DAY - 22

Happy Friday!  The weather has been fantastic this past week in Nashville.  Much needed sunshine.  We got a TON of rain this summer.    The week before Sue and I got married it rained everyday!  Hah, we were so nervous too because our ceremony was outside.  Luckily, the Lord blessed us with an incredible day...in more ways than just the weather!

Connection Photography 

Here's a cool little interview I read yesterday with songwriter, Bonnie Baker. A lot of useful info/advice in here.  http://chadshankmusic.com/2012/05/11/songwriting-qa-with-pro-writer-bonnie-baker/

Last night I heard from Fred Knobloch.  We finished up tracking on the new demo and he's starting to mix today.  If all goes smooth, we'll be pitching it in 2 weeks!  Time to get this one on the street, as Fred would say.

This morning I decided to reach out pretty high.  I contacted Combustion Music.   I can't even start to rattle off how many successful writers are employed there and how many cuts and hits are coming out of that office so I'll just direct you to the website.  www.combustionmusic.com  I sent an email to creative manager, Kenley Flynn.  Same type of "cold call" email I've been sending. We'll see.

I'm a little bummed because I haven't been having as big of a success rate with responses lately.  I realize it's the summer and everyone's getting their last minute vacations in, but come on people! Don't you know I have a goal here lol!  But seriously,  I am basically cold calling and the name of the game when it comes to cold calling is numbers.  Also, it's important that when the response does come...have the goods!

"Assume the A&R person you're meeting will have an appointment with Luke Laird right before you and Don Schlitz right after you.  If your song can't compete, put down the phone and pick up the guitar." Hit writer, Brent Baxter from his blog, ManvsRow

(manvsrow.wordpress.com check it out if you haven't already!)   

Regarding cold calls, they definitely can get you in the door sometimes, but nothing beats an introduction and a good old hand shake.  I need to work on getting more of those.

Have a great weekend!

DAY - 21

Looks as though Disney Music Publishing Nashville has done some re-staffing.   Patrick Clifford took over as VP of publishing and A&R for Disney Music Publishing Nashville.  Why do I care? If you've been following along since the first MI365, you'll know I've been trying to get "Heart On A String" (song I wrote with Fred Knobloch) to Disney.   The song is a light-hearted, beautifully simple, little throw-back, reminiscent of Randy Newman or even something Michael Bublé would do.  I know it's a slam-dunk for a Disney film.  The only issue is...no one at Disney knows that yet.

 Patrick Clifford took office at DMG this past June so I figured I'd try and make the connection while things are fresh.  Not to mention, after thinking about it, I would LOVE to write for Disney.  All the artists in their stable as well as up-and-comers, all the TV shows, all the movies!  I haven't spoken with any Disney songwriters yet to get their take on it, but I imagine it would be fantastic.  Especially for someone like me who is totally A.D.D. when it comes to sticking to one genre.  Let's get that foot in the door baby!  Or get it slammed in my face trying.

It's 10am and I'm staring at a couple unfinished songs as well as a great new hook with an empty page below it.  They ain't gonna write themselves!  Time to get to work.  Stay tuned!  

DAY - 20

Heading over to Fred Knobloch's this morning to do some more work on our latest demo.  The recording is sounding very cool.  We've taken this lazy Summer song to a place that both of us did not initially intend to go.  It's throw back vibe but it's fresh at the same time.  Looking forward to posting and pitching!

Cool news I forgot to mention last week.  I heard back from Bluebird Cafe and I'm booked for December 1st!  I played Bluebird back in March with my country/pop side project, Sweet Angeline and it was fantastic.  Packed house, music loving crowd!  The show "Nashville" is doing amazing things for the Bluebird.  Don't get me wrong, it has always been a line-out-the-door kinda venue, but now there's a line out the door AND down the street every night!   I'm pumped try out some new material on a totally new audience and be a part of one of the famous writer's nights.

Another piece of cool news.  I spoke with Jason Blume this week and we are pitching "20/20" to Rascal Flatts and Gloriana.  We've been waiting for over a year for Rascal Flatts to start looking for songs again.  Just got word that they're working on a new album so it's time to make that pitch.  Gloriana is another act I've been wanting to pitch 20/20.   They cross over into the pop/country world as well so it could be right up their alley.  Prayers being said.

Today I reached out to Ross Asher, Creative Director at Razor and Tie Music Publishing in Nashville.  I sent an email to introduce myself and let him know I am interested in meeting as well as co-writing with songwriters from the Razor and Tie stable.  I left some links to my music as well.  We shall see.
Have a good Wednesday.  Cheers!

DAY - 19

In response to having a great year. "I have felt permission to define success differently.  You can never control how many people are going to respond to you and what you do as an artist, but you can control how deeply you are present in your work."  - Steve Moakler


Through a random series of events I was turned onto this young, new artist, Steve Moakler.   I've only dug into a small amount of his repertoire so far, but everything I've heard is truly compelling. Check it out for yourself.  www.stevemoakler.com  Listen to "Wide Open".

 The quote above spoke to me particularly this morning.  I admit that sometimes as a writer and even as an artist I get clouded.  Sometimes I catch myself getting caught up with "playing the game" and being commercial.  My thinking becomes consumed with rules, strategies, and techniques.  Although all of this has it's place in the business, sometimes I have to remind myself to forget it and just be me.  I couldn't have said it more eloquently than Steve said above, "...you can control how deeply you are present in your work."  Write from the heart, right to the heart.  

