JULY 2019 EXERCISES

This month's exercises will focus on gaining ground within your NSAI membership and how to grow your industry knowledge. Having talent and playing shows are one thing but success lies in your connections and willingness to soak up as much industry knowledge as possible. Lucky for you, your NSAI membership allows you to grow so much in that area of the music biz!

1.       Listen to a podcast about the Nashville Music Industry. Podcasts provide a wealth of knowledge on the industry straight from the ones in charge of it. Often, CEO's, heads of creative departments within publishing and songwriters themselves star in podcasts that really allow you to see inside the mind of Music Row. Listen to one a day to brush up on what people are where within the industry and what your favorite writers are up to. It's free and useful!

2.       Attend NSAI events! Head to your local NSAI chapter and introduce yourself to fellow writers in your community. If you are in Nashville, check out one of our Thursday night workshops where you have the chance to hear real industry pros speak on the music industry or even a chance to pitch your music or receive song feedback. If you don't have a local chapter, consider starting one and reach out to NSAI to see if we can help you create it.

3.       Research! Researching your favorite publishing companies, studios and record labels is one of the easiest things you can do to really get a grasp on what the music industry is up to. Whether you want to establish connections with employees there or just admire some of the writers they have on staff, it's great to have that knowledge in your back pocket because Nashville is a small town. If you are lucky enough to see one of these people out in public, you will be confident enough to introduce yourself and have a talking point or two. Half the battle is introducing yourself in a professional manner, so don't be a germ!

4.       Use your song evaluations! You get 12 with your yearly membership at NSAI. These are PROFESSIONAL songwriters who do this for a living every single day. Allow your songs to be critiqued by people who are experts in the field of songwriting so that your craft will grow stronger.

5.       Reach out to fellow writers on our membership search feature to find new cowrites and songwriting friends to connect with. Many great songs have come from our members meeting one another through NSAI events and various means of connecting through the website.