The C-Word
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The C-Word

I have a theory: If we continue referring to music as “content,” we’re giving license and incentive to those it benefits should the language stick. I’m not saying that if we stop using the c-word we’ll suddenly prosper, but rather that continuing to give it cred is bad Karma. It puts a hex on our livelihood. The Universe hears us.

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The Fempire
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The Fempire

The members of SONA are by no means all women. But we did start out that way. On Friday night we received an invitation to Writers Block — an event hosted by a passionate new group of creators. By Writers Block they weren’t referring to a lapse of inspiration but rather what it is exactly that’s blocking the fair share of song royalties from getting into the pockets of the writers who write the songs. 

It was a beautiful evening and so, because many of us gals haven’t seen a lot of each other lately we met up pre-event at my humble abode (which I was able to purchase because of Pre-Streaming income), watched the sunset, drank some wine and talked about how to support this new coalition.

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House Concert
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House Concert

Maybe the part of our souls that gets caught up in a multi-tasking day to day grind longs for a more intimate under the stars experience now and then with some fresh air, twinkling lights and the company of a community (old and new) coming together through…music.

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Spotify Secret Genius Awards
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Spotify Secret Genius Awards

In light of Spotify coming to the table and negotiating a more equitable distribution of income with the songwriting community, Michelle Lewis and I, after receiving personal invitations, decided we’d go to the awards show this year. She called a babysitter, I got eyelash extensions, and off we drove to the Ace Hotel for what turned out to be an interesting evening… 

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We Did It
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We Did It

If music delivered to us by an invisible digital stream was here to stay (and don’t get me wrong, I love streaming—it’s versatile, convenient and an all-you-can-eat buffet), then laws had to change to bring digital royalty distribution into a digital age. But how?

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Happy Birthday, Kay Hanley
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Happy Birthday, Kay Hanley

Age is relative. I have friends who are 70 who are younger than others who are 40. They never lose their sense of wonder, curiosity and the capacity to be inspired. Their imaginations are alive and well. They’ll be young forever, at least at heart. I want to be one of them. Like Kay!

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Join The Noise
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Join The Noise

If the business model of 20 years ago was as it is today, that favorite song of yours...the one you sang to your baby at bedtime ("Surfer Girl" for me), or danced to at your wedding, might never have been written because the writer who wrote it might not have been able to sustain themselves long enough to stay in the game. Well, things are about to change. Hopefully!

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For Love Or For Money
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For Love Or For Money

There’s plenty of talk about how the music business is thriving and worth billions. It's all true except that those billions aren’t making their way to the pockets of the writers who create the product that make a music business possible. 

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#Us Too
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#Us Too

When it comes to the MeToo movement, Songwriters are not immune. As sole proprietors and small business owners, we are currently unable to unionize. We have no HR departments, no sexual harassment protocols, no real recourse. We only have each other. So where does a female songwriter (or artist or composer or producer) go when a line has been crossed? SONA is stepping up.

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The Room Where it Happens
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The Room Where it Happens

I love these young faces. College campuses. Skateboards. Limitless possibility in the air. I want to be part of the movement that helps make those possibilities possible. Perhaps it’s a different road than I traveled but even a detour should eventually lead to the same bliss, sense of accomplishment and livelihood.  

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Song Splits
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Song Splits

It’s hard to weigh a contribution. Who’s to say a hook is worth more than the verse that allows the hook to make sense? 

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New Rules
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New Rules

If you were a pre-digital songwriter you’ve been navigating a whole new terrain. If you’re still operating under Old Rules (as I catch myself doing on many occasion), you may be wondering why the plumbing isn’t working the way it used to. 

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Dear Santa...
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Dear Santa...

We don’t need material gifts, Santa….just some shift in the Universe that gives musicians faith in the idea that we, and the young people who will come after us, will be able to sustain ourselves and keep giving the world what they can not live without: music.

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Confessions.