Today I reached out to Kobalt Music Publishing.  Honestly, I noticed Steve Moakler has them listed as his publisher so right off the bat I got a good vibe.  They look like a pretty big company with offices all over the place.  After checking out the site, I noticed they have a branch in Nashville so I sent an email to that one.

 That's it for now.  I have to take my dog, Indy to the vet to update his shots and then off to Fred Knobloch's to work on our demo.  Cheers!

DAY - 18

I heard back from LeAnn Phelan. (refer to Day 16)  She offered to meet with me in September.  Cool right!?  Yeah totally, but I won't be here. :(

I think I may have mentioned earlier that I have to go back to Philadelphia for 7 weeks to finish my MA in Music at University of the Arts.  Obligations, commitments, always getting in the way.  Lol!  But seriously,  from Sept. 1st - Oct. 22nd I'll be back and forth from Nash to Philly.  My schedule will be so hectic and unpredictable that it makes it kind of impossible to schedule much during those 7 weeks.  Oh well, the show will go on.  Plus I'm pumped to get this program done!  I wrote LeAnn back, explained the situation and said I'd love to meet at the end of October.  

I read an awesome interview with Frank Liddell this morning.  Frank Liddell is a famous Nashville producer. (Miranda Lamber, Eli Young Band, David Nail, Kellie Pickler, Lee Ann Womack, and the list goes on and on and on...)  If you're an artist, songwriter, producer or just someone who likes to know what happens behind the scenes, check out the interview here http://rowfax.com/2011/09/the-producer’s-chair-frank-liddell/  

Today I reached out to Julie Stuckey.  Julie is the creative manager at Creative Nation. Creative Nation is a publishing company and management team owned by mega hit songwriter Luke Laird and his wife Beth Laird.  The company has teamed up with Universal Music Publishing and Pulse Recording.  Pulse Recording is responsible for songs like Teenage Dream, Born This Way, Dynamite, and many others.  If you've been following along you may have guessed that I reached out to this company because I noticed the potential for both Country and Pop opportunities.  They're a Nashville based publisher with ties in LA.   After doing further research on the company and the staff, I got a great vibe.  We'll see what happens.

Here's to the start of a great week!

DAY - 17

Sitting outside of Starbucks right now because the air conditioner is broken.  There's actually a hand-written sign on the door that says, "Warning our air conditioner is broken. It is VERY hot inside."  They aren't kidding!!  It's a sauna in there. Hot coffee machines, a barista, and multiple ovens all going at the same time.  I don't know how the folks behind the register are even functioning.  Total troopers.  On the upside, they're giving away free ice coffee.  

The session with Megan Redmond yesterday was great.  We finished up the tune in no time and started a new one.  As Megan said, "Press the Easy Button!".  Later on, I met with Jon D'Agostino at producer, Jason Garner's studio.  Detached garage in a beautiful area outside the city turned super-sweet studio.  As I walked in,  Jon was in the midst of demoing some new tunes.  Fantastic stuff! Immediately ear-catching and interesting.  Great songs, great music production, totally fresh and intriguing.   While I was there I also met Adam, one of Jon's co-writers.  When I walked in he was laying down the vocals for a song they co-wrote.  VERY cool voice.  Adam and I talked for a little as well and exchanged info.  From there I hit up the local Panera Bread to chill out a bit before picking up Sue.  While chowing down on a turkey avocado sandwich I got an email from hit songwriter Jason Blume.  He dug the new idea I sent a couple weeks ago and might have some cool ideas in the works for it.  Fingers crossed more to come on that.

This morning I reached out to the creative director for Magic Mustang Music, Keithan Melton.  Magic Mustang is an independent publisher that represents 18 songwriters including, Jason Aldean and Thompson Square.  I sent an email to Keithan to introduce myself.  Magic Mustang signed a deal a little while ago with Big Loud Bucks/Big Loud T-Shirt for worldwide administration.  Big Loud T-Shirt is hit songwriter Craig Wiseman's publishing company and it's one of the hottest on the row.   I keep saying it, but after being down here for an extended period of time you realize how small this town really is...especially the music industry. Everything is connected somehow.  Just trying to find my spot!   Stay tuned!

DAY - 16

This morning I decided to touch base with my PRO.  For the non-musician or songwriter, PRO stands for performing rights organization. (here's the wiki for more info http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Performance_rights_organisation)   I'm with ASCAP.  PROs are good for more than just numbers and figures stuff.  They're also places in which artists, songwriters and musicians can find support.  They can help open doors and offer opportunities such as industry nights, writer's nights, social events, etc.  If you can gain an ally at your PRO they can be a HUGE help!  I think about it this way...they WANT us to succeed.  Money in our pockets means money in their pockets.  They talk to the big wigs EVERY day and could potentially do anything from referring your name to passing along your music to setting you up with a writer's night in front of publishers and label execs.   My long-winded point is... I figured I reach out to ASCAP today and say, "HI!  I'm here. Listen to me. Help me...Help you!"  I didn't say it like that exactly, but I think that was the general idea.

I reached out to creative manager, Ryan Beuschel, senior creative director, LeAnn Phelan and head of creative, Michael Martin.  Ryan, LeAnn and Michael are three of the point people in the Nashville branch.  There are also branches of ASCAP in New York, LA, Miami, Atlanta, Puerto Rico, and London.

