Join Us

Empowering the Next Generation of Women in Audio

Join Us

6 Tips for Hearing Your Own Music Objectively

 

I recently had a conversation with a young songwriter, who found it frustrating trying to objectively scrutinize her own music.  “I can’t even tell if a song I wrote is good or horrible.” It reminded me of the first time I was able to hear my own music objectively. It’s a really interesting story that I sort of forgot about. In recalling it, I realized there must be a way for songwriters and artists to hear their music objectively without the utter humiliation that I experienced. Let me explain.

In my early days of attempting to write songs at a commercial level, I felt I was a pretty decent songwriter. My co-writer, who was also the main musician and producer for the songs we wrote, was also really good. We loved what we were creating. We would play them for friends and family and they would be blown away. “You guys did that? It sounds like something you’d hear on the radio!”, they would say. So, when our music was getting rejected for sync opportunities (music in film and TV) we found ourselves scratching our heads. Usually, the rejection had to do with my lyrics but sometimes it would be the production quality or the vocal (MY vocal) not being “right”. Man, it hurt. But mostly, it was confusing. I didn’t know how to fix it. I’d listen back to a song we had just finished and have no idea if it was good or bad or somewhere in between. I didn’t know how to hear my own music objectively.

Around that time, over the course of a few years, we attended a lot of “pitch sessions”. Pitch sessions are opportunities for artists, producers, and songwriters to pitch their music to a panel of industry professionals; either music supervisors (the people who actually select the music for movies and TV shows), producers with hit song credits, record label executives, etc. The attendees would throw a CD into a bin (yes, it was all CDs back then) and they would randomly select one and play the track for the panel and the room full of attendees. After listening to the industry professionals talk about what they listen for, what matters to them, how they identify “broadcast quality”, what their thinking process is, eventually it became really easy to identify a song even 10 seconds in and know if that industry pro was going to like it or not. I found it really easy to determine whether or not the songs being played were at the standard they needed to be.

One fateful pitch session, over the loudspeaker, broadcasting for the entire room to hear, one of our songs began to play. My co-writer and I both sunk into our seats. We instantly knew that our song was not at the standard they were looking for. Now, it wasn’t horrible. It wasn’t way off track. But it just wasn’t quite there.

Those pitch experiences trained my ear to hear music differently and they helped me develop the ability to hear my own music objectively. Notice, I said it “helped me develop the ability” to hear my own music objectively. It did not happen at once and it is still hard to listen to my own creations the way I listen to others’ creations. But I have learned some tricks and tips over the years that I’m happy to share with you.

Just a word of warning, these suggestions are for people who really, truly want to be professionals and are seeking to be creating at that level. If you are creating music because it brings you joy and you aren’t hoping to achieve a measurable level of success, these tips aren’t for you. Keep creating and making yourself and your loved ones happy!

Stop listening to friends and family

People who love and care for you will always listen with a different filter than they listen to other people’s music. THEY will not be able to listen to your music objectively. Of course, be gracious when they tell you how amazing your music is and how amazing you are. Just know that they are not going to be the best judges of your work. That being said, your friends and family are usually your first “fans”. Don’t be tempted to dismiss them as such simply because they are your friends and family. This isn’t related to building a fan base, only to who to listen to for specific feedback about the quality of your music.

Stop listening to people on social media

This may sound a little counter-intuitive since most of you are building and connecting with your fanbase on social media. But this is one of the big reasons why it is important to move fans away from social media and onto your mailing list! Other creatives are on social media engaging, commenting, and so-called “connecting” with you for their own purposes, right? I mean, isn’t this how we get the algorithms to work in our favor? Isn’t this how we find and connect with new fans? Here’s the thing; these days we have two issues working against us as creatives when it comes to social media (only two?) First of all, yes, this is how we find and connect with fans. So we have to be there.  Second of all, we are living in an era of over-the-top positivity, which in so many scenarios is a great thing. But I have personally witnessed people posting videos or audio of themselves singing and they are…..really, REALLY bad. Yet, all of the comments are full of people telling this bad singer how amazing they are. I recognize these are dangerous waters I am treading in because the opposite response would be horrific and horrible. The truth is that even the really amazing singers have comments telling them how horrible they are. These comments are not reliable or accurate, either way! There are trolls. There are haters. There is also a reward system set up to benefit accounts for engagement. So, yes, you need to post, you need to engage, you need to comment, you need to respond to comments and all of this needs to be positive. Don’t be a troll! But also, this means you must not take any comment as meaningful feedback. Phew!

Study great songs commercially released that really move you and connect with you

There is no other way to know how to write great songs than to study great songs. Whether it’s the production you love or the “nuts and bolts” of the song (lyrics and melody), study them. Go beyond just listening for enjoyment. Break it down. Study the arc of the story, the way phrases work together, the change in melodic shape from section to section, and why certain parts of the song stick in your head.

Read books and blogs, listen to podcasts, etc. about songwriting and production

These resources often use great songs as examples and explain why a certain lyric worked so well or reveal the magical process a songwriter used to create the most beautiful melody. Be a better craftsman by studying your craft.

