The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter's 'Need to Know' Handbook

I am so excited to announce that my new book, The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter's 'Need to Know' Handbook, is now available in both print and e-book editions!

I've been working with new and aspiring singers and songwriters for many years, and it became apparent that many of them felt overwhelmed by by this big, baffling thing - the music business - that they were now trying to be part of.

click to go to the College of Songology website

I realized that they needed a book that focused on the basic 'Need to Know' elements as they began their musical career. They needed a book written in everyday language that avoided 'industry jargon' so they could easily understand the essentials.

And that's what I've done with 'College of Songology 101.'  The book goes over areas such as copyrighting your songs, why (and how) to license your music to create an income, how to work with a Performing Rights Organization [PRO], the pros and cons of self-publishing vs working with a song publisher, how to demo your songs, etc, etc. And because I've seen how many artists and songwriters get confused about words and phrases they read and hear, I have included an A to Z  section with hundreds of music industry definitions and terminology.

Every chapter includes 'workbook' sections so the reader can personalize all the information to his or own needs and level of experience.

If you'd like to know more about the print or e-book versions (or read about my  music career development services) please go to www.collegeofsongology.com 

And please drop me a line to let me know what you think!

“I wish I had this book when I started writing songs and making trips to Nashville! It would have taken a couple years off the learning curve.”
Doak Turner, songwriter and co-founder of MusicStartsHere.org 

 
 College of Songology 101 is a primer for serious songwriters.  A "how to" manual, this book can guide you along your commercial song journey and is invaluable in helping you avoid mistakes. 
Bart Herbison, Executive Director, Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI)

Check out my new blog, Nashville Music Line, that has just gone live. I plan to feature news, information, helpful ideas and inspiration for singers and songwriters.  If you are an aspiring artist or songwriter just starting out on your career path, or if you are already on your way, I hope you’ll find it both useful and enjoyable.  It has only just gone ‘live’ so the content is quite small right now, but I intend to start adding to it on a regular basis. Let me know if there are any topics you would like me to address there. Please bookmark the URL and visit frequently. I’d love to read your comments. You can find it at www.nashvillemusicline.com
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My “Preshias Day In Music” will be Saturday, April the 23rd at the Listening Room, from 11:00am to 2:30pm. This year we will celebrate the 10th Anniversary of me being breast cancer FREE! Artists songwriters confirmed so far are: Anna Barrow, Matt Cooper, Michaela Lawson, Re Mattei, Lindsey Harding, Mike Short, Jr. Meg Rilley, Brad Rowe, Allie Louise, Dustin Bragg, Heidi Beuerlein, Chelsie Love, Carmen DeMari and Allison Bray. More artists and songwriters to be announced soon. It’s an all-ages show and no cover. We are asking for a 5lb bag of dog or cat food for the Proverbs 12:10 animal rescue or a $5.00 bill donation to the charity. This rescue facility serves middle Tennessee counties and has saved over 1,000 dogs in 2015. More info at www.proverbs1210rescue.org. 

It's a busy, busy week here in Nashville! Special Award nights hosted by the Performing Rights Organizations SESAC, ASCAP and BMI, Sunday through Tuesday. Then Wednesday it's the 'Big' one ... the 49th annual CMA Awards, broadcast live on ABC 8:00/7:00 Central.

Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood are set to host, and the winners of some of the categories are definitely not easy to predict.  It will be exciting! Looking forward to being there!

The 6th annual Preshias NAMM JAMM was held Friday July 10 at the Listening Room in Nashville and was a smashing success. The show ‘sold out’ days in advance and a packed house gave an enthusiastic response to a mix of new talent and established singer-songwriters.

Gretchen Wilson took the stage to sing backup harmony for Jessie Goergen for whom she’s producing an album. Veteran multi-million-selling songwriters Don Henry and Jon Vezner brought along their brand new ukuleles and sung their Grammy-winning Kathy Mattea hit “Where’ve You Been” bringing a huge round of applause.  In the same set, the always wonderful Buddy Jewell got a ton of audience appreciation singing a couple of his big hits.

Rusty Dean and his band did a full acoustic set, showcasing Rusty’s new EP, “World Loses Gravity,” and the evening ended with a full band set from Ainsley who had recently returned from a string of overseas dates.

Also on a packed bill were: Allison Bray, Grady James, Lindsey Harding, Blane Howard, Kristen Merlin, Heidi Beuerlein, Mike Short, Gyth Rigdon, Rye Davis, Bailey Callahan, Bailey, Bala, Jackson Young and Jenny Tolman.

Thank you to everyone who came out and enjoyed the show and special thanks to the show’s sponsors and to the Listening Room.

While at NAMM, I had the chance to hang out and reminisce with my old friend Ronnie Dunn with whom I used to work ‘back in the day’ when I was an intern at his record label.  I also introduced him to Chase Samuels, an aspiring young artist and high school junior from Glasgow, KY. “That’s a coincidence,” said Ronnie, “I just got off the phone with a guy in Glasgow.” It turns out that the ‘guy’ was someone I’ve known since high school!  Small world, eh?!  Ronnie insisted we take this picture and send it to our mutual friend in Glasgow. Chase just shook his head!

Phew! The great Summer NAMM show is over for another year. Presented by the National Association of Music Merchants, the 2015 show featured 491 exhibiting companies representing more than 1,600 brands in Nashville. Most significant was an increase in the number of buying firms, which was up 26%. In total 13,936 people registered for Summer NAMM, a 13% increase over 2014.  Congrats to everyone at NAMM on a successful show!