141
How do I improve my voice quality?
QUESTION:
I made a tape of myself singing and wasn't satisfied,
it wasn't professional, just a home recording. My question
is, how would I go about improving my voice quality and
finding songs that fit it.
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
It sounds like you are just beginning your journey into
singing. My first suggestion would be to get some professional
suggestions from someone in your local music community
who can hear you sing and advise you as to what you should
do for your "next step." Go to a large music store, local
college or university music department or church music
department and make some inquiries as to who gives singing
lessons or could consult with you. Let them know what
kind of music you enjoy singing and see if you can find
a teacher that specializes in that kind of music (although
there are basic singing principles that apply to any type
of music). Then get to work. The rest is up to you in
terms of applying what you learn and practicing until
you have reached a professional level. Take advantage
of any opportunities you find locally to join a music
group or performance. Each "rung of the ladder" adds to
your experience and professionalism. Along the way, get
to know songwriters in your area and see if they would
be willing to write some things especailly for you. The
more comfortable you become about the direction of your
own career and the performance level of your voice, them
more you will know what kinds of songs and styles are
best for you. All the Best!!
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142
How do I get back into songwriting without losing my style?
QUESTION:
I have been out of the field of songwriting for about
a year and a half now, and i was hoping I have'nt lost
my style. How would I get back into the field without
losing my special style?
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
I think the best answer to that is what they say in the
Nike commercial - "Just DO it." You won't lose your style.
It is part of you. Don't let fear keep you from doing
your music.
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143
Where do I find inspiration?
QUESTION:
What can I do to find that special thing that inspires
you to write great songs?
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
In my opinion, there is no "one special thing" that inspires
you to write a great song. That idea is what I call "the
muse myth." There is no mystical process about becoming
inspired. To me, it is simply a matter of sensitizing
yourself to the ideas and inspirations that are all around
you every day. I heard a great story about Carly Simon.
Years ago, she was at a party when two very sophisticated
people walked in. The person next to her commented that
those people looked like "they had stepped off of a yacht."
Immediately, Carly Simon being the master songwriter she
is, realized that there was a great line or concept and
she wrote it down in her notebook that she carries EVERYWHERE.
That idea later became the first line of her mega-hit,
"You're So Vain." The line says: "You walked into the
party like you were walking onto a yacht." Get in the
habit of keeping a notebook with you and "tune in" to
what is happening all around -- on TV, radio, books, billboards,
in conversations etc. You will find more inspiration than
you ever imagined. Then the rest is PERSPIRATION -- the
process of turning that great idea into a well-crafted
song.
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144
I don't write music.
QUESTION:
I can write lyrics fine, but the music to them is another
story. I have no idea what note I'm singing in or what
key, How do I know?
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
You probably need to do some study on the basics of music.
Even if you decide to be primarily a lyricist and leave
the music writing to someone else, a course in music theory
will only help you to be a better lyric writer. A great
songwriter never stops learning. Do some reading. Hang
out with gifted musicians and listen -- and be sure to
check out your local colleges or universities and consider
taking a music theory class. Everything you learn will
increase your creativity all the way around.
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145
I need a contract for collaboration
QUESTION:
Do you have any samples of contracts between collaborators
(one being the lyricist, the other the composer)? I am
about to launch a collaboration with someone I met over
the internet and need to write a basic contract which
would protect both of us. Can you help?
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
My advice would be first of all to have a conversation
with your co-writer as to how you want to work out your
agreement. Jot down the main points as you chat. Then
follow up your conversation with a simple letter that
states the points you have already discussed. Make a place
on the bottom of the letter for both of you to sign your
names. Then make three copies -- one for you, one for
the co-writer and one that you can put in safekeeping
with an attorney or some other trusted professional. This
will be simple, unintimidating and will hold weight in
the light of the law. Some of the point you may want to
consider in your collaborative arrangement are:
1) Is this a 50/50 partnership? Are you each doing your
share of the writing AND the promotion of the song once
it has been written?
2) What exactly are each person's responsibilities? Is
the composer also responsible for doing the demo? If not,
who will do that? Who will pay for the demo? (Usually
expenses are divided equally between the writers for the
demo)
3) Who is responsible for "pitching" the songs? Will each
of you be involved in that aspect of the process or will
one of you be doing most of the packaging, letter writing
and phone calling? If the responsibilities fall more on
one writer than the other, then compensation should be
allowed for.
These are just a few of the considerations you must think
about as you enter into a collaboration. These may stimulate
you to think of other areas that need to be clarified
and spelled out in the agreement. Each collaboration is
a bit different -- depending on where you live and how
committed each person is to the arrangement. The less
you know someone personally, the more important it is
to have these kinds of questions resolved upfront. Everybody
is usually very happy UNTIL a song starts making money.
Then everyone's recollection starts getting very fuzzy.
Better to have things written down before the fact than
to try and unravel the mess after the fact. A great book
on this subject is The Songwriter's Guide to Collaboration
by Walter Carter (Writers Digest). Good Luck! If you have
further questions as you draft your letter, let us know.
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146
Young songwriter moving fast.
QUESTION:
I'm a 14 year old songwriter. I know I'm too young to
start publishing but what can I do now besides just keep
writing?
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
As with any art, there is the "inspiration" and the "perspiration."
No matter how gifted you are naturally, there is always
so much to learn about your craft. I would suggest doing
lots of reading on the subject of songwriting. You indicated
on your questionaire that you have not done any reading
to this point. May I suggest that you check out your local
bookseller's section on songwriting -- especially the
books from Writers Digest that cover so many aspects of
the craft and the business of songwriting. Then get in
contact with your local songwriter's association. That
is a wonderful learning resource -- you will find other
people who are more experienced writers that can help
you fine-tune your songwriting. Do lots of collaborating
with different writers who are better than you. It can
be kinda scary but do it anyway. You will learn volumes.