Become a helpful critic for other aspiring creators

There are songwriting organizations and Facebook groups full of creators who post their “works-in-progress” and ask for feedback. Take an hour one day a week and do some listening and offer constructive feedback. Remember to be kind, respectful and helpful. If something sounds so awful, that you can’t think of anything nice to say, then move on and find another post to comment on. This process of listening to someone else’s WIP, knowing the intention is to give helpful feedback, should help you begin to recognize the details of what makes a song move you.

Get professional feedback

Probably the best move I ever made to improve my songwriting was joining a company called Taxi. Taxi is a middle-man, filtering type of company. Let’s say a major record label is looking for hit songs for a well-known artist on their roster. They send a brief out to publishers and sometimes, directly to companies like Taxi. Taxi shares this brief; “major label looking for big ballads for a huge female artist’s next album, looking for hit songs along the lines of Celine Dion, Josh Groban”, something like that. Taxi members see these briefs and submit a song or two that may be a fit. Taxi charges a $5 fee per submission which I am CERTAIN is a way to keep people from pitching all of their songs to every brief because….they will. Anyway, when I joined Taxi, I really had never received any unbiased, professional feedback on my songs. The first year of my membership, every single song I submitted was rejected. For some of the submissions, Taxi would offer a critique. The critiques were coming back with specific instructions on writing better lyrics, writing better melodies, working on the production quality and so on. The annual convention Taxi holds is where I started attending my first pitch sessions. Getting rejection after rejection, reading the critiques, AND learning to hear what the industry pros were looking for sent me down the path to actually learning how to write at a professional level. Eventually, I started getting songs I submitted forwarded to the client and got quite a few sync placements that way. There are companies like Taxi but there are also organizations like NSAI (which I highly recommend if you are interested in writing for country artists) There are blogs, people like me, other professional songwriters, and/or producers sometimes offer feedback. You can also contact the press for album reviews.

The most important point of all of this is to understand that it IS possible to learn how to gain some amount of objectivity when it comes to listening to your own music. It does require work and some adjustments to your mindset. The most difficult obstacle to overcome is we often become emotionally attached to things we’ve created. The more you create and are willing to rewrite, change and even collaborate with others, the easier it will be to “detach” a bit. Keep going! Keep creating!

 

8 Red Flags Artists Should Watch for Before Signing any Agreement

Unfortunately, I’ve recently been reminded about the predatory behavior of some in the music industry. Quite regularly, artists reach out to me for my opinion on an agreement offered, a private message they received on Instagram, or something someone said to them that confused them. So I decided to put together a list of some common “red flags” that you should be aware of that can help you make better decisions. Of course, you should never sign an agreement without having a music attorney WORKING FOR YOU (meaning, they have YOUR best interest in mind and not the other party) look it over for you or make a decision without at least having a consultation with one. Did that make sense? In other words, hire a music attorney before agreeing or signing anything. And also, I am not an attorney so these are just my own opinions and thoughts.

We don’t do contracts

They may say it in a warm fuzzy way. Something like, “We totally trust you. We have a good feeling about you. Let’s not worry about contracts or any of that crap.” The contracts are usually to protect YOU, the artist. If ever there was a scenario that exploits an artist’s ignorance, it is this. Not having a contract will certainly complicate everything should the song blow-up and now you have label interest.

We don’t need lawyers and neither do you

If anyone acts offended that you would “bring a lawyer” into the negotiating process, then they are not people you would probably want to do business with. Of course, you need a lawyer.

Bait and Switch

If they say one thing in a phone conversation or text and then present you with a contract that says something totally different, then be cautious. Honest mistakes can definitely happen or misunderstandings or miscommunications. So it might not be a total dealbreaker. How they react to your calling them out can tell you if this is someone you want to do business with. If they get defensive or flat-out lie, you should consider walking away. If it was an honest mistake, then perhaps continue the conversation cautiously.

Pressuring you to feel rushed to sign

As soon as they throw out something like “we just made the same offer to another artist but we can’t sign both of you, it’s really who signs the agreement first” or anything making you feel pressured or rushed, just step away. Tell them you will need more time. If they aren’t willing to wait for you to carefully review the agreement with your attorney then perhaps this deal is not for you.

Offering an exclusive contract for a lengthy period of time

Exclusivity isn’t always a bad thing but make sure the risk is worth the potential reward. Talk to your music attorney.

Name dropping that can’t be verified

Name dropping in and of itself is not a bad thing. As a matter of fact, this business is built on reputation and credits, and relationships. What IS bad is dropping a name and then there is no verification of it being true. “I worked with Beyoncé, Rihanna, Jay-Z…” search the person’s name on google which should lead you to a site like AllMusic.com You can search their name where you can verify what exactly they did and with what artists. If they were the caterer at Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s private party, that obviously doesn’t count so you want to be sure the work they did with their famous artist can be verified in some way. Another site to check is discogs.com or sometimes good ol Wikipedia will have the info you need.

