started to envision a woman, probably from the South, wanting to get away from a bad relationship. Maybe she’d go somewhere she could just get lost, listen to the sounds of a foreign city, stay in a hotel, go out at night and dance. Not looking to replace the guy or to have an affair…just human touch to help her get through the pain.

I was thinking New Orleans in the summer with those big old windows you could leave open and hear the sounds in the street. Along with adding color words and action phrases, I tried to paint a picture of the freedom in being alone and the need we all have for a human touch with no strings sometimes. Below, I’ve added some notes in a few places within the lyric that illustrate some songwriting basics; use of imagery and action, places I tried to use a common phrase a bit differently, and even a line in the pre-chorus to ground the lyric (in case the listener isn’t sure exactly what’s been going on).

Most of these tools were not ones I was conscious of at the time, but when I became more aware of them I tried to go back and be objective with my lyrics (and make sure I was really showing and not telling). I hope to get to the point someday where it’s just second nature like some unbelievable writers I’ve worked with who are true storytellers. Until that time I’m keeping my ‘toolbox’ handy! 

Torquil and Sting

P.S.  My buddy Torquil Creevy (with Bugle Songs at the time) was a real champion of this song, and we did get it on hold for Tina’s greatest hits. Went out to lunch that day and celebrated...too early. At the last minute they didn’t record it. A few days later we got a call that Taylor Dayne loved it, wanted to record it, and would be calling me to change one line. Back in the game! The album was released in 1992—my first gold. Thanks Torquil!

Mark Cawley
Nashville, Tennessee
3/12/13

Top Image: Goggle Images

Dance with a Stranger
(words and music by Mark Cawley)

On a warm summer evening  (detail)

I'm dancing to the radio alone (makes you wonder, ‘who’s singing’?)

Don't need no conversation  (language, this is how the subject speaks)

Just the sound of a lonely saxophone (object writing, imagery)

Throw the window open (action)

Let the breeze take me away (action)

Ya see I gotta lose this ol' heartache  (keeping the language the same, staying in character)

Before the sun comes back to stay (different way of saying ‘before sunrise’)

I've been doin' my best to forget you (lead-in, grounds the lyric to draw listener in)

But I can't do it on my own

CHORUS:

I need to dance with a stranger

Hold him in my arms

Close my eyes, make believe he's you

I need to dance with a stranger

To take my hurt away

Before I'm over you

Hear the city hummin' (object writing, language)

Grab my shoes and go downtown (action)

Won't need no invitation  (language, staying in character)

Just to hear the sweet, sweet sound (object writing)

And I don't want no man to ask me (language)

"Where you been all my lonely life?"  (twisting a common pickup line) 

Just wanna move real slow  (action)

And have somebody hold me tight

I've been doin' my best to forget you

But I can't do it on my own

CHORUS 

BRIDGE: I hear the heart is a lonely hunter (mix in a more poetic phrase, introduce something different)

And I believe it to be true

This heart is learning to forget

I ever fell in love with you

CHORUS  

Songwriters..Nashville Skyline Time?

Watching the Grammys the other week, you had to notice the Nashville flavor. The coolest thing was that we’re finally talking 31 flavors–not just country, but music and artists of every variety .

I’m proud to be living here in this community and it got me thinking about some of the writers and artists I’ve coached over the past few years, and the inevitable question: Should I Move to Nashville?

Black Keys, Jack White, Civil Wars…even Kelly Clarkson call it home these days. It really is a melting pot. But is it the place to be if you’re just getting started? If you write Americana, Pop, Rock or R&B?

Now some of the folks I talk with are based in Europe, The UK, West Coast, East Coast. In the past Nashville might not have been the best fit. Have to think it is right now.

I still think it’s a great idea to homeschool your skills wherever you live. Make your mistakes on the small stage and get encouragement from the people who love you! Push yourself, get a fanbase, foothold, footprint and then take the giant step. Show the world whatcha got in the biggest town that’s open to you.

When I was starting out I couldn’t wait to test myself as a writer and artist and was impatient to “get out there”. First to explore NYC from my hometown of Binghamton whenever someone had a car. Moving on; to playing in Boston, joining a band in Indiana with a record deal, moving to L.A., London, and finally…Nashville, about 16 years ago.

I have to say no other city offered what this one does right now: diversity. Has to be the last stand for the pure songwriter who’s looking to be heard and get cuts based on a song, and not just the incestuous nature of “the business”. Still long odds…but you can get a song cut that wasn’t written with the producers team or having to give up your firstborn to get on a record.

Back to my point. Should you move to Nashville (or London, L.A., or N.Y.C.)?