Off to finish up a great new song with Megan Redmond this morning, then meet Jon D'Agostino and producer Jason Garner this afternoon. I love this city.  Stay tuned!

DAY - 15

Yesterday afternoon I grabbed lunch at Edgehill Cafe on Music Row with NY born songwriter, Jon D'Agostino.  Jon and I met for the first time after being introduced by Nashville publisher/plugger Shane Barrett.  Two yankee songwriters in a southern cafe... we hit it off immediately.  I feel like Jon could totally be a member of my big Italian family.  Not only is Jon a successful lawyer in NJ,  but he's kicking butt here on Music Row as well!  Making the rest of us look bad!  I'll actually be meeting with Jon again on Thursday afternoon at producer, Jason Garner's studio.  Small world...I've been playing phone tag with Jason regarding new demo work.  Jon happens to already have a working relationship with him and just this morning invited me to their studio session this Thursday!  I love when little things come together so nicely.  

Last night, Sue and I went to see the amazing Suzie Brown and her hit songwritin' hubby, Scot Sax play at The Basement.  It was our first time at the locally famous spot and I have to say, really cool little joint. Dimly lit, open-faced brick walls, low ceilings, great sound, cheep beer...the quintessential rock club.  It was great to see Scot and Suzie here in Nashville!  The last song I wrote with Scot, "I'm Not Practice (Future Girlfriend)" has been getting great reactions with publishers/tv and film folks lately.  Fingers crossed we land that one somewhere.  I also met Scot's niece Allison Taylor, very talented singer/songwriter who just moved to music city as well.  We exchanged info and talked about future collaboration.

Another early morning.  Up at 5am, at Starbucks by 6:45am.  Got a lot of things done this morning.  I reached out to a couple booking agents including Margaret at Bluebird Cafe regarding playing again at a future writer's night.  The most random thing I did this morning was pitch a song to "American Pickers."  You know, Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz??  It's a long shot, but I sent over a rough demo that my co-writer, E.M. Street and I put together a while back to see if I could get a reaction.  Can't hurt.  Alright, off to Fred Knobloch's to finish up the song we've been writing with Sweet Angeline, co-writer Liv Devine.  Cheers!

DAY - 14

Last night me, Sue and my brother-in-law, Mark met up with some new friends to see the Jake Owen summer block party concert.  The concert was FREE and was held behind BMI in celebration of his new #1 hit, "Anywhere With You".   The place was MOBBED!  From crazy, drunk, college students to under-age high schoolers, to middle age music lovers.  It was hot, sweaty and packed.  Truth be told, we never ended up staying for the concert.  We sat in line for over an hour. When we got in, we stood and listened to a bunch of industry pro speeches. Then, we sat through another hour and a half of a DJ playing music and left literally right before Jake hit the stage.  We decided to listen to some of the concert from the street and grab a beer at the air-conditioned Irish pub next door.   I have to say, for me, the coolest part of the night was when the publishers and Jake Owen gave respects and the spotlight to the songwriters.   Ben Hayslip, David Lee Murphy and Jimmy Yeary, after being thanked, all took the time to say a couple words, thank their families, and thank the crowd.  It is amazing to me how Nashville truly celebrates their songwriters.  It was just as much their night as it was Jake Owen's.  Inspirational, indeed.  

Yesterday I had a great session with Kirk Penney.  We dug into a really cool idea with a killer melody and a fun vibe.  The sess was a blur...we pretty much finished the whole song in 4 hours.  Now it's time to look at what we did and see about editing, tweaking and polishing.  Looking forward to this one.  

This morning I reached out to 2 industry pros.  The first was producer, Michael Lattanzi.  I was randomly referred to Michael a while back while grabbing mojito's at a tiki bar in Long Island, NY.  Michael is originally from NY and has worked with major labels and artists like Jewel, Guy Chambers, Wilson Phillips, LL Cool J, Ryan Cabrera, and Russell Crowe.  He now resides in Nashville and owns/operates an incredible studio called Lattitude Studio South.  We've been in touch today and are planning on meeting hopefully next week.  

The second person I reached out to was Celia Froehlig, VP of Publishing for Black River Entertainment.  I emailed Celia a few weeks ago but haven't heard back.  Being that we've already been in touch about meeting and potential co-writes, I figured I show a little polite persistence, hopefully it doesn't come off as annoying.  I think there's a fine line between professional persistence and just plain annoying.  I try my best not to cross it.  

DAY - 13

"Because life is truly a mystery. Better than any book or movie. You're just bouncing along and the strangest thing happens, especially if you put yourself in play."  

-Bob Lefsetz 

Lucky #13.  I'm feeling good today.  I've been awake since 5am.  Today is Sue's first day of teaching at Curry Ingram Academy in Brentwood, TN and I dropped her off.  Since August 1st, she has had new teacher orientation.  I know, that's A LOT of orientation.  But this school is no joke.  Parents seriously pay $36,000 a year to send their kids there!!  I dropped Sue off around 6:30am, helped her load into her new classroom and made a beeline straight to Starbucks.  

