| Home |
My write-up lesson was one of the best experiences I’ve had since moving to Nashville five months ago. I’ve had very little experience with songwriting and wanted test the waters and see if this is something I should pursue or forget about and just stick to playing bass. Needless to say, I’m going to continue songwriting.
I took a Songwriting 101 course in college. I learned more about the craft in just under two hours with Marc than I did in a whole semester. Marc teaches you about the fundamentals of songwriting, explains how to express your ideas in a way that hasn’t been said before, and will answer any other questions you might have about the art of the song. By the end of our lesson, we got lyrics and a rough demo finished on a song!
If that isn’t enough, Marc is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. He is very personable and willing to take the time to talk to you, no matter where you’re at in your career.
Thanks Marc for everything!
Andy Lewis - Nashville, TN - lew0106@hotmail.com
Well,
I finally had a chance
to sit down with Marc
for a consultation on
songwriting. Like
some of you, I only
write lyrics: no
singing, no guitar. I
took the lyrics for
about 7-8 upbeat songs
that I had written and
which I had gone back
and worked out how I
thought the song ought
to sound: tempo, melody,
and so on. During our
session, I did a rough,
informal vocal of each
song and asked for his
thoughts. VERY impressive. Marc’s take on each song was much more contemporary. He came up with a groove that really made each song sound like a song you’d actually hear on the radio. For some of the songs, he played it in a particular artist style or genre that he thought would make it stronger. For some of the songs, he suggested either reducing the lines in the verses, or adding lines to the chorus, or changing the perspective of the singer. For others, he suggested taking an idea from one song and working it into another. It was money well spent. He kept the things that he thought made the songs work, and made recommendations on the parts that made it weaker. Publishers are pretty much on a PASS/FAIL basis. If you don’t know where your songs are weak, or more importantly, where your songwriting processes are weak, it’s hard to make progress. If you get a chance, sit down with Marc and go over some of your work. Robert
DePriest, I wanted to say "Thank You" for delivering such a fantastic, informative experience at our recent corporate meeting. Guiding my sales team through a collaborative song-writing process was a valuable, fun team building exercise. I would highly recommend it to managers in any size organization looking to provide something different. You brought to us something new, fun, and educational. Thank you. Tim
Stillings, Regional
Sales Manager, Diebold,
Incorporated
- tim.stillings@diebold.com
If
you're reading this
you've found Marc's site
and are interested in
some aspect of Steve
Hafield - South East
Florida - stephenhatfield@bellsouth.net
I
can't say enough about
Marc. But I will start
with one piece of advice
I'd like to pass
along?"...Perseverance!!!
Allen Szyrwiel - Charlotte, NC - aszyrwiel@yahoo.com
Hey
Jules!! Thanks for
this thread!! Merry
Christmas and Happy New
Year!! I will be
getting married in May and
moving to Nashville in
August...I look forward to
seeing some of you and
hanging out at writer's
nights..
I
would very much like to
share with everyone
(especially newer members)
my experience with Marc
Alan Barnette (MAB).
It was such an informative
meeting for me, something
I wish I had known about
years ago. First
however; allow me to tell
a bit about my past
musical experiences.
I was a bar band bass
player for many years;
although I had written a
couple of songs, they were
mostly for friends and
family. In the early
nineties I joined a band which wrote
our own original songs. We
made a couple trips to
Steve....The
Old Dog –
Dear
Marc Alan, I'm
just writing a quick note
to thank you for the
fantastic Songwriter’s
tour in July. Spending the
day with you after
finishing the NSAI Song
Camp was the perfect
one-two punch! Your
sincere interest in
helping others succeed is
refreshing and the passion
and energy that you feel
for Nashville and the
craft of songwriting is
contagious. The
critiques of our songs
that you gave was truly an
eye-opener. You pointed
out things that I can’t
believe we overlooked.
Your criticisms were
constructive and valid and
you gave us tips on how to
remedy flaws that we kept
repeating. It was great to
have someone give specific
feedback that we could
apply and take action on
rather than the standard
“you might want to tweak
that”. Equally valuable
was your praise it felt
genuine was very
motivating. The
best news of all since
doing Song Camp and
spending a day with you,
our songs are getting very
strong reviews when we
submit them for critiques
or play them at
pitch-to-publisher events.
