|
What
Songwriters Want To Know
Q&A
with the Pro's
With
more than 150 questions answered by professional songwriters,
this is one of the "meatiest" sections on Lyrical
Line! Each page highlights ten questions that link to the
answers below.
Mary
Dawson has joined our Q&A sessions. She is the host of I
Write The Songs, the radio show found exclusively online
on Lyrical Line. She is also the President of CQK
Records & Music.
Ask
a question of your own. Please be sure it hasn't been
answered below already before submitting.
Page
2:
Page
1 - Page 2 - Page 3
- Page 4 - Page
5 - Page 6 - Page
7 - Page 8 - Page
9 - Page 10 - Page
11 - Page 12 - Page
13 - Page 14 - Page
15 - Page 16 - Page
17 - Page 18 - Page
19
11
Starting your own label
QUESTION:
>How
does one go about starting her own label? And it is better
to try to get one's own label or one's own company?
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
--One can simply record a CD and put it out yourself . One
should obtain a business license if the intent is to sell.
How to do that varies from state to state. There are many
independent distributors who can potentially distribute
your CD for you -- this is the tough part, you see. Existing
labels have a budget for publicity and distribution, so
that they can let people know about an album, and then make
sure it is in stores. So how does someone who puts out their
own CD let people know about it? Unless you have a BIG budget
which allows you to hire a publicity form or PR person --
the best way is to perform as much as possible in different
cities -- alone or with a band or backing musicians (NEVER
with a tape as this always sounds terribly amateurish) --
and then sell the CDs after your shows. Plus talk to radio
stations, bookstores, etc. -- in each city, and try to make
appearances. Nothing can help you more than radio airplay
-- also there are folk festivals and the like around the
country in which you might be able to perform. I know many
songwriter-singers who are selling many CDs this way. And
there are some, like Ani DeFranco, who have become very
successful with her own label, getting a lot of attention,
airplay , and sales. So it CAN BE DONE!
Back
to top
12
Completing a song
QUESTION:
>RE:
completing a song. I always get the ideas but after that
initial burst of energy I tend to wane and I have to actually
work on the rest. But my choruses and lyrics usually come
to me easily.
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
All songwriters need to work on their songs! As Leonard
Cohen said to me (in my book which I hope you buy for yourself
and all close friends and family too-- Songwriters On Songwriting),
"One is distracted by this notion that there is such a thing
as inspiration? Why should my work not be hard? Everybody
needs to work...." Some songs can take years to finish!
This is what it takes to do this well. If you have things
coming to you easily, such as choruses or whatever, great!
That means you are in touch with the source. My best advice
here is to KEEP WORKING ON IT. Don't give it up too early
-- when you get that initial inspiration, keep building
on it. Don't put it aside. Because I understand -- and Dylan
agreed with this -- that reconnecting with an idea that
you began earlier can be very difficult. So if possible,
don't stop working on it. Keep going till it's done. Or
as close to done as possible.
But then you MUST go back to it -- this is what serious
songwriting is all about -- and WORK on it. Many beginning
songwriters are justifiably pleased and proud when they
write a new song -- any new song. And it is a true accomplishment.
But after years of writing a songwriter will realize that
unless you have made the song as good as possible, it's
a waste of time because you probably won't do much with
that song. And sometimes they don't always come out perfectly
in one big rush -- that is VERY unusual. Almost all songwriters
told me that they might have that initial burst of inspiration
-- but it's in the going back to it, looking at it, playing
it, thinking about it, obsessing over it, living with it,
dreaming it -- it's in those actions that you will eventually
find the true song. There is no rush. You will not get an
award for how fast a song is written. Nor will you be penalized
for taking a long time on a song. All that matters is the
song itself, the words and the music.
To quote the great Leonard Cohen again, from my book: "After
a while, if you stick with a song long enough it will yield.
But long enough is way beyond any reasonable estimation
of what you think long enough may be. In fact, long enough
is way beyond. It's abandoning the idea of what you think
long enough may be. Because if you think it's a week, that's
not long enough. If you think it's a year, that's not long
enough. If you think it's a decade, that's not long enough."
