The Heart Of A Songwriter

iDoCoach Blog

I’ve been coaching writers and artists from all over the world for over three years now. One-on-one, almost entirely by Skype. Before I agree to coach someone I ask a few basic questions, like “Why do you want to do this?" It’s all about expectations but it’s also to find out more about their heart. Some people say you can’t teach this stuff. I disagree, but I'm positive you can’t teach the heart part. It’s so hard that you have to want to do it more than anything else in the world. You have to be built to do this! Able to play like a kid and still be able to handle rejection. Able to think you still have your best work in front of you when it gets a bit dark. The highest highs and the lowest lows...sometimes in the same day.

Of course I get some writers whose goal is to make 100k at a staff job in Nashville or L.A. or London. If that's the main reason to write it’s gonna be a rough road. I won’t go into how the model has changed over the past 10 years, you’ve probably heard that before. Can you still crack this business? Sure. But it may look different. Maybe a single song deal instead of a bigger commitment. Maybe you have to be your own plugger, social media person, and artist development guy. More and more to it these days but it can be done.

It still has to start with the heart.

It might sound familiar but I think it’s true! If you can’t not write, you’re a writer. If you live to write that's a good enough reason to do this.

What I’ve been learning these past few years is that this thing we do has no boundaries. I coach a writer in Singapore with the same goals as a singer/songwriter in Dayton Ohio. I have young artists and 60-year-old doctors; teachers and students, 15 year old piano prodigies, and 45-year-old physical therapists. All looking for ways to write better, clearer. To be heard. Sure we discuss the current marketplace but we also spend time talking about the mindset of a songwriter. 

Here's what I’ve grown to love:

The heart of a songwriter. Some of these folks I’m coaching may never get a song cut and may never make their living from this--and they know it. Hope springs eternal and that's enough. Hope is HUGE! I have to confess here that over the years when I’ve had major publishing deals and some success, the heart and the head could get confused. But talking with my clients every day I come away inspired and more convinced than ever that to be able to put your thoughts into words and set to music is a gift. You can teach the craft and the ways to make your gift recognizable, but in the end it’s all about heart. All the information you get as a writer is just that: information. Turn it into inspiration and you get to the heart of songwriting.

A big thanks to John Mayer and his series of talks at Berklee for the inspiration. Here’s a link to a past blog I wrote about his insight.

Mark Cawley

Nashville, Tennessee

10/16/14

photo: Wikimedia Commons

Nevit Dilman

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About Mark Cawley

Mark Cawley's songs have appeared on more than 15 million records. Over a career based in LA, London, and Nashville his songs have been recorded by an incredibly diverse range of artists. From Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Wynonna, Diana Ross and Chaka Kahn to The Spice Girls, Tom Scott, Kathy Mattea, Paul Carrack, Will Downing and Pop Idol winners in the UK. He has had #1 records in the UK and throughout Europe as well as cuts in Country, Jazz & R & B. His groundbreaking website Song Journey created with Hall of Fame writer Kye Fleming was the first to mentor writers from around the world one-on-one online. He is currently writing and publishing as well as helping writers and artists worldwide with a one-on-one co-active coaching service, iDoCoach. In addition he is a judge for this years UK Songwriting Contest, a contributing writer to the US Songwriting Competition , a popular songwriting blogger and from time to time, conducts his own workshops.

Songwriting: Making A Big Noise

I miss being in a band.

I grew up playing in bands. That's what you do when you’re young; find the other misfits and and form your own band of brothers. Didn’t matter how good you were, none of us could play yet anyway. All about the hair, the clothes, and the girls. My first band was called (no lie) The Patagonianists. Flipped open an atlas, closed our eyes and picked. Lasted one gig but we rocked the Maine Endwell dance...and all the sudden I was pretty sure Mary Spring saw me as sure as she saw Paul McCartney! I had been invisible just the day before. From then on I walked around with my Cortez bass, no case, just to make sure girls in my neighborhood knew I was a guitar player.

It was Power. Making noise, plugging in and playing in my garage. The world got better and clearer; and Ed Sullivan, the most un-hip guy in the world, became my guide. The Stones, The Searchers, The Supremes, The Kinks, The Young Rascals, The Miracles, and of course The Beatles.

The long and winding road

I played in bands up and down New York State and beyond. The names changed but the dream was the same: make a big noise. The names got better, The Basket Of Flowers, Beggars Opera, The Faith Band ( that one actually had one hit, a a few albums on Mercury and played with acts like Fleetwood Mac, The Doobie Bros, Hall and Oates and more) Movieola, Little Big Men and  Blinding Tears.

