the AMP Issue 16

"Independent music is as important as ever, and it's growing and growing every year. You don't need a mad expensive studio to make good music— and that you can be yourself and people will accept you..."
— Arlo Parks

In This Issue... [ 14 Pages, approx 19 minutes to read ] You'll Get...

• RECOMMENDS— The Kennedy Center... an abundance of musical treasures, and many (many) are free.

• TALKABOUT— the 11 Greatest Singer Songwriters of All Time.

• GUEST ARTICLE — 5 Things I Wish I Had Known About Writing Successful Songs, from Jason Blume

• BACKSTAGE PASS — 10 Predictions for the Next 5 Years of Music, by Rob Abelow

• PS from PS — Exposure or Attention or Both? (And no, they are not the same thing.)

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Here’s the playlist

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recycled from the AMP 05, August 23, 2023

• RECOMMENDS— The Kennedy Center... an abundance of musical treasures, and many (many) are free.

Here's the standard Wikipedia rap... Followed quickly by a link of pure listening gold you DO NOT want to miss...

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts— commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center— is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Opened on September 8, 1971, the center hosts many different genres of performance art: Theater, dance, orchestras, jazz, pop, psychedelic, and folk music.

Authorized by the 1958 National Cultural Center Act of Congress, which requires that its programming be sustained through private funds, the center represents a public–private partnership. Its activities include educational and outreach initiatives, almost entirely funded through ticket sales and gifts from individuals, corporations, and private foundations.

Start here...

• The Digital Stage — Watch extraordinary performances from the Kennedy Center’s stages and beyond, with new releases daily, special series, and original stories. Explore their vast collection of thousands of videos.

And Explore! There's lots, lots more for you at The Kennedy Center... The Kennedy Center News, The Millennium Stage (in-person and live streaming), Kennedy Center Honors, and more. Tap here: The Kennedy Center. 

• TALKABOUT— the 11 Greatest Singer Songwriters of All Time

We asked our AI research maven ChatNML...

Not sure what the best measure to use is— perhaps ‘sales’— who are the top 11 Singer Songwriters of all time?

And the 'often wrong, but never in doubt' Le Chat said...

Measuring the "top" singer-songwriters of all time can be done through various metrics, including critical acclaim, influence, sales, awards, and longevity. Sales are a concrete measure, but they don't always capture the full impact of an artist's work on music and culture. However, considering a combination of these factors, here's a list of some of the top Singer Songwriters across different eras, without a specific order, and with the understanding that "top" can be very subjective:

1. Bob Dylan— Nobel laureate, with profound influence on popular music and culture.

2. Paul McCartney— Co-writer of The Beatles' catalog and successful solo career.

3. Joni Mitchell— Influential singer-songwriter with a unique guitar style and poetic lyrics.

4. Bruce Springsteen— "The Boss" known for his storytelling and energetic performances.

5. Neil Young— With a career spanning over five decades, known for his distinctive voice and deep lyrics.

6. Carole King— Composer and performer of many classic songs from the 1960s onwards.

7. Leonard Cohen— Known for his deep, poetic lyrics and baritone voice.

8. James Taylor— His warm baritone and distinctive style of guitar playing have been influential.

9. Stevie Wonder— A multi-instrumentalist with a string of hits across many decades.

10. Prince— Multi-instrumentalist and producer with a prolific output.

11. Elton John— With a catalog of enduring hits, his flamboyant performances are legendary.

These artists have all achieved considerable success in terms of record sales, and they've profoundly influenced the music industry and artists that followed. They are also recognized for their Songwriting abilities and have received numerous awards for their work.

Where’s Dolly? Hank? Is anyone missing from your Top 11 list you want to add?

in partnership with MUBUTV™

• GUEST ARTICLE — 5 Things I Wish I Had Known About Writing Successful Songs from Jason Blume

Posted in The Weekly on October 24, 2023, by Jason Blume

At the beginning of my songwriting journey, my writing process consisted of lighting a candle, sipping a glass of rosé, strumming chords on my mandolin, and pouring out my angst for an audience of one. My songs came straight from my heart, and I had no idea that there were tools and techniques that I needed to apply if they were to reach millions of other hearts, which was my goal.

Now, after more than thirty years of earning my living as a songwriter, songwriting instructor, and author of songwriting books, I have learned so much. Below are some of the things I wish I had known from the start.