I feel that the investment
of one day with you put us
years ahead where we would
be if we had to figure it
all out on our own.
So, thanks again
for sharing your
experiences, advice and
talent.
We look forward to
seeing you again soon! Your
Ontario friends - Tracey
and Terry Ducharme - tracey@snaposhawa.com
Thinking about coming to Nashville and taking one of Marc-Alan Barnettes world famous "tours"? What's the hesitation? In just ONE (that's right, ONE) tour, I swear it will "up your game" by at least 3 to 5 years. You can "google" search dozens of people who "say" they can offer the same type of experience, but do NOT be mis-led. Heck, this guy is even endorsed by NSAI !!!! (6 out of 7 doctors recommend,.....) :o) Let me tell you about MY experiences,....... I met Marc-Alan Barnette back in the summer of 2003. Hey was performing at the same Music Festival that My band was performing at. Call it fate, or whatever,..... I just happened to "take the time" to catch his show. His confidence, performance, and informative talk in between tunes, caught my immediate attention. He had just came back from Washington D.C. in a hard fought effort to bring attention to the WRITER's share of royalties and other legal activities that needed the Governments attention, so us "little guys" would not get lost in the corporate shuffle of this crazy music industry. After his performance, I went back stage and introduced myself. We "hit it off",... and He hooked me up with the local NSAI chapter in my area. I was pretty skeptical of any "organizations" that had to do with songwriting. Heck, why would "I" need any of this?,.... I already had 4 full length CD's out and doing well regionally, had my music played NATIONALLY on a successfully HUGE syndicated radio program, and was the biggest fish this little pond had ever seen! Ahhhhhh,..... humbleness. It just so happend that my local NSAI chapter was planning a trip to Nashville in a couple of months, and taking a MAB group tour. OK, lets see what this guy is REALLY all about. So, I signed up. October rolled around and I went down to "NashVegas" with the group. We had a pretty diversified group of individuals included on our journey,...from people like "myself",....to the very timid beginners. There was something to learn for EVERYONE!. My eyes were opened so wide, I can't even describe it. Just LEARNED from it. THE NUMBER ONE thing I immediately learned,..... is it about RELATIONSHIPS and not just the songs. I also discovered pretty fast, that even my GREAT songs,.... could use some LOVE. Call it hungry, or what you may,..... but I took "another" tour in February,..... and then "tagged along" as a "helper" for 2 others. Each and every tour was a completely awesome different experience. I can also attest, that you will only get out of it,.... what YOU put IN to it! If you can be humble, open minded, and have the "desire",..... IT WILL HAPPEN! I may have wound up in the same place doing it the hard way,.... but why? MAB had introduced me to a whole new world. Either directly, OR indirectly,..... being a friend of MAB,..... all I can tell you is, Since meeting him,..... I have had my songs looked at and considered by Tracy Lawrence, Gary Allan, Brad Paisley, and numerous independent up and comers. My writing has greatly improved, and I have since written with and hung out with Grammy award winners, AMA award winners, CMA award winners, and Many ARTISTS. Doors have been opened, and I have shaved years off my road-to-success. Somehow, my performance confidence has also greatly improved. I am now accepted as an "equal" in a place I never thought I would be accepted in. Just take a tour and see for yourself. YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE, but a LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY if you don't. Randy VanVooren I became involved with the NSAI group in Green Bay, Wisconsin in September of 2003. I have played in bands for the past twenty + years and have dabbled in song writing the entire time. I started going to NSAI meetings at the urging of a good friend. As it turned out the group was planning a trip to Nashville the following February. The trip was going to be a “tour” with Marc Alan Barnette and also a showcase for our NSAI coordinator at 3rd & Lindsley. I quickly signed up. I had no idea what I was signing up for, but figured it would be a well deserved vacation if nothing else. Well let me say that the trip/tour was amazing. Have you ever gone to a theme park just to ride a specific rollercoaster? Well Nashville was the theme park and Marc was the roller coaster (get your minds out of the gutter). I learned more about Nashville and the music business in those three days than I could have learned in three years on my own. I met people that I would not have met any other way. Marc knows everyone in Nashville! And, more importantly, they all know and respect Marc. After the tour I really kicked my song writing into over drive and began setting aside time for writing. Now, I need to be honest, my writing still sucked, but at least I was working to try and get better. I began co-writing with fellow NSAI friends and even planned another trip to Nashville, to continue working on the relationships I made while on that first trip with Marc. Now, three years later I have been back to Nashville 6 or 7 times. I am writing with Nashville writers as well as people from other parts of the country, even an AMA winner! My writing is starting to not suck as bad and I am having the time of my life. Marc has become a great friend and because of him I have made many more great friends. Who knows what will happen with my songs? All I know is that without Marc none of this would have been possible. I also need to mention that I just got back from another incredible trip to Nashville and my sister and brother in law came down for a few days. We spent a day with Marc on “tour” because there is no other way to get behind the scenes and really see what the music business is all about. They loved it! Good luck and enjoy the ride. Jay Brehmer
I
am glad I got a chance to
do a Mark-Allen Barnette
tour. The tour was
great for many reasons.
