Someone pointed out this weekend that my posts often have as much to do with life as they do with songwriting.
That made me think, and I realized that it’s probably because songwriting is just a reflection of life. So many of the principles we talk about in our posts and the answers we give are really just life principles.
How do I get a meeting with a publisher?
Produce great work. Work harder than everyone else. Be friendly and get to know people. Be persistent. Aren’t those things true in any walk of life?
How do I make sure I get invited back by a publisher?
Respect their time. Play them great music. Be businesslike. That’s life stuff.
How do I write better songs?
Pay attention to the marketplace. Study and continually grow in your craft. SongTown has tons of ways to help you level up your writing. Challenge yourself to get better every day. Never settle for something less than great. Life principles in regard to any product you are creating?
How do I “write up”?
Don’t irritate people. Respect those higher up the ladder. Give them a reason to work with you. Bring in great ideas. Work harder than they do. Be friendly. Get to know people organically. Work on mastering your co-writing skills.
Getting the picture? Being a great writer starts with being a good human.
If you are a hard worker, you write great songs and you are persistent, you will probably have some measure of success.
Here are some “sound bites” I remind myself of frequently to keep the “good human” part at the forefront of what I do.
1) Give back
2) Work hard
3) Treat everyone with respect
4) Don’t criticize
5) Celebrate other people’s successes
6) Don’t take yourself too seriously.
All of those ideas applied to life AND to songwriting will help you get ahead in whatever you do. Write on and on!
-MD
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Author: Marty Dodson