In other words, this requires real dedication. There are
no shortcuts. But once you capture something great in a
song, as Jules Shear said to me, it stays captured. You
need only find it once.
Back
to top
13
Marketing material as a lyricist
QUESTION:
I want to know as a lyricist, not a composer/musician, how
do I market my material? Collaboration is an option I've
researched, but without positive results. I have also contacted
artists, without much response. Any suggestions?
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
A lyricist absolutely needs a composer with whom to collaborate
if he wants to "market" material. Understand that there
is an over- abundance of songwriters and songwriting teams
submitting songs every day -- and by songs I mean WORDS
AND MUSIC. A lyric is not a song anymore than a melody without
words is a song. A song consists of words and music.
So the first thing to do is find a collaborator. Which,
depending on where you live, could be difficult. But do
not lose hope -- I do not mean in any way to diminish the
value of writing only a lyric or only a melody -- many professional
songwriters do exactly that. But they have someone to do
the other part -- the words or music. To find a collaborator,
you can put ads in trade magazines -- as well as check with
ASCAP, BMI and songwriter's organizations -- some have collaborator's
networks. And what you need to do is find someone who will
set your words to music -- or someone who will give you
a melody in need of lyrics. And if you're serious about
being a songwriter, I would encourage both methods -- a
writer needs to write songs from every possible angle. Some
composers will write a whole melody without words -- and
then you have to write words that fit that tune -- which
is a whole other subject entirely -- while other composers
will take a finished lyric and set it to music. If this
is the way you go, make sure your lyric is truly finished
-- written in rhyme and meter and with clearly delineated
sections -- verse, chorus, etc. While some composers might
encourage a freer approach, most will require that you turn
in what is considered a "tight lyric" -- that means one
in which the elements are properly in place.
A collaborator needn't be in the same area -- it's easy
to write songs over fax, email, regular mail, phone machines.
As long as it gets done. It is certainly not necessary for
collaborators to work face to face, although some do prefer
to do it that way -- especially in Nashville.
Do not send a lyric to one of those places that sets it
to music for a price. I know how they operate and I promise
you that this is not a professional way to get a good song
written. This is strictly for amateurs.
And do not try to market the lyric as a lyric. Until it
has a tune -- and a demo is made of the song -- it will
be nearly impossible to get any professional interest in
it. It will be considered unfinished.
Once you find a collaborator and manage to write a song,
then you have to demo it -- make a recording of it -- and
submit it to music publishers. Getting songs directly to
artists -- while possible -- is very very difficult and
can backfire. But publishers are in the business of looking
for songs.
Back
to top
14
The chicken or the egg
QUESTION:
When writing songs, does the music come before the words
or vice versa? For me the words come first because I do
not write music. I can hear a tune in my head, but have
not any musical ability what so ever. Do most lyricists
know how to do both? Am I fooling myself into thinking that
someone might just be interested in words?
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
Again, you are not fooling yourself in thinking that writing
only lyrics is a hindrance in any way. Except that YOU NEED
A COLLABORATOR. But the history of songwriting shows us
that many of the greats have written ONLY words -- from
people like Ira Gershwin, Yip Harburg and Sammy Cahn through
more modern lyricists such as Hal David and Bernie Taupin
-- these were wordsmiths. But they all achieved great success
because they hooked up with great melodist/composers. No
matter how good a lyric is, without a good melody, it will
not work.
And no, most lyricists don't do both -- if they are lyricists.
Some know a little about music -- some know nothing about
music. But they have talent and natural inclination towards
rhyming and meter and poetry and the use of imagery and
all that goes into writing a good lyric.
What comes first -- the music or the words? Sammy Cahn answered
that with a famous joke, "The phone call." Meaning that
for him -- the assignment came in to write a song -- and
then he would go to it. Songs start all different ways.
