My Letter of Encouragement for You
I had an extremely talented, ambitious, and sweet girl reach out to me recently about breaking into the music industry. I wanted to share this little letter I wrote with you since so many of her thoughts and struggles related to me so much (and I knew could relate to you!).
Here's me!
I had an extremely talented, ambitious, and sweet girl reach out to me recently about breaking into the music industry. I wanted to share this little letter I wrote her with you since so many of her thoughts and struggles related to me so much (and I knew could relate to you!). I don't know if any of you may be living in smaller towns or getting lots of different advice (from possibly unqualified advice givers ;) ) about how to join the music industry, but I wanted to share a bit of what I have learned from being in a similar place in high school/ college. At the time, everything seemed like a very vague and daunting path to get where I wanted to go. Here's a letter I wrote to her, and now to you if you are in that same spot:
Even a year ago, I felt really stuck thinking about how music would look in my life as a career, and it kinda stressed me out a lot when I thought about where I was currently and the fuzzy idea of what I wanted my life to look like. But you have everything you need to be doing something in music right now!
It wasn't until about two years ago that I got over some of my fears of not being "good enough" and decided to really go for exactly what I wanted to do (which is be a guitar player, encouraging other people with their music through lessons and my blog). It has been the most exciting time in my life!
If I could give advice to you from what I wish I would have known:
1) Just because other people are doing something you want to do, doesn't mean there is no room for you. There is always a need for more music and people in the industry, and only you can be you and contribute your specific gifts. Someone might connect with the way you do things differently than with someone else.
2) You don't need school, but the connections you make there help a lot! I am not very "school" type of person. I had an amazing experience going to Belmont, but there is no formula or one way that will get you to your goals. Things that work for someone won't work for someone else, so don't let anyone make you think there is this certain path you have to follow. Being gritty, not giving up, and being a problem solver are way more important than any one thing you will do.
3) I didn't know what I wanted to do until last year, and most of my close friends still don't know. I thought about it so much, but really the only way my friends and I have learned what we want to do is by trying a lot of different things (and failing at a lot!). I think the most important thing is really going with your heart (at risk of sounding super cheesy) because then you will keep getting closer to what you truly love, rather than just what other people tell you to do. Also, going for things you think are too far out of your reach can help you get on the right path and you will be amazed when things do work out.
4) Remember you do have a purpose and a lot of value to add. I spent a lot of time worrying that I didn't have a special enough story or that something about me would be not as good as other people. I don't know what your faith is, but personally, I prayed a lot that God would somehow give me a purpose, and I somehow felt him heal a lot of my insecurities and help me realize I am enough. So just keep that in mind that you are so special, and no one else can add what you will!
5) Write down your options. Having planning sessions with myself and letting myself dream and kind of working backward from where I wanted to go was helpful to get some action steps in place!
I also just listened to a podcast that this book was mentioned and loved what the author had to say! I haven't read the book yet (oops) but HERE is the link!
I hope that helps a little if you were thinking about looking into playing or even working in the music industry!
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Navigating the Music Industry with NSAI
Read about how my friend Morgan got an awesome job in the music industry and learn how you can too!
For those of you who don't know, NSAI stands for Nashville Songwriters Association International. It's an amazing organization whose mission is to "committed to protecting the rights and future of the profession of songwriting and to educate, elevate and celebrate the songwriter and to act as a unifying force within the music community and the community at large."
I met Morgan through a group through my church that was focused on the workplace. We all bonded through it and Morgan was just getting her new job then! I got to catch up with her recently to talk about her advice for all you who may be interested in working in the music industry or becoming professional songwriters!
Something I love about Morgan is her ability to put one foot in front of the other and try something new! There have been so many times that all my thoughts will well up and create a barrier that keeps me from trying something new - the things I want to do seem impossible! If this is true for you too, keep reading!
Recently I heard the phrase “Just because one door closes doesn’t mean they all are closed.” This is so true, but sometimes discouragement can stop us from trying to go through other doors. I wanted to do this interview with Morgan 1) because NSAI is such an awesome non-profit company I wanted you all to be able to learn and benefit from it, and 2) I wanted to share the encouragement from Morgan who is winning in both her career right out of college and her positivity toward life!
1) How did you land such an awesome job in the music industry right out of college?