Old School Record Deal

If you (the artist) are paying for all production, either upfront or recoupable from back-end royalties, why on God’s green earth should anyone or any entity still own the master recordings other than YOU? This was typical of a record deal back in the day. All you need to do is watch a documentary about any of the bands or artists from the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s or even 90’s and this is so typical that it is cliche. It’s like buying a house. Most of us don’t have $250k+ in our bank accounts which is basically what one might need to buy a middle-class home in the good ole USA so we take out a mortgage. We “borrow” the money and pay interest. Once we are finished paying off that loan, we now own the home. Well, many record deals are like borrowing the money (from the record company) that is needed to create your album, promote it, and give you money to live on (an advance). You pay it back with album sales, publishing splits, percentage of merchandise, percentage of tour revenue, etc., all depending on the agreement. Then when you are done paying it off, your record label could possibly still OWN that master recording. What?! It’s crazy but this is usually what they will try to negotiate. Sharing a portion of the master recording in exchange for their capital might be worth it to you but if you are paying back every red cent with interest, tell me why that is even slightly tempting? The other issue is that there are many different record label business models these days. Some never front any capital at all. You are paying them a monthly fee to pay for their services and the product. In this case, you most definitely want to own everything outright when the album is finished. If the business model is more of a “work/time” in exchange for a royalty split on the backend, that can certainly be a fair deal. Just be sure to have your music attorney look any agreement over for you before signing.

Changing terms after work is done and holding product hostage

If you did not sign an agreement before working with a producer but you “believed” the terms were “work for hire”, meaning, you paid said producer a set fee for their recording and production services with no co-writing agreement or publisher splits agreed to beforehand, but then they hold the final master “hostage” and demand co-writing or co-publishing ownership, this is bad. I saw it first hand. Sitting in a studio, listening to a finished mix of a song for an artist that I was coaching. After everyone is happy and congratulating one another, the producer says, “Ok, now let’s talk about publishing. I would like 50% publishing on this song”. The agreement was clearly upfront money, work for hire. And yet, here he was, holding the final wav file hostage until the artist was willing to give over 50% of publishing royalties. How to handle this might be a case-by-case basis. You can simply remind them this is not what was agreed to and then hopefully they will say “yeah you are right” and then promptly send you the master wav file. If they push it and demand it or they won’t let go of the wav file, you can bring on your attorney to handle this.

The bottom line is….hire a music attorney to review any contract you are considering signing. Yes, this will cost you money. But not much if you consider how detrimental signing a bad deal could cost you (in money but also time, emotional stress, and trauma).

There is no need to be cold or defensive when communicating with people about potentially working together. You don’t even need to be paranoid. Not everyone is out to get you. There are good, honest people in the industry. However, there are enough bad ones lurking around (who usually don’t seem bad and can be very nice on the surface) to warrant you’re being careful. Be educated, cautious and gracious with those you have conversations with, and…hire a music attorney. 😉

 

An Introduction to Sync Licensing

As a musician, you have most likely become aware of the word “sync”. Perhaps you have researched and feel you have a pretty good understanding of the basics. Maybe you’ve even had sync placements. This blog is going to cover the basics for those who are just hearing the term, but more importantly, I want to help you figure out if sync is for you. In my opinion, there are two clear pathways for a musician to take when it comes to seeking out sync licensing opportunities. Hopefully, this will help you determine if one of those paths is right for you.

First, some definitions

Sync is short for “synchronization” or “synchronization licensing” which is referring to the license music creators need to give to folks who want to “synchronize” video of any kind to recorded music.

Music Supervisor is the person who chooses music for every moment of a film or show. Sometimes the composer and the supe are the same person (lower budget films, usually)

A Music Library is like a library of music. People searching for music can search the database, filtered by various features, such as mood, tempo, genre, female vocal, male vocal, instrumental, and so on.

A Sync Agent is a person (can be independent or work for an agency) that is like the go-between for music supes and musicians. They will often take a cut of the sync fee and might also work in a percentage of the master use.

Production Music is the common term used for “background music”, but may have vocals. Music libraries will often compile “albums” of production music by theme, a specific mood or genre, etc. The licensing is already handled with the creator, which makes it much easier for music supes to quickly select a song without having to wait for agreements, approvals, etc.

What are “songs” that “work for sync”?

When music supervisors are looking for music, they are looking for a certain type of energy, a mood, a feeling. Surprisingly, a good sync song may not necessarily be a “hit” song and a “hit” song may not necessarily work for sync. Once in a while, a hit song is also a great sync song, but that is not the norm. Either way, when the perfect song is found for a particular scene or ad, magic can happen.

The best way to really understand what sync is all about is to do a little observation exercise. You are simply going to observe your normal day of Netflix watching or whatever way you watch your shows. Only today, pay attention to the music being played in conjunction with whatever you are watching. Whether it be a movie, a documentary, a reality show, a TV show from the ’80s, pay attention to the music. How many snippets of songs do you hear in each episode? Do any of the songs sound like “radio” songs? How many are instrumentals? Now, what about the ads? I don’t watch regular TV anymore but I do have a few shows that I love to watch on YouTube. So I still see ads quite regularly. How about you? What kind of music are you hearing in the ads?