Beggars Opera, I'm the serious guy on the bottom right

I played in bands up until my early 30s. Then it started to get harder to visualize sharing my life with grown-ass men. I don’t know how the Stones and U2 do it! (Well, maybe I do. $$$.) But I bet there's still a part of them that feels the same blast I felt for so many years. If you haven’t done it, it’s a tough one to explain.

Gearin' up

Bear with me, I swear I have a point comin’. Just as I outgrew the bands, technology helped make them obsolete and I was good with that. The whining drummer got replaced by a Linn Drum Machine, my Rockman made me sound as big as the last guy's twin Marshalls. I could use my Tascam to make noise now. I was a band.

So as my career shifted from artist deals to publishing deals and my writing took off, I was a happy guy. I traveled the world with a keyboard loaded with drum loops, Pro-tools, and a laptop. Even got to write and work with my idols. I was never the acoustic guitar guy. Always needed noise to make the music feel alive. This led to living in Nashville and writing success let me build my dream studio in the country. This was a beautiful thing. Overlooked a creek with all the toys I could imagine. Free to make music on my own, anytime.

Rage against the machines

Around 2002, I felt like something was missing. It was less fun. I wasn’t writing better songs with all this stuff, I was a slave to the gear. Over the next few years I unplugged more and more. A little more acoustic guitar, Strat through a Vox amp, and writing with other writers who made noise and I started to feel that blast again. I always heard the adage that if a song was a real song it will sound just as good unplugged. I agree but I also think some sound best with, in the words of John Hiatt, “A Telecaster through a Vibro-Lux turned up to ten”.

I still love technology...but that might be as simple as Garageband or playing a new idea into my iPhone and e-mailing it. Apps have replaced my racks. Right now I think I’ve come full circle as you can see by this picture of a little corner of my small home studio. Mary Spring would still be proud.

P.S. Got to meet the Stones on the Nashville stop of the Bridges To Babylon a few years back. Impossible not to look at them and think of all those Ed Sullivan shows, trying to learn the licks and do my best Brian Jones. Keith asked who I had been working with or something like that...satisfaction.

iDoCoach Blog

Mark Cawley

Nashville, Tennessee

9/18/14

Rolling Stones photo: Google Images

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About Mark Cawley

Mark Cawley's songs have appeared on more than 15 million records. Over a career based in LA, London, and Nashville his songs have been recorded by an incredibly diverse range of artists. From Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Wynonna, Diana Ross and Chaka Kahn to The Spice Girls, Tom Scott, Kathy Mattea, Paul Carrack, Will Downing and Pop Idol winners in the UK. He has had #1 records in the UK and throughout Europe as well as cuts in Country, Jazz & R & B. His groundbreaking website Song Journey created with Hall of Fame writer Kye Fleming was the first to mentor writers from around the world one-on-one online. He is currently writing and publishing as well as helping writers and artists worldwide with a one-on-one co-active coaching service, iDoCoach. In addition he is a judge for this years UK Songwriting Contest, a contributing writer to the US Songwriting Competition , a popular songwriting blogger and from time to time, conducts his own workshops.

Part 2: Everybody's Talkin At Me

iDoCoach Blog

Why A Part 2?

I’ve gotten so many comments on the last blog, "Everybody's Talkin At Me", about how to incorporate all the different critiques and opinions you get when you put yourself out there, that I thought I'd share some more thoughts. I’ve heard from current and past clients, but most have come via the Facebook songwriting groups I belong to. It's a bigger (or at least more far reaching) problem than I imagined. Rules are constantly changing. It makes sense; we're in a soundbite society where people take in music in a new way. It's bound to affect how music is made, songs are written, and what's expected of us now.

Everything Changes

Writers are getting critiques with terms like "post-chorus", "multiple choruses", getting asked to "lose the 2nd verse before a chorus", "lose the bridge", etc. Do you change the way you write to adapt? Depends.

There are a couple of schools of thought. Write what you write and write it well and its time will come around. The other is that if you want to actually make a living now from songwriting, your best chance is to follow the newest trends.

This is something I've heard from lots of writers going to workshops and seminars or using critique services.  "I'm being told to focus on what's on the radio--but at the same time told that by the time I've nailed it, radio will have changed". There's logic here. Nothing happens quickly in this process. Your song gets picked up and goes through the phases from production to release, which could be a year down the road. Not to mention the time you spent writing and pitching it! Things change. If you're writing Bro-Country, for instance, it may have run its course long before you’re ready.

