My Song Coach

A Shaky Start to a Successful Career

I recently discovered an inspiring, fun, informative website called OpeningLines.or g. This blog by Seth Fiegerman takes a look at the very first steps in the careers of the famous and successful.

There are names we all know—actors, musicians, scientists, educators, community leaders, and writers we admire. We don’t think of them losing their first talent contest or being told they have no aptitude for the field in which they later dazzle us all. But that—or some form of it—is what happens to many. So here are a few stories that might help you along when you start to doubt your songwriting career.

Nail a Vocal Performance

Whether you are singing your own song or hiring a singer, know what you need from a vocal performance before you start recording.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT A VOCAL

If you ask most people what they think a good vocal must have, they’ll tell you that it’s all about pitch. A singer has to sing in tune. They might occasionally mention rhythm, but it’s usually pitch.

Truth is, the most important thing about a vocal is how it makes us feel. A vocal performance that creates an authentic, emotional experience for the listener is a great vocal. That’s the only thing that really counts.

So, what are the elements of a vocal performance that are absolutely essential to making this happen?

Your Songwriting Career: Are YOU In the Driver’s Seat?

Picture your songwriting career as a car. Just for fun, let’s say it’s a Ferrari. It might not feel like one right now but that’s because it’s not going anywhere very fast.

It could be that your car is driving in circles, starting and stopping, or stuck in neutral. Maybe the driver is asleep at the wheel or doesn’t know how to get where they’re going. Wouldn’t it be better if the driver woke up, checked the GPS, took hold of the wheel, and harnessed the power of that amazing engine to get to a real destination?

You are the car’s driver. The engine that powers this car is your Energy, Inspiration, Desire, and Excitement. There’s plenty of potential there but unless the you have a real idea where you’re going and how to get there, the car can’t take you there on its own.

Start your engine

A successful journey starts with a clear destination in mind. Do you want to…

Have a career as a recording artist?
Write songs for other people to sing?
Write songs for film and TV?
Be a songwriter-producer?
Make money with your songs or write for friends, family, or your community?

Maybe you want to do all of these. Destinations can change, of course, but it’s a good idea to start your trip with one clearly in mind.

WRITE DOWN A DESTINATION YOU WANT TO REACH. If you can’t decide on just one, pick the one you want to go to first, then list the others.

The road starts at your front door. If you wait for someone to come along and pave a road just for you, it’ll never happen. You have to make your own road. At the end of this post, I’ve included four ideas to get you started.

The Power of the Kick-Off Line

Annnnnd there’s the kick-off! The ball is in motion. The players explode into action. The fans are on their feet. It’s the moment they’ve all been waiting for! That’s the power of the kick off.

Now think about launching a verse or chorus with that kind of energy!

A kick-off line can add a big shot of excitement to any section of your song. It can be the attention-grabbing opening of Verse 1. It can be the boost that gives your chorus a chance to really soar.

An effective kick-off line is a combination of strong melody and lyric writing. So, let’s check out some examples from a few big, contemporary hit songs to see how it’s done.

Should I Write Or Should I Listen?

Probably every songwriter reading this would answer: WRITE! We all want to spend as much time as we can writing our songs: moving lyrics and melody forward, getting them finished, and starting new ones. Writing feels productive. It feels like you’re accomplishing something.

But listening to songs is just… well, it’s just something you enjoy, something you do when you’re driving, or studying. In other words, something you do while you’re actually doing something else.

But what if I said that listening to songs is as important to your success as writing songs? What if I told you that you should spend as much time listening as you do writing?

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THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT A VOCAL

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Start your engine

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