Internships! Morgan believes getting internships is entirely possible without getting a degree in something music related, or being in school at all. Turns out, offering to work for free isn’t as hard as we all thought! Nashville is filled with buzz-phrases like “it’s all about who you know,” which can make getting your foot in the door more intimidating if you don’t know a lot of people yet. Morgan, a college student at the time, wasn’t surrounded by a huge network of people working in the industry (yet) and started simply, by going to the websites of companies she admired and emailing them. The majority didn’t even require her to be a student! Slowly companies began saying yes to her requests for internships which eventually lead to the job she has today!
2) What made NSAI stand out to you?
NSAI is unique in that it’s the only business on Music Row that has an open door policy to songwriters (most have some kind of security set up to keep people from dropping by to pitch their music unannounced). The company only has about 12 employees (the majority female) and they help everyone form the just- moved-to- Nashville-a- week-ago writers to the long time pros looking for new co-writes. It’s only a small price for the mentoring and connections its members receive, and it helps them with one-on- one career coaching, setting up co-writes, pitch-to- publish practice, and meeting other people in the exact same spot they are.
3) How much of a role does confidence play in becoming a songwriter/singer songwriter?
Believing in your music will go a long way in getting you to try new opportunities like walking into NSAI or setting up a co-write. It takes a lot of time and dedication to become a professional songwriter. Since there are fewer jobs in general in songwriting and music publishing, publishing companies have to be a lot more selective and almost all music industry professionals“date” songwriters before officially agreeing to have them sign a deal. My personal advice to sticking out your music industry dreams? Really figure out your why and the people who need your songs- it will help sustain you through the tough times, especially knowing that you have a bigger purpose than just getting a publishing deal. Morgan also says you have to feel out when it’s appropriate to have your confidence shine though, as some Nashville musicians can toot their own horn a little too much and turn people off from wanting to write with them!
4) What is your personal advice for someone wanting to pursue a career in songwriting?
Write with EVERYONE and ANYONE! It takes practice to be a good songwriter and to get a publishing deal; you have to have a strong relationship with the publisher because the industry is so much more about writing great co-writes and consistently coming out with great new material than it is writing one good song that will get famous. Also write with people on the same professional level as you. Morgan says
" In high tide, all boats float,"
meaning you will all help each other be successful! Often, people think if only they could write with a hit songwriter, then they too would be seen as a hit writer. In reality, a lot of publisher and labels will instead assign the credit for why the song is great to the hit writer, rather than you as well. So try to get out there, write with everyone you can, have A LOT of endurance (the kind that lasts for like 10 years), and enjoy the process and writing rather than just trying to write hits!
I hope this was helpful for you! If there's anything you want to know more about, contact NSAI here! Taking you as always for taking the time to stop by and read!
Songwriting 101 with The Listening Room Cafe
Get the inside scoop on successful songwriting from the guys behind the Listening Room Cafe.
If you want to consistently hear amazing “Made in Nashville” songs, The Listening Room Cafe is your spot. I was able to sit down with Chris Blair (Listening Rooms' Owner/General Manager) and Chase Armstrong (Listening Rooms’ Music & Booking Manager) and talk to them about their experiences at the venue that plays host to some of the best songwriters in Nashville. You can read more about why the venue was started here.
I love their emphasis on authenticity and story telling in both performing and songwriting—this is so necessary in the country music industry, where it’s easy to fall into writing songs that fit into the stereotype. I wanted to share with you their insight on the music industry and songwriting (and note that I paraphrased their answers into my own words).
Best Things You Can Do When Performing at a Writer’s Round
Be real (starting to see a theme here?). They said people love when writers tell the backstory of what inspired the song (this is especially great if the song’s a little more out there). The connection people feel with a song is why they are so drawn to writers' nights, and they especially love to see the person who experienced these stories play. They said you can really tell the difference between someone who is writing a song because they want it to fit with other songs on the radio and the songs that songwriters write out of life experience.
Photo: Music City Mike
When you are on stage, confidence and being comfortable with the audience (or at least pretending you are!) is crucial. One way you can show your confidence is in your reaction to forgetting the words to your song. The Listening Room has a lot of songwriters who forget the words to freshly written songs all the time, as they will use the venue almost as a practice for trying out new songs. Owning it, laughing it off, and starting over is definitely the best way to go about forgetting your words. Just don’t make it weird and try to pretend it never happened. And definitely don’t start trying to make up your own words (but props to you if you can do that).
