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WORKSHOP The Hit Factory: Making Your Music Make Money, With Eric Beall / Saturday, March 13th, 2010

2010-01-27T14:09:03-05:00

The Hit Factory: Making Your Music Make Money, With Eric Beall
1 Day Intensive / 10AM-4:30PM / Saturday, March 13th, 2010
LOCATION: Bridge Theater at SHETLER STUDIOS, 244 West 54th St.,12th Floor (Bdwy & 8th Ave)

This one-day workshop takes a strategic approach to building your songwriting business. It will focus on understanding your market and developing your brand, turning your songs into hits, and selling those hits to the people that need them.

THIS WORKSHOP IS OPEN TO ALL!

The focus will be on interaction as the workshop listens to songs brought into the group for review. The morning will be devoted to “Understanding Your Market”; helping to develop individual business strategies. The afternoon will continue with “Making The Hits” and then finish with “Selling the Hits”. Songs by workshop attendees will be reviewed and all are encouraged to either bring their song recordings on an iPod or a CD. There will be a piano in the studio but we ask that you bring your own guitar if that is your instrument! Of course you are welcome to just listen and learn!

ERIC BEALL is the author of the book “Making Music Make Money (An Insider’s Guide To Becoming Your Own Music Publisher)” and “The Billboard Guide To Writing and Producing Songs That Sell”. Eric is a music industry veteran, having held senior Creative jobs at Zomba Music, Jive Records, and Sony/ATV Music. He’s worked with a wide variety of artists, writers and producers ranging from NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, and Britney Spears, to Sarah McLachlan, The Script, Stargate Productions, and the Jonas Bros. Currently, he is A&R;at Shapiro Bernstein, one of the industry’s most respected independent music publishers, where he’s brought in hit songs like “Put Your Records On” by Corinne Bailey Rae and “Too Little Too Late” by Jojo. Prior to joining the executive ranks, Eric was an accomplished songwriter and record producer, with several Top Ten hits for artists like Diana Ross, The Jacksons, Martha Wash, and Joey Lawrence. He’s a teacher for Berklee Music Online, at the prestigious Berklee College of Music and blogs at ericbeall.berkleemusicblogs.com.

FEE: $150.00 (includes Eric’s books “The Billboard Guide To Writing and Producing Songs That Sell” and “Making Music Make Money” to be distributed at the workshop. If you already own one or both titles - contact the SongHall). Your check should be mailed with the completed upper portion of the applications to the address given. If you are not currently a member of SHOF, an additional dues check and a completed membership application are required, as this workshop is open to members only. You can also make your membership payment only via PayPal here. Please make your checks or money orders payable to Songwriters Hall Of Fame. Class size is limited, so early registration is encouraged.

If you have questions regarding this course, or other SongHall workshops or showcases, please email Peter Bliss at: pbliss at songhall dot org

Songwriter

2009-12-03T12:44:48-05:00

A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics, as well as the musical composition or melody to songs. One who writes only lyrics is a lyricist, while one who writes only music is a composer.Singers may perform the songs they write themselves, or they may write for somebody else to perform. Being a songwriter requires a lot of time, patience and discipline. In my experience in songwriting I found it easier to be in a quiet place sitting by a window gazing upon the sky, grass, and birds. These things help enable me to think deep inside myself to be able to write things from my heart that make sense. Sometimes I write from my personal experiences with life, such as relationships, friendships, death, love, and emotions. People are prone to listen and relate to things that attract their attention. People who sing their own songs are nowadays typically called singer-songwriters, although the tradition of doing this dates back hundreds of years. Less recently, the troubadours of the Middle Ages sang their own works, as did the German Minnesingers. In the contemporary era, the songwriting competition (ex. International Songwriting Competition) has become a valuable venue for aspiring songwriters.

Most art songwriting is written for somebody other than the composer to perform, although it is known that Franz Schubert often sang his own songs at private parties. In fact most popular songwriters of today enjoy having their work recorded by a variety of artists and hearing different renditions.

Many modern rock and roll bands have one or two songwriters, usually members of the band.

Many songwriters also serve as their own music publishers, while others have outside publishers. Songs in pop music are often written by staff writers; songwriters directly employed by music publishers. Country music also uses staff writers, but many country artists are singer-songwriters in their own right.

