 Quotation
Wall
Here are some of my favourite quotations about songwriting:
On becoming a good songwriter
"The
Songwriter's Mantra: Originate - Innovate - Don't Deviate!"(Tony Moore at Songfest 2011)
"Becoming
a good songwriter is like becoming a good athlete - it takes practise.
There are naturals, of course, but the more you write, the more you will
progress. Unless you work your socks off, you won't get anywhere. Secondly,
find a good publisher who believes in you. Look at their track record.
They must have good contacts to get your songs out there. Last, but not
least, you've got to love what you're doing. I love music as much today
as when I heard my first chord all those years ago." (Tony Hiller, successful songwriter whose songs have been recorded by
over 500 artists, inteviewed in M Magazine #42, Dec 2011)
On writing the perfect song
"That
song you wrote last night. It's not good as you think - re-write
it!" (Feargal Sharkey at MU Songwriting Seminar, Bristol
2007) or put more simply - "Rewrite!,
rewrite!, rewrite!" (Jason Blume)
"Think!
Would this (song) work on the radio" (Chris Gifford
at Songfest 2011)
"(A
good commercial song is) ...one that can be sang by a group of drunk girls
outside Yates Wine Lodge on a Saturday night" (can't
remember who said this at Songfest 2011 but it's a great measuring stick)
"To
write songs is to breathe as a human being, to have your songs recorded
and listened to is to share in life, and that's all there is..."
(Chris Gifford at Songfest 2011)
"It's a hit!" (John
Otway. Mindless optimism isn't always a bad thing!)
On making it
"No-one
is going to offer you a place at the table - you've got to muscle your
way in" (James Corden - on acting, but it equally applies
to songwriting)
On Pitching Songs
"Here's
the rules you learn right from the start - never waste anyone's time,
and always make a person feel comfortable when they turn you down. Don't
argue. The real deal you're pitching is the ability to be able to walk
back into the same office tomorrow with more songs."
(Al Cooley, A&R Manager Atlantic Nashville; from Nashville's Unwritten
Rules by Dan Daley)
On Cowriting and Sharing Royalties
"Write
with as many people as you can" (Stephen Navin (MPA)
at Songfest 2011)
"I'd
rather have a small piece of the cake than none of the cake..." (Mark Fishlock at Songfest 2011)
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