Hi Keeth, Great questions! I wasn’t sure how many songs I’ve written—I’ve referenced 800 before—but I checked my PRO (ASCAP) today, December 3, 2024. It looks like I’ve written 1,024 songs (registered), which is more than I thought. There are likely 50 to 100 that I haven’t submitted because I was probably ashamed of them. […]
Hi Greta, Great question. First, for others reading who might not know, here’s a list of albums and EPs: My Whole Life (2005) Songs from a Small Town (2006) Christmas Songs (2008) Three (2012) Tennessee Sky (2012) Safe Enough to Wander (2013) Black Wall Way EP (2016) Passages (2017) This Time of the Year (2017) Wonder EP
Greta asks, “What’s your favorite album you’ve made?” Read More »
“So many of your songs evoke strong emotions (joy, sadness, longing etc), as a listener I can feel them with you. What’s one of the strongest memories or feelings from your own life? Have you written a song about it?” Hi Stephen, One example might be “Vacation,” all about my family’s trip to Disney World
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 »
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 »
“What strategies can I use to improve my proficiency in music production software like Logic to better translate my song ideas into fully produced tracks?” – Sarah Hi Sarah, Great question. The gap between hearing production in your head and actually getting it recorded can be incredibly frustrating, especially when starting out. Get To 100
10 Strategies to Improve Your Proficiency in Logic Pro Read More »
Hi Ryan, Great question. “Balance” is a tough topic and one I can relate to. For a longtime balancing my roles as an artist, producer, and songwriter was extremely difficult. I realized my success or lack-thereof depended on how organized I was. I’m not naturally organized or efficient with my time. I got away with
“Do you ever worry about burnout?” Theo S. Hi, Theo. That’s a great question. Burnout is something I think about a lot because I’ve had to deal with it over the course of my career, especially during my early days here in Nashville. In 2012, when I signed my first publishing deal, my calendar began
AMA: “Do you ever worry about burnout?” Read More »
In this week’s issue I share…
1) Motivation for Creatives: The Calendar Hack
2) Liver and Onions: From Children’s Song to Adult Ballad
3) On Songwriting: AMA: “Can you talk about using mundane, boring life as a source of inspiration?”
3 on Thursday – 3/30/23 Read More »
AMA: “What’s a good-quality guitar for my child? But I don’t want to spend too much, because I’m not sure he’s going to stick with it.” – Tara Hi Tara, You’re definitely not alone – I get some form of this question a lot. With all the brands and models out there, it can be
Two Great Guitars for Kids Under $250 Read More »