So Should I ?

So what's your best chance of success? Unless you're locked in with a publisher, producers, management or THE ARTIST (your best case scenario), you need to be writing something no one’s thought of. Something so original and irresistible that all the usual suspects didn't see it first.  

Where do you start? Finding something unique to "write about" is a start. Sure, most songs have to do with love. Lost love, found love, lookin’ for love...can you come up with a different angle? Can you come up with a topic, story, or emotion no one’s thought of before? Tough one, but that's part of your gig.

Titles are another great place to start. Some publishers call them "concepts " but we're essentially talkin’ about that idea or title that makes someone want to know more. To want to open the book, see the movie, hear the song.

I was on a panel awhile back when a publisher addressed the group and said something to the effect of, "if I have a hundred CDs on my desk and not much time to listen, do you think I'm gonna play the one called ‘I Still Love You’, or ‘My Tractor Thinks I'm Sexy‘?”. 

Everybodys Talkin'

Most co-writing I've done in Nashville over the years involved talking first. A lot of talking. Sometimes a couple days of talking to find something unique to write about. I once spent two full days with Craig Wiseman at my house just telling each other about our lives. Trying to find the hook. At that point it's a given: you both know how to write, and that it has to be a cool idea to begin with to have any hope of standing out. 

The Bottom Top LIne

I've also spent years writing in the UK and they have a unique term for the person who comes up with the title or the concept. A top-line person. I think the concept has spread to all forms of music as we get distracted by more and more choices; gotta make it stand out. Valuable talent. One of my coaching clients heard the term "Golden Ticket” recently to describe this particular talent. Just may be.

Share Your Stories, Please!

It would be great if you could share your own stories about getting critiques, workshops, seminars, coaching. What do you tend to hear? Is it helpful, sometimes hurtful? How have you dealt with criticism of your songs? Best advice you've had?

SmallBusiness.com just featured my coaching in an article this week. Check it out if you'd like to get an idea of what I do!

If you're looking for a differnt take or just more info on Songwriting I would highly reccomend my buddy Shelly Peikens site as well as some of the articles posted by Clay Mills and Marty Dodson at Songtown USA on Facebook. Good stuff!

Mark Cawley

August 22 , 2014

Nashville, Tennessee

Photo; Shutterstock

Quotes courtesy of Harry Nilsson 

Please be sure and hit the share button and the like button for idocoach on Facebook!

About Mark Cawley

Mark Cawley's songs have appeared on more than 15 million records. Over a career based in LA, London, and Nashville his songs have been recorded by an incredibly diverse range of artists. From Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Wynonna, Diana Ross and Chaka Kahn to The Spice Girls, Tom Scott, Kathy Mattea, Paul Carrack, Will Downing and Pop Idol winners in the UK. He has had #1 records in the UK and throughout Europe as well as cuts in Country, Jazz & R & B. His groundbreaking website Song Journey created with Hall of Fame writer Kye Fleming was the first to mentor writers from around the world one-on-one online. He is currently writing and publishing as well as helping writers and artists worldwide with a one-on-one co-active coaching service, iDoCoach. In addition he is a judge for this years UK Songwriting Contest, a contributing writer to the US Songwriting Competition , a popular songwriting blogger and from time to time, conducts his own workshops.

Mark presenting a songwriting class at Ensworth in Nashville for Jam Camp, Summer 2014

Songwriting: Everybody's Talkin' At Me

iDoCoach Blog

I always encourage the writers I coach to get their songs out there, any and every way they can; and to seek as much wisdom as they can handle. Yep, handle. 

One of my best and brightest clients is a pretty good case in point. She's made some huge leaps in her writing, especially her lyrics. We've focused on this for months and the change has been fun to watch. All of the sudden the ideas are more solid, the mechanics are solid, rhyme schemes, meter, structure...better, better, better and better. She's begun playing songs for other people, coming to Nashville, attending NSAI functions, setting up co-writes and meetings. Here's where the handle part comes in.

The Road To Nashville...but it could be any music center

When I talked to her this week she had just come back from a Nashville trip and was feeling a bit beat up and confused. Some people loved one song but not another. One publisher loved a song but professed to not "know what to do with it". Others suggested lyric changes, music changes, style changes. Listen to what's on the radio, be ahead of the radio, don't pay attention to radio. Listen to every kind of music, focus on current Top 10 country, write more old-school, new-school, school's out.