Legally, songs may only be copied or performed publicly by permission of the authors. The legal power to grant these permissions may be bought, sold or otherwise transferred. This is governed by copyright law. Songwriting and publishing royalties can be a substantial source of income, particularly if a song becomes a hit record.

The old apprenticeship approach to learning how to write songs is being supplemented by some universities. It is possible to learn how to write songs. For instance, Bangor University has a degree course, English with Songwriting, which teaches the composition of songs by showing how the metaphorical and rhythmical structures of language are combined with music, in history, theory, and practice. For several years, Bath Spa University has been host to the UK Songwriting Festival, a week long annual summer school that offers intensive tuition, seminars and master classes on the art of songwriting. A knowledge of modern music technology and business skills are necessary to make a career in songwriting, and music colleges such as the British Institute of Modern Music offer songwriting diplomas and degrees with music business modules. online writing job philippines

Song Skills Workshop w/ Arnie Roman November 28th, 2009

2009-09-04T09:18:10-05:00

Song Skills Workshop w/ Arnie Roman
1 Day Intensive / 10AM-4PM / Saturday, November 28, 2009
OPEN TO ALL!
If you are a pop songwriter who thinks you trend towards country - or a country songwriter who trends toward pop - this workshop is a must! Arnie Roman has been able to write successfully in both worlds earning Top 10 records on all charts. This workshop welcomes the beginning songwriter along with the more experienced writer looking to take their craft to the next level. Popular songs of all genres will be analyzed and decoded to see how and why they work as hit songs. Melody, harmony and lyric will be discussed as individual elements and how they equal more than the sum of their parts in a well-written song. Songs by workshop attendees will be reviewed and all are encouraged to either bring their song recordings on an iPod or a CD. There will be a piano in the studio but we ask that you bring your own guitar if that is your instrument, and of course you are welcome to just listen and learn!

More information here: http://songhall.org/index.php/news/entry/song_skills_workshop_w_arnie_roman/

Download application: http://www.songhall.org/forms/SongSkillsAppFall09.pdf

New Workshops for WINTER 2010 announced!

2009-09-04T09:16:03-05:00

Our WRITERS WORKSHOP Winter 2010 session beginning on February 10th is just about full - so we are going to be posting the next SPRING 2010 session schedule soon you don’t miss out.

A new 1 day intensive workshop entitled:
The Hit Factory: Making Your Music Make Money, With Eric Beall
10AM-4:30PM / Saturday, March 13th, 2010
LOCATION: Bridge Theater at SHETLER STUDIOS, 244 West 54th St.,12th Floor (Bdwy & 8th Ave)

THIS WORKSHOP IS OPEN TO ALL!

If you have questions regarding this course, or other SongHall workshops or showcases, please email Peter Bliss at: pbliss at songhall dot org

“SINGING FOR SONGWRITERS” with Sally Morgan

2009-09-04T09:11:09-05:00

This is a wonderful opportunity to experience the benefits of professional voice training at
a wonderful package price! The results are immediate and affirming! Highly recommended!

Singing for Songwriters

8-Week Class

Sept 14 - Nov 3 7-8:30 pm

Ripley Grier Studios 520 8th Ave. (36-37) 16th Fl

wtih Sally Morgan, creator of

Morganix MethodäYour Key to Vocal Excellence

Stop struggling to sing!

Take your songwriting to the next level!

Increase range, quality and pitch!

Simple, natural solutions!

Cost: $320

Payment accepted via cash, check or

online @ http://www.VocalPowerTools.com

For more Info at VocalPowerTools dot com

215.219.1154

Next “This Songwriting Business” Workshop Saturday, October 31, 2009

2009-09-04T08:53:25-05:00

This Songwriting Business
1 Day Intensive / 10AM-4PM / Saturday, October 31, 2009
To provide the “must know” information every songwriter needs to manage, negotiate, make informed decisions, and succeed in this business called music!
Curriculum: This workshop will cover the importance and procedure in copyrighting songs, coming to agreements with co-writers, performance rights organizations (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC), their function, and the differences between them. All aspects of the songwriting income stream, publishing agreements, the types of royalties paid from different sources will be covered along with the importance of independent music supervisors, film and TV sync licenses in today’s world of popular music. Source materials will be distributed.