Some with words, some with music, some with a little of
both. Some start with a musical track. I'd suggest you read
my newest book about this --Songwriters On Songwriting --
in which 52 of the greats talk about precisely how their
songs start -- and also how they finish them, and everything
in between.
Back
to top
15
Obtaining feedback from the pros
QUESTION:
How does one access and obtain feedback from the pros?
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
In some big cities -- L.A., New York, Nashville -- you can
go to "pitch sessions" which songwriter groups put on. And
play maybe one song on these for a publisher or producer
-- and sometimes get that person to "pick up" the song --
that means they take it with them, with the intention of
trying to get a cut with it -- and if that happens, they
would then publish the song. The other way to go is to contact
music publishers yourself -- call them and ask if they accept
unsolicited material -- this means any material that comes
to them cold from someone they don't know, as opposed to
if it comes from a lawyer or manager they do know. If they
will accept it, it is best to make an in person appointment
to meet with them. This is not always possible, of course.
If it's not - send in the song -- make a good demo of it
-- WORDS & MUSIC -- don't send just a lyric or just a melody
-- and then make sure you follow-up on it by calling them
back within a week or so. And this can be a very tough and
trying process -- but if you want to get other people to
record your material, this is what is necessary.
If you are an artist who wants to record your own material,
then you would go to record companies -- or put out your
own record.
I'm a little apologetic about plugging my own books constantly
-- but as a songwriter myself they are designed to answer
these very kinds of questions. For questions such as this,
about publishing, collaborating, writing lyrics, marketing
material, etc. -- I do strongly suggest you get my first
book, BEGINNING SONGWRITER'S ANSWER BOOK. Published by Writer's
Digest Books (available via Amazon.com) -- this contains
200 answers to questions songwriters most often ask. I wrote
it when working at the National Academy of Songwriting,
where I often manned the "hotline" there to answer questions
from around the world. And these are the very kinds of questions
I answered in that book.
Back
to top
16
Starting a career in songwriting
QUESTION:
>I
am a young songwriter who has extreme songwriting ability,
and vocal talents. I'm interested in learning how to start
a career in songwriting and singing.
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
Songwriting and singing are two entirely different careers.
By this, do you mean to say you want to be a singer-songwriter,
an artist who performs your own original material? There
is a big distinction between these kind of songwriters and
those who are not singers, and who do not want a record
deal, and who want to write songs for others to sing. If
you are that kind of songwriter, you need to make demos
of your songs and submit them to music publishers, whose
job it is to get them covered by recording artists.
If, however, you are a singer-songwriter, then you want
to make a demo of yourself singing your songs -- maybe three
at the most -- and use this to get a record deal. You will
also need to perform -- so that if any labels are interested
in you, they can come and check out your live ability. To
get a tape to a record company, however, isn't as easy as
it once was as they will not accept any material considered
"unsolicited." (They do this to avoid any potential lawsuits.)
So this means you need to get a lawyer or manager to submit
your tape for you. You can also put out your own CD on your
own label -- this is another way to get heard. Let me know
EXACTLY what you are trying to achieve, and we can go from
there. And if you don't know what it is, DECIDE. Your vision
of what you are trying to accomplish must be clear and specific
if your goal is ever to be attained.
Back
to top
17
Too busy to devote ALL my time
QUESTION:
>
I have written several songs, one of which I am certain
could be a real winner.... I know this simply because of
my unique ability and musical inclination... it's just that
I don't do this for a living.... and I am too busy to start
devoting all the time it takes to do such work.
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
In that case I would suggest you give up. Unless you are
willing to invest the necessary time in this endeavor, you
have no chance to compete against the legion of songwriters
who do devote all the time they can to writing and marketing
their songs. If you are too busy with another profession,
I would suggest you devote yourself to that profession.
Trust me that this approach will never work. Nobody in the
music business will care what your own estimation of your
song is, because every songwriter believes his song is great.
The only way to succeed in this profession is to do the
work -- there are no shortcuts. If you are trying to "get
rich quick" -- you should stay away from songwriting. Far
away! Songwriting is not a get-rich-quick profession. It
is a profession for artists who are sincerely interested
in expressing their hearts and souls in words and music.