You can't figure out the bag I'm in...mixing up my 60's songs! 

So now it's not so much a problem with confidence as it is with direction. She got all she could handle and it didn't always line up. Different strokes for different folks? A publisher I really respect told me, "if you play a song for 4 people and they all point out the same type of problems with your song, by all means listen and make some changes. Listening is so subjective you’re bound to get some different opinions if you ask enough people. Consider getting opinions  of a few people you really respect and who have done the kind of writing you're going for. Research their backgrounds".

I've read some critiques from NSAI, for example, that have been done by some wonderful writers. Even when they differ they all make some excellent points. Do you make every change they suggest? I urge writers just to try them on. It takes some time to incorporate these new ideas to see if you love 'em. At the very least, the exercise will give you more tools for that toolbox. 

If possible, stay away from spending money on a full blown demo when getting critiques is your aim. Making these suggested changes after you've blown your budget gets expensive. Gather all the suggestions and then head to the studio. 

My own beliefs are in my song

In the end, try not to let the other voices discourage you. If you find others' opinions hard to deal with just limit the listening experience to a few trusted ears. I've had songs cut over the years that were turned down for projects, where someone loved it but the time wasn't right. Other times I was playing the right song for the wrong person. Seek out all the wisdom you can handle by all means, but don't lose yourself. It takes a sensitive person to write a song...and one with a thick skin to pitch it.

For some reason while I'm writing this, I'm remembering being a kid in Catholic school in Baldwinsville, New York. You went to confession every Friday in those days, and me and my buddies used to make up a game of confessing the exact same sins and then comparing the penance we got from different priests. Always different. Kinda shook our faith in the wisdom of the whole exercise. But we assumed they were experts in their field! Guess we'll know eventually if it took.

Me at St Marys, Baldwinsville, NY pondering my sins

Mark Cawley

August 1st , 2014

Nashville, Tennessee

Photo; Shutterstock

Quotes courtesy of Harry Nilsson & Sly and The Family Stone

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About Mark Cawley

Mark Cawley's songs have appeared on more than 15 million records. Over a career based in LA, London, and Nashville his songs have been recorded by an incredibly diverse range of artists. From Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Wynonna, Diana Ross and Chaka Kahn to The Spice Girls, Tom Scott, Kathy Mattea, Paul Carrack, Will Downing and Pop Idol winners in the UK. He has had #1 records in the UK and throughout Europe as well as cuts in Country, Jazz & R & B. His groundbreaking website Song Journey created with Hall of Fame writer Kye Fleming was the first to mentor writers from around the world one-on-one online. He is currently writing and publishing as well as helping writers and artists worldwide with a one-on-one co-active coaching service, iDoCoach. In addition he is a judge for this years UK Songwriting Contest, a contributing writer to the US Songwriting Competition , a popular songwriting blogger and from time to time, conducts his own workshops.

The Future Face Of Songwriting

Jam Camp

Until last week, I almost forgot how much I like talking with kids. (I never know when to make the leap from calling them kids to young adults but they were ages 13 to 19. To me they’re kids).

This was at a school named Ensworth in Williamson County, Tennessee for a function called “Jam Camp”. It's put on in part by Laura Hill (wife of one of the best songwriters I know, Ed Hill) and is a 2 week long camp for gifted musicians. I was invited to be a speaker at the end of week one.

So…walking in the door I’m greeted by young musicians with guitars, keyboards, and basses. One bass player even asked me if I knew Pino Pallidino, which I do. Can’t believe he knew who he was! I love it! Berklee School of Music presented after I did. It was kind of ironic since I was quoting from John Mayer's Berklee series on Youtube and was (briefly) enrolled there myself in 1970.

I was introduced and found myself in front of something like 125 young adults. Handheld mic, big stage, auditorium...just me. Here's where you have to be careful. Being funny in my mind and being funny in theirs could be two very different things. Showed 'em a picture of me at 17 just to prove I really was thier age once. Think I scared them. What does connect, though, are stories. Their response was great. How did you do this? How did you feel about this? What do you when this happened? Lot's of great questions.

at 17

The Future

Every time I do this kind of thing it reinforces my faith in the future of music. These folks were there to get better. To connect and network. They represent the future and respect the past. Let's be honest...they are the future. Listen to country music now; it's basically a mashup of classic county, rock, hip-hop, and everything a 20 something grew up on. Makes perfect sense! As a side note, I really love the term "Hick-Hop" to describe the mix of urban and country going on now.

What did I tell them?

