Songwriter Insights: Nuts and Bolts Talk for Today's Music Biz

Mark Jackson talks about Life/Career choices as a performing songwriter, offering up several valuable gold nuggets picked up throughout his years of writing, performing and recording music. Wonderful lessons for any singer/songwriter, especially for those just starting out. What’s Covered * Writing a Song Write about what you know Incorporate personal influences and experience Tell a Story * Songwriting and Performance Writing the Song (the creative process) Being Heard (performing your songs) Open Mic & Busking – Learn your voice, working the mic, polishing your skills & testing your material * Making Choices Choosing to perform on a local level Hitting the road for greater exposure The benefits of playing top music towns * Genre Defining your musical style * What’s the Best Way for You to Perform Solo, Duo, Trio or band * Recognize Your Strengths * Put yourself in front of others better than you. * Sound like you – Make every song you play yours * Worthy Comments & Quotes Remember that when you are on stage you’re performing. Look the Part – Never look like you just came out of the audience. “You’re received at the level of your performance.” * JUST GO DO IT! Mark  Jackson is a singer/songwriter whose music has traveled from the hills of Oklahoma to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Influenced by such greats as Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Willie Nelson, Mark nurtures their heritage of storytelling and rural American poetry. Using a voice that enfolds the listener in depth of emotion, Mark creates a straight-talking Western/American style of music which has become his own rich, signature sound. The Mark Jackson Band is a 5 X San Diego Music Award nominee receiving “Best Americana Album of the Year” nomination for their well-regarded 2003 debut CD, “Vigilante Road“. Additional nominations in 2004 through 2007 were received for Best Americana Band.  References and Resources Mark Jackson Band on cdbaby Mark Jackson Band on Amazon Mark’s Facebook Page Charlotte Texas Blog Article Thanks for stopping by and listening. If you like this podcast please share with your friends, we’d really appreciate it!

Some folks are blessed as natural storytellers who have a gift for weaving memorable and captivating narratives from life experiences. Robert Cowan is not only a master storyteller with a wealth of both famous and not-so-famous friends and acquaintances, but one of the country’s finest harp players. Mr. Harmonica has shared the stage with such talented folks as The Strawberry Alarm Clock, The Neville Brothers, Taj Mahal, Emmy Lou Harris and so many more. He also is the leader and founder of his own R&B and Blues based band, San Diego’s ‘Little Monsters’  In his invertible way he crafts valuable life lessons for singer/songwriters and performing musicians in a most entertaining way. What’s Covered * How to work in a band * Solo artist or band member * The magic of collaboration * “Enlisting People” rather than “Hiring Them” * Allow all the players the freedom to express * You have no right to hold back the beauty that you are. Robert Cowan is a set and stage designer, writer and master harmonica player who has worked with many film directors and major Rock acts over the years. As a musician he has shared the stage with a host of names that have musically graced the last fifty years of all our lives. His generosity of heart, support of music and music makers, and gift of telling fine tales makes him an American treasure. He founded his own R&B, swing, and blues band ‘little monsters’ that upon listening re-invigorates the love and awareness of truly American music. He graciously contributed his remarkable musical skill to Ken Lehnig’s new Americana release ‘The American Music Show.” References and Resources Robert Cowan’s “Little Monsters” Robert’s Facebook Page Thanks for stopping by and listening. If you like this podcast please share with your friends, we’d really appreciate it!

Some folks are blessed as natural storytellers who have a gift for weaving memorable and captivating narratives from life experiences. Robert Cowan is not only a master storyteller with a wealth of both famous and not-so-famous friends and acquaintances, but one of the country’s finest harp players. Mr. Harmonica has shared the stage with such talented folks as The Strawberry Alarm Clock, The Neville Brothers, Taj Mahal, Emmy Lou Harris and so many more. He also is the leader and founder of his own R&B and Blues based band, San Diego’s ‘Little Monsters’  In his invertible way he crafts valuable life lessons for singer/songwriters and performing musicians in a most entertaining way. What’s Covered * The early years and Roberts introduction to the harmonica and the music business. * Life on the road * Lost luggage, instruments and gear * Being gracious when shit happens * Knowing when, where and how to ask for help when you need it Robert Cowan is a set and stage designer, writer and master harmonica player. Working with many film directors and major Rock acts over the years. As a musician he has shared the stage with a host of names that have musically graced the last fifty years of all our lives. His generosity of heart, support of music and music makers, and gift of telling fine tales makes him an American treasure. He founded his own R&B, swing, and blues band ‘little monsters’ that upon listening re-invigorates the love and awareness of truly American music. He graciously contributed his remarkable musical skill to Ken Lehnig’s new Americana release ‘The American Music Show.” References and Resources Robert Cowan’s “Little Monsters” Robert’s Facebook Page Thanks for stopping by and listening. If you like this podcast please share with your friends, we’d really appreciate it!