If you want to make money, as Frank Zappa told me, "Get
a real-estate license." Because if you are looking to songwriting
as a means of making money only, what you want is a career
as a hack. And trust me, the business already has more than
enough hacks, and they are doing very well being hacks.
And it is not easy work -- they apply themselves every day
to the chore of imitating whatever is currently popular
with the hope of getting a hit record. And then they do
the next part -- produce a full-fledged demo of the song,
and pitch them everywhere they can to get their songs cut.
But no songwriters or hacks have ever gotten very far by
simply stating that they have a great song. Because most
songwriters who have been doing this seriously for any time
at all have many more than one good song -- many of them
have hundreds of great songs. But in this business action
speaks louder than words -- much louder -- Unless your song
speaks directly to someone and moves someone on the basis
of its own value as a song -- and not on the basis of whatever
the songwriter might say about it -- it will go nowhere.
So my advice to you, if you are serious about songwriting,
write more.. And make demos of your songs. And try to make
appointments with publishers to let them hear your songs.
And then write more. But if you are too busy for this, that's
fine too. Because there are songwriters the world over who
are not too busy -- who make the time even when they have
other jobs to do -- and they are the only ones who will
have any real chance at success.
I hope everyone understands it is not my intention to be
discouraging in any way. But after working for more than
ten years at the National Academy of Songwriters, I have
seen and met hundreds or people who wanted to be songwriters,
but were not willing to do the necessary work. They approached
it as a whim, with the thought that they could maybe make
money easily writing songs. And none of them ever went anywhere.
Those that succeed are those who do their homework, work
hard, learn everything they can, and never give up. So my
intention is to be realistic about the world of songwriting.
If you are doing it for love -- because you really have
no other choice -- because songs insist that you write them,
because you love and live words and music -- then you are
a songwriter and should do everything you can to support
yourself in this field. If you are thinking about writing
songs to make money, forget about it. As Pete Seeger told
me -- and he was quoting Woody Guthrie, his friend, "As
soon as you start writing songs to make money, you kill
yourself artistically." Songs matter more than that. Songs
matter. And so do songwriters.
Back
to top
18
Songwriting classes
QUESTION:
When I get in college, can I take classes to help me.
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
Not many colleges offer a songwriting curriculum -- really
teaching the subject -- but Berklee in Boston does, as does
UCLA. And VERY few others -- does anyone else know of others?
Many teach music and composition, of course, but not songwriting
-- unless you construct your own "independent study" program
-- as I did when I went to college.
Back
to top
19
Demo's
QUESTION:
>
Does having a demo on your own label greatly affect your
chances of getting your demo reviewed by A&R people?
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
A demo is just that -- a DEMOnstration version of the song
-- it is not a finished record, so you wouldn't release
a demo on a label the way you would a CD intended for sale.
If your intention is to pitch a song to a publisher, then
a demo of that song must be made -- but it would not be
put on any "label." It would remain a demo -- meaning that
it is to show off the song, and is not intended for sale.
And these demos must be pitched to PUBLISHERS, and not record
labels -- publisher are looking for songs, record companies
are looking for artists. It is very RARE for a record company
to want to hear song demos.
IF, HOWEVER, your intention is to be a recording artist,
then recording an entire album of your songs and releasing
it as an independent CD on your own label is a good way
to make an impression on A&R people at record companies,
and yes, I believe it is more impressive than simply sending
a tape.
Back
to top
20
Starting your own label is just that easy
QUESTION:
>
Is it difficult to start up an independent label, if you're
the only artist on it? Or do you just wake-up one day and
say, "I now have a record label, ta da!"?
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
Right. Plus it takes a lot of money to do it -- recording,
mastering, pressing CDs, artwork, etc. And if you are going
to sell these, a business license is also needed.
Go to Page 3 or back
to the top.
Want
to ask a question of your own? Send it
in.
|