Don’t write in a vacuum. Music is for the listener. If you don’t do something well, find someone who does and connect. Co-write but still keep your vision. Don't have a plan B or you'll proabably end up in plan B, might be hearing from a few parents this week:-) Learn the language. Even if you don’t love a particular style of music you can respect it. You never know when it will make it into a project you’re working on. Go have some adventures, live to be able to have something to write about.

I spent a few years working with Steelworks, sort of a modern day Motown in Sheffield, England. Artists like the Spice Girls, 5ive, and Ronan Keating would come in and pick your brain. Have you ever heard of the Temptations? Dave Clark Five? Otis Redding? Sam Cooke? Yes, Yes, Yes and Yes. Pass it on.

Even though music is in a weird phase right now for writers, I have faith in the kids to take the past into the future and make it better. Now if we could just find a young John, George, Paul and Ringo...

Mark Cawley

7/14/14

Nashville, Tennessee

Mark's songwriting presentation  at Ensworth, Franklin Tennessee

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About Mark Cawley

Mark Cawley's songs have appeared on more than 15 million records. Over a career based in LA, London, and Nashville his songs have been recorded by an incredibly diverse range of artists. From Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Wynonna, Diana Ross and Chaka Kahn to The Spice Girls, Tom Scott, Kathy Mattea, Paul Carrack, Will Downing and Pop Idol winners in the UK. He has had #1 records in the UK and throughout Europe as well as cuts in Country, Jazz & R & B. His groundbreaking website Song Journey created with Hall of Fame writer Kye Fleming was the first to mentor writers from around the world one-on-one online. He is currently writing and publishing as well as helping writers and artists worldwide with a one-on-one co-active coaching service, iDoCoach. In addition he is a judge for this years UK Songwriting Contest, a contributing writer to the US Songwriting Competition , a popular songwriting blogger and from time to time, conducts his own workshops.

When Your Co-Write Goes Wrong

iDoCoach Blog

The Day

If you write long enough it's gonna happen. Happened to me more times than I can remember. Happened to every writer I know. Happens to writers I'm coaching. Happening right now on Music Row.

Your publisher or a friend sets you up on a “blind date” to co-write. Everybody has high hopes. You're prepared, maybe you've even been able to hear some other songs this new friend has written, and you're excited, (nervous even) but this is what you do.

9:00 AM

So you get your stories out of the way, what one of my buddies always called having your "pissing contest", where you each let the other know what you've written in the past. 

Down to it. One of you throws out an idea and...nothing. The other tries a riff/groove/potential title and...still nothing. Lunch is starting to look like a good idea. This is when you hope your partner has a great sense of humor and that you haven't lost yours.  After all, in the words of John Hiatt, "what's the worst that can happen, they put me in songwriter jail?"

11:30 AM

Hopefully your new co-writer is a good hang!

1:00 PM

You're more comfortable with each other, back to work and...nothing. It dawns on both of you that this isn't going anywhere.

4:00 PM

You give it your best, wrap it up, maybe blame it on an off day, and agree to try again. (But chances are you won't--because you'd rather set yourself on fire than go through that again). 

2:00 AM Questions

How can you avoid this next time? It helps to spend time with your co-writer before your session if possible. Coffee, drink, meal; anything to get a sense of chemistry. It also helps to work with someone who doesn't do what you do. I've had a few sessions over the years where a publisher thought I'd love working with a particular writer--only to find out we basically do the same thing. The co-writes that have been magic for me have always been with someone with a different approach and we end up complimenting each other. We come up with some magic that neither one of us could have done on our own. It will happen. You may just have to suffer though speed date hell to find the love of your life.

In the end I think you need the mentality that Mariano Rivera had. You’re gonna lose one once in awhile, but you have to put it out of your mind and pitch tomorrow. Don't let it shake your confidence.

The Next Time

One question that comes up often with my clients is can I write that idea with someone else? You've been saving a great title and it just didn't happen with your co-writer. It's a tough one, but no. You just have to chalk it up to experience, find more great ideas, book more co-writes, and one of these sessions will be pure magic. It really does even out. If you stay open and give your best every time, you'll have more great days than bad ones. Promise.

Mark Cawley

Nashville, Tennessee

6/14/14

Photo: Shutter stock

Good quote in Rolling Stone this week from Craig Wiseman on co-writing in Nashville.

Heres a video blog from the iDoCoach archives on co-writing.

Hope you'll sign up to follow future blogs at 

http://idocoach.com/blog/  

P.S. My old friend Shelly Peiken has a book coming out soon called "Serial Songwriter" Check out her website and especially her blogs, great stuff!

