Dear Friends,
One of our old friends Pat Hill recently asked me what we’re doing in the songwriter’s group now.
Back when we first met Pat, around 2011, we were going by the name of Hillbilly Culture, and were talking to songwriters all over the place about what it means to actually make a living as a songwriter in this crazy music business.
Our programs were based on two generations of hit songwriter talent, and the school of hard knocks Nashville, fueled by daily work, multiplatinum awarded success, and a magna cum laude degree in Music Business and Management from Berklee College of Music.
Many of our early community members recall Hillbilly Culture Club with fondness as a place where they met long time friends, songwriting collaborators, and even husbands and wives.
Around about 2013 we changed names to Songpreneurs to help more people find us online, but we never changed our core mission – to foster sustainable careers in the new music business.
What is the new music business?
Without going into a lot of gory detail here, the new music business is one in which music streaming is the norm, physical music is virtually non-existent, and you better have a solid business plan if you intend to make a dollar. (It takes nearly 14,500 streams for the songwriter to earn $1.)
How are there still professional songwriters when you have to move thousands of units to make a single dollar? The long and short answer is… there aren’t many of us left.
But what good is writing songs if you can’t make a living at it anymore?
The answer is simple.
Go ahead. Just stop writing.
Unfortunately, many people have done just that.
But if you’re one of us… one of the people who just can’t stop writing... you're in the right place.
Maybe you’ve tried to quit.
You put it down for years. You sold the guitar and the spouse praised the Lord. You went back to work and pretended not to care about songwriting.
Pretend it doesn’t matter to you. You’re being realistic. You’re practical.
And yet… and yet…
You catch yourself thinking in rhymes. You do it all the time. You just can’t help it. It’s part of you. It comes out naturally. In melody. It’s glorious. But..
Who can you talk to about it? Practically no one, really.
Friends and family don’t get it. Maybe they support you, because that’s who they are. Maybe they snicker behind your back, because that’s what people do. It’s a strange and foreign thing to be a songwriter, especially when no one knows it but you.
But then one day, you find a group. You find a person who understands what you’re going through. They think in rhyme, too, and they get you for who you are, but really more importantly, they see the potential in you, the un-ripened fruit. They want to help you find your way, feather your wings and help you to fly.
Help you find your voice. Help you avoid pitfalls along the way.
Give you encouragement until you’re ready for feedback, and know when to offer both to help you make progress.
Progress toward what? What does songwriter progress even look like? Are you supposed to pluck up the plant by the roots to check for growth?
Of course not. Those of us who are born and developed songwriters know how to help you, because we are you. We have been where you’re standing, and understand the pain, the striving and the devastating frustration of trying to make it, or at least figure out what that even means. To sign deal? To get a cut? To (gulp) come to Nashville and work with a real pro songwriter mentor who is also a multiplatinum awarded music publisher and trained educator.
Can it really be that easy?
There’s nothing easy about it. But your choice to get better at your songwriting and make actual, real, measurable progress is easy.
Apply to one of the 25 slots available in the Songpreneurs Leadership Community Class of 2021.
This year’s focus is training using our proprietary Write Brain™ Song Crafting Method as a guide through a series of four 8-week quarterly courses with completely original material you won’t find anywhere else.
Our focus is on practical building, helping you to get your original songs out into the music marketplace, and using your original artistry and creativity as a form of service. All experience levels welcome to apply.
We look forward to hearing from you, and to working with you in the new year to build your songwriting and music business success.
Apply for your spot today. Payment arrangements are available by request.
