Songwriters in Seattle

Tag: songwriters

  • Song Critiques: Why You Need Them, Why You Should Do Them

    Song Critiques: Why You Need Them, Why You Should Do Them

    Song Critiques: Why You Need Them, Why You Should Do Them

    There are two crucial steps that many amateur songwriters overlook in their quest to improve their craft and take their songs to the next level. First, they fail to subject their songs to a critique by other songwriters, and second, they fail to critique their peers’ songs. Many songwriters are also singers and/or musicians, and often spend months or even years studying music and practicing their instrument of choice. But when it comes to the art and practice of songwriting, many potential songwriters don’t realize that the same amount of study will improve their ability to write great songs. That ability can be honed, in part, by having your songs critiqued and critiquing others’ songs.

     

    Why You Should Have Your Songs Critiqued by Other Songwriters

    It will save you time, money, and energy. Before you shell out big bucks to get a song professionally recorded, or before you even present it to a wider audience, it’s important to run it by other people. If your song is not getting the response you would like, there is likely some work that still needs to be done. If you are made aware of your song’s weak spots, you can find solutions to make it stronger. One person’s opinion is easy to dismiss, but if three or more people all point out an aspect of your song that they believe makes it weak, you should pay attention. No song is perfect, but even your best songs can be tweaked and finessed before you invest in having them professionally recorded, mixed, mastered, and distributed. Plus, you’ll discover that different people often have radically different opinions about your song – knowing what kind of people appreciate your work will help you focus your promotional efforts better.

    Your song is being compared to professional works. When you are presented as a songwriter to a wider audience, the expectations are a lot higher. Anytime you play a gig (even an open mic) or submit your song to someone in the music industry for consideration, your song is being compared to professional songs in the audience’s mind. Professional songs released by a record label have already been scrutinized and reworked – sometimes by dozens of people – before they are marketed to the general public. You usually only have one opportunity to catch someone’s attention with your song. If people don’t like what they hear the first time around, they won’t bother to tell you why, or suffer listening through revised editions. You’ll simply be ignored and left to sort out on your own why your work is not commanding more positive attention.

    You are biased about your own work. You naturally “critique” your own song as you go through the process of taking it from a nebulous idea to what you consider to be its completed form. You tweak your melody, edit your lyrics, and basically make sure you’re not embarrassed by your own work. But you have a blind spot when it comes to your song: it may have taken you hours, days, weeks, months, or even years to write it. You may have agonized over the perfect lyrical phrasing, the best chord progression to fit your melody, and whether or not to include a harmonica solo or a gospel choir between the chorus and the bridge. Any shortcomings your song has will be subconsciously diminished in your mind by how hard you have worked on it. You also know exactly how you felt and what you meant with each note you played and word you sang. But you have to play it for others to know if you really have communicated your musical and emotional ideas effectively.

    Your friends and family are biased about your work. Don’t get me wrong, friends and family are a crucial support system and often your most devoted fans, but they are not usually in a position to offer unbiased critiques of your song. They are predisposed to like your song, or at least give it a fair listen, because they like you. They probably don’t view you as a professional songwriter (yet!), so they are more likely to be impressed with whatever you produce. What’s more, if your friends and family are not audiophiles, songwriters, or musicians themselves, they will not be able to express an informed opinion. Let’s face it, most people don’t know their brass from their oboe, so the response will likely be limited to either “I like it” or “I don’t like it.” And while those opinions may give you an emotional high or low, neither response really gives you the kind of feedback you need to improve your song.

    The producer, sound engineer, and studio musicians you hire are biased about your work. Why? Because you are paying them. Many producers will often suggest ways to make a song better, but at the end of the day, the person who pays is the person who has the final say. They’re not going to suggest major changes to your song and then wait two months for you to do a rewrite when they could have money to pay their bills now. Besides, it’s not their job to make you a better songwriter. Their job is to make the songs you bring them the best they can be in terms of arrangement and sound mixing. They’re not going to turn away work just because they think your song is mediocre. And they are not likely to say anything negative about your song at the risk of you taking your business elsewhere.