Please be sure and hit the share button and the like button for idocoach on Facebook

About Mark Cawley

Mark Cawley's songs have appeared on more than 15 million records. Over a career based in LA, London, and Nashville his songs have been recorded by an incredibly diverse range of artists. From Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Wynonna, Diana Ross and Chaka Kahn to The Spice Girls, Tom Scott, Kathy Mattea, Paul Carrack, Will Downing and Pop Idol winners in the UK. He has had #1 records in the UK and throughout Europe as well as cuts in Country, Jazz & R & B. His groundbreaking website Song Journey created with Hall of Fame writer Kye Fleming was the first to mentor writers from around the world one-on-one online. He is currently writing and publishing as well as helping writers and artists worldwide with a one-on-one co-active coaching service, iDoCoach. In addition he is a judge for this years UK Songwriting Contest, a contributing writer to the US Songwriting Competition , a popular songwriting blogger and from time to time, conducts his own workshops.

Songwriters: Don't Keep It To Your Self-ish

A Sharin Thing

I’ve worked in a number of different musical environments over the years. Growing up in upstate New York was pretty fertile ground for musicians , Boston for awhile, The Midwest, Los Angeles for years and the UK. I’ve been in Nashville now for over 16 years and there is definitely something different about the vibe. I think its the sharing thing.

Sounds corny but I swear it’s true. As much as the scene here has changed from pure country to whatever you call country now ( my UK friends sometimes call it Country and Western, love that!) there has always been an openness to the place. If you have something great people are pretty quick to point you to where you need to be, who you need to meet, co-write with or just hang with. Can’t say I ever experienced this much in the other music centers as great as they are. Not knocking them, just a culture thing. Maybe thats it. Maybe it’s a Southern thing, hospitality and all that.

The Retreat

My first real experience with it was years ago when I was in Indiana actually taking a breather from LA and the business after losing a record deal and a publishing deal in the same few months. I was feeling jaded on a good day.

The Reprieve

My phone rings and it’s Tony Brown. He is producing Wynonna's first solo album and she’s in his office. Somehow, someone shared a demo of mine with someone else who shared it with Wynonna who liked it enough to share it with Tony Brown who picked up the phone and called me. Asked if I could come down and share some more songs if I had ‘em. I shared this with my wife and pretty soon I’m driving south.

The next meeting was with Roger Sovine at BMI who likes what he hears and introduces me to a young Clay Bradley who starts picking up the phone while I’m in the office and sharing me with all sorts of amazing folks I’d heard of but hadn’t met. I mean we’re talking days. Nobody was keeping my little bit of light for themselves, locking me up in a bad deal, they were simply doing something I came to find everywhere in Nashville. They were turning someone who had turned them on to someone to someone else.

One more to share. One of the first co-writes for me in town was Mary Ann Kennedy, a terrific singer and songwriter who brought her friend Kye Fleming along and we all ended up writing…a bunch. Some of my favorite songs and two of my favorite people. Kye and I went on to write for a lots of artists, country and pop. No western. 

The Release

I guess it can be easy to want to keep something you discover to yourself, if you give it away it won’t be special right? Believe me I’m not talking about me now, but maybe it’s a connection, a co-writer, a writing trick you learned in your last session that you’re tempted to keep. I know I’ve done it. After all, it will make me look smart won’t it?

Looking back I can’t think of any of those tricks that helped me. Now I’m at the stage ( and age) in my career where it feels good to share something with a young writer and see a light go on. It feels better than good.

In the wise words of the Chili Peppers “ Give it away, give it away, give it away now”

Feel free to share this.

Mark Cawley

Nashville, Tennessee

5/30/14

Photo: Goggle Images

Hope you'll sign up to follow future blogs at 

http://idocoach.com/blog/  

I'm almost done with the sharing thing...

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About Mark Cawley

Mark Cawley's songs have appeared on more than 15 million records. Over a career based in LA, London, and Nashville his songs have been recorded by an incredibly diverse range of artists. From Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Wynonna, Diana Ross and Chaka Kahn to The Spice Girls, Tom Scott, Kathy Mattea, Paul Carrack, Will Downing and Pop Idol winners in the UK. He has had #1 records in the UK and throughout Europe as well as cuts in Country, Jazz & R & B. His groundbreaking website Song Journey created with Hall of Fame writer Kye Fleming was the first to mentor writers from around the world one-on-one online. He is currently writing and publishing as well as helping writers and artists worldwide with a one-on-one co-active coaching service, iDoCoach. In addition he is a judge for this years UK Songwriting Contest, a contributing writer to the US Songwriting Competition , a popular songwriting blogger and from time to time, conducts his own workshops.

