An Unusual Gift
Smash Mouth’s Steve Harwell (“Walking On The Sun,” “Fast Ball”) passed away in 2023. He was a blast to write with. Never a dull moment. Uncontrollably flirty, yes. Yet Tender. And tasty with words and melody. One does not want to write with ‘boring.’ You write with boring you get a boring song. Plus, he left me with a gift I’ll never forget. 🎄❤️💚
Songwriting Beyond 50
Don’t let this youth heavy music business make you feel like there’s no room for you any more. MAKE room. Tell the universe what you want. Believe you can have it. It’s never over. In fact it just may be beginning. Again. 💜
“You'd have to stop the world just to stop the feeling”
In writing sessions we pray for lines like these to drop from the sky. Lightening in a bottle. Sometimes, it’s obvious. Sometimes elusive. The sum up is as important as the title. It supports the whole ‘thesis’ of the song and brings the concept full circle. 💙🎶
Catching Up With Glen
Glen Burtnik, veteran songwriter, singer, musician and lefty is a lifer with a great attitude. He launched his career with Patty Smyth’s “Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough.” That was over 30 years ago. He’s never stopped. Have a look at and listen to what’s on his mind.
Songwriting With Your Honey
It was never a goal to be collaborators. We were both happily doing our very own things. It wasn’t until Covid, when we were all faced with the challenge of convening with other humans (or writing on Zoom — which I couldn’t stomach) that we turned to each other and said “I guess you’re it.” Hey, Barry and Cynthia did it. The Bergmans. Carole and Jerry. There have been hundreds of spousal collaborative teams. We were about to explore this conjugal dynamic.
What Was I Made For
Greta Gerwig could have chosen a funnier song or a poppier song or certainly a song that propelled us to the dance floor. Many other directors would have. But instead she tapped the right writers and got “What Was I Made For.” I applaud Billie Eilish and her talented sibling Finneas for the melancholy approach and Greta Gerwig for not trying to steer them in a safer happier direction.
Used To Be Young
I love Miley’s low range. Her dirty gravelly tone. I love that she doesn’t have to incorporate melisma-for-days to prove she’s a diva. I love that she’s an artist who’s comfortable with mistakes, vulnerability and growth. Selfishly, I hope she keeps on growing.
Musical Theatre Masterclass
Remember a few months ago when I said ‘Everybody is working on a musical’? It’s true. Well almost everyone. Some of us are working on two. Or three! After decades of pop-songwriting the Musical Theatre space is an understandable exciting pivot.
10 Songwriting Habits
Hello songwriting junkies!
I detest listicles and their clickbait intentions but I came upon a piece I wrote for Songwriting Magazine called “10 Key Phrases to Help You Tap into a Deeper Level of Songwriting Creativity.” The list is actually random brain farts 😜 that I didn’t think too much about. On the re-read however, I thought — ”Yeah!” So … I’m sharing with you. I hope you find something here that ups your game. 🎸🎶
Catching Up With Haywood
I am in AWE of Leah…I mean Haywood. She’s always had/still has it all. Lungs, writing AND production chops. I never had it all. I could never make a record without help. Aside from one track on “Pressure On My Heart” she wrote and produced the entire album on her own — A local sister truly doing it all by herself.
Hotel Cafe
Hotel Cafe is packed. If I don’t get Covid tonight I’m immune! Good for songwriters. Good for Hotel Cafe. Good for the music business that so many ppl came. I’m happy to be here but definitely feel some personal-space anxiety. Deal with it, Shelly. It’s gonna take a minute. I need to get back to the land of the living.
Still Co-Writing After All These Years
When I started out I was 20. Everyone else was 20. We liked to write about the same 20-something things. Now, I don’t blame anyone for being 20. It was great! It’s just that I have a wider palette now.
Can I Have Your Attention?
Pop songs are getting shorter and shorter. A recent report finds that by 2030 the average length of a hit song will be 2 minutes. That’s about half the length of what it was in 1990. James Shotwell says “it’s not about writing the most incredible song that anyone’s ever heard it’s about getting them to listen to it.” That’s a shame. Writing the most incredible song was always a fun goal. Something to shoot for.
Everything Is Material
I woke up totally devoid of my plot. Couldn’t write a note or a word. But an invasion of house-flies gave me purpose. It’s no wonder we lose the plot once in a while. Especially at the 7-month mark of isolation in our respective bubbles...yearning for some OPB (Other People’s Bubbles) and the state of our Democracy is in peril and not everybody believes that Black Lives Matter and we’re throwing water on our roofs in California.
What's It All About?
Barbra is an actress who sings…that’s how she thinks of herself…she has to understand the lyrics in order to know what she’s supposed to be feeling.
Jealous of "Jealous"
No matter what we bring to a party, we are attracted to collaborators who we believe will up our game.