Also volunteer to write for any music program or event
you become aware of -- school talent shows, concerts,
church Christmas and Easter pageants etc etc. The more
KINDS of music you are familiar with the more multi-faceted
you will become as a writer. When your songs reach the
point at which you KNOW that they are up to national standards,
then start pitching your songs to publishers and record
labels.All of your experience along the path will "kick
in" and raise your credibility in the eyes of music professionals.
But whatever you do KEEP WRITING. Never stop -- JUST DO
IT!!!! God Bless....and stay in touch!
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147
How much are demo's?
QUESTION:
How much does it cost to have a demo made?
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
The answer to this question is another question -- "So
what KIND of demo are you going to make?" There are all
kinds of demos -- from simple box-recorder-on-top-of-the-piano
demos to professional studio demos -- and all points in
between. Professionals and music companies often spend
several hundred dollars on a professional demo to pitch
to major artists, but there are many shortcuts and money
savers to doing a very adequate and professional sounding
demo. One of the first considerations, in my opinion,
is the kind of song you have written. The style of song
will determine the kind of demo you need. If your song
is a simple ballad or blues number, you may be able to
do a very nice demo with just a piano or guitar and vocal,
but if your song is uptempo and very rhythmic, you will
have to add percussion and other instruments to capture
the 'groove' you are creating. Whatever kind of demo you
do, be sure it is recorded with a good microphone and
recording system. This doesn't necessarily have to be
that expensive. You can purchase a portastudio system
for a few hundred dollars which will allow you to do as
many demos as you want. For a helpful guide to doing a
demo, you may want to check out my manual, "How to Get
Somewhere in the Music Business from Nowhere with Nothing."
I cover this topic in some detail. To purchase the manual,
please visit our website at www.cqkmusic.com and click
on "products." All the best as you do your demo. Remember
that the best way to learn something is to DO it! Each
demo will be better than the last!
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148
What's next after copyright?
QUESTION:
I am a lyricist and I am trying to find a music collaborator
so I can do a demo. After the demo and the copyright are
finished and we get it to BMI or where ever,if they like
it... what then... since I don't want to be a singer,
do they try and find an artist who is interested in my
songs?
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
Your question indicates that you have a lot of enthusiasm
and ideas, but also lots to learn about songwriting --
both as a craft and as a business. First of all, a "music
collaborator" is not someone who just does a demo of your
song for you. That is a "demo producer" and you can find
many in almost every major city -- especially in Nashville.
A music collaborator is one who works with you to write
a song -- you would do the lyrics....the music collaborator
would do the music for the song. When it is written, then
you would decide together who and how to do the demo.
Perhaps the composer can also do the demo for you -- that
would be the least expensive. But if you need to hire
a producer, then you and your co-writer would split the
cost of the demo. Also,BMI, ASCAP and SESAC are "performing
rights organizations (PRO's)" -- their function is to
monitor airplay of your song -- they are not like a publisher
who would promote your song to artists. You either need
to pitch your songs to an established publisher or publish
your songs yourself and then pitch them to artists. I
would suggest that you do some reading on the basics of
both the artistic and business aspects of songwriting
-- especially read John Braheny's book, The Craft and
Business of Songwriting. It is a good primer for helping
you to understand the functions of the various "players"
in the songwriting business. You will learn as you go.
Don't get overwhelmed trying to learn everything at once....it's
a "one step at a time" deal! And all along the way --
be sure to KEEP WRITING!! Best Wishes!!
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149
Looking for a songwriter's association
QUESTION:
I love to listen to all kinds of music and I want to start
writing my own songs. Even though I have alot of good
ideas but I have trouble finishing them do you know a
place in the Bangor,Maine area that can help me finish
my songs and produce them for an example a recording studio
and a profesional song writer
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
Again....the answer to this question must include an exhortation
to SEEK OUT YOUR LOCAL SONGWRITER'S ASSOCIATION. I am
not quite sure if there is one in the Bangor, Maine area,
but I bet there is one somewhere within driving distance.
The local songwriters associations are a wonderful place
to get started or to keep improving in songwriting. --
and you will love just hanging out with other people who
have your same interests. From other songwriters in your
area you can learn where the good studios and producers
are....where is the best deal cost wise....and you may
even be able to co-write with several members of the group.
If you don't have a local songwriters association, consider
starting one. Put an ad in a local paper and let people
know you are going to be starting such a group. You will
no doubt be surprised at the response. I would also suggest
that you do lots of reading on the various aspects of
the subject of songwriting. Perhaps also attend some workshops
or seminars where you can learn the fine points of the
craft.You sound like a very creative person with lots
of great ideas. Once you have the inspiration....you need
to put in the perspiration to make your ideas into hits.
All the Best!
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150
Form PA or SR for copyright?
QUESTION:
Do I use form PA or SR to copyright a song(I've used SR
on lyrics only-it was accepted). Also, do I send demos
to a couple of different publishers at the same time and
see who answers first(if any) or send out demos to one
publisher at a time and wait for a response?
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
To copyright a song or a collection of songs, use the
PA form (for Performing Arts). The SR form is for the
copyrighting of an entire CD or album as a whole created
work (SR stands for Sound Recording). I believe that if
you want to register lyrics only, the proper form to use
is the TX form (for "Text"). Hope this helps. If you have
further questions, you can reach a human being at the
US Copyright Office by calling 202-707-5959.