Melody Rules
I used to believe that lyrics were the most important part of a song. Now, I have become convinced that the top three reasons songs become successful are:

• Melody
• Melody, and
• Melody

I am not implying that lyrics are unimportant. They are crucial. But unless our lyrics are delivered on the wings of fresh, can’t-get-it-out-of-your-brain melodies, it won’t matter what the lyrics say.

I spent countless hours honing and polishing every line of my lyrics, but I failed to place my melodies under a similar proverbial microscope to be certain they were unforgettable. I’ve heard it said that it is a melody that draws listeners to a song—and lyrics that keep them connected. I regret that writing undeniable melodies was not a bigger priority for me.

Write More Uptempo Songs
If my goal is to place my songs with artists who record songs they do not write for themselves, I have a statistically better chance of achieving this if I write more mid-tempo and uptempo songs than slow ballads. This is also the case if I hope to place my songs in TV shows and films.
— Jason Blume

My publishers urged me to write fewer slow, sad songs and deliver more toe-tappers and happy songs. They told me that in most mainstream styles of music, artists release considerably more songs that are uptempo than other tempos, and artists often write or co-write their own slow songs.

Slow and mid-tempo songs come more easily for me, and I indeed had quite a bit of success in placing them. But many of them were album cuts, as opposed to the more lucrative singles. In the current milieu, it has become even more difficult to place songs that are not contenders to be singles.

I am not suggesting that you suppress slow songs if that is what you are moved to write; some of the most enduring and beloved songs have been slow. I don’t regret the heartfelt ballads that I wrote, but in retrospect, I wish I had also written more uptempo.

Communicate Clearly
Many of my earliest songs intentionally hid the meaning of my lyrics with vague, abstract imagery that listeners could not possibly understand. They were expressions of my most intimate feelings— but without acknowledgment that these ultra-personal works reflected my true feelings. But songwriting is an art of communication. Listeners care less about what writers feel than about what we make them feel. Some writers naturally create material that communicates clear emotions, but I needed to use tools that would allow listeners to relate and empathize.

If I had been a recording artist and my intention had been to record these songs for my own project, my obscure lyrics might have been fine. But my goal was to have superstar artists record my songs. It is rare for artists to record songs with lyrics that don’t reflect their feelings— and make sense to them and their audiences.

Artists who are writing for catharsis or their own enjoyment— and those who have an outlet for their music— have the latitude to write whatever they choose. They do not need to clear the hurdles of publishers, record producers, label executives, and other decision-makers. A prime example is KT Tunstall’s self-penned career-making hit, “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree.” I wanted artists to record my songs, so I needed to write lyrics with clear meanings; lyrics that evoked emotions millions of listeners would relate to.

Don’t Let the Truth Get in the Way of a Great Song
Most songs are intended to share and evoke feelings. It is feelings we strive to communicate with our songs—not facts or information. Of course, some songs tell the tale of a historical event and should accurately express what happened. But these songs comprise a small percentage of the songs that are written.

Unless we are writing about an actual event, or are creating strictly for ourselves, we need to write songs that connect with listeners’ hearts— not necessarily ones that relay “how it really happened.” If you are targeting a wide audience your listeners will not know what actually transpired. They simply want to love your song and feel the feelings you hope to communicate.

In some instances, conveying a true story can be effective. But sometimes, what really happened does not seem plausible or does not serve the song as well as would a fictionalized example. In these cases, creating a new scenario evokes the desired emotion more effectively than describing what actually occurred. Here is an example:

When GRAMMY nominee Karen Taylor-Good and I wrote “On Angels’ Wings,” the song was inspired by the true story of Karen’s mother, a member of Mensa (the society for geniuses), who was losing her memory to Alzheimer’s disease. If you listen to the recording, you will hear Karen sing that her mother can no longer remember her name. The truth is that at that point in time, Karen’s mother had no trouble remembering Karen’s name, although her memory was indeed failing. We opted for the line of lyric that we believed would have the most impact. It conveyed the emotion we were hoping to evoke and is one of the strongest lines in the song. FYI, the song was re-titled “She’s Gonna Fly” when it was recorded by country star Collin Raye, and it has been used to raise money for Hospice and Alzheimer’s research.

Allow what really happened to be the spark that inspires your song and stay true to that emotion. But unless you are writing about a historical event, don’t feel compelled to stick to the details that actually occurred—unless they support your song being the best it can be.

