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YOUR M.A.P. TO WRITING COMPETITIVE SONG LYRICS

This blog post was contributed by award-winning hit songwriter, Brent Baxter

Writing a song is like going on a journey.  Maybe you start out with a clear destination in mind.  Maybe you just wander, discovering a satisfying destination by happy accident.  Either way is fine.  However, if you want to write commercially competitive song lyrics, I’ve found that it’s helpful to have a map to avoid songwriting quicksand, dead ends and detours.

For competitive song lyrics, the M.A.P. looks like this:

SIMPLE, BUT NOT SIMPLISTIC

This blog post was contributed by award-winning hit songwriter, Brent Baxter

“K.I.S.S.” in the music business usually stands for “Keep It Simple Songwriter.”  And I tend to agree with that statement- especially when it comes to lyrics.  Simple is usually the way to go.  But it’s important that we don’t draw the wrong lesson from “K.I.S.S.”  That would be the kiss of death.  (I just can’t avoid a good pun.)

Tom Jackson’s 3 Noteworthy Performance Tools

In a city full of talented songwriters and artists, it is tough to differentiate yourself from the competition you face at every bar, restaurant and coffee shop. You can’t go grab a bite to eat or even visit the farmer’s market without seeing your competition up on the tiny stage with their tip bucket and acoustic guitar in hand. With so much to compete with, it’s easy to file into line with everyone else and do what you think they are doing so that you can find equal (or even more) success. 

it All Begins With An Internship

This blog was contributed by NSAI Intern, Grant Thompson

I came to NSAI with minimal knowledge of the music industry. Before I started at NSAI, friends would ask me what NSAI is. I told them what I knew at the time: “It’s an organization that’s built to support songwriters in every way possible.” What I didn’t realize at the time is how much NSAI actually does for the songwriting community.

What you can expect at NSAI Thursday Night Workshops

Interested in the purpose for each of our Thursday night workshops? Read below for more information on how each Thursday night event works, what kinds of content you can expect and how to prepare for pitch and networking opportunities! 



Pitch To Publisher Workshop:

NSAI Member Testimonial featuring Lauren McLamb

In light of NSAI Membership Month, we asked a few of our members to share how they've utilized NSAI's community to become better at their craft and connect with other songwriters in their area!  

 

“It all begins with a song….”

Making the most of your NSAI Mentoring Session

We asked one of our NSAI Mentors and pro-songwriter, Mason Douglas to share his advice on preparing for your next mentoring session! In this blog post, he offers three exercises to make the most of your time with one of our mentors and how to handle feedback and constructive criticism.

NSAI Member Testimonial featuring Daniel Leathersich

In light of NSAI Membership Month, we asked a few of our members to share how they've utilized NSAI's community to become better at their craft and connect with other songwriters in their area!  

 

Aren’t blogs the greatest?  How else would the wide world learn about the night-life habits of owls or how to appreciate fine art?  In fact, the first time I heard about NSAI was through someone’s personal blog.  I’ve long-since forgotten the name of it – but that chance internet search was the start of my current songwriting path.

NSAI Member Testimonials: Emily Kroll & Chris Housman

In light of NSAI Membership Month, we asked a few of our members to share how they've utilized NSAI's community to become better at their craft and connect with other songwriters in their area!  

I’ve been a member of NSAI for the past two years. I was encouraged to join by a mentor who told me it would be a great place to meet co-writers and learn more about the music industry.