Every piece of music you heard was composed, written, performed by a person or people. Each piece of music supposedly has a proper license. A cue sheet was also submitted to a songwriting organization so that the songwriters and publishers can be paid a royalty. The value of that piece of music varies from a penny to hundreds of thousands of dollars and everything in between. The amount paid is based on numerous factors; is it background or under dialog, is it playing on the radio or jukebox on screen, is it with vocals, without vocals, how much of the song is played, where in the film, such as opening credits, montage scene, etc., and is it a well-known song or major artist or an indie? Sooooo many factors play into the “value” of that placement. Some songs are paid an upfront sync fee in addition to the songwriting/publishing royalties. Some are not. Some of the songs (especially background, instrumental music) are composed by someone who might work directly for the company creating the show/movie, or the composer may work for the publisher or library that licensed the music. It’s a complex biz.

So, what about the two paths?

I landed my first sync placement back in 2006 ish and it was sort of a fluke. The long story short is that a co-writer/co-producer and I wrote the song specifically for a small, independent film after reading the film synopsis. The song made it into the movie, which aired on ABC Family (and is still streamed regularly on a variety of platforms). Then we shopped it to some music libraries and a music publisher. One of the libraries secured multiple placements for that song, plus several other songs we had already written. In recent years, I’ve tried to dive deeper into creating specifically for sync but seem to have no time for that. I’ve become crazy busy as a full-time music producer for artists. This has helped me clearly see the two paths.

Path one: you are a creator of hundreds of songs, beats, tracks and are pitching almost as much as you are creating. In this path, it is a numbers game. It’s all about quantity. The more “content” you have, the better your chances of getting a sync placement. This scenario is ideal for you if you;

On this path, you can start out by pitching to music libraries but the ultimate goal will be to network to the point where you are receiving briefs from sync agents and production companies directly. This path can take a lot of time before you begin to see the fruits of your labor. Time is needed to make connections, to find good collaborators, and to earn the trust of sync agents and libraries.

Path two: you are an artist who is focusing on building your artistic brand, creating songs that connect with your fan base, creating music that you love and intend on performing. OR you are like me and love producing with and for artists to help them build their career as artists. This path is ideal for you if you:

If this is the path for you, pitching to a sync agent or a manager or producer who has connections to sync agents or music supervisors may be your best bet. If your genre is very current, it may have a short shelf life so get going on that pitching asap. This path requires that you focus on the main goal (building your music business as an artist and/or producer) and perhaps spend a few hours a week on pitching, emails, metadata, and contracts.

If you are on path two, you can try your hand at creating a song or two that are “you” as an artist and could be released on an album or as a single but would also work for sync. There’s nothing wrong with that approach! How do you know if your song would work for sync? Remember the statement above about songs for sync needing to capture a mood, etc? This is very important. What is also important is that there are no lyrics that are about a specific time, location, person, etc. Once in a while, a song with specific lyrics can work perfectly for a scene but it’s better to keep the lyrics “generic” enough to increase your chances for placement. Generic doesn’t mean boring! This is the actual struggle! Writing lyrics that are genuine, interesting, engaging but not specific is actually the hardest part.

Important Companies, Contacts and Resources:

If you are wondering if your songs are “sync ready”, I’m happy to give them a listen and throw my opinion at you. 😉 Send me up to 3 songs and put “Sync Songs?” in the subject line, to becky@voxfoxproductions.com

 

7 Steps to Making a Demo with Your Phone

The internet is full of songwriters asking the question; how good does my demo have to be? The answer is always, “it depends”. Demos generally have one purpose; to accurately display the lyrics and melody of a song. Yet, there are varying types of demos and demo requirements but for this blog’s purpose, that is our one purpose!

*(see the end of this blog for situations where you will want to have your song fully produced for pitching purposes)

If you are a

Demos for these purposes can be recorded on your phone. If you have recording software (otherwise known as a DAW: Digital Audio Workstation) you can use that too. The steps are the same. But for those who don’t have a recording set up and have no interest in diving into that world, your phone and a variety of phone apps make it super easy.

Figure out the tempo

The “beats per minute”, or BPM is a critical component to the momentum and energy of a song. Pretty much every novice singer/songwriter has a tendency to write their songs in various tempos. The verse starts off at a certain groove and then by the time the first chorus comes in, the tempo has gradually increased to a new bpm. Then it goes back down during the soft bridge, then back up to an even faster tempo at the end.

None of us were born with an internal metronome, so don’t beat yourself up about it. However, most mainstream music that we hear today is going to be in a set tempo for the majority of the song. There may be tempo changes, depending on what the song calls for but, generally speaking, most songs do not change tempo. You and your producer can decide if a song needs tempo changes or if it is the kind of song that should be played “freely”, with no metronome at all.

