The first week of this songwriting/syncing course has kept me busy! One of the first assignments was to research, research, research so I’ve been listening to many songs and discovering many new artists.
One resourceful person in the class put together a Spotify playlist of more than 100 songs that have been used in TV, film or ads so I’ve been listening to that. I recognize some of the songs, but most of them are new to me. I’ve also learned that two of the artists that I’ve started listening to recently – Brandi Carlile and Ingrid Michaelson – both have had many songs placed in TV shows. It’s mind-boggling to learn about this whole other world of song licensing and pretty amazing when you think of all the content out there that needs songs – films, network shows, streaming shows, original shows by the streaming companies, video games, commercials, podcasts, etc.
It’s similar to when I learned about all the publications out there that need editorial content – newspapers, magazines, online – when I was focusing on freelance writing. Unfortunately, many of the work I was finding didn’t pay very much, although I admit I did enjoy writing for community newspapers and magazines.
This week, participants were also divided into smaller “accountability” groups of about 10 students per group and we also had our own Zoom conference. The main weekly classes, as well as “office hour” sessions and other meetings are done over Zoom conferences and it’s pretty cool to see people from all over the world on the screen, all passionate about music and writing songs.
That was only the first week in a six-month program, so there’s still so much to learn. Between work and family, I haven’t gotten to spend as much time on it as I would like, but am managing to listen to the classes (and lots of songs) and follow the assignments. (The timing actually wasn’t the best as we are adjusting to the new school year and everyone’s homework, after-school activities, etc. plus preparing for my oldest son’s bar mitzvah this fall and possibly will be moving soon, but if not now, when – right?)
During my commute, I’ve also continued to listen to Cathy Heller’s motivational podcast “Don’t Keep Your Day Job,” which keeps me inspired to move forward.
Moving on to Week 2!
My Songwriting Journey 