    It makes you grow a thicker skin. It can be intimidating and emotionally draining at times to have others objectively scrutinize your work. After all, your song is a tiny representation of you and your creative energy, and therefore is dear to you. But your fellow songwriters are offering their thoughts on your song to help make it stronger. If you can take feedback from those who are genuinely trying to help, you’ll develop a thicker skin. And a thick skin is essential in the music business, where many people don’t have the time or desire to help, and don’t care if you succeed or not.

     

    Why You Should Critique Others’ Songs

    It creates good karma. You can’t expect others to critique your songs if you aren’t willing to help them in return. While you can avoid critiquing others’ songs by spending $30 or more getting your song critiqued via on-line review sites and self-proclaimed specialists, that stage usually comes after you have produced a good quality recording. If you want people to critique your songs before you invest heavily in recording what may turn out to be a “beta” version, you need to return the favor. Nothing in life is free, but reciprocal song critiques are a lot cheaper!

    You become more aware of your own weaknesses as a songwriter. When you critique someone else’s song, you’re not emotionally attached to it, so it’s easier to notice all the little flaws and inconsistencies. But the more you notice the flaws in other peoples’ songs, the more you’ll soon recognize it in your own work as well. And you’ll start feeling like a hypocrite when you point it out to someone else when you know you’re guilty of the same sort of transgressions.

    It helps you overcome your genre biases. You may have a soft spot for country tunes, an affiliation for aggressive punk rock, or prefer industrial death metal bluegrass, but studying songs in other genres will help you discern what makes a song work no matter what genre it fits under. Furthermore, you’ll begin to incorporate these universal principles of good song writing into your own work as you are more easily able to recognize them regardless of genre.

    It hones your ear to discern what really makes a song work (or not). It’s easy for a casual listener to be deceived by slick production, flawless musicianship, and powerful vocals, but a great song will still stand on its own even when it’s stripped of all those other features. Sure, a song’s delivery contributes to its overall effectiveness, but the best vocalists, musicians, and producers in the world can’t redeem a weak song on performance alone when the problem dwells in the very fabric of the song. As you critique more songs, your judgment will no longer be clouded by these peripheral elements. You’ll no longer confuse flawless delivery with excellent songwriting.

    It expands your knowledge of different kinds of songwriting. When you are exposed to songs by people who write in different genres and have different perspectives, styles, and approaches to songwriting, you’ll gain a wider perspective which you will then bring back to your own craft. Whether you’re impressed with another songwriter’s beautiful lyrics, unusual chord progressions, or syncopated rhythmic motifs, studying others’ work can further inspire you to take your own craft to the next level.

    It trains you to really focus on the problems so you can offer solutions. Remember when I mentioned that most people won’t be able to articulate a response to a song other than “I like it,” or “I don’t like it?” Well, when you really critique someone else’s song, you can’t say that (or you can’t say only that). In fact, your own personal opinion about the content or genre of the song is irrelevant. You must articulate what you feel works toward strengthening the song, or weakening it. Naturally, if you can find concrete examples of what you think works or doesn’t in a song, you can often find the solution to help improve the song. And as you start approaching all songs with that mindset, you’ll be able to view your own work in the same light.

     

    In conclusion, both having your songs critiqued by others and critiquing others’ songs makes you a better songwriter. Listening and studying your favorite artists’ best songs can be educational, but those songs are usually subjected to many critiques before reaching your ears. You were not privy to the process of finding the initial problems and working out solutions, and critiquing songs that are still works-in-progress will help you develop that skill. Good songwriting appears to be effortless. It’s only when you study your own and others’ attempts that you realize it’s a process of editing and refining with the help of several people’s ears and input.