I have a writing session today with the very talented Canadian songwriter, Kirk Penney.  Kirk and I wrote "Saying Yes" a while back and it has been getting some nice attention from publishers.  We actually had a request from a band called South Sixty-Five to record a demo of the song.  S65 was a country boy band signed to Atlantic Records back in 2001.  They've recently gotten back together and started working with producer and former All-4-One member, Delious Kennedy.  Remember All-4-One??!  "I Swear", "I Can Love You Like That", man...that was my childhood! haha!   So needless to say, it was pretty cool to get an email from Delious.  We granted them permission to demo the song but haven't heard anything back.  Long story short, Kirk and I are fixing to knock one out of the park today!

Being that I was up before the sun today I figured I'd use the time to get some quality research and networking done.  I checked into a couple new publishers here in Nashville.  One of which I thought was very interesting.  Cornman Music is a relatively new publisher owned and operated by MEGA hit-maker, Brett James. (Just google him)  The staff looks super talented and driven.  What interests me the most is that Brett has had success in both the country and pop markets.  I'm very interested in potentially getting a foot in the door even just to chat.  I drafted up a nice email to VP of Creative, Nate Lowery.  Fingers crossed he reads it and takes a listen.

DAY - 12

Last night, Holland House Bar and Refuge.  If you're in town and haven't been here...check it out!  On Thursdays, Happy Hour is all night.  $5 cocktails $2.50 beers, $5 food menu.  Not only are the cocktails $5 but they are seriously incredible.  Hands down the best Old Fashioned I've ever had.  The bartender is a "real" bartender.  Mixologist. Dare I say, artist? lol.  Not to mention hilarious.  Food is out of this world as well.  Parmesan Truffle Fries, Beer-battered catfish and mash, Nola's Buffalo Fried Oysters, killer burgers.  Best deal for food and drinks I've seen yet.

I heard back from BMG Chrysalis creative director, Daniel Lee and he sent me names and contact info for bunch of writers I should connect with.  Today I started combing through the list, checking into some of the artists/writers and sent out some emails to introduce myself.  Looking forward to meeting new people in town!  What a fantastic piece of information.  Props to Daniel for keeping such a great list of talented people.  Now it's time to plan for next week.  I have a bunch of cool sessions coming up just have to make sure everything is booked and scheduled.  Cheers everyone...have a great weekend!

OH WAIT!!  I almost forgot...   "Boots" hits radio tonight!!  Tune into Thunder 106 between 10:30-10:45pm if you're in New Jersey/Philly OR you can stream it live from anywhere on the website www.thunder106.com 
Apparently the radio station got wind of the video, loved it and they want to start playing it!!  Congrats to my co-writers Liv Devine and Gene Micofsky as well as everyone who was involved with making the video.  Cheers ya'll!

DAY - 11

Today I reached out to YEP Young Entertainment Professionals.  YEP is a group of 16 young music industry professionals in Nashville.  Most of them hold major positions at labels and publishers from creative directors to VPs.  I sent an email stating that I was looking to be immersed in the Nashville music scene, I listed some writing/performing credits and said I was open to any writers nights, social events or anything that they're hosting.   Since they're ALL about networking, I sent a link to the "Making It 365" documentary http://vimeo.com/58639594 .  It sounds like an amazing organization so I'm hoping someone gets back to me!


SHOUT OUT!!
My Sweet Angeline co-writer, Liv Devine just premiered a brand new music video of our song "Boots"  written with Gene Micofsky.   It looks fantastic and the song sounds killer!!  Proud to say I'm one of the writers!

Check out  "BOOTS" on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH3G4bryzDw

DAY - 10

Trendspotting 

The more I dig into the business of songwriting the more I start to make connections back to business school.  Yup, my first college go around was a Bachelor's in Business Administration/Marketing at good ole Hawk Hill.(St. Joseph's University)  As you know, I'm not a hit writer with platinum records lining the hallways and twin Ferraris in the driveway….yet. ;)  But, I'm a constant student of this art form and what I learn along the way I'm willing to share. Please feel free to share back! 

The most substantial thing I learned in marketing class was the importance of picking up on trends in advertising, branding, and media.  What I realized is that it's just as important when it comes to the music biz….and to laser in even further, it's just as important for us as writers and artists!   Let me explain…

Being able to predict trends in popular music is like predicting the weather.  However, being able to spot trends EARLY is, in my opinion, a huge asset as a writer.  Yes, we all understand that staying fresh and ahead of the curve is our job as writers and artists, but how?  DISCLAIMER: There is no substitute for authentic creativity, honesty and heart in our music.  That being said, trendspotting can help us understand what labels/publishers are looking for/pitching, what songs are getting cut and why, what our audience is enjoying, and ultimately help us get our songs in the mix, on an album and hopefully on the radio!!  I've been taking some time out of every day to study the charts.  At the moment, I'm studying the top 40 country charts. What do I mean by "studying the charts?"  I sit in my office, (aka guest bedroom, studio, storage room) hop on the computer and pull up Billboard's top 40 country songs. I start from #1, pull up the lyric and read it through.  Then, I Youtube the song and listen.  Finally, I read and listen at the same time. (some lines seem to take on new meanings when reading while listening) Then, I move down the charts and repeat.  Keep in mind, you can do this in any genre. I've done the same thing with Pop.  To REALLY zero in on what I mean by trendspotting, let's put the magnifying glass on Contemporary Male Country.  