Do your homework. Do a gut check, reality check, be willing to deliver the check, (as in waiter gigs!) and the goods . Give  it a shot! Maybe that looks more like a few trips a year from whenever you live. Make it a couple of weeks each trip, since appointments are gonna fall through and people are gonna wanna know you’re serious about this. Come as often as you can and make some connections.

When it comes to coaching clients, I’m beginning to not think twice and just say yes…to Nashville.

P.S. I came across this interview with Nashville writer Randy Houser after I had published this blog so.. adding on!

What are your impressions of Nashville these days?

Adding this update on 9/3/13. Check out the best place to live and work in music! 

Songwriting Victories…Celebrate And Recreate!

I was talking with one of my coaching clients who had won a West Coast Songwriting event last week about the experiance. This event involved a panel of industry judges and among the rewards was some free recording time. She was also asked to submit some songs for an established artist through someone who attended the songwriters night. Good stuff!

I’ve judged plenty of these in the past, large and small and I have mixed feelings. I always hope the writers who don’t win, place or show still go away encouraged. What I do love about these events is the affirmation the writers receive. We all know this career choice can be a path of constant rejection with very few payoffs and pay days along the way. Especially while you’re learning your craft. All the more reason to remember,reflect and celebrate whenever you can.

What I asked my client to do was to document everything about the process leading up to and through the event. Not only ask herself why the song worked so well but to be able to go back, maybe on a day when it seems too hard, and remember it can work! It can come together, you can move people and you can be heard!

My wife asked me years ago why I had awards and records on the wall of my studio. I thought hard about it. In the end,what I love about seeing them is that I can be reassured that this thing I’m trying to do, on any given day, really can work. Can’t coast on that feeling but it sure helps to remember , on that day, with that idea…I earned it.

Retrace your steps once in a while. I think that’s  a bit  of why so many writers rely on ritual. If something works, stay with it awhile and from time to time try to recreate whatever magic you conjured up that day. Celebrate the victories , big and small and remember to affirm yourself from time to time, in whatever form that takes. We all need it  and most of the time it’s going to have to come from within. Take time to celebrate your hard work and remember to praise someone else’s when get the chance.

I want to dedicate this blog to John Braheny who passed away last week. He spent years lifting up writers, encouraging, and teaching. Although I didn’t meet him at the time, I went to one of his workshops in LA at the Roosevelt Hotel many years ago. I went away feeling less alone in this work. As recently as last year he took the time to comment on a blog or article of mine and always, always… encourage. People with Johns gift are so needed in this business and he will be missed big time. 

Top photo: Google Images
Bottom right photo: JoAnn Braheny, John, Kye Fleming, Ian Crombie and myself

2013 Is Here And I’m Already Hittin’ The Wall!

Pressure. Doesn’t matter if you turn up the heat on your own or you have

help, the new year can really bring it on. Clean slate, blank canvas
and…you got…nothin’.

Telling people you’re a songwriter is always entertaining. Doesn’t
matter if you’ve had zero success (check out this past blog) or a house
full of awards, people always have one of three comments when you open
that door:

“Have you written anything I know”?
“I’ve always had this title that I know could be a hit”
“What I wouldn’t give to have your job, no pressure, regular hours…go
to work in my sweats”…. lots of variations of this one.

You know songwriting IS a great job or “calling” but it carries the same
pressure as any other one. Get better, more productive, have some
measurable success and the new year is always a tempting time to raise
the bar. The problem is songwriting is such a different job and progress
is so hard to measure by the world’s standards that you can easily
stress yourself out of any creative space you’ve earned.

Over the years I’ve learned to try and avoid the songwriter’s version of
a New Year’s resolution in favor of staying the course. Keep doing what
you’ve been doing and remember the simple things you can do to ease the
pressure you might be feeling.

Find ways to affirm your path, different ways to be creative, bring that
energy back to your writing and take a break when you hit the wall. Do
something else!! Read, walk, watch a movie, anything but stare at a
blank page titled “2013″.

What do you do when you’re geared up to start  and you hit the wall
at the first turn?

Photo: Google Images

Songwriting Techniques: Write, Cut, List And Play!

I haven’t done a blog to date based purely on tips but reading a recent one by Michael Hyatt made me think about the value of a ” list” post. So.. for this week I’ll spare you the  voices in my head and just pass on some things that have worked for me in the past. These are  4 ideas that have become a foundation for my coaching over the last two years and I hope some of them will be helpful for you as a writer . Happy Holidays!

1) Write down what you’re actually planning to write about . No rhyming or editing stuff, just a simple paragraph that you can go back to from time to time to see if you’re  still on course. Really useful when you write alone. Easy to get carried away with a clever line and lose the plot. I heard a great interview with Jeffery Steele a few years back about writing “clever”. He was writing good songs but not getting cuts and Al Anderson set him straight during a co-writing session telling him to write more real and ditch the clever. Wish I could find the interview but  it turned out to be sound advice . Both of these guys know how to write a great song!