The first reason is that
if you are visiting
Nashville for the first
time, I would recommend
you take the tour if you
are interested in the
music business. Mark
took me through the Music
Row area, showing me
different businesses
relating to music.
Second, I got to go into a
studio and sit in on a
recording session of an
artist. Third,
hecritiqued some of my
songs . Last, I got to ask
him tons of questions on
any
Awesome…that’s probably my favorite word for MAB. I first saw Marc in 1994, when I lived in Nashville, singing with his band at various spots around the city. Needless to say, he totally blew me away with his vocals and stage presence. After I moved to Canada, I always told people up in Canada about this fabulous singer” and how I would just love to write with him. I was finally able to make writing with him a reality back in May. I thought Marc knew everybody – I was mistaken. EVERYBODY knew Marc Alan!! During the days, Marc and I would work on writing and he was so good to help me understand where my strengths and weaknesses were. In the evenings, we would go out and talk with other writers that Marc would introduce me to. I thought I was a fast thinker…writing with Marc, I was awestruck. He has explosive energy and ideas and his lyrics and melodies are just as impressive. If you’re serious about songwriting, take the time and money to invest in your career with Marc Alan Barnette. And for goodness sake, make sure that you LISTEN to him. Put your pride and ego on the sideline and listen. Oh, one more thing….MAB is on my iPod on my motorcycle. I listen to him everywhere I go! : ) Thanks Marc! See you in October. Missy Hecht Edmonton, Alberta I first heard Marc-Alan in Nashville where he was performing for several hundred people, and when I found out that the NSAI chapter in Marshall, TX was having Marc-Alan for the weekend, I told my wife that she had to hear him, so we both signed up for the workshop. Although the crowd was much smaller in Marshall, Marc-Alan came on like the ball of fire that I had seen in Nashville. I've attended NSAI's song camp as well as many other festivals and workshops in Nashville, Houston, oh and of course in Marshall, and Marc-Alan's workshop is one of the best, if not the best I've attended. I stongly recommend that aspiring entertainers, songwriters, or people just seeking great entertainment, see and talk with Marc-Alan Barnette. He ain't hard to find! Terry & Diane Williford, Jasper, TX If you plan to make Nashville a serious part of your life's ambition, make Marc-Alan Barnette your MapQuest. He not only gives insight into the craft of songwriting, He gives you guidance on all facets of the music industry. From building relationships with insiders to how to project stage presence, Marc is the total package. I have had the opportunity to write with Marc-Alan through write-up sessions twice. The results were incredible, and I have two songs that I am proud to play anywhere. Marc-Alan, Thank you for helping others. We all appreciate you. Jerome Gerace - Troy, OH I
heard Marc-Alan Barnette was
visiting Milwaukee (My NSAI
leader is always ranting and
raving about him) so I signed
up for my 1st real co-writing
with Marc. It was fun,
and more importantly it gave
me a chance to write a song
with somebody that knows what
he's doing. After that
"Write-Up" session,
I decided I needed to visit
Nashville and I wanted Marc to
be the 1st person to introduce
me to the town. It doesn't matter if you can carry a tune, or if your musical talent consists of strumming a rubber-band over a shoe box... with Marc-Alan Barnette you will learn how to do it the best way possible. Rodney Alan Leibfried - Millwaukee, WI rodleibfried@mchsi.com Before my first trip to Nashville several years ago, I signed up for one of MAB’s “Magical Music City Tours,” which was much more than the name implies. Yes, it did include a “tour” to show me where various Music Row offices were, some studios, the happening restaurants & bars… but mostly it was about listening to my songs and working with me to make them more marketable to the Nashville decision-makers. I have now completed about 5 or 6 “tours” with Marc-Alan, and am looking forward to the next. Each tour seems to build on the previous one, and I can see my writing getting better with each visit. Turns out Marc’s use of the word “tour” isn’t so much a physical tour