"1994" by Jason Aldean. Written by Thomas Rhett, Luke Laird and Barry Dean.
"Now girl I know you used to the same old same
But we ain't floatin' that boat, no we ain't ridin' that train
Hop on my rocket ship and let's get outta here
Let me put a little shimmer in your atmosphere

Now let's get outta this town, outta this club
Girl whatever you're sippin' I'ma mix it up
Take a few tick-tocks off of your clock
Put a little Third Rock in your hip-hop
I got that..."

"That's My Kinda Night" by Luke Bryan. Written by Ashley Gorley, Dallas Davidson and Chris DeStefano
"All them other boys wanna wind you up and take you downtown
But you look like the kind that likes to take it way out
Out where the corn rows grow, row, row my boat
Floatin’ down the Flint River, catch us up a little catfish dinner
Gonna sound like a winner, when I lay you down and love you rightYeah, that’s my kind of night!"

"Boys 'Round Here" by Blake Shelton. Written by  Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson and Craig Wiseman;
"Yeah the boys 'round here
Drinking that ice cold beer
Talkin' 'bout girls, talkin' 'bout trucks
Runnin' them red dirt roads out, kicking up dust
The boys 'round here
Sending up a prayer to the man upstairs
Backwoods legit, don't take no shitChew tobacco, chew tobacco, chew tobacco, spit"

"Cruise" by Florida Georgia Line. Written by group members Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard with Joey Moi, Chase Rice, and Jesse Rice.
"Yeah, when I first saw that bikini top on her
She’s poppin’ right out of the South Georgia water
Thought, "Oh, good lord, she had them long tanned legs!"
Couldn’t help myself so I walked up and said

Baby you a song
You make me wanna roll my windows down and cruise
Down a back road blowin’ stop signs through the middle
Every little farm town with you
In this brand new Chevy with a lift kit
Would look a hell of a lot better with you up in it
So baby you a song
You make me wanna roll my windows down and cruise"

"Crash My Party" by Luke Bryan. Written by Ashley Gorley & Rodney Clawson
"If you wanna call me, call me, call me.
You don’t have to worry ‘bout it baby.
You can wake me up in the dead of the night;
Wreck my plans, baby that’s alright.
This is a drop everything kind of thing.
Swing on by I'll pour you a drink.
The door’s unlocked. I’ll leave on the lights
Baby you can crash my party anytime.

Ain’t a spot downtown that’s rockin’ the way that you rock me.
Ain’t a bar that can make me buzz the way that you do.
I could be on the front row of the best show.
And look down and see your face on my phone.And I’m gone so long, hang on. I’ll meet you in a minute or two."

"Helluva Life" by brand new artist, Frankie Ballard.  Co-written by Rodney Clawson, Josh Kear and Chris Tompkins
"Saturday night and a six pack, girl,
Big star shining on a small town world,
It's a helluva life, it's a helluva life. 

KC lights on a dirt road dance,
You take that kiss just as far as you can,
It's a helluva life, it's a Helluva life. 

And pennies make dimes and dimes make dollars,
Dollars buy gas and longneck bottles,
Beer gets a barefoot country girl swayin, 
To a song that's playin on the radio station.
Bad times make the good times better,
Look in her eyes and you're gone forever,Aw its a helluva ride... Yeah, It's a helluva life."  

Are you picking up on what I am?  The trend that I'm spotting in Contemporary Male Country is what I'd like to call, "Country Swagger".   It's all about the cool factor.  Fresh, new, catch phrases GALORE!  These songs make their singer sound "cool".  There are tons of trends starting in ALL formats, let's find 'em early and give our songs the edge they need and deserve!  Please let me know if you discover something new.  Thanks!  mynameisaugust@yahoo.com 

Down to Biz...

KILLER writing session today with Megan Redmond!  We came up with a super-strong concept and hook as well as the melody and lyrics to back it up!  It's truly one of those golden ideas that just spills out on the page.  Yeah yeah, I'm always excited about new ideas, but I feel like we have something here. We shall see.  More to come on that!  Today I reached out to entertainment lawyer, Rush Hicks.  Rush is a music biz veteran in Nashville.  He knows the industry in and out.  Not only is he the chairman of the music business department at Belmont University but he is also the lawyer for Black River Entertainment.  Rush came out to see the Sweet A showcase at Bluebird.  Today I decided to reach out and try to set up a meeting...lunch or coffee.  Great day! 

DAY - 9

Just finished an all day writing binge with J Fred Knobloch.  We skyped with Sweet Angeline co-writer Liv Devine until about 12pm and then keep writing on through til after 4pm.  We're wrestling with the lyric/melody on the new "old" song idea I was talking about last week.  This one isn't coming out as clean as I thought it would.  We tackled the chorus which is most important hurdle, now it's about getting into the nitty gritty.  I heard an interview with Toby Keith and he said he won't even continue writing a song unless he has a good chorus.  Agree? Disagree?  Either way, I guess it's working for him.  Anyway, we'll have to let this one simmer a little more.

Fred and I also started production on the demo for "Summertime Looks Good On You".  It's sounding really cool so far!  We actually changed the feel of the song from 6/8 to 4/4 for this version.  It's such a strong hook and overall lyric that we decided to get a little more commercial with the production and arrangement.  It's damn near impossible to get a 6/8 feel on country radio!  That being said, both Kellie Pickler's and Miranda Lambert's new singles are in 6/8. (or 3/4 ) Fred and I both still LOVE the original 6/8 feel so in the end we'll probably demo it both ways.  There's always something to be said about first instincts and having it both ways can't hurt.

