New Member - Introductions

RE: New Member

JAPOV — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 13:51:07 +0000

Bunny... If you’re truly only 16 and you have any real talent, then keep control of that for as long as you can! REMAIN ANONYMOUS!! You have plenty of time to decide who YOU WANT TO BE!! You see, a 16y/o with actual talent and ability is precisely who the headhunters salivate over. They want to get their hands on you, lead you, teach you, mold you into what THEY WANT YOU TO BE before you have a chance to discover YOURSELF!! And in most cases, you'll even have to pay for that privilege. Songwriting and the business of songwriting/performing is not rocket science... Besides, you obviously need some practice and experience so, just do it for a while and see what happens. Anonymity will afford you the opportunity to be honest and daring with regard to subjects you deeply care about, and experience will teach you how to deal with any opposition you may encounter without "selling out" to the generic mainstream. TAKE YOUR TIME AND BE YOURSELF!!! Trust me, if you’re truly only 16, what you think you want now is not going to be what you want tomorrow...

RE: New Member

Gavin — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 03:38:10 +0000

Bunny Boo, like Jenny says, don't be afraid to jump in and give views and suggestions on songs posted by others. Joining in the conversation is a good way to make friends and feel more relaxed and comfortable. Also, people are more likely to want to respond to you if you respond to others.

RE: New Member

Jenny Stokes — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 19:35:37 +0000

Hello Bunny. Welcome to the Junction. Great advice from MAB (as always). I think the best way to start working on #1 "Creation of the Song" within this forum is to read some of the threads in the lyrics library. There's one right now called "Stop me when I'm leaving" that's a good illustration of how a song can change and develop when different people work on it. You can get involved in those conversations, looking at the lyrics that are there and finding something to say about them (e.g., "I like the line 'blah blah blah'" or "I don't understand what you're saying here" or simply, "I like this"). And then, of course, post your own works in progress. Maybe ask for specific help on the lyric. Songwriting is a journey. There's A LOT to learn and you can't expect to learn it all at once so asking about something specific can really help to focus your learning.

Best of luck, Bunny.

Jen

RE: New Member

Mabbo — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 17:32:41 +0000

Okay, here might be a couple of things that might help us help you.

NAME. A big problem that we have here is that we don't know each other. When you have a handle like "Bunny Boo" it is a bit misleading.

You are 16. What kind of music are you interested in?

Who do you like to listen to?

What experiences have you had so far in music?

What area of the country/world do you live in?

What is surrounding you? Are their open mics/Writers shows? Networking groups? creative writing classes? In your area?

On that note, who do you associate with? Is there a group in your school, church, etc?

Are you a performer, or seeking performers? Are you seeking to write for others or just yourself?

If you could be involved in any kind of music, what would it be?

What kind of advice are you seeking? Saying "I want to learn about it..." is a pretty big target. What can help you most, quickest?

Are you attempting to find out more on the business or the writing itself?

What do you understand about it already?

Songwriting is a pretty big subject. But there are millions upon millions out there trying to find out about it. It is mostly a hobby for almost everyone, even some of the best writers/artists in the world don't make their main income from it. I'm not suggesting you are at that point yet, and what you really should learn is about the craft of writing, and or performing. In the world I come from, American country, rock, blues and comedy, you have to do basically four things:

#1. CREATION OF THE SONG.

Finding ways to say things that have been said a billion times, in a fresh interesting way. Having music that reflects the song and makes people want to hear it again. People have a very short attention span, so getting them to put the cell phone down long enough to listen is a big chore. But that is the deal.

#2. PRESENTATION OF THE SONG.
Making sure that any recording, performance, video, presentation is always as good as it can be and gets and keeps people's attention.

#3. NETWORKING.
Building and maintaining relationships between friends, co-writers, artists, venues, groups, and fans are essential. It is almost as much about politics and being nice as anything you will ever write.

#4. BUSINESS.
Anything that furthers what you do either financially or reputation wise.

I'd venture a guess that right now you are probably more concerned with the first two than anything else. If you have specific questions, maybe we can give you some suggestions. Not everyone is going to be totally tuned into any of our interests, but hopefully we can find someone who might give you some help along the way.

Good luck,
MAB

Stands for "Marc-Alan Barnette"

RE: New Member

ckiphen — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 16:35:50 +0000

Lots of people willing to advise you here.

RE: New Member

Bogi — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 16:31:19 +0000

Hello Sir! I'm a 16 year old lyrics writer, I need an experienced mentor. I still have a lot to learn, but I want to, and I think seriously. Hope you can help. Thank you for reading my message and have a nice day! :-)

RE: New Member

Mabbo — Sat, 29 Jun 2019 13:39:35 +0000

Hey guys, you know the reason I am here is to offer help when I can. If you have questions on your own musical journey, feel free to ask me. I'll offer suggestions if I can, and try to give you some ideas of things to look at. Don't have to take it, but it is worth what you pay for it. I've just seen most of the holes songwriters and artists fall into, and might be able to keep you from breaking a leg. If you have a question or thought, PM me or start a thread. I'm kind of like Beetlejuice. Say my name three times and I'll show up.

MAB

RE: New Member

Mabbo — Sat, 29 Jun 2019 13:25:40 +0000

Thanks guys. Glad you got something out of it. The main point is that there is not ONE way to do this. And while it may not always be the traditional "radio success", there are other ways of determining success. You kind of have to make it up as you go along. Good luck on your own journey.

RE: New Member

Hibernia — Sat, 29 Jun 2019 12:37:18 +0000

Thank you Marc for sharing.

RE: New Member

Deacon — Sat, 29 Jun 2019 02:59:50 +0000

Thank you for sharing MAB, very interesting and uplifting. Hope some writers here can do the same thing, nothing is impossible for a hungry sole. Best wishes,

Speak soon