The Songwriting Gospel According To John

iDoCoach Blog John Mayer

On A Dig

I'm getting ready to do a couple of workshops in the coming months which is something I haven't done in a while so I started thinking about what I could share. I've been coaching songwriters and artist for over 3 years and this week was a typical schedule with clients in the US, UK, Australia, Spain and even Singapore. It's been a fantastic learning experience for me and keeps me digging for new things to spark creativity for my clients as well as myself.

The Book Of John

I thought I'd take a look at some other writer’s workshops and came across a series of John Mayer’s Berklee talks. The series I watched on YouTube has eight episodes with a few of those being performance based. Over the years I read and heard most everything I could get my hands on that has to do with songwriting but these have been a revelation. John is a fantastic hands-on, great teacher. You can tell the students are in awe and he works 'em like an audience sometimes. He can come across as one part cocky guitar hero and one part awkward nerd but, his insights and instincts are always from somewhere way down deep.

He talks about attending two semesters at Berklee in Boston (a little longer than I went, back in the day) and how it shaped his writing. He mentions his first semester was spent trying to be the best guitarist in the world and feeling he failed miserably. The second semester he went back with an aim to write songs. To please people - not other musicians. It was a transformation.

My Own Transformation

I had much the same experience with learning. Set out to be a hot-shot-bass-player who could make other musicians’ jaws drop and cause them to heap all sorts of praise on my ability to play everything I learned, as fast as possible. Technique over taste. Somewhere along the line I realized that writing songs was what really connected me to people. 

I'm paraphrasing but John talks about losing the need to tell someone you're great and learning to trust people to let you know if you are. I loved this. His advice was to trust the people who are going to listen to your music, they'll let you know if they love it or not and when they do it's worth more than every compliment you ever got about your fleet fingers and theory re-call .

The Payoff

When someone comes up and tells you what a song of yours meant to them, maybe they were going through something traumatic, maybe they made love to it, cried to it, danced to it or we're comforted by it, It's a high like nothing else. I've had those moments and I wouldn't trade them for a million  "dude, you absolutely shredded"!

More Books Or Real World?

One last note, I'm not knocking going to a place like Berklee, in fact I wish I had stayed longer. John puts it in great perspective by saying the things he learned there he looks at as information. What's made him an excellent songwriter is his ability to turn information into inspiration. He feels you should get as much information as possible and then... go out in the world to gain inspiration and then you'll have something to write about. Amen.

 He inspired this 'ol boy today check it out!

Mark Cawley

Nashville, Tennessee

5/8/14

Uploaded by emil lysdahl on 2014-01-09.

Heres a link to the workshop I'm doing in June with Sweetwater. Amazing event, check out the other workshops and speakers! http://www.sweetwater.com/feature/gearfest/speakers.php

Mark conducting a songwriting workshop at Sweetwater Sound

Also excited to be a part of this workshop for young adults in my town of Franklin Tennessee.

http://www.thejamcamp.com

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image; Wikimedia Commons

Truejustice

About Mark Cawley

Mark Cawley's songs have appeared on more than 15 million records. Over a career based in LA, London, and Nashville his songs have been recorded by an incredibly diverse range of artists. From Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Wynonna, Diana Ross and Chaka Kahn to The Spice Girls, Tom Scott, Kathy Mattea, Paul Carrack, Will Downing and Pop Idol winners in the UK. He has had #1 records in the UK and throughout Europe as well as cuts in Country, Jazz & R & B. His groundbreaking website Song Journey created with Hall of Fame writer Kye Fleming was the first to mentor writers from around the world one-on-one online. He is currently writing and publishing as well as helping writers and artists worldwide with a one-on-one co-active coaching service, iDoCoach. In addition he is a judge for this years UK Songwriting Contest, a contributing writer to the US Songwriting Competition , a popular songwriting blogger and from time to time, conducts his own workshops.

Songwriting: Like A Six Year Old With A Six String

iDoCoach Blog

The Adult

If you’re anything like me, I’m guessing the adult editor in you can really kick your butt from time to time.

Lots of different terms for this guy, but I think of him as the one looking over your shoulder and whispering things like “No one is ever gonna cut this”, “Bad idea”, and my favorite: You have no business in this business"!

