This book is for all emerging musicians and song writers who are looking to get into the music industry and make a living from their artform. It covers everything from creating a hit song structure, music theory and lyric creation through to understanding the music industry and how to earn a living from your music. It’s a kind of busines coaching session for musicians!
What the book explains is that everyone who wants to earn money from the industry needs to have an understand of how to run a business. In the modern-day music industry it is even more important for the artist to take ownership and control of their actions. This book I hope will help and guide them on their journey.
Targeted Age Group:: 20
What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
I have worked professionally in the music industry for over 20 years now. In that time I have worked with many up and coming artists that are/were amazing at their artform but clueless at running themselves as a business. The music industry has changed immensely over the last ten years and it is more important than ever that musicians, songwriters etc know what they are doing. Hence this book was born.
Book Sample
Foreword
OK, so if you are anything like me, you will sometimes listen to a song on the radio and think, ”How did that become such a success? I could have done better than that.” Or is it just me?
The art of song writing seemed like a taboo subject when I first dipped my toe in to that world. Something only for the selected few who had the fortune to pay their way, or know someone of influence, in the music industry.
I knew I could write good melodies and catchy hooks and even string some half meaningful lyrics together, but I was a long way from getting my music heard by the masses!
I also had the problem of not having a strong enough voice to be the front man and go out and perform my own smash hit songs (well. I thought they were pretty good tunes!). So, I was stuck in my own world with a bag full of ideas but no way of getting them out to my adoring fans (sorry, daydream time!). The only fans I had were my parents and my mate, Neil.
Neil was and still is a good mate and a huge lover of music. Oh, and a harsh critic! As a music lover, he presided as judge and jury when it came to my tunes, whether he knew about it or not. I always remember writing what I thought was a cracking riff-based catchy song only for Neil to say he didn’t like it. Now, I am not one for dismissing songs so quickly, but to a degree Neil represented what the masses might have also felt if they had heard the track. Was Neil right or wrong? Well, that’s the question that all songwriters should ask themselves when someone shoots their material down.
At the time I felt quite hurt about the fact that someone (my good mate) dismissed my song/s straight away, but overtime I began to realise that I should use his comments as constructive criticism and not take them to heart. As we all know, your music is very personal to you and it can be very hard to have your precious masterpieces torn apart.
This got me to start exploring the world of song writing in more detail. I was a hobby guitar player at heart and first I wanted to get a better knowledge of the instrument and learn new techniques. So, as a mature student, I enrolled myself on to a music diploma course at my nearest university in Brighton. Working full-time and completing a full-time diploma course isn’t something for the fainthearted but it meant that my whole life for the time of the course was spent playing and understanding the world I now call my profession.
The tools, techniques, skills, industry knowledge and music theory I learnt from that one course and the experiences I had when I was studying with likeminded folk was so rewarding and enlightening. So, my song-writing journey started here!
Fast forward to now and I am a successful songwriter with a list of credits to my name. I have had songs played all over the world from TV and Film placements to radio play on commercial stations and even corporate videos for businesses. BUT I am not famous and not many people know who I am…and that’s the way I like it.
So, to this book. If you are like me, someone who doesn’t read a lot but wants to get to the nub of the facts quickly, then this is right up your street. I cover everything you need to become a successful songwriter and to make an income from your musical skill. Learn the basics of a song structure, melody, harmony, lyrics writing, and basic theory through to understanding how the industry works, what opportunities are out there for you, professional associations you must be a member of, and lots more besides. If you come across music terms that you don’t understand, then don’t worry, as there is a glossary at the back of the book listing some of the theory terminology you will come across.
Don’t let anyone spoil your musical dreams. Learn, apply and enjoy your new career to come!
Happy song writing!
Links to Purchase Print Books
Buy Your Music is Your Business Print Edition at Amazon
Links to Purchase eBooks – Click links for book samples and reviews
Buy Your Music is Your Business On Amazon
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