  • SiS Podcast: Charlie Heinemann

    SiS Podcast: Charlie Heinemann

    January, 2012

    Charlie Heinemann
    Americana singer/songwriter Charlie Heinemann is interviewed by SiS Organizer Chris Klimecky. Charlie shares songwriting tips, songs from the album “Disheartened” with his band The Repeat Offenders, and plays a new song live.


    Click the play icon above to stream, or click here to download

    Click here to read more about this podcast from Chris’s blog archive.

    Subscribe to the SiS Podcast on iTunes

  • SiS Podcast: Jennifer Cadence

    November, 2011

    Jennifer Cadence
    “Sapphire Blues” pop artist Jennifer Cadence is interviewed by SiS Organizer Chris Klimecky. They discuss the origins of her unique pop sound, her new EP “Mr. Universe,” and she gives 5 music business tips all musicians should follow.


    Click the play icon above to stream, or click here to download

    Click here to read more about this podcast from Chris’s blog archive.

    Subscribe to the SiS Podcast on iTunes

  • Aug/Sept 2011 Songwriting Contest Results!

    Thanks to everyone who sent in entries to the Songwriters in Seattle contest and thanks to Brian Nelson of Paintshaker Music for providing the grand prize: 8 hours of studio time at Elliot Bay Recording Company.

    Congratulations to the winner of our August/September 2011 Songwriting Contest…

    CHARLIE HEINEMANN

    For his song “LA Is Totally Awesome”click this link to have a listen For yourself.

    Charlie Heinemann

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Judges’ Comment (by SiS Organizer Chris Klimecky): “This song has a great combination of a singable melody, a chorus I can’t get out of my head, brilliant phrasing, and a tight structure. Lyrically, the storytelling rides the fine line of cleverness, humor, and a touch of sarcastic attitude which always makes me smile while also making a subtle point about what is really important in life. Nothing outrageous or innovative, per se, just all the right parts executed extremely well.”

    There were many fantastic entries in the 33 we received – here are links to more songs our judges feel deserve recognition:

    Finalists:
    “I Am The Water” by Zoe Wick
    “Take Me Away” by Scott Burkhalter
    “Desert Highway” by Derek Medina
    “Sleeveless Season” by Jean Mann
    “Life is Alright” by Steve Church

    Other Top Picks:
    “Mr. Universe” by Jennifer Cadence
    “Just Fine” by KC Brakes
    “That’s When Life Began” by Bruce Hunt
    “Tale of a Missouri Girl” by Erin Jordan
    “It’s Time” by Cat Henderson
    “Morning Aire” by Leo Brodie
    “Heroes” by Randy Edwards
    “(My Meeting With) Mr. Vegas” by Jim Marcotte
    “Feeling’s Gone” by Lou Gopal
    “Chelsie Don’t Cry” by Segrid Coleman
    “The Wedding Song” by Andy “Roo” Forrest

     

    Archive of contest info and rules:

    Grand prize is 8 hours of studio time at Elliot Bay Recording Co. courtesy of Brian Nelson at Paintshaker Music ($550 value)!

    Elliot Bay Recording Company

     

    This contest ends Sept. 30 – See rules and submission procedures below…

    Aug./Sept. 2011 SiS Songwriting Contest Rules

    Eligibility

    1. You must be a Pacific NW Songwriters in Seattle member in order to be eligible.
    2. SiS Board of Directors and Employees/Associates of Elliot Bay Recording Company and Paintshaker Music are not eligible.
    3. Entries must be submitted by Friday, September 30.
    4. Submitted songs must be publicly and freely available on the internet via weblink. This is for your benefit! We will showcase and publicize you and your song to everyone if you win! MP3s submitted directly to SiS will not be eligible. Songs with any listening gate/restriction (for example, must sign up for a mailing list) will not be eligible.
    5. Multiple songs from a single writer are not eligible. Only the first song submitted will be considered.