This episode of Songwriter Insights is the 3rd and final of a three-part series with John Hildebrand. John has given us a great deal of information about studio recording that we’re sure will be valuable to anyone who is thinking of recording, whether it’s a simple song demo or an entire record. What’s Covered Setting up your home studio * How serious are you, and what’s your budget? * Using a simple portable recorder * Types of microphones to use * Computers and memory * Software recording package and audio interface * The learning curve John Hildebrand is an engineer, producer, musician, educator, studio consultant, and a member of Audio Engineering Society (AES). His professional business background includes Owner/Engineer of Accusound Recording Studio, San Diego, Engineer/Instructor at SOUNDTRAX Recording Studio, San Diego, and Owner of Desert Windsong Publishing. John has taught Audio Production and Sound Design for Film at San Diego State University, Audio Recording Techniques at San Diego’s Southwestern College, and most recently was Professor of Audio/Video and Film Production at San Diego City College. Mentioned and Recommended Resources Zoom Audio/Video portable recorder – This small and affordable portable recorder will give you great quality video or audio recordings that can be uploaded directly to YouTube or saved to your computer or virtual storage. A wonderful tool for either recording demos of your songs or for working out arrangements. Records audio in excellent stereo and video in quality HD. Shure SM58 Dynamic Vocal Microphone – Widely considered the most popular mic in the world. Presonus Firestudio – Mobile 10×6 Firewire Recording Interface M-Audio – M-Track Plus 2-Channel Portable USB Audio and MIDI Interface with Digital I/O, Ignite by AIR and Pro Tools Pro Tools –  Pro Tools 11 enables you to take on the most demanding sessions and maximize your creativity without holding anything back. Sony Soundforge Pro 11 – Record audio quickly on a rock-solid platform, address sophisticated audio processing tasks with surgical precision, and render top-notch master files with ease. Presonus Studio One – Brand New PreSonus Studio One 2.0 Professional DAW Software with Melodyne Essential, Multitrack MIDI editing and automatic delay compensation. Apple Logic Pro X – Sophisticated new tools for professional songwriting, editing, and mixing are built around a modern interface that’s designed to get creative results quickly. Audacity – Audacity® is free, open source, cross-platform software for recording and editing sounds. Thanks for stopping by and listening. If you like this podcast please share with your friends, we’d really appreciate it!

This episode of Songwriter Insights is the second of a three-part series with John Hildebrand. John has given us a great deal of information about studio recording that we’re sure will be valuable to anyone who is thinking of recording, whether it’s a simple song demo or an entire record. What’s Covered * Learning to let go of your song to improve it. * Organizing for the recording studio * Studio set-up time * Studio cost –  what you pay for and how it’s broken down * Finding and hiring additional vocalists and musicians * Reasons every songwriter should record their song John Hildebrand is an engineer, producer, musician, educator, studio consultant, and a member of Audio Engineering Society (AES). His professional business background includes Owner/Engineer of Accusound Recording Studio, San Diego, Engineer/Instructor at SOUNDTRAX Recording Studio, San Diego, and Owner of Desert Windsong Publishing. John has taught Audio Production and Sound Design for Film at San Diego State University, Audio Recording Techniques at San Diego’s Southwestern College, and most recently was Professor of Audio/Video and Film Production at San Diego City College. Mentioned and Recommended Resources Zoom Audio/Video portable recorder – This small and affordable portable recorder will give you great quality video or audio recordings that can be uploaded directly to YouTube or saved to your computer or virtual storage. A wonderful tool for either recording demos of your songs or for working out arrangements. Records audio in excellent stereo and video in quality HD. Thanks for stopping by and listening. If you like this podcast please share with your friends, we’d really appreciate it!

This episode of Songwriter Insights is the first of a three-part series with John Hildebrand. John has given us a great deal of information about studio recording that we’re sure will be valuable to anyone who is thinking of recording, whether it’s a simple song demo or an entire record. What’s Covered * Getting feedback on your songs * Being honest about your material * Identifying your style * Understanding different types of studio demos * Choosing a studio * Do you need a producer? John Hildebrand is an engineer, producer, musician, educator, studio consultant, and a member of Audio Engineering Society (AES). His professional business background includes Owner/Engineer of Accusound Recording Studio, San Diego, Engineer/Instructor at SOUNDTRAX Recording Studio, San Diego, and Owner of Desert Windsong Publishing. John has taught Audio Production and Sound Design for Film at San Diego State University, Audio Recording Techniques at San Diego’s Southwestern College, and most recently was Professor of Audio/Video and Film Production at San Diego City College. Mentioned Resources Zoom Audio/Video portable recorder Thanks for stopping by and listening. If you like this podcast please share with your friends, we’d really appreciate it!

In this inaugural episode Ken and Dave give a brief look back at Songwriters Marketplace beginnings, it’s restructure and future direction. The Songwriter Insights Podcast is a big part of that future, bringing audio interviews into the Songwriters Marketplace mix. The best way to learn anything is by doing it, but this can also be a long, and sometimes brutal process of trial and error. But that’s exactly what a vast majority of songwriters and musicians do every day. So we’ve decided to invite experienced and accomplished artists and music business professionals to tell us their stories — to let us listen to their own journey of trial and error from which we all can learn. Where did they start and how did they get to where they are today. You’ll learn from their successes as well as their failures. We hope you’ll join us for upcoming episodes of Songwriter Insights to hear firsthand what works in the music industry today. You’ll walk away with your own fresh insights and have access to today’s tools and resources so necessary to help you in achieving your goals. Listen in, learn and enjoy! Ken and Dave Thanks for stopping by and listening. If you like this podcast please share with your friends, we’d really appreciate it!