Start by playing your song, and imagine yourself walking to the beat of your song. Is it a brisk walk? Or a slow, sluggish walk? A brisk walk is 120 beats per minute. Pull up your metronome and pick a starting bpm, based on how brisk (or un-brisk) the imaginary walk feels. Set that tempo and then play along to it. If it’s feeling good, keep playing through until you’ve played every song section (verse, chorus, bridge) at that tempo. If it stopped feeling right at some point, adjust accordingly. Ideally, you’ll find that happy bpm that is perfect for the song.

Type up a lyric sheet: I have artists put these lyric sheets on Google Drive and share them with me so that we are always working off of the same lyric sheet as changes are made.

Mark tempo changes on the lyric sheet: mark specific tempo changes if there are any. Mark a ritard (ritard means to slow down) where they need to be as well. If there is going to be a ritard, it is usually in the outro.

Check the key: Do you accidentally change keys in different sections? Just like the case of tempo changes, beginner singer/songwriters, especially if they’ve written the lyrics and melody a cappella (without accompaniment) can easily change keys without knowing it. If you don’t play an instrument, that’s ok! Have a musician friend or teacher help you. Your producer can also help you with this, as long as that is included in the scope of their work. Ask beforehand. If you do know the key and have determined the chords, including those in your lyric sheet.

Can you sing it: Have you sung it full out with a voice teacher in the key you’ve written it in? Singing it quietly in your room in a way that won’t disturb your roommates might not be the way you want to sing it in the recording studio.

Record the song: Record the song with the metronome clicking out loud if you aren’t using an app (you may need two devices; one to play the metronome and one to record) There are apps available where you can record yourself while listening to the click track through earbuds, then when you listen back to the recording, you won’t hear the click track. The point is that you sang it in time. One app I’m aware of where you can do this is Cakewalk by Bandlab. There are many!

Share the file: Make sure you can share the audio recording in a file format they can play. MP3s are the most common compressed audio file that can easily be emailed but most of our phones don’t automatically turn our voice memos into mp3’s. As a matter of fact, some phones will squash an audio file into some weird file type that sounds like crap (I have a Samsung and it does this!)

The most important steps for creating a demo for the above-mentioned purposes are making sure you have fine-tuned lyrics, melody, and song structure in a (mostly) set tempo. Following all of these steps will make you a dream client for your producer!

*If you want to pitch a song for use in film or TV (licensing/sync) then it needs to be a fully produced song. Do NOT submit demos to music libraries or music supervisors. They need finished products.

If you want to pitch your song to a music publisher, who in turn will pitch your song to artists, they will want full production in most cases. The artist may have it entirely reproduced but you have to “sell” them the song. You want to shine it in the best light possible. A demo would be needed for the creative team (producer, studio musicians, etc.) who will create your produced version for pitching. 

 

7 Steps to Making a Demo with Your Phone

 

The internet is full of songwriters asking the question; how good does my demo have to be? The answer is always, “it depends”. Demos generally have one purpose; to accurately display the lyrics and melody of a song. Yet, there are varying types of demos and demo requirements but for this blog’s purpose, that is our one purpose!

*(see the end of this blog for situations where you will want to have your song fully produced for pitching purposes)

If you are a

Songwriter who wants to create a demo for the creative team of an artist

Artist who wants to create a demo for a producer

Songwriter who wants feedback on a song

Demos for these purposes can be recorded on your phone. If you have recording software (otherwise known as a DAW: Digital Audio Workstation) you can use that too. The steps are the same. But for those who don’t have a recording set up and have no interest in diving into that world, your phone and a variety of phone apps make it super easy.

Figure out the tempo

The “beats per minute”, or BPM is a critical component to the momentum and energy of a song. Pretty much every novice singer/songwriter has a tendency to write their songs in various tempos. The verse starts off at a certain groove and then by the time the first chorus comes in, the tempo has gradually increased to a new bpm. Then it goes back down during the soft bridge, then back up to an even faster tempo at the end.

None of us were born with an internal metronome, so don’t beat yourself up about it. However, most mainstream music that we hear today is going to be in a set tempo for the majority of the song. There may be tempo changes, depending on what the song calls for but, generally speaking, most songs do not change tempo. You and your producer can decide if a song needs tempo changes or if it is the kind of song that should be played “freely”, with no metronome at all.

Start by playing your song, and imagine yourself walking to the beat of your song. Is it a brisk walk? Or a slow, sluggish walk? A brisk walk is 120 beats per minute. Pull up your metronome and pick a starting bpm, based on how brisk (or un-brisk) the imaginary walk feels. Set that tempo and then play along to it. If it’s feeling good, keep playing through until you’ve played every song section (verse, chorus, bridge) at that tempo. If it stopped feeling right at some point, adjust accordingly. Ideally, you’ll find that happy bpm that is perfect for the song.

Type up a lyric sheet: I have artists put these lyric sheets on Google Drive and share them with me so that we are always working off of the same lyric sheet as changes are made.

Mark tempo changes on the lyric sheet: mark specific tempo changes if there are any. Mark a ritard (ritard means to slow down) where they need to be as well. If there is going to be a ritard, it is usually in the outro.