    Submission

    1. Send a link to your song to contests@songwritersinseattle.com. If there are multiple songs accessible from that link, be sure to state specifically which song you are submitting.
    2. Only one song per songwriter will be accepted. It is okay if one artist performs the songs of multiple songwriters. We are recognizing and awarding the songwriters, not the performing artists.
    3. In your e-mail submission, please be clear about stating who the songwriters are (i.e. credits).

    Awards

    1. The winner will be determined by the SiS Board of Directors. All decisions are final.
    2. The winner will be announced Monday, October 17th at the SiS Monthly Networking Meeting at Cafe Allegro in the U District and posted here on songwritersinseattle.com the day after.
    3. Coordination and scheduling of the grand prize awarded max. 8 hours of recording time at Elliot Bay Recording Co. will need to be arranged between the winning artist and Brian Nelson of Paintshaker Music.

  • Release of “A Black Market For Mooncakes”

    Songwriters in Seattle is proud to present the new song “A Black Market For Mooncakes” – In Nov. 2010, 10 songwriters got together for an SiS songwriting collaboration event and wrote it based on just a short but inspiring few lyric lines! Those lyrics were inspired by a Sept. 2010 news article about a Chinese festival. So we have a little underground rebellion and celebration theme wrapped up in a Santana-ish Latino Rock sound. No, it’s not at all like the styles of any of the songwriters involved. That’s part of the beauty of collaboration – you can end up with something entirely different than you would create on your own.

    All credited participants include:

    Skye Hansen
    Julie Gwinn
    David Rix
    Todd Christoffel
    Jessica Lynne
    Chris Klimecky
    Jeff Hatch
    Kelly Smith
    Bill Derry
    Charlie Cabrera
    Derek Medina

    SiS Organizer Chris Klimecky arranged and produced the song with Jessica Lynne and David Rix contributing to the group vocals. This recording has now been made available for your listening and downloading enjoyment. If you download, please consider a small donation to SiS. Thank you!

  • Welcome to the New SongwritersInSeattle.com!

    Hello Everyone!

    This has been a long time in coming, but I am very proud to finally unveil my latest labor of love for Songwriters in Seattle: Welcome to our new home on the web at songwritersinseattle.com! Not only do we have a new look and tons of new content, but there is a whole new vision which accompanies this re-launch. We have shifted from a static “landing spot” for users to look at once and move on, to a dynamic community-building forum for all things related to our musical endeavors! This website will be an ever-growing resource for musicians as well as a place to contribute ideas, links, and discussion about our creative community and larger music industry.

    As you may be able to tell, I’m excited! I’ve put this together for you and will continue to contribute toward it’s growth, but I can’t (and don’t want to) do it alone. Anyone and everyone is invited to help generate “article” content. This could include commentary, reviews, links, stories…you name it – as long as it’s not just about you. If you want to advertise, we have a lovely sponsorship program. 🙂 Otherwise, offer something meaningful to the community and the community will give back appropriately. Often your best promotional tool is to be a trusted, consistent, and useful resource to others. This is part of the power of this new website.

    Maybe you already have a blog or you like to post articles on Facebook? Copy them here for additional visibility. Maybe you think of an “article” as a major writing endeavor – not necessary. Often the shorter the better. A link to a great article elsewhere with a few lines of your commentary is a good primer if you’re uncomfortable with longer form writing. At the same time, I don’t want to discourage in-depth articles. I know members of SiS who are great at detailed music reviews, helpful tips, and have deeper thoughts on the state of the music biz. These types of articles would be fantastic for songwritersinseattle.com and you’ll get the additional visibility for your work that you deserve! If an article really is exceptionally long, we’ll break it into parts for multiple releases, getting it even more attention.

    So, imagine the possibilities, then write to info@songwritersinseattle.com and request to get started. I’m really excited to see what we can do out here and watch our continued momentum skyrocket.

    Thank you, enjoy the new website and again, welcome!
    Chris