2) Cutting and pasting. This sure got easier years ago with word processing programs. Try taking your 3rd verse and moving it to the top sometime. See if you can beat it from there. Chances are you have a better handle on what you’re writing about by the time you’ve gotten there and starting with it can really challenge you. Sometimes telling a story from back to front can be more interesting or the chorus you started with ends up being the first verse and you go from there. Mix it up.

3) Keep all your favorite lines and possible titles in one place and leave it out where you can see it anytime you sit down to write. Doesn’t matter that they’re not connected to each other, one might pop out at you on a particular day. Really helps to jump start you when inspiration is hard to find.

4) Play like a kid. I didn’t invent this one. Artists need the ability to be fearless and create like kids do. No editor, start by having fun.

Any tips, techniques or tricks that work for you?

Image: Ishac Bertran
Goggle Images

Social Media And The Modern Songwriter…. Sharing Or Self Promoting?

First of all, Happy Thanksgiving!

As a songwriter or an artist these days you no doubt know the value of social media. I coach both and this is a huge part of my focus. Everyone bemoans the changes in the business but most agree it’s a great time to  be able to get yourself out there, get your music heard or talent seen. It’s free and it’s easy. Make a rough demo, smartphone  video…post it and wait for the world to notice.

Easy to post a link everywhere and start counting your new fans. Etiquette? Na… It’s the Wild West of self promotion. Perseverance is rewarded, just get in people’s faces and you’ll be impossible to ignore. Everybody’s welcome!

I don’t think so.

What if you’re on the other end of the do it yourself media blitz? You’re part of a Facebook songwriter’s group page trying to find kindred spirits, support and information. Suppose you’re on LinkedIn looking for answers to gear questions, music business questions, places to play, how to, how not to..the answers are free. But are they right? Good? Valuable? Are you even being heard? Are you looking for direction or reaction?

All I’m saying is we should consider the community part of online community. I’m counting myself among the people who, from time to time, abuse the freedom and platform. Sure it’s a great way to build a fan base or to build a client base for your business but I’m going to try harder to participate in the conversation, not just drop by when it suits my mission. More and more these days my coaching clients find me through online searches or my blogging than workshops so I’m grateful and hopefully, respectful of  the platform.I consider myself a teacher in this new environment but I’m still trying to balance opportunity and community.   None of us want to wear out our welcome.

Thanks to Nan Cassidy for writing a post that inspired my blog, she’s a great champion of songwriters in Nashville and beyond!

What are your expectations when you join an online group or post your music? Do you feel you have a responsibility ?

Creativity In The Eye Of The Storm

Couldn’t resist a pun at my own expense. Here’s the deal.

A little more than a month ago I was carrying on when something popped up in my left eye. I mean something really weird. I’ll spare you the timeline and gory details but it was a detached retina. Now don’t go Googling this… It will only freak you out .   The point is that it’s a real scary deal. Song writing, music business, coaching…all take a backseat pretty quickly.

Jumping ahead, it’s been a month and still waiting to find out more about the outcome. I don’t have any big observations, indisputable truths or, no pun this time, visions. I just thought it might be relevant and interesting to you guys as it pertains to passion. You have it or you wouldn’t be here working on your writer/artist path.

I have many friends who have dealt with all different forms of adversity, some way worse then what I’m going through. Many of us have friends on the East coast working through actual storm damage and I know your thoughts and prayers go out to them. I believe that your reality is your reality and you have to do whatever you do to dig deep , find strength, patience and faith. Music can play a big part in healing, no secret  there and I’ve been finding more comfort in just playing during this time. I’m not so much looking for that undeniable hook as I am the calmness music can bring. I watched the fundraiser for Sandy the other night and was reminded once again of the power of music but even more the healing process. Can’t make it go away but when all those guys did “Under The Boadwalk” there was a sweetness that made it more real and less horrific for us all. I think at it’s best and brightest music reminds us we’re not alone.

I coach lots of writers and artists and one of the easy bits to pass on is to remind them to write what you know including what’s going on in your life. This is especially true of the ones who depend on building an audience through making their music available. Using social media and blogging on a regular basis is huge. For these folks I always stress the need to “put yourself out there” and “let people in”. Taking my wife Kathys advice here and talking about whats going on in my own life right now.

My main purpose for this blog is to start a discussion that might encourage or maybe just allow you to vent! Writing and the music business is hard enough and you need all the focus you can muster. What do you do, who do you lean on and where do you find the inner tough guy to block out whatever is discouraging you from being creative?

I not only would like to know but I’d appreciate your encouragement and stories!