Almost every writer or artist I coach has mentioned this. Might be called writer's block, the well's dry, whatever. How do you get past it?

The Kid

Years ago a friend of mine described me during a session as a six-year-old with a six string. I’ll take that. Anything to get to the place of just having fun writing. Sure it gets more serious at some point. You have to have a seamless lyric, a great melody, some structure, and more; but you know what? It all starts with throwing all that out and just having fun.

A six-year-old will take every crayon you give them and just create. I’m always trying to get back to that mentality. A six-year-old is fearless. I want to be fearless when I write. A six-year-old has no editor. I want to have no editor when I start to write. A six-year-old doesn’t care who likes it, who’ll buy it, what will someone think of their talent, how far will this take them, if this new creation will pay the mortgage. Nope. It’s all FUN!

The Deal

Sure we’re adults and all this will creep in and creep us out from time to time. But the ability to just get started like that inner kid is the deal. Might be why it's called "playing" guitar.

Here's to the six-year-old with a six string in all of us…have fun!

Mark Cawley

Nashville, TN

4/24/14

Image: Wikimedia Commons

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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. 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. Mark’s resume includes hits on the Pop, Country, R&B, Jazz, and Rock charts and several publishing deals with the likes of Virgin, Windswept Pacific, and Steelworks/Universal. Mark calls on his decades of experience in the publishing world, as an artist on major labels, co-writer with everyone from Eliot Kennedy and Burt Bacharach to Simon Climie and Kye Fleming, composing, and recording to mentor clients around the globe with iDoCoach. He is also a judge for the UK Songwriting Contest, a contributing author to  USA Songwriting, Songwriter Magazine,  , sponsor for the ASA, judge for Belmont University's Commercial Music program and West Coast Songwriter events , 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. 

Back To The Songwriter’s Woodshed

The Old Woodshed

In the brief time I attended Berklee in Boston the real jazz guys used to refer to practice as “wood shedding” . What this meant was to kind of go back and really hone in on your skill-set or your “chops”.

Now I’ve been writing a looooong time and it’s easy to fall into a mindset of “been there and done that” and feel like I’m pretty well equipped to work on any type of song. After all I’ve got my toolbox, my go-to tricks and if all else fails, my guitar and rhyming apps:-)

I’ve been coaching songwriters all over the world for a few years now and much of that time is spent on ways to be inspired. I still feel we’re only inspired a small amount of time and the rest of our time is spent digging for things to write about. That’s a whole ‘nother subject for another time. What I wanted to talk about today are the things that have been getting me fired up, out of my own head and into the woodshed.

The New Woodshed

YouTube guitar and keyboard lessons.  A beautiful thing and …they’re free. You can go back to them endlessly and no one sees you get frustrated. You can suck and no one’s keeping score! My favorite these last few weeks is this guy, Justin.  Now I don’t know his last name, I guess I could find out but it really doesn’t matter. It’s his vibe. I don’t want to be intimidated and I don’t want to be exposed as the guy who can’t shred. I just wanna reconnect with the songs that I love. I’m talking about everything from “Heard It Through The Grapevine” to “In My Life”. Sure I learned them as a kid and know them by heart but there’s something about actually having someone take you back through them in a simple inviting way. Like reconnecting with an old friend.

Whats In It For Me?

Here’s the benefit for us as writers. It’s tactile, hands on. We know these songs but when you spend an hour actually playing them again, seeing how they were put together it’s really eye opening. I’m spending a couple of hours every day with some of my past. It’s inspiring and...it’s starting to make its way into my writing…today.

There are a million videos out there and I’m trying them all. Some are a waste of time but others are time well spent. 

Reconnect, go back to move forward and head to the woodshed!

-Mark Cawley

3/14/14

Nashville , TN

Pic: Goggle Images

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About: 

Mark Cawley's songs have appeared on more than 15 million records. Over a career based in LA, London, and Nashville his songs have been recorded by an incredibly diverse range of artists. From Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Wynonna, Diana Ross and Chaka Khan to The Spice Girls, Tom Scott, Kathy Mattea, Paul Carrack, Will Downing and Pop Idol winners in the UK. He has had #1 records in the UK and throughout Europe as well as cuts in Country, Jazz & R & B. His groundbreaking website Song Journey created with Hall of Fame writer Kye Fleming was the first to mentor writers from around the world one-on-one online. He is currently writing and publishing as well as helping writers and artists worldwide with a one-on-one co-active coaching service, iDoCoach.

Mark Cawley of iDoCoach.com