Check the key: Do you accidentally change keys in different sections? Just like the case of tempo changes, beginner singer/songwriters, especially if they’ve written the lyrics and melody a cappella (without accompaniment) can easily change keys without knowing it. If you don’t play an instrument, that’s ok! Have a musician friend or teacher help you. Your producer can also help you with this, as long as that is included in the scope of their work. Ask beforehand. If you do know the key and have determined the chords, include those in your lyric sheet.

Can you sing it: Have you sung it full out with a voice teacher in the key you’ve written it in? Singing it quietly in your room in a way that won’t disturb your roommates might not be the way you want to sing it in the recording studio.

Record the song: Record the song with the metronome clicking out loud if you aren’t using an app (you may need two devices; one to play the metronome and one to record) There are apps available where you can record yourself while listening to the click track through earbuds, then when you listen back to the recording, you won’t hear the click track. The point is that you sang it in time. One app I’m aware of where you can do this is Cakewalk by Bandlab. There are many!

Share the file: Make sure you can share the audio recording in a file format they can play. MP3s are the most common compressed audio file that can easily be emailed but most of our phones don’t automatically turn our voice memos into mp3’s. As a matter of fact, some phones will squash an audio file into some weird file type that sounds like crap (I have a Samsung and it does this!)

The most important steps for creating a demo for the above-mentioned purposes are making sure you have fine-tuned lyrics, melody, and song structure in a (mostly) set tempo. Following all of these steps will make you a dream client for your producer!

*If you want to pitch a song for use in film or TV (licensing/sync) then it needs to be a fully produced song. Do NOT submit demos to music libraries or music supervisors. They need finished products.

If you want to pitch your song to a music publisher, who in turn will pitch your song to artists, they will want full production in most cases. The artist may have it entirely reproduced but you have to “sell” them the song. You want to shine it in the best light possible. A demo would be needed for the creative team (producer, studio musicians, etc.) who will create your produced version for pitching. 

Imposter Syndrome Gets a Bad Rap.

We like to blame everything on that voice in our head telling us we’re not good enough.

But it hit me the other day that maybe we are so focused on ignoring any negative voices in our head that we are depriving ourselves of progress.

Lemme ‘splain

When I first started pitching my own songs to real professional opportunities for recording artists or publishing companies or to music supervisors, I got rejected. Over and over. Like….shut down, rejected. And it almost always had to do with my lyric writing. One of the gatekeepers suggested I do some homework and start learning how to write better songs. I was in shock! I had been writing songs since I was old enough to form sentences. I didn’t need to learn how to write songs! I already did!!

What happened next was that I got extreme writer’s block. I went from feeling like a confident songwriter who could simply say “I want to write a song right now” and out it would come. Someone who never had a shortage of new and unique melodies flow into her mind. Suddenly, it all stopped. The fear of writing something that would inevitably get rejected stopped my creativity completely. It was horrible and devastating.

And it lasted for six months

So, I bought some books and began studying “how” to write great songs.

What got me writing again was writing in a different way. Instead of allowing the melodies to flow, I started with a title. Instead of allowing the first rhyme that popped into my head to land on the paper, I purchased a rhyming dictionary (nowadays, you can just pull up rhyme sites online.)

But the most important thing that happened was I now knew where the bar was and my gut would tell me if I hadn’t reached it yet. Even now, my gut will tell me if something isn’t quite good enough. I’ve learned to listen to that little voice in my head that says, “There’s a better word out there. That melody doesn’t have quite the payoff you want. That’s close but not quite it. You can find a better way to say that.”

I’ve learned to really trust that gut feeling. It’s not meant to tell me I’m not good enough. It’s meant to tell me that writing something that has a better chance of connecting with other humans takes more effort. And it’s worth that extra effort!

We’ve become afraid to listen to that critical voice in our heads because we think it is there to hold us back, tear us down, make us feel like we can’t do it. But I propose that there are two different voices in our head (ok, maybe a LOT more than two for most of us but that’s a different conversation). One voice is actually realistic, non-judgemental but provides constructive criticism that helps us improve. The second IS that bad-guy voice that wants us to think we aren’t deserving or that we’ll never get to where we want to be.

What if we started listening to Voice One

Let’s call her/him/it  – Our Advocate. Our Mentor. Our Coach. Oh wait, hey, don’t we all need these in our lives to progress? Don’t we pay coaches and mentors money to keep us on track and nudge us out of our comfort zones? YES! Lucky us, I think we all have one of these coaches in our brain just waiting to help us be our best selves!

Our Coach will say

“I know there is something better in you, just keep digging”

“You are 100% capable of nailing this part, but you aren’t there yet. Keep at it”

“The world needs you in it. You provide value to others. Keep creating!”

Imposter Syndrome will say things like

“You’ll never be as good as…”

“You can’t do it, just give up”

“You shouldn’t even try, you don’t deserve to have success”

“How dare you think you could ever be as good as…”

Big. Difference

Learning to listen to the Coach in my head that motivated me to do better was a game-changer. Recognizing the difference between the Imposter and the Coach was critical to my moving forward and improving my skills.