Today I reached out to Brooke Arrington, creative director from Red Vinyl Music here in Nashville.  I met Brooke back in March when I was in town with Sweet Angeline for our Bluebird Cafe showcase.  She was the special guest publisher at a song pitch session at ASCAP.  She REALLY dug our pop song "Insomnia".  She actually said, "If that song was in my catalog I would be pitching it right now!"  Although Red Vinyle doesn't handle pop, Brooke knows her stuff so I wanted to drop a line to keep in touch.

That's it for today.  Tomorrow I have a writing session scheduled with the young and super-talented, Megan Redmond.  Stay tuned!

DAY - 8

My brother-in-law, Mark is in town and staying with us for the next week.  Since the weather is  overcast today, off and on rain, it's not much of a pool day so we decided to do some exploring.  We headed over to Centennial Park off of West End in Nashville to check out the Parthenon.  The Parthenon is a full-scale replica of the original one in Athens, Greece.  Unfortunately, we found out when we arrived that it's closed on Mondays.  Oh well, the outside is pretty cool.  Since we were already in Centennial Park we HAD to check out this little hole-in-the-wall BBQ joint I've been hearing about called Hog Heaven.  It was actually featured on Food Network's "Best Thing I Ever Ate"!   The place is known for the pulled pork as well as their unique White BBQ sauce.  I ended up getting the kickin' pulled chicken sandwich with white bbq sauce, slaw and pickles on cornbread cakes.  It was incredible!!  Mark got the pulled pork sandwich which was totally off the hook as well.  This place is a MUST next time you're in Nashville.

Before we hit the city I was able to get in a little networking this morning.  I reached out to Lisa Johnson, VP of Creative at Razor and Tie music publishing in Nashville.  Razor and Tie has offices in NYC, LA and Nashville.  The company is totally interesting for me because they specialize in Pop AND Country.  I write across all genres so naturally I'm looking for a publisher that can handle pitching both Country and Pop.  A lot of publishers typically specialize in one or the other so to find a cutting edge publisher that works in both is very cool.  I actually met Lisa about 4 years ago at the TAXI music convention in LA.  We chatted for a bit and I gave her my info.  I decided to reach out again today.  I'm sure she doesn't remember meeting me so I'm not expecting anything but who knows. There is also a creative director who works in the Nashville office named Ross.  I may try reaching out to Ross as well.   Like I was saying, these types of publishing companies are rare, so I really want to get a foot in the door somehow and show them what I have to offer on BOTH sides of the spectrum.

PS:  I just secured the domain www.makingit365.com!   Next time you read, plug it into the search engine and it'll direct you right here.

DAY - 7

Welcome to the weekend...almost.   I just dropped Sue off at school (new teacher orientation) and decided to crop out at the same Starbucks as yesterday.  Sue and I are unfortunately sharing a car at the moment because my Jeep is back in NJ still.  I drove the moving truck and Sue drove her car so I'm going to have to wait until I go back to Philly in September to pick it back up.  I was initially going to to rent a car but sharing hasn't actually been that tough.  I drop Sue off in the morning, do my thing and pick her back up.  

As I was saying, I just popped in Starbucks to get some networking done.  I figured I'd jam pack the morning with networking because I have a writing sess with J Fred in about 30min at 10am and later tonight my brother-in-law, Mark is rolling into town to spend a week with us!  It's gonna be a blast having him here!

This morning I reached out to Daniel Lee at BMG Chrysalis, a major publishing company.  Daniel is the creative director and we had been in touch during the first go around of the blog.  I've stayed in touch ever since and today sent an email to let him know I made the move.  Also, my hard drive totally crashed in April and lost EVERYTHING including the list of up and coming writers that Daniel sent me.  I emailed him to see if he could forward over that list again and potentially meet and grab coffee.  Daniel is a young publisher and I would love to get his fresh look on the industry here in Nashville.  As a newbie to town, I'm trying to load up on information.

Alright I am running out of time,  gotta get to Fred's.  Have a great weekend.  Cheers!

DAY - 6

Home sweet Starbucks.  This happens to be the first post of "Chapter 2" written in a Starbucks.  Over half of the last blog was written in a Starbucks Coffee House somewhere in Philadelphia or New Jersey... and I don't even like their coffee that much!  Ok ok, I admit to liking some of the foo foo drinks, but my old standby is the Americano, cream, lightly sweetened, with a touch of cinnamon.  Right now I'm sitting in the Bellevue Starbucks off of 70 and Old Hickory in TN. Great wifi!

Just got done a writing session with J Fred Knobloch and my Sweet Angeline co-writers, Liv and Tyler.  We started digging into an older song idea.  Very cool title, very cool direction.  Today we spent most of the time trying to firm up the execution.  The past 2 days I did a ton of pre-writing for this one so in Fred's words, "There's a lot of meat on the bone".  Now we just have to trim the fat, season it up and make sure not to over cook it. (Apologies for the the lame steak metaphors, I'm just really hungry right now) I'm working with Fred again tomorrow.  We'll probably touch on this one a little as well as one we finished about 2 months ago called, "Summertime Looks Good On You".   Fred's already been playing it at his monthly Bluebird Cafe gig and getting great response.  Looking forward to demoing it so you can take a listen.

Just a side note...