More information here: http://songhall.org/index.php/news/entry/this_songwriting_business_workshop/

Download application: http://www.songhall.org/forms/SongBusinessAppFall09.pdf

If you have questions - please post! The SongHall will get right back to you!

Writing for “Idol”—Jason Blume

2008-01-31T10:12:16-05:00

These notes come from a recent workshop led by Jason Blume in Nashville!

Writing for “Idol”—Jason Blume workshop 1/15/08

The “Idol” shows go by different names in other countries, such as “Pop Star” or “You Can Be the Next Star”. Other countries’ “Idol” shows are most likely NOT going to want pop ballads, but instead rock, like Daughtry. They’ve also mentioned Rihanna and Beyonce for the kind of hip, pop/rock songs they prefer. American Idol may still want the power pop ballad, plus Eurovision asks for that style (in SongLink International).

Jason offered a site with information about the various international “Idol” shows:

http://idolforums.com/index.php?showforum=1

He also gave contact information to 19 Entertainment, including a Nashville rep:

19 Entertainment Chris Oglesby
33 Ransomes Dock OWM/19 Entertainment
35-37 Parkgate Road 1604 17th Ave. South
London SW11 4NP Nashville, TN 37212-2813
UK

Jason provided other organizations for pitching nationally and internationally:

imdbPro.com
Billboard International Talent & Touring Directory
SongLink International (http://www.songlink.com)
Myhitfactory.com
Songquarters.com
A & Registry (http://www.musicregistry.com)

Jason said that we should be our own publisher, creating a professional looking letterhead with a name that sounds “big” (like “Global Music”). He said we need a great, fully produced demo and should contact people (like Chris Oglesby) and say something like “I’m an independent publisher and I have a song I feel strongly about.” If the song has to be translated, we need to give some of our publishing to the translator (10-20% usually).

His advice for writing “Idol” songs was to be sure NOT to refer to singing, being on stage, winning a contest, etc. The song should be more universal, so any one can relate to it and about something positive. Don’t make it too specific to “Idol” because you’ll want to be able to pitch it elsewhere if you don’t get it placed with any of the “Idol” shows.
There were 10,000 entries to the American Idol contest last year, so finding a unique twist or angle would be very important.

The songs need to have a broad range, over an octave, with a melody that soars. Melody is very important for “Idol” songs. For demo singers, Jason Blume mentioned his web site, which has singers he has personally worked with. Someone also mentioned another web site, http://www.demosingers.com.

SONGHALL WRITERS WORKSHOP/ WINTER 2010 - Let’s Do It Again!

2008-12-04T20:49:50-05:00

SongHall Writers Workshop - Let’s do it again! 8 Sessions / 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM / Wednesdays

I hope all of you had a good holiday and are gearing up for a great 2010. I know that many of you are planning on taking the Winter 2010 Writers Workshop. All of you made this such a special workshop that I want to ask all of your opinions about my possibly continuing your group as a separate workshop. Same wednesday - time & place. Let me know what you think. Peter

Premiere Event: February 2008 Steven Sater & Duncan Sheik / Spring Awakening

2008-09-26T11:00:51-05:00

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Words About Music: A Magical Evening!

The premier of SongHall’s newest series, Words About Music took place to a sold out, enthusiastic crowd. SongHall Board Member Maury Yeston, Tony Award winner for the Broadway musicals Nine, Titanic (Best Score and Best Musical) and Grand Hotel (Tony nomination, Olivier Award), kicked the night off with a heartfelt introduction of the featured speakers Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik. They, of course, are the 2007 Tony and 2008 Grammy Award winners for the Broadway musical Spring Awakening. The evening was an intimate event that captured the essence of their process, punctuated by songs sung and played by some of the original cast. The journey was led by Rolling Stone senior editor David Fricke.... read the rest at: http://www.songhall.org/news/entry/546

The SongHall will soon make available video of the entire program!

And we are working on or next Words About Music event in 2010!

HOW TO USE THE SONGHALL FORUM

2008-09-26T10:38:15-05:00

The newly updated SONGHALL FORUM is here to serve our members and the songwriting community!

How the FORUM works:
MAIN TOPICS are listed on the left - with the most currently posted SUB-TOPIC listed on the right.

To view all the SUB-TOPICS and posts - klik on the Main Topic. This will take you to al the SUBTOPICS.

Please join us - ask questions- leave comments in how we can make it better!