Incorporate More Imagery and Details into My Lyrics
I was an aspiring Los Angeles-based songwriter and had written only a handful of country songs when the legendary Oak Ridge Boys released one of my songs as a single. It landed me a staff-writing publishing agreement in Nashville. I came to Music City having grown up to a soundtrack of pop music.

The Nashville style of writing relied heavily on telling stories rich with images that you could “see” when you closed your eyes. Instead of telling how the singer felt they were more apt to show a scene that allowed the listener to surmise how the singer felt— and to empathize. I had learned the concept of “Show— Don’t Tell” in Los Angeles songwriting classes, but it seemed the Nashville style of writing relied much more on this technique. A pop lyric might say:

I never knew lonely could hurt so bad
I miss you with all my heart
I’d give the world to get you back
But I don’t know where to start

Whereas a country lyric would be more apt to describe the scene. For example:

One more shot of Patrón
Then I reach for the pillow
Where so many nights you lay your head
The scent of your Chanel
Starts my tears flowing
And I keep replaying what I should have said

Infusing lyrics with action, imagery, and detail is by no means limited to country music. These tools can further engage listeners and bring them into the world of your songs regardless of the genre.

If as a young dreamer, I had known what I know now, I might have been able to shave some years and frustration off my journey to success— and celebrated an even more lucrative career. I hope these tips can help you do the same.

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Jason Blume is the author of 6 Steps to Songwriting Success, This Business of Songwriting, and Inside Songwriting (Billboard Books). His latest book, Happy Tails—Life Lessons from Rescued Cats and Kittens (SPS/Blue Mountain Arts) combines his love of photography and cats. Jason’s songs are on Grammy-nominated albums and have sold more than 50,000,000 copies. A guest lecturer at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (co-founded by Sir Paul McCartney) and at the Berklee School of Music, he has been interviewed as a songwriting expert for CNN, NPR, the BBC, Rolling Stone, and the New York Times.

To receive a free video, “3 Things You MUST Do for Success” and weekly tips to enhance creativity For information about workshops, webinars, and more than 125 additional articles, visit www.jasonblume.com.

• BACKSTAGE PASS— 10 Predictions for the Next 5 Years of Music
by Rob Abelow, WhereMusicsGoing.com

Rob Abelow thinks. And thinks, and thinks, and thinks and... Okay, perhaps he thinks too much, but you'd be foolish to ignore what he has to say. Review his 10 Predictions below and come to your own. We are.

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So, where is music going?

Here are some of my takes on shakeups we may see in the next 5 years. Boldness may vary.

It’s the year 2028...here’s what music looks like:

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1. ONE BILLION MUSIC CREATORS
AI tools help blur the lines between artist & consumer. Most will create for an audience of one or in fun, easy, social, gamified experiences. Co-creation & interactivity become the leading driver of music's new growth.

2. 100 MILLION SONGS WILL BE RELEASED TO DSPS EACH YEAR
99% will be heard by no one.

These 275,000 songs per day will represent only a tiny fraction of the total songs created but not officially released.

The only way this doesn’t happen, is if...

3. MUSIC STREAMERS BECOME INCREASINGLY PAY-TO-PLAY
As they look to drive revenue & realize creators are willing to spend far more money than consumers ever will for mass consumption.

They will charge for things like

• Playlist pitching
• Annual track hosting
• Boosts to reach your own audience

Initial versions of this are already happening & the music industry is (mostly) happy to pay to cut in line for a sliver of your attention.

The experience will deteriorate & discerning fans will find other options.

(This is known as enshittification)

4. TAYLOR SWIFT IS THE LAST OF MUSIC’S GLOBAL SUPERSTARS
We never see an artist gain this level of multi-generational awareness again. Artists will sell out arenas, sell tons of albums, get billions of streams & have tons of fans (perhaps more than Taylor), but most people will not know who they are.

5. THE GREAT ARTIST UNBUNDLING
We'll see a major shift in the artist-fan experience away from mega-platforms that bundle all artists together as content, to artist-centric platforms that bundle each artist's music, art, engagement, membership & commerce.

Most passive consumption will still happen on mega-platforms, but...

6. MEGA-PLATFORMS & MAJORS MISS OUT ON THE “SUPERFAN”
OPPORTUNITY
They're built for mass consumption & feed the lowest common denominator. Fandom is bespoke, and entirely new tools that center the artist-fan and fan-to-fan relationships will win.

