The uPlaya Blog

As a finalist in the uPlaya Music Universe Songwriter Contest, uPlaya artist Annie Minogue was recently awarded an editorial piece in American Songwriter magazine! We have posted an excerpt from Annie’s feature here. Congratulations, Annie!

See the full feature here.

How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it before?

I’ll use quote from a magazine that recently reviewed the record: “Modern rock band with great songs, expressive vocals and a hint of the blues.” I think that sums it up quite nicely.

You grew up in New York City. How has that affected the music you play and write today?

Being from New York has absolutely played a part in my music. So many things affect an artist’s music and one’s surroundings are no exception. New York is a very vibrant, exciting, energetic city but it can also be a very hard, tough and lonely place. There is a directness and truthfulness here that you won’t find anywhere else in the world. I’d like to think that that comes through in my music.

When did you start playing music?

From birth literally. I grew up in a household of musicians. My dad is a musician, songwriter and producer…a real triple threat! My sister is also a singer-songwriter as well, so it was kind of expected that I would follow in their footsteps. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s what I love to do.

Who has been your biggest influence?

I’ve been influenced by any musician, songwriter and singer I’ve ever worked with really. They have all brought something to the table that has made my music better. My band mates are a perfect example of this. I have learned so much from those guys. They are all such incredible musicians and songwriters in their own right, and I am definitely a better musician, singer and songwriter just from working with them on a day-to-day basis.

If you could collaborate with one artist–dead or alive–who would it be?

That’s such a hard question because I have so many artists that I would love to collaborate with. But if I had to choose, it would be a three-way tie between Patti Smith, Tom Waits and Pete Yorn. They are all such profound and unique artists.

Your newest record, Tripping the Velvet, was released at the beginning of last month. Would you classify this record as an extension or departure from your previous releases?

Tripping The Velvet is the best record I have made so far. The songwriting, musicianship, and production just all came together and fell into place. I just love listening to it. But with that said, it was also the hardest record I have ever had to make. There was a lot of emotional baggage that I was going through over the course of making this record, so I put it all into the songs. I’m not sure if that is a good or bad thing but at least it’s honest. That in itself can be an exhausting process, but somehow I made it through. It’s hard to lay your guts out for all the world to see but sometimes it’s just necessary for the sake of the music. TTV also was a true band effort. My last two releases, “Home” and “Love Parade,” were more about me as a solo artist. I was still finding myself as a songwriter. Figuring out what it was I wanted to say, what kind of music I wanted to do. I was a bit lost. Now I finally feel found.

What’s the future look like for you?

I am working on a new CD. An acoustic record which will be far different from anything that I have done in the past. A true departure. I’m a bit frightened but excited to see what I come up with, too. The most important thing you can do as a songwriter is to grow and challenge yourself and this new record will be all about that.

Annie Minogue was a finalist in the uPlaya Aug-Sept Music Universe Contest.

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You may or may not know it, but there are miles upon miles of recording artists out there searching for great songs.  Believe it or not, so many performers, including some of the world’s greatest vocalists, guitarists, keyboard players, even record producers, have one serious drawback: their songwriting ability is amazingly poor, in some cases downright atrocious.

The annals of the music industry are littered with artists who made the fatal error of thinking he/she was not only a great performer but also a great songwriter.  Many a band and solo artist have struggled on to eventual oblivion simply because they refused to consider recording or performing anything not written by themselves.  Okay, I’ve no doubt you can cite artists who are, and have written and performed their own product so successfully they have become legends in just a few short years – The Beatles, Elton John, Billy Joel, Simon And Garfunkel, etc., etc.  This ‘super combination’, as I call it, of being able to not only rank as a top performer, but also write great songs is, however, quite rare – a bit like trying to find gold nuggets on every street corner.

For the other ninety-five percent of recording artists, those that made it into the big time, did so because they swallowed their pride and picked a song penned by someone who actually knew how to write a song. I don’t care how successful an artist is on any show or competition if the songs he/she records are poor (no matter how good the performance), then his/her days in the recording industry are numbered.

If you’re a songwriter only, don’t worry a morsel if your guitar or keyboard playing is dismal or so bad you can only play inside a soundproof basement, the songs you’re writing may be brilliant.