So, yes, I think Imposter Syndrome IS bad. But in your head, you also have a voice that knows what you can do and can push you to be your best.

Listen to THAT voice!

 

The Four Dimensional Artist

Coaching singers for 30 years, I found that helping an artist become the best they could be went far beyond just good vocal technique. The best singers have other skills that are often not recognized as a skill by casual observers. Even more disheartening, these skills are often not developed in singers, even those working with a great voice teacher. It’s easy to get blinded by the flashy “money notes” or crazy riffing and put all of one’s energy into achieving that bundle of skills.

Yes, healthy vocal technique is essential as is the ability to hit those money notes and do the crazy riffs when the song or moment calls for it. What I’m talking about is the importance of singers developing a deeper skill set that goes beyond this. I like to think of these skills in four different phases or dimensions.

Dimension One

Vocal Technique

Breathing (breath support and breath control), placement, laryngeal positioning, vowel shape, diction, articulation, vibrato, resonance, connection. 

Work with a great “technical” teacher who has the ear and the knowledge to help you dial in a healthy voice. This process can take one lesson or several over the course of months but make healthy vocal technique the goal without getting distracted with American Idol auditions.

Dimension Two

Musicianship

Timing, pitch, dynamics, control, aural skills (intervals, tonal center, harmony, etc.), instruments, genres and basic music production understanding.

The understanding of nuanced timing is one of the great tools that a singer has, yet most singers I work with as a recording engineer really struggle in this area. The power you have as a storyteller by pushing the beat, holding back the beat, sitting on top of the beat, etc., separates the “good singers” from the “great singers”. Next level singing comes from developing this important skill along with the ability to improvise, create harmony parts, sing as a great duet partner by listening while singing and so much more.

Dimension Three

Performance

Engaging, stamina, believable, entertaining, connecting with the audience, making the audience feel, mic technique, studio recording.

I’ll always remember an experience I had working with a young, crazy talented singer. She sounded exactly like Christina Aguilera at only 15 years old. I worked with her in the studio, had songwriting sessions with her, I even watched her get into the top 20 on American Idol one year. Yet, we watched her flop time and time again. On the surface, it was easy to scratch our heads and say “What is going on here? Can’t people hear how amazing she sounds?” The truth was that deep inside, I knew what was wrong. She was soooooooo boring! Even just sitting and having a conversation with her was like talking to a wall. It was as if she had no personality. This was nearly 15 years ago and I have no idea where she is or what level of success she has had if any at all. All I know is that her vocal chops were among the best I had ever heard, yet her lack of engagement in conversation and as a performer pretty much stifled any progression in her career. Never underestimate the importance of learning how to “perform”. Whether you are in an interview, a guest on a podcast, an opening act for a local show, performing at an open mic night, or headlining a show. Every individual you communicate with as an artist needs to know you are there for them.

Dimension Four

Mind, Heart and Soul

Vulnerability, believability, peace, rising above, taking criticism in a healthy way, taking accolades in a healthy way, maintaining balance, running a business, being a non-Diva, love yourself, love others, always bring people up, mental and emotional health, overcoming limiting beliefs, overcoming stage fright.

The word “quan” comes from one of my favorite movies, “Jerry Maguire”. If you haven’t seen this moment where Cuba Gooding Jr’s character explains the meaning of quan to Tom Cruise’s character, google it now. The word means “love, respect, community…and the dollars too.”  There is no shame in searching for success with music. None at all. However, we can get so focused on what is or isn’t happening in our careers that we fail to see others around us and what value we can add to others’ lives with our talents. I am a firm believer in this concept of giving more than you take in the music community. It will come back around. Focus more outwardly and see what changes might take place in your life and your music career.

Most importantly, seek to keep balance in your life. Make a list of your priorities, including building your music career, your job that pays the bills, your family that needs to know you love them, etc. Make sure your day-to-day activities align with what is most important to you. If it doesn’t, make some adjustments. Are you carving out time for yourself and your mental health? Are you spending too much time “scrolling” and not enough time creating a content schedule, posting, and then getting off your phone? Whatever adjustments you need to make in your life, start tomorrow and create the life that makes you happy.

 

Six Things to Consider When Choosing The Right Producer

 

You finally have a handful of songs you feel pretty good about. You’ve analyzed them, performed them, played them for your friends and for your mom and got some feedback, made some tweaks, and feel ready to go to the next step.

Find a Producer

It is much easier to say than to actually do. First of all, there are sooooo many different types of producers. Not all of them do the same things or have the same skill sets. If you are surprised by that, check out this blog I wrote a while back explaining the five different categories of producers.

So, how do you even start looking for the person that you will entrust your musical vision and hard-earned money with to translate your non-technical gibberish into exactly what you want to hear when you play your song back from your car stereo?

The person or people who produce your music might just be the most important person or people on your team.

So why are you choosing your producer based on their price?

Because money is tight and you only have so much to spend on your music, right?

Believe me, I know this truth allllll too well. And while it is true you need to hire a producer you can actually afford (or will work within your budget), here are six other factors that you should also consider.