7. AN AI-ARTIST PLAYS COACHELLA’S MAIN STAGE
Major catalog owners churn out music's version of sequels, using AI & their deep catalogs to exploit timeless material for continued profit.

• Generate new songs
• Create derivatives
• And bring dead artists back to “life”

Anything to extend blue-chip material & IP.

Catalog & its reincarnations take increasing priority over new music for the biggest players.

9. THE RISE OF COLLECTIVES
New forms of collectives (partially) fill the role of labels & curators, offering collaboration & resource-sharing while challenging traditional industry hierarchies.

They become the artist launchpads, as they have a superpower few will hold — authentic, engaged audiences.

10. A NEW ARTIST SELLS OUT ARENAS WITHOUT RELEASING ANY MUSIC ON TRADITIONAL PLATFORMS
Solely through grassroots, community-centric growth, bypassing conventional platforms entirely. Instead of competing against the noise, they create their own space outside of it.

Community-building will become the most important skill for artists.

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One thing is for certain.

There will be more noise than ever— in music— and from everywhere else.

Trying to reach everyone will be futile.

— Rob

Rob Abelow has been an artist manager, the founder of Roll Call Records, former co-founder of the web3 music discovery platform, Dopr, and now the author of the excellent newsletter, Where Music’s Going.

After managing some bands in college, 23-year-old Rob approached one of the singers of the band Dispatch, which had just become the first independent band to headline Madison Square Garden, and convinced him, backstage at MSG, that he should become his manager. From there, Abelow would go on to start Roll Call Management and then Roll Call Records. Tap the link to check out more than 40 videos on RollCall's YouTube.

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• PS from PS— Exposure or Attention or Both? (And no, they are not the same thing.)

Had a recent conversation with a Singer Songwriter about which of the two 'benefits' is more important for a successful career.

Quick poll. Which do you say is more important: Attention or Exposure?

Exposure and Attention are both crucial— as in required. This is not an either/or. It's and. And they mean different things for your music career.

I'll explain:

• Exposure refers to the extent to which the artist's music is presented to an audience. Straight up; you've got to be heard. Exposure could mean playing on various platforms, radio, being on playlists, podcasts, your own events, or opening for other acts. It's about reaching new and larger audiences who may not have heard of you before and maintaining your presence with existing fans.

Now, not all exposure is good exposure for you: For example, say you're an acoustic Singer Songwriter performing mostly ballads and love songs and you're offered an opening slot for Metallica with 75,000 people in the crowd. Huge exposure. Good exposure for you? No.

• Attention, on the other hand, is about the quality of engagement that an audience has with the artist their work. It's not just about reaching a big broad audience, but about making an impact on listeners, so they become active fans who buy records, attend concerts, and follow the artist's career.

Another example: You play a gig and only 50 people come out to the show. But you connect and engage with them from the stage and after the show. You build relationships and create friendships. That's prime attention and they'll become your fans and a bunch will go on to become TrueFans.

So for most Singer Songwriters— especially those who are in the early stages of their careers— EXPOSURE is the initial goal. You need to get your music out there. Heard by potential new fans. As your career progresses, your emphasis shifts toward cultivating and maintaining ATTENTION. Building on the ATTENTION of your fan base by paying ATTENTION to them.

So in terms of which is more powerful? Depends on your specific goals at a given point in time

• If a Singer Songwriter has a small, but highly engaged fan base, they may benefit more by creating increased EXPOSURE and expanding their audience.

• If an artist is getting plenty of play, but isn't seeing a corresponding growth in their dedicated fan following, they may need strategies that focus more on capturing and keeping ATTENTION.

In the digital age, where content is over-abundant and time is short, it could be argued that ATTENTION may be more valuable than EXPOSURE alone. Without ATTENTION, EXPOSURE might result in fleeting recognition at best. In the end, the most effective strategy for an artist requires a balance of both, constantly working to expand your audience while also deepening your degree of engagement with existing fans.

My personal take on the answer to the poll I asked at the start: ATTENTION is the most important. EXPOSURE is required of course, but it has to be exposure to the right people. As the sales trainers have always said you need to have the right thing to sell to the right people.

A focus on ATTENTION will build TrueFans and result in EXPOSURE for a lifetime

Thanks for reading. Give us your feedback.

And PLEASE, if you've got any Singer Songwriter friends, pass the AMP on, because... It’s Time... for a Change. Big Time. Past Time...