Chris jokingly mentioned you should also try to bring a crowd that can buy drinks to your show- this is super important though! When you as a songwriter think about who is fueling your career, it’s places like the Listening Room. They can’t pay you unless people are coming to their venue and buying food or drinks. I once heard money is the fuel that makes your car go—though this isn’t the why behind songwriters or venues, both need to make money to keep doing what they are passionate about (that’s some of my personal input anyway)!
If you could give advice to someone trying to be a professional songwriter right now, what would it be?
Though they said it’s not IMPOSSIBLE right now, it’s no longer a realistic career goal for about the first 10 years of trying to be a songwriter. The royalties (the money the songwriter and publisher make when their song is bought or played) a writer gets are just so small since Spotify and other streaming services have become popular. Even if you write a hit song on the radio, you won’t necessarily get a lot of money. They said the top 10% songwriters in Nashville are the only ones who are making a full time living off of writing, and you will probably see their names on a lot of the songs on the radio. If you want to be one of these people you need to:
1) Be writing constantly with anyone and everyone.
Don’t be selective and don’t stick to writing in a clique (this has proven to be successful for only a handful of writers in Nashville). Also don’t write alone— this is the worst thing you can do for your career!
2) Be gritty.
You need to keep hanging in there and writing what you want to write about. Don’t take the seemingly easy path of writing what you think fits with current radio hits. Not only will the radio trends probably change before your song could have a chance of being on it, but people won’t connect as much to your song if it’s written just to be popular. Also like I said earlier, it takes a lot of time.
3) Think about being an artist
Being an artist there are more revenue streams available in which you can make a living. Obviously, this is not easier, but through touring, merch, royalties, etc. it makes doing music full time a bit more feasible.
A lot of people move to Nashville and start playing writers' rounds to “get discovered.” Do you see this happening a lot after performances/ what are your thoughts on this?
Neither Chase or Chris have ever seen someone “get discovered” or play one great writers’ night and have their song become a hit. Though that’s the stereotype of Nashville, times have changed a lot with the music industry and the dream of being scouted at a bar on Broadway isn’t really realistic anymore (this doesn't mean you shouldn't still pursue this career if it's your dream!). If you do get discovered on Broadway it will more likely be for your talents riding a mechanical bull.
What is your passion behind partnering with the Song Suffragettes? Are there any challenges in particular you see women having to work harder to overcome?
The Listening Room partners with Song Suffragettes, hosting a Monday night series of only women songwriters called “Let the Girls Play.” Not only have these Monday Nights sold out every week, but they are also helping to beat some of the stereotypes of women in country music. Chris and Chase commented that they see it can be a little more difficult for women in the country music industry because of the constant challenge to not be put into the “good girl” or “the bad girl” categories, or be compared to other female artists. Being your own person can be difficult, but is also completely achievable by writing songs true to who you are and sticking with writing for a LONG TIME.
However, if you are a woman writing songs that are different and real, it ends up being so worthwhile as it is these writers who draw the crowd in, and get people to relate and engage with the content in their songs. The Listening Room hopes that hosting “Let the Girls Play” serves as a platform to help women do this.
What’s the funniest/ most unexpected thing you have seen happen on stage at the listening room?
You are Guaranteed a great show when you see JT Harding (left) and Phil Barton (right) at the listening room
They’ve weirdly seen quite a few proposals happen… so if you want to get hitched, the Listening Room may be a good place for you to start hanging out.
Final Thoughts
The Listening Room gets about 100 submissions to play EACH WEEK! Because of this, they have to put a lot of thought into choosing songwriters who they feel are consistently writing amazing songs and who will help their venue be the spot that you can always hear extremely well crafted songs, no matter the night. Playing the wrong venues in Nashville (usually the venues that have no selection process but rather operate on a first come first serve basis for writers' rounds) can actually hurt you as a songwriter!
After hearing the attention to creativity and songwriter performances Chris and Chase prioritize in the Listening Room, it’s no wonder this venue is unique and attracts so much talent. It’s inspiring seeing people in the music industry who so clearly care about preserving the craft of songwriting. I hope you all are able to swing by if you’re in Nashville to have a few beers and listen to some of the best songwriters in town!