Photo by my buddy Shelly Horton…love ya MORE!!

Songwriters And Artists, Polish And Perfection Or Rough And Ready?

Last month I was on a judges panel for two very good but very different events. One was The Belmont Commercial Music Showcase where they had  whittled it down to the top 10 students to represent Belmont University here in Nashville. They could be any style and didn’t have to write the song they performed.

The other was Pucketts in Franklin for the semi-finals of their Rising Star program. This was all about the song. In each case the goal was to pick the top 4 with slightly different things to look out for. In both cases, by the time they’ve gotten this far you know they’re gonna be good and they were.

What I loved was that in past years of judging at Belmont you were more likely to see a few clones of the most recent American Idol winner or whoever ruled the charts at the time. This year I didn’t see anything like that, much more originality and I went away inspired by these students. Same with Pucketts, fantastic to see mostly young writers who might be wearing their influences on their sleeve but forging something of their own. If not right now, you could imagine it coming.

Here’s the dilemma that came up especially in the instance of the ones currently in a commercial music program. Are they too polished? Are they paying so much attention to  perfection that it’s hard to hear their own voice come through? Again, all of the students were flawless in their performance and that was one of the goals, I get it. Then..One girl came out full of attitude, originality ( played her own song) and quirkiness. I voted for her hands down…she didn’t make the cut. Not even in the top 4. Not near as polished as the other 9 but just had …something .

Similar experience with Pucketts but more to do with songwriting than performance. A few of the writers had everything in the right place, sounded perfect but in some cases it was hard to feel ” them ” in their song. Happy to say there were also some real diamonds in the mix.

I’ve written about this same debate from a personal point of view in the past regarding my own experience writing for specific artists and I’m still of the same mind. I can appreciate the hours of practice and hard work that artists and writers put in but if we’re talking about the next level ….gimme  a mix of 10,000 hours AND rough, warts, imperfection , attitude and promise over  pure perfection!

What do you guys think? Can you have both? Can you be too studied or too raw and still succeed?

Songwriter: Put Me In Coach..I’m Ready To Play!

Get up, give in, go long, go short, go it alone, go with your gut, your guru, heart, head,  friends. Go with family, the facts, the figures. Get a coach, get a conscience, get a life, get a new device .

Pay attention to the charts,  common sense, dollars and cents. Sell out, buy in, can’t be taught, it’s a gift, it’s a curse. I’m better than what’s on the radio, radio is dead, labels are obsolete, internet is the shortcut. I wanna be word of mouth, worldwide, boutique, burn bright, burn out, be smart, hip, obscure, Americana. Be a sure bet, long shot, a dark horse. Commercial, confessional, true to myself  and selfless. Work hard but don’t let the work show. Honor  the new and embrace the old…traction and tradition.

All this and more has come up in my 2 years of coaching writers and artists. I’ve also heard why writing and being a recording artist is not something that can be coached or taught. I disagree.

Coaching at its best can be everything from what to look for to what to look out for. I’ve worked with writers and artists  from all over the world about subjects beyond words and music ranging from taking a meeting, making the best and most economical demo, when to seek legal help, co-writing etiquette and even how to balance artist vision with marriage and relationships. This is what makes the whole coaching idea fun for me. It’s a way to take all the years of ups and downs, successes and mistakes and hopefully turn them into usable, real life lessons. Sometimes it’s about information, sometimes about affirmation.

I’ve also heard the argument that no one should charge for coaching or teaching music but I think that’s ridiculous. If you’ve earned it and paid for the experience yourself and you feel you have the skill and expertise to pass it on, of course you should be paid fairly for it. Similar argument to the question should music should be free? I also believe in being fair, honest and setting realistic goals. If someone promises commercial success – run as fast as you can. If someone promises to use all of their past experiences and connections to help you on your way, make you a better writer or artist and give you more tools to compete, whatever that looks like to you, make sure they’ve actually done what you want to do and then decide to invest or not.

Coaching, mentoring or teaching is only as good as the one offering it and the work you’re willing to put into it. I’ve been having a great time watching some of my clients get cuts but more often than not it’s about hearing the next song, seeing the next lyric come to life, seeing them get a web presence , fans and being able to encourage.

Bob Lefsetz’s blog is one that I really like and the subject of paying for a music education was a fun one to watch for the responses. One of the most interesting ones was from a parent who actually decided, after hearing all a music school could offer for a 200K education, to pay for a mentor to give his son actual on-the-job, practical training for a semester and see how it goes. I’ll be interested to hear.

Have you had someone mentor you , inspire you or just give you encourgement or honest feedback when you needed it? Organizations like NSAI, West Coast Songwriters, BMI and ASCAP can be great places to meet co-writers and plug into some good programs in addition to writers, producers and publishers like myself.