Of all the different genres, in my experience, those most receptive to covering songs are in middle of the road. Remember, in order for these artists to stay on top and sell records in vast quantities, they need great songs. That is why they are always on the lookout. Songs for covers is a technique you can acquire.

From Masters Of Songwriting
http://www.MastersOfSongwriting.com

Our guest Blogger, Dennis Sinnott, has worked in the music industry for nearly four decades, where he managed the publishing and recording catalogs of Screen Gems, New York Times Music, Metromedia and many others.  He’s an authority on how to write and publish a hit song, as well as an expert on rights issues. He was formerly Head Of Copyright at EMI Music in London. In 1983 he formed Christel Music Ltd and in 2007 MusicEnquiries.com to provide a music consultancy service for songwriters, artists, publishers, managers and record companies. In 1995 he published “The International Songwriter,” in 2006, “Seven Keys to Stardom,” and in 2009, “Masters of Songwriting.”

It has been said that the mark of a great song is when a person hears it once and cannot get it out of his mind. Days and weeks later, the song returns in your mind like a postcard from your favorite dream. Each time you put the song down, it returns ever stronger. So, what makes a great song?

In simple terms, a successful song is a commercial song. This is how record companies and publishers think and it is how you must think if you want to get ahead. Commercialism is the stuff which feeds the entertainment industry, not that record companies and music publishers get it right every time.

Many an A&R man/woman has staked his/her career and their employer’s money on acts that never make the charts much less the top ten. The first thing to remember in writing is to get into a positive frame of mind. From now on when you come to create your material, don’t just think that your song is going to have commercial potential, think that it is going to have HUGE COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL! If you want the moon, you must aim for the stars!

So, what does “huge commercial potential” mean, anyway? In short, it’s the thing dreams are made of, and what every songwriter and artist yearns to be described as having when seeking a publishing or record deal.

The meaning of “commercial” is any item or commodity which appeals to the greatest number of people.

Actually, commercialism is all around us, especially in the form of topical news and events. Read the headline news from the internet or go into any news agent and look at the headlines on the daily tabloids. Look through the pages, study the stories and see what sells newspapers and magazines. See what shows are the most popular on TV. Do a little research on statistics. Make notes of what is topical and what is fashionable. Check out the advertisements in periodicals and magazines and compare those which appear week in and week out with those that don’t.

Remember, no advertiser in the world continues advertising a commodity that does not sell. You’ll soon know what people buy. Find out which television and radio programs pull the highest ratings.

Make it your business to know who and what is in the news. You may not always like what you find, but this is commercialism.

Now, with this firmly pitched in your mind, take a careful look at the music industry. Study the charts to see who is selling records. Don’t just write what you feel the public might want to buy. Listen to the lyrics of the songs that are selling and make comparisons with some of the topical stories of the day.

Study music riffs, melody lines and percussion sounds, but not to the extent of plagiarizing someone else’s work. Whilst it’s fine to be influenced by certain trends and styles, if you try to pass off someone else’s material as your own, however clever you think you are camouflaging music riffs, phrases or lyrics, you risk running into a law suit for infringement of copyright. This is especially so if the song gets into the charts. As the saying goes, “where there’s a hit, there’s a writ! In any event, you wouldn’t want someone to start copying your songs, would you?!

An excerpt from Masters Of Songwriting

Our guest Blogger, Dennis Sinnott, has worked in the music industry for nearly four decades, where he managed the publishing and recording catalogs of Screen Gems, New York Times Music, Metromedia and many others.  He’s an authority on how to write and publish a hit song, as well as an expert on rights issues. He was formerly Head Of Copyright at EMI Music in London. In 1983 he formed Christel Music Ltd and in 2007 MusicEnquiries.com to provide a music consultancy service for songwriters, artists, publishers, managers and record companies. In 1995 he published “The International Songwriter,” in 2006, “Seven Keys to Stardom,” and in 2009, “Masters of Songwriting.”

Lyric writing is an art form in itself. I have known many composers capable of writing wonderful melodies yet unable to match them with anything like a good or even average lyric.

At the same time I have known lyricists who have tried in vain to produce a melody capable of “doing justice” to their words. I have also known writers who are incredibly skillful at writing both words and music.

