Did you know that one of the top industries in Nashville is publishing? Song publishing! A hit song is the vehicle that launches an artist's career. A hit song is what will be promoted to the public and promoted on the radio. Without a great song a singer is just another pretty voice among millions of excellent voices. It's the song that usually gets the attention of the listener.
So just what makes a song great?
A great song is sticky; it gets stuck in your head the first time you hear it. A great song causes tears or laughter to well up in your soul. A hit song takes control of your body and compels you to clap, stomp, and dance. They tell stories that both young and old, poor and rich, male and female can relate to. Great songs can even inspire people to greatness.
A lot of people who show up in Nashville introducing themselves as songwriters don't know the first thing about writing a hit song. When I tell them that Nashville's secret for cranking out hit songs is "co-writing" they say they aren't interested. What they don't realize is just how powerful collaboration can be. By bringing two great songwriters together you are more likely to end up with a hit song.
Just recently someone calling themselves a songwriter sent me a few of his songs to review. Although he claimed to want my honest opinion he didn't take my constructive criticism too well. What I told him was that if he wanted to hone his craft he should spend some time collaborating with a more skilled Nashville song writer. He was reluctant at first, but changed his tune after spending a few days with some of Nashville's best and brightest songwriters. Besides crafting some great songs he learned some songwriting skills that he was able to take home and use when writing by himself.
Some singers have no experience songwriting, or are just not interested in writing songs. Although record labels often prefer great singers who also write their own material, there is a way to get great material from songwriters who aren't interested in singing their own songs. In a publisher pitch session, publishers and songwriters present songs that (they think) best fit the persona of the singer. By the end of the meeting the singer usually leaves with more than enough songs for their next recording project. - 15615
So just what makes a song great?
A great song is sticky; it gets stuck in your head the first time you hear it. A great song causes tears or laughter to well up in your soul. A hit song takes control of your body and compels you to clap, stomp, and dance. They tell stories that both young and old, poor and rich, male and female can relate to. Great songs can even inspire people to greatness.
A lot of people who show up in Nashville introducing themselves as songwriters don't know the first thing about writing a hit song. When I tell them that Nashville's secret for cranking out hit songs is "co-writing" they say they aren't interested. What they don't realize is just how powerful collaboration can be. By bringing two great songwriters together you are more likely to end up with a hit song.
Just recently someone calling themselves a songwriter sent me a few of his songs to review. Although he claimed to want my honest opinion he didn't take my constructive criticism too well. What I told him was that if he wanted to hone his craft he should spend some time collaborating with a more skilled Nashville song writer. He was reluctant at first, but changed his tune after spending a few days with some of Nashville's best and brightest songwriters. Besides crafting some great songs he learned some songwriting skills that he was able to take home and use when writing by himself.
Some singers have no experience songwriting, or are just not interested in writing songs. Although record labels often prefer great singers who also write their own material, there is a way to get great material from songwriters who aren't interested in singing their own songs. In a publisher pitch session, publishers and songwriters present songs that (they think) best fit the persona of the singer. By the end of the meeting the singer usually leaves with more than enough songs for their next recording project. - 15615
About the Author:
Author Cathy Lemmon in Nashville, TN specializes in artist development for aspiring singers and songwriters. She rubs shoulders the same Nashville recording studios, session players, and songwriters that create the #1 country songs you hear on the radio.