If you're a songwriter, check out this blog manvsrow.wordpress.com .  It was started a couple weeks ago by hit songwriter/lyricist Brent Baxter.  Very cool blog with great advice both in the craft and in the business of songwriting.

Down to business... 

Today I emailed the general manager of Big Tractor Music, Clay Myers.  Clay is another publisher that I had been in contact with in March.  He told me to contact him when I got to Nashville because he was interested in hearing more of my music!  Hopefully we set something up.  Now it's off to hang with producer/mixing engineer/songwriter and my new friend, Tommy Carnes at his studio in downtown Franklin.  From there, it's dinner and drinks with our lovely brides.  Cheers!

DAY - 5

Have you ever heard, "Come From the Heart'"?  It's a song written by Richard Leigh and Susanna Clark and performed by her husband Guy Clark.  I'm sad to say I only discovered it last week.  What a beautiful song I was missing out on for all this time.  It's poetic, honest and stripped down folk/country, recorded by Guy and Susanna in 1988.  I swear, SOO many bumper stickers and cotchkies with sayings on them came from this song!  If you haven't heard it, just google it...make sure you listen to the Guy Clark version...there are a few others out there.

Productive morning already!  I reached out to Nashville song-plugger and producer, Shane Barrett to say hi, touch base and let him know I made the move.  Shane was nice enough to get back to me and offer some co-writes with some of his writers!  Speaking of which, I'll be writing next Wednesday with the incredible, Megan Redmond (check her out...this girl is a rising star!)   More to come.

I also reached out to NYC Downtown Music publisher, Jeremy Yohai.  I met Jeremy about 2 years ago through Scot Sax. (Scot Sax is a hit writer from Philadelphia and Downtown is his publisher)  I've since written 2 songs with Scot that Downtown has picked up for pitching.  I touched base with Jeremy and let him know I'm in Nashville in case he has any writers down here that I could work with. Downtown is such a HUGE company I'm sure there is some common ground here in the south.

Alright it's almost 11:30CST... time to start writing.  Can I get a damn piano down here!?  I love my guitar but I'm totally missing my ivories.

DAY - 4

Last night I had a writing session at Fontanel Mansion with the very talented, and super friendly, Steven Whitson. (Check out his new album "The One" on iTunes)  I met Steven about 4ish months ago when me, Sue and the in-laws took a tour of mansion.  He actually works at Fontanel, and we got to talking about writing.  He asked me if I'd want to write one day at the mansion after business hours.  I said, "Hell yeah!"  Fontanel Mansion is a sprawling 27,000 square foot log cabin that was built by Country Music Hall Famer  Barbara Mandrell and her husband.  Sitting on 136 acres of land, it's the largest log home in the world! (If I'm not mistaken)    check it out! www.fontanelmansion.com

Steven is fortunate enough to write virtually all of his music in the log home...either in the MONSTROUS great room or out on one of the many "pickin' porches"(balconies) that overlook the property.  We ended up writing in the great room.  The acoustics were heavenly.  After working through a bunch of ideas we got started on a keeper.  Collaborating with Steven was a blast and I can't wait to go back and finish the tune!  Some pics below...

I could hardly sleep and woke up really early this morning.  I have so many different song ideas and lyrics piling up in my head that it's hard to get some quality shut-eye.  Every time I wake up, I'm humming something and wrestling with the words in my head.  One thing leads to another and I've been up for over an hour, in the dead of night, staring at the ceiling.   I guess for a songwriter this is a good problem to have?  This morning I gave into the muse, got up early and started writing while still half asleep.  Surprisingly enough, I was actually coherent.  After downing a couple cups of much need caffeine, I hopped online and emailed Carrie Gallo.  Carrie is the new creative director at Cal 4 Publishing.  I met Carrie back in March when she came out to Bluebird Cafe to see my vocal group, Sweet Angeline and J Fred Knobloch do a showcase.  I followed up after the show and she told me to keep in touch.  Today I reached out and tried a new strategy.  I told her about one of my really strong song ideas and asked if she might be able to set me up a co-write to help knock it out of the park.  By strategy, I don't mean a way to trick someone into getting back to me.  What I mean is that it's a professional approach that will hopefully yield professional results.  As an unsigned writer, I'll keep trying everything I can to get my foot in as many doors as possible with the hope that someone will invite me in for the party :)

DAY - 3

Hotlanta baby!  Very cool city!  My wife Sue and I took our first little road trip as southerners down to Atlanta, GA this weekend.  For Sue's b-day, back in May,  I bought her tickets to see her all time favorite band Matchbox 20 at Aaron's Amphitheater at Lakewood in Atlanta.  It's about 4 hours from Nashville, but the drive is beautiful...especially riding through Chattanooga, TN.  Nothing but lakes, rivers and rolling hills made the 4hr road trip fly by.  As for the concert, it was blast from the past!  Two HUGE 90's bands on one bill.  Matchbox 20 shared the stage with the Goo Goo Dolls.  It was a great show.  The Goos opened it up and played ALL their hits.  The highlight was when they played their first radio single, "Name".  The crowd went nuts! That song hasn't left radio and it still gets me like the first time I heard it back in middle school.