However you feel about writing lyrics, you should bear in mind that they are equally important as the music. For one thing, they command half the copyright and half the royalties. Unless your song is to be released in a foreign speaking country only, you will need to pay particular attention to the words.

The good news is that in commercial writing, you need never have to worry about complicated lyrics. What you’re trying to do is to get a point across in a simple and concise manner. Keep in mind the phrase “K.I.S.S” “Keep-It-Simple-Stupid!”

Lyric writing is about conveying a clear message to the listener. Something he/she can easily understand or identify with.

Complicated lyrics with words of four or more syllables may look good on paper, but if you fail to get your message across, your song will ultimately fail. The notion that people don’t really listen to words is not true. People do listen!

Songwriters aiming for a “Standard” or “Evergreen” should pay particular attention to the words. Use them intelligently. Remember, an average song lasts for three minutes. Unlike an in depth novel, you won’t have time to go into too much detail.

Some writers liken a lyric to writing a short letter to a girl or boyfriend. Others use a topical subject i.e. an event in the news, an item of sport or a moral issue they feel strongly about.

Generally speaking, of all the styles of music in the world, the lyrics which always pull the biggest response are those to do with affairs of the heart. Make a note of the next twenty songs played on the radio, any station you like, and see if I’m wrong.

Knowing How To Use Commercial Words

There is nothing wrong in using basic or simple words. The lyrics of
some of the world’s biggest selling standards bear this out time after
time. You may hear an occasional word or phrase which sounds complicated, but the overwhelming majority of successful songs contain lyrics with basic down to earth words that ninety nine percent of people can understand.

Make a study of listening to the words of any great song or ballad.
You’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Logic Before Rhyme!

When stringing lyrics together, there is often a temptation, especially amongst inexperienced writers, to use words which rhyme irrespective of whether there is any clear logic to the words used. A good rhyme may sound pleasant on the ear but if it doesn’t make much sense your song will ultimately suffer. For one thing, you’ll be for ever trying to explain or justify its meaning to others. One should never have to explain, sell or make excuses for the lyrics of a song. A good lyric needs no explanation!

©2009 Dennis R. Sinnott
The above article is an extract from
Masters Of Songwriting by Dennis R. Sinnott
http://www.MastersOfSongWriting.com

Our guest Blogger, Dennis Sinnott, has worked in the music industry for nearly four decades, where he managed the publishing and recording catalogs of Screen Gems, New York Times Music, Metromedia and many others.  He’s an authority on how to write and publish a hit song, as well as an expert on rights issues. He was formerly Head Of Copyright at EMI Music in London. In 1983 he formed Christel Music Ltd and in 2007 MusicEnquiries.com to provide a music consultancy service for songwriters, artists, publishers, managers and record companies. In 1995 he published “The International Songwriter,” in 2006, “Seven Keys to Stardom,” and in 2009, “Masters of Songwriting.”

When you’re writing the words, try to think of the verse as the cause, and the chorus as the effect. For example, if the lyrics convey a story, use each verse to convey the setting, the place the person is going to, his or her situation in life, or about a person one is in love with.

The chorus, then, should go on to make a statement or “the summing up” of the situation expressed in the verse. The bridge, as in the melody, can be used to link the verse and chorus together without “jarring”.

Remember, if the verse is asking a question, use the chorus to provide the answer. You can even use the chorus to pose a question and on the last line give the answer. If you opt for the latter, try opening the song with the chorus.

What you should avoid is to make both the verse and chorus the same. To do so would be like having one long question or a series of questions without an answer, and vice versa – rather like having our cross country runner (Fig.1) staying on one side of the river bank all the time!

Moreover, lyrics posing an endless question are like an unfinished story. Without a clear “answer” somewhere in the lyric, the listener will be left feeling confused and even annoyed, especially if the words aren’t understood properly. I’m not saying strange or vaguely worded songs never achieve commercial success. Many with badly written lyrics do get into the charts, but few if any become standards or evergreens. Study the world’s most popular songs and see if I’m wrong.

©2009 Dennis R. Sinnott
The above article is an extract from
Masters Of Songwriting by Dennis R. Sinnott

http://www.MastersOfSongwriting.com