of Nashville as it is an ongoing improvement process. When I was setting up my second tour with him, I said something to the effect "let's skip the Nashville tour part this time and just work on some songs," to which MAB replied "That IS the tour, it's a 'tour' of your musical career." Of course! That put MAB's services in a whole new light. Typically, we start at MAB's house and listen to 8 or 9 of my songs over coffee. MAB then gives his honest opinion of them, suggesting improvements to some, and pointing out the ones that aren’t as marketable, often because the subjects have been done to death already. Good things to know before spending $$$ on demos! (This is something an out-of-town writer may not realize, but since MAB is “there” he has heard many ‘new and original’ ideas before, sometimes many times…) As I work more with MAB, he is getting to know where my strong and weak areas are. Having him identify these areas to me lets me focus on developing the strong points, and at the same time watching out for the things I'm doing "wrong" so I won't fall into the same patterns. Knowing my strengths and weaknesses, Marc-Alan has been able to introduce me to several co-writers he thought I could work well with. And when he felt I was ready, he also introduced me to a couple of Publishers who, on his recommendation, agreed to listen to my songs (as opposed to filing them in the ‘unsolicited’ pile…) Most recently, MAB recommended me to a group of writers who have a deal with a well-known songplugger, which will be yet another outlet for co-writing and getting my songs listened to and (hopefully) pitched to artists. And thanks to Marc-Alan’s encouragement (‘relentless nagging’ !!) I played and sang one of my songs in public for the first time ever! Another huge (for me) and important step in the whole networking process. (And by the way, people clapped and not a single tomato was thrown!) Marc-Alan also offers “write-ups” where he will start with one of my titles/hooks and work with me to actually write a song from scratch. I have ended up with some really cool songs this way, and at the same time learned how “typical” Nashville writers sit down to create a song. I can't recommend Marc-Alan highly enough. A songwriting tour with MAB is a "must" for any writer visiting Nashville. Gary Denis - Maryland - garycdenis@comcast.net Marc-Alan Barnette has always told us, "the proof is in the pudding", well, here's the real tapioca. From the very first "Write-Up" we did with Marc "The Road that Gets You There" in 2002, until the last song we wrote together, "Keepin' the Riff Raff Out" in 2006, we've been getting action with major artists through our song plugger. By the way, we got our song plugger through Marc. We've been fortunate enough to have holds on our Marc-Alan songs with such artists as Keith Urban, Trace Adkins, Clay Walker, Terri Clark, Ronnie Milsap, Blake Shelton, and Joe Nichols. Some of the tunes have gone on hold within one week of the song plugger receiving them. Not only have we found it to be very productive writing with Marc-Alan, it's always so much fun! We'll continue to write with Marc every time we see him, we recognize a good thing when we see it! We recommend the "Write-Ups" to songwriters at every level. Cliff and Bev Nelson,Orange County, CA The September '06 group tour was filled with great creativity, excellent networking, key information and, perhaps most importantly, Marc's infectious enthusiasm! Worth every penny and highly recommended! Christopher James Rohrbach - Nashville, TN - cjmusic@bellsouth.net I would like to speak to my recent visit to Nashville and the time I spent with Marc Alan Barnette. Some background on me -- I’m a non-performing songwriter from the Philadelphia area. I’ve written songs that have placed as "finalist" in the NSAI songwriting contest; I’ve written songs that have won third place in the Billboard Songwriting Contest two years in a row; I’ve had songs that have actually won first prize in some smaller contests. I have a few single song publishing deals with publishers in Nashville, and Los Angeles. I have run community music organizations for years, organizing workshops and showcases. I have booked a local venue in my area. I'm a long time member of NSAI, Just Plain Folks, etc. Guess what -- I know I still have a lot to learn, and I just added to my skills by spending