Great question, Ty! But here’s a curveball for you: I encourage you NOT to focus on boosting your social media presence right now. Let’s hit pause on all that for a moment. Why, you ask? Social media can be a fantastic place to: Feel bad about yourself Practice mustering up genuine excitement for other people’s […]
AMA: “How do I boost my social media presence when I’m just starting out?” – Ty Read More »
Lodging, Meals, and Bathing You will rarely stay in hotels after your gigs. Even a Motel 6 will be over your budget. Instead, you’ll crash on a friend’s couch. Sometimes a fan will offer a spare bedroom, which you will accept after doing a quick background check and Google search. Before going there, however, you
How to Become an Extremely Moderately Successful Songwriter Read More »
How do I get over the fear of sharing my work? – Aly Aly, this is a great question, and I have to be honest: the fear of sharing your work never completely disappears. That’s why I titled this post “Dealing…” rather than overcoming. I’m not sure many of us truly overcome the fear. However,
Dealing with the Fear of Sharing Your Work Read More »
I know the lyrics to “Take Me Home, Country Roads” are about West Virginia, the Blue Ridge Mountains and all. But last year, when my wife and I hauled our family around the Midwest in a camper for my Living Room Tour, I took a wrong turn near the Montana/North Dakota border. Though we tried
Happy Accidents: Where This Picture Came From Read More »
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Protected: Opportunity to Own a Piece of My Music Read More »
I’m a distractible person. Don’t get me wrong, I can be laser-focused for several hours on, let’s say, a guitar tone. But send me to the grocery store for an onion, and I’ll return with strawberries, ballpoint pens, tiki torches—pretty much everything besides an onion. I tell you this because I’ve realized that looking at
Why I’ve Been Going Back to Paper Read More »
I was at the age when all your friends start getting married. It seemed as if every other month I was performing “I Will Be Here” by Steven Curtis Chapman, while a bride and groom lit the unity candle. Their pacing always much faster than rehearsed due to nerves and the unnatural activity of lighting
Confessions of an Extremely Moderately Successful Singer-Songwriter Read More »
You probably have a method for capturing your ideas in the moment–whether it’s your phone, a recipe card, or a Moleskine notebook–but sometimes that method doesn’t work. For me, the combination of hot water on my scalp and the scent of shampoo often sparks creativity. If you wear a wedding ring–or any ring, for that
The Wedding Ring Hack Read More »
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Protected: Thank You for Keeping the Lights On Read More »
I wasn’t just interested in recording “I Love Rock N Roll” because I liked the challenge of reinterpreting it. I also recorded it because I knew my publisher controls the copyright. Back in 2020, they gave me a list of popular songs they can clear for licensing. I scanned through them and picked several that
The Art and Science of Choosing Cover Songs Read More »