First: are they operating a professional business? Do they have a website with samples and testimonials? Does the copy on the site seem to be written by a 10-year-old or can you tell some effort went into their presentation? How about their socials? Are they professional when interacting with their followers? Are their posts appropriate for the music business? Read their testimonials, observe the way they communicate with others, notice how far back their testimonials go if you can.

Second: How does their work compare with commercial releases? It’s easy to listen to a friends recording that they did at home with “different ears” than how we listen to the next Arianna Grande hit. Would you say the quality is comparable? Or does it sound a bit more…” homemade”?

Third: Do you like their sound? Do they have samples of work they have done that fits your wheelhouse or genre? Have they said they can do your genre but don’t have any samples to show you?

Fourth: Is there chemistry between you in the first phone conversation? This relationship is like a dating relationship. You will need to “like” one another. You must be able to communicate. There must be trust and respectful honesty. Do they listen or speak over the top of you? Are they only interested in telling you how awesome they are or how many amazing credits they have or are they interested in how they can help you? Do they seem like someone you can trust? Yes, be judgemental!!! Just like you would want to do at least some screening before you hop into someone’s car, right? Trust your gut.

Fifth: What is their policy? Make sure you have everything agreed upon in writing (a legal agreement is best but at the very least, save emails and messages). Do they do “work for hire” agreements with no points? Do they want co-writing credit? What is included in their price (recording, mixing, production, mastering, musicians, etc.?) Do they limit how many revisions you can make? (This is a tricky one because many will argue why this has to be their policy to keep projects cost-effective and to meet deadlines. It is a valid issue. But from my experience, I want my artists to be 100% happy with their music and if that means I need to start over or make 50 revisions to the mix, then that is what I will do. That being said, if we start going down the road of revision after revision then there is obviously an issue with either communication OR lack of focus or both. I’ll stop the production and insist on a conversation before we move forward. Go back to #4)

Sixth: What expectations do you have of your producer and do they know what those expectations are? As there are many different types of producers, some are very interested in helping you develop your artistry all around, including your songwriting, your vocal approach, your branding, etc. Others are not, but only want to create your music and think that you have all of that already figured out. Some have an interest in helping you promote your music or find sync placements. Usually, they will only be interested in the back end if they are sharing some of the ownership of the song and will benefit from its back-end success. There isn’t a “right or a wrong” way but you need to know what to expect so that you aren’t disappointed.

Remember that your producer or producers might be the most important people on your team so do some research, have a lot of conversations, and don’t rush the process. Keep on going, friends!!

 

The Worst Kind of Fear for Music Makers

After thousands of conversations with artists, musicians, and singers, I’ve come to realize that the greatest enemy we all face as we pursue this career path in music is fear. Duh, you say. Yes, we all know this. Every self-help book or psychoanalyzing article will boast about how overcoming our fears will free us to become all we can become. There is the fear of failure. I get this one. Sometimes it’s easier to not try at all than to try and fall flat on our noses. There must be millions of memes floating about the internet about how many times so and so failed before becoming a mogul of some sort. We must like those memes because we all feel crippled by this fear of failure.

Then there is the fear of success. What? I do not get this one. But, to some, it is really the fear of a different type of lifestyle, or perhaps the fear of new opportunities (which equates to new opportunities to fail), or just the fear of new expectations placed on you because of your success.

But just recently I pinpointed the most dangerous fear…the worst kind of fear that is inside our musical minds but disguises itself as other things. It is the fear of what others think about us.

Here are some example phrases that I hear:

“I don’t want people to think I’m like…oh, watch me. I’m so amazing.”

“No, that’s dumb. I’ve never seen another singer do that.”

“I don’t really care what people think….(while saying, practically in the same breath,) I don’t want to be like that girl that acts like she’s better than everyone else”

“I don’t want people to think….”

“I don’t want to be like….”

“I don’t want to sound like…”

Get the picture?

What is it about music that makes it the universal language? Why does it impact humankind the way that it undeniably does? What do the timeless songs and iconic artists we love have in common? Music needs to come from a place of honesty, vulnerability, and love. I don’t care what your genre, your style, your message. If you are not coming from the heart, then no one will connect with you. Except maybe your mom.

Therefore, this fear of how people see you is completely devastating to our honest hearts. It’s as if you have this mean dude in your head, standing over you with a hammer. Any move you make or think of making, he hits you over the head and shouts, “No! That’s dumb!” “No! That’s ugly!” “No! That’s too pretty!” “No! That’s too girly!” “No! That’s not girly enough!” “No! That’s too edgy!” And on and on it goes. Do you see why this fear of other’s perception of us is the most dangerous of all? It blocks off who YOU REALLY ARE!!

It’s time to shut that mean dude up. Stop listening to him. Eventually, if you stop listening to him, then you will no longer hear him. I promise, if you come from the most honest, vulnerable spot in your heart, your music will “speak” to people. You will connect with people who need your music. You will succeed. The best part of all is that you can decide right now, this very moment to stop listening to that dude and pay attention to your own heart and voice. Do it now!

 

X