Danielle W Carter

IMAGINE the biggest funnel in the world holding the top talent. They are floating around. Down at the bottom of the funnel are four drops (four songs that get to go on the radio). What are you going to do to be better than Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco, Dr. Dre and Diane Warren? It is that competitive! Keep the bar high for yourself and stay focused on the creative purpose. The bar is set HIGH!

More key takeaways from the interview with publisher and producer, Steve Lindsey, who took a chance on a young man with a dream. Five years later, we now know that young man as Bruno Mars.

• Speaking to a room full of passionate songwriters at The Songwriting School of Los Angeles, Steve tells it like it is. The music business is all about the radio right now if you want to make some sustained income. That might change, but today it’s the biggest funnel.
• The purpose of songwriting is to make people feel like they’re not alone. It’s not about your diary.
• Storytelling is key. Know who is singing to who, where, when and why?
• There are two types of songs: the Fertility dance (any love song) and the War Chant (different rhythm, gets males riled up so they can conquer the other tribe over the hill).
• Initially, Steve heard a song of Bruno Mars (before he was Billboard charting Bruno Mars) and thought he was “wack.” Steve was interested in the second kid (Neyo) who was singing in the background and wrote the demo song. In an attempt to get Neyo signed, he signed Bruno and got “stuck” developing him. The rest is history…both Neyo and Bruno eventually became A-list artists.
• Bruno Mars wanted to do an old school retro thing. Steve advised, “You can do that. But make sure the lyrics, the language is of today’s times.”
• Making music is like making a film. You need: 1) A great script: a great song, 2) A great director: a great producer, knows how to bring the song to life with all moving parts, and 3) Movie star: your artist, singer. You don’t need a great track to make a great record. It’s just a part of the movie.
• Solo your vocal. If it’s not a hit with just the vocal, it’s not a hit. Get the song right!
• Everyday I handwrite a card and send a thank you note for every meeting that I take. It’s touching, personal and differentiating. It’s opened doors.
• Steve will be continuing the conversation with his first class @SongSchool starting Monday, October 14 at 7:30PM.

Everyone needs a little helping hand! Set your compass and stay focused.

A daily dose of inspiration to fuel every big ‘old dreamer!

Love,

Dani W