Although the GGD were great, there was no doubt that this was a Matchbox 20 show.  The energy in the 19,000 seat, sold out Amphitheater exploded when Rob Thomas and the band hit the stage.  You might be rolling your eyes thinking, "Really? Matchbox 20?"  I'm telling you, I've always appreciated the band and respected what they do, however, to see them live, 17 years after their first single, truly changed my perspective.  I left as a fan. They were phenomenal!  Rob Thomas has a voice of steal, sounding just as good, if not better than the albums.  Kyle Cook, the lead guitarist blew me away.  He was flawless and truly a rock star on stage. The band as a whole was in the pocket all night.  They sounded like they were 20 something years old at the height of their career.  It was very impressive and inspiring.  Sue, of course loved it.  I think the only guy she would ever leave me for is Rob Thomas...luckily he's happily married (knock on wood ;) )

Today I hit it hard.  Writing all morning, working on new ideas and fleshing out old ones.  I reached out to LeAnn Phelan, co-head of the creative team at ASCAP.  I met with LeAnn back in March and  kept in touch.  She offered to meet with me again when I got to Nashville so needless to say, I contacted her today to take her up on the offer.  More to come...tonight I have a writing session at the beautiful Fontanel Mansion with writer/artist Steven Whitson.  Stay tuned for the details tomorrow!!

DAY - 2

Technology, a blessing and a curse.  It's great when it's working, but when it doesn't, it makes you want to throw your computer at wall!  The lovely people at Xfinity have been a joy to speak to on the phone.  I spoke with someone in India, South America, New Jersey and finally someone from Tennessee.  After an hour or so of touring the world by phone, I was finally connected to someone local.  To their credit, once I got the right person on the line they sent a technician out right away who got here within 20 minutes!   Fingers crossed, internet is fixed and we're through with the spotty service.  

Last night Sue and I went out to the Listening Room downtown to check out some music.  

The place is cool…open-face brick walls, high ceilings, good food, cool local beers and the music last night was totally up to par.  

The only disadvantage was the sound.  It's hard to listen to original music with bad sound.  From what I understand, sonically speaking, the place is usually great.  It was probably just an off night.  Regardless, this morning I reached out to the booking agent to see about booking me for a writer's night.  

This morning, I also took the time to scan through all the Nashville connections I made over the past 2 years and put together a follow up list.  I also began researching and put together a new contact list.  Throughout the first couple weeks I will be following up with all the contacts I've made thus far.  When I used to sell mortgages for a short period of time my boss would always tell me, "Even more important than the initial contact is the follow up." Although that job was very short lived, I'll never forget that little nugget of wisdom.  Today I followed up with Natalie Harker, originally from Cal 4 Music Publishing, now the creative director of Liz Rose Music.  I sent an email seeing about co-writing with one of her staff-writers.  Now that I'm in town, my first goal is to expand my network. Speaking of which, if you know anybody in Nashville that I should try to connect with let me know! mynameisaugust@yahoo.com 

Cheers!

DAY - 1

August 1st, 2013.  Exactly two years from the start of 'Making It 365', the year long journey that has brought me to where I am sitting today…Nashville, TN.   If you scan back to last post, you'll see that I have not been good at updating.  That is going to change today.  Honestly, you haven't missed too much…new songs, a couple meetings, a few single-song pub deals, a jingle, a showcase at Bluebird cafe, the official move to Music City…oh, and I got MARRIED!  Still one fact remains, no hit songs, no exclusive publishing contract and no record contract.  With the encouragement of my wife, Susan, today I embark on a new journey.   Maybe "new" isn't exactly the right word.  I think "Chapter 2" more aptly describes my initiative.  This blogging adventure will follow the same guidelines as the first(as seen above).  

However, this blog will be coming to you straight from Nashville, the hottest major music city in the country, at the moment.  

This morning I read an interview with songwriting legend, Guy Clark.  Regarding the craft of songwriting and the music biz in general, he said three things that resonated with me, 

"it takes discipline, pure inspiration, and natural-born talent".  

I know I possess varying degrees of all three, however the one that I struggle with the most is discipline. Making a point everyday to send an email, make a phone call, go to a show, write a song, etc. That is a BIG reason for beginning Chapter 2. 'Making It 365' holds me accountable.  Whether 10 or 10,000 people read this, I have an obligation to this goal and to myself and by putting it out there, it becomes real and tangible. In this blog, I will again document my successes, failures and lessons learned while trying to 'make it' as a published songwriter/recording artist in Songtown, USA.  Without further ado I present, 'Making It 365: Nashville".

I've only been here for a month but this city is electric!  

The friendly people, the live music, the rockin' bars, the AMAZING food, the nightlife, there is ALWAYS something to do.   The city is experiencing record growth and what some are calling the birth of a golden age.  Like Sue and I, there are so many transplants.  It almost feels like a mini NYC.  Since returning from my honeymoon, I've been writing music non-stop.  The muse has been present and the ideas are pouring out of me like a leaf jammed gutter in a rain storm. Just finished up a beautiful song this morning via Skype with long-time friend and co-writer, E.M. Street.  Looking forward to getting some feedback on this one and eventually doing a demo.  I kicked off the networking with an email to Celia Froehlig, the VP of publishing at Black River Entertainment.  I had been in touch with Celia regarding meeting when I got situated in Nashville.  I sent her an email touching base about being in town and looking forward to meeting and potentially co-writing with one of her staff-writers.  That's it for today…it is 12:45CST and my guitar is staring me in the face.  Cheers! It's great to be back!