"The Craft and Business of Songwriting"
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Del Amitri has ‘em, so do Green Day, Neil Young, Collective Soul, Lou Reed, Train, and thousands more. They are songwriting skills, the words and music that blend together and what the business is all about. It is a craft that can, and must, be learned over time and through many experiences. What does John Braheny know about the craft and business of songwriting? Do a search on the web and a long list comes up, but nothing comes up about songs he has actually written. Braheny addresses this issue in the introduction on the first page. How did he learn what he knows? John Braheny started as the cofounder of the now retired Los Angeles Songwriters Showcase (LASS) eighteen years ago. Attendees originally included Stephen Bishop, Karla Bonoff, Stevie Nicks, Warren Zevon, Jules Shear and Wendy Waldman. He is also a songwriting teacher, talk show host, and consultant. Part One of the book covers the craft of songwriting. The first two chapters delve into creativity and inspiration and subject matter. Breaking writer’s block, developing good work habits and where to find inspiration are also covered. The next chapters continue on with tips on writing for individual media and listeners, writing lyrics, etc. The first part of the book concludes with music theory, composition and construction. These chapters are written for the novice and is a refresher for the advanced artist. The second part of the book is dedicated to the business of songwriting. If you’re already writing songs this is the best part of this book. Copyright guidelines are in the first chapter of part two. Braheny touches on everything from registration to online resources. The next chapter explains how the money gets to you. Licensing, methods of payment, BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC royalties are explained. Publishing and self-publishing are taken care of next. Of particular note are the chapters on demos and marketing your songs. These sections give great advice on organizing, where to start, how to present, how to get your foot in the door, researching contacts and how to get heard in a "No Unsolicited Material" industry. If you aspire to be a major league songwriter the two concluding chapters touch on additional markets such as film, television, commercials, etc. and getting a record deal or deciding to go the indie route. The book has an extensive appendix of trade resources giving web addresses and some phone numbers for industry organizations, performing rights organizations, tip sheet contacts, trade ‘zines, and other songwriting book sources. Overall this book is everything it claims to be. Most of the genres that are covered are extremely mainstream, however, the creative techniques and business legalities presented cross boundaries and are bound to improve organizational and writing skills for just about every level of songwriter. The John Braheny site has reviews for the book (of course) but, also there are short business and creative songwriting tips. The web site is basically a short preview of the book. If you like what you see there, you’ll love the book; its an excellent industry/educational resource! |
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