91
How to find a partner.
QUESTION:
I am a latin songwriter and am looking for a partner,
preferably female. Can you help me?
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
Do you live in the United States? If so, and if you are
in or near a large city, locate your nearest songwriter's
association. There people with the same interest as yours
come together to network and to collaborate. It's a great
place to find collaborators, artists etc. If you do not
live in the US....or if your community doesn't have a
songwriters association, you may want to check out your
local university music department for artists and collaborators.
Church music departments are another great place to find
likeminded musicians to work with. Or put an ad in the
classified section of a music magazine or website periodical.
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92
Step by Step in the Music Biz
QUESTION:
I have only read books about the music biz. I have not
read books on how to write a song, I just have never figured
I needed to. However, I would like to see a step by step
approach to getting the song out, mktg. ie, 1, write 2.
copyright 3. music, 4. collabaration, 5. song sharks 6.
contest, etc. This I would buy, yes and get a section
on the net. I did buy a book Songwriters Mkt and many
of the numbers are wrong, or don't exist. The authors
don't have a email address to request these changes.
I would also like to see a book listing songwriters, by
genre, number pub, unpub, etc.
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
I have a great book which gives resources and steps for
getting your completed songs to the right people. It's
called "How to Get Somewhere in the Music Business from
Nowhere with Nothing." It will answer most of your questions.
Please visit my website at http://www.cqkmusic.com/ for
ordering information.
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93
Marketing Songs to Celebrities.
QUESTION:
I have a few songs as well as a CD concept that I think
would be perfect for a well known artist. How do I go
about marketing the songs asn well as the idea to the
artist? What specifically should I do?
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
This is another question that is covered in my manual,
"How to Get Somewhere in the Music Business from Nowhere
with Nothing." I give you step-by-step instructions for
getting your song to a specific artists and for marketing
your ideas. Please visit my website at http://www.cqkmusic.com
for ordering information.
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94
How to find someone to listen.
QUESTION:
How do you find someone interested in listening to a song
I've wrote and really thinks pretty good? I don't have
any music to it, just the lyrics. But I guess everyone
asks you the same question.
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
Please refer to the answer in Question #91. I also would
recommend my manual, "How to Get Somewhere in the Music
Business from Nowhere with Nothing." Please visit my website
for ordering information. In general, lyrics without music
are really not a song and therefore are not very marketable
-- unless you are one of the ten best lyricists on the
planet. You need to find a compatible collaborator.....and
that isn't all that hard if you start at the local level.
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95
I only write music. Is there any hope?
QUESTION:
I am a songwriter,and i've written over 70 songs, but
the problem is that i'm no good with the lyrics, but the
melodies are outstanding.Is there any hope for me in the
industry.Is there people who take the melodies and add
the lyrics afterwards. I really feel that i've got the
potential to take my music far.
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
You are the person almost half of my email questions are
looking for. See the answer to Question 91. Also, visit
the Forum pages of songwriting websites such as Lyrical
Line. There are MANY lyricists looking for great musicians.
It's sort of like dating.....you just have to do it until
the "chemistry is right."
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96
What is a hook?
QUESTION:
Please tell me exactly what the hook line of a song is.
I have mistakenly thought it to be another name for the
chorus but I don't believe that that is the case. Thanks
in advance for your help.
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
The "hook" is the thesis statement of the song. It is
the summary of the entire idea behind the song in one
word or phrase. Often the hook appears in the chorus several
times -- usually at the first or last line. But in other
song forms, the hook may appear at the beginning or the
end of the verses as a "refrain." Usually, the "hook"
is also the title of the song. It is the most memorable
"moment"of the song -- both musically and lyrically. The
most memorable musical phrase should be fused with the
most memorable lyrical phrase of the song to form the
one line the listener can't forget......the line he whistles
after the song is over.....the line he requests when he
calls the radio station "Request and Dedication Hour."
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97
I wrote lyrics for an instrumental I heard. Can I use
it?
QUESTION:
I was inspired by an instrumental I heard and wrote lyrics
for it. I realize I need to get permission to record this
new song, but is it okay to perform it publicly?
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
You probably could "get away with it" in performance,
but to completely legit, you should contact the composer
and obtain permission first. Put yourself in the composer's
place. How would you feel if you walked into a concert
or club and heard your song being performed with lyrics
you knew nothing about?
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98
Writer's block and avoiding it.
QUESTION:
How do you avoid writer's block when trying to write a
new song? I've been trying to come up with a new lyric
for over a week now and still can't come up with anything.
Same thing with the music. I can't seem to come up with
any good rhythyms and riffs on my acoustic guitar which
I've been playing for four years and I never really had
writer's block when writing songs. I've been trying to
come up with something really good and original, not something
that sounds like anyone else that anyone can play or sing.
Can you help me on this? I'd appreciate it, thanks.
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
Every songwriter experiences writer's block from time
to time. For me, personally, I usually get "blocked" when
I am trying too hard to write something great. The more
you focus on the need to write the song...the harder it
can become. To me, songs are not the "end" but the "by-product"
of our lives. As Don Henley says, "You have to LIVE before
you can write." When I get stuck, I quit trying to write
and just start "living" -- read, listen to great music,
visit with friends, watch some TV, go to a movie. In the
process of living the song ideas will come
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99
My lyrics are like poems. Or are they?
QUESTION:
Can you help us determine whether our lyrics are actally
songs or more poem like???...would you be willing to read
a couple to advise us???.....also where do we go to find
music composers in our area or anywhere???? thank you
in advance :) mary and julie.
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
You sound like you need some personal consultation from
an experienced lyricist who can help you determine what
is a "lyric" and what is a "poem". You may be able to
find a more experienced writer in your local songwriters
association who can look at your lyrics and give you some
advice. I also offer consultation services for songwriters.
Please visit my website at http://www.cqkmusic.com for
more information and for my rates. I would highly recommend
Sheila Davis' books on lyric writing (published by Writers
Digest) for you to learn the differences between poetry
and lyrics.
On the second part of your question, I would advise that
you contact your local songwriter's association. Most
larger cities have songwriters' groups that meet once
or twice a month. There you can meet other songwriters
with gifts in music writing who may be looking for lyricists.If
you don't have a songwriters' association, check out the
music departments of local colleges or universities --
or even church music departments.
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100
Getting permission to use someone else's music for my
lyrics.
QUESTION:
I am a singer/lyricist, I have about 50 songs which I
am in the process of copyrighting, I want to know how
to go about getting clearance to use someone elses music
to accompany my lyrics? I have tried contacting the writer
through his manager but I have not gotten an answer yet.
Is there some other way?
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
It is usually not a good idea to set lyrics to someone
else's music (unless you are just doing it as a songwriting
exercise) without getting permission from the composer
first. You cannot copyright such a song without written
permission by contract from the composer of the music,
and if they are well-known, they may never respond to
your attempts to contact them. My advice is to find a
collaborator that you can meet with, work with and know
on a personal level. Please see my answer to Question
100 for ideas on finding musicians in your community.