time with Marc Alan Barnette. I just came back from Nashville and saw Marc Alan for the second time. Two years back we met and he took me around town and then we did some song critiques. It was very cool, so this time I made an appointment for another session. Since we had done a tour and song coaching session before, he suggested we meet to for a "cowriting experience". I have to admit that I had big doubts about this concept. At first I wondered if this could be a scheme, or maybe that he did the same song with each person....... But being the curious and courageous soul that I am, I decided to try it and see what was in store. Fast forward to after the session. I was so pleasantly surprised and impressed by the experience!. Although it could have been done a number of ways -- through discussion to pick a subject to write about, or just throwing ideas around,--- it turned out that I had a title and some lyrics already written that I wanted to work on with him. He liked the concept so we decided to roll with it. He looked at my lyrics and asked me to talk about what I wanted the song to "say". I talked while Marc wrote feverishly on his pad. When he finished, he had a verse and chorus lyrics. We went over them and moved onto a second verse and a bridge. Although we’ve decided to continue tweaking the song from a distance, the lessons I learned were invaluable. Marc took what I said and intended to communicate through my original lyrics, and then described the story in a way that was so much more detailed and in the style of the Nashville hit writers. It was such an eye opening lesson for me, with a great practical application (since we will now have a song come out of this exercise!). It gave me the opportunity to compare what I had written with what he had written-- right then and there. Both lyrics say essentially the same thing on an emotional level, but the important difference was in the way he chose to "show the story". This is where I often fall short in my writing, so being able to see -- actually demonstrated --how I need to "rethink" my stories was just what I needed to help take me to the next level in my writing. On another note (pun intended) , my truly favorite thing that Marc Alan does is create community in this great musical town -- especially for outsiders and newcomers. He is always upbeat and welcoming, which is such a rarity anywhere. He helps to build a sense of belonging and create relationships among dispersed musical souls. He dispenses information with a flare for the exciting and useful. Sure, it’s part of what he does for a living, but he couldn’t do it as well without really caring about people. If you walk into a restaurant and see Marc Alan Barnette, chances are you will see him at a table for 10 filled with visitors and regulars. He’ll ask you to join them. He’ll have the waitresses pull up another table to attach to theirs. He’ll introduce you to everyone. He’ll tell you all about the town that he loves and the work that feeds his soul. Then he’ll invite you to join him wherever he is going next. Marc is also the consummate entertainer. I had the pleasure, once again, to hear him perform at one of the great watering holes in Nashville. His performance style is just like his real personality -- energetic and engaging. Many of his songs are quite funny--- I often found myself belly-laughing out loud. It was just one more part of my visit with Marc Alan that makes me hate to leave……but it's part of what makes me look forward to my return!! If you hang out with Marc Alan Barnette, you get so much rolled into one guy. He is part tour-guide, part welcome-wagon, part troubadour, part teacher, and part friend. He provides a very valuable service in this town. He makes a real difference in the lives of songwriters who want to either get to know or become part of the Nashville culture. If you ask me, the Mayor of Nashville ought to give him the key. Oh, and by the way --this
message is for the girls who might
be coming to town. If you tell
your friends, your parents, your
boyfriend, or your husband that you
plan to make an appointment with
"this guy" from Nashville that
you don’t really know and have never
met, but might end up back at his house
for song critiques or songwriting, they
may tell you "you’re crazy or
that’s dangerous".
I’m here to tell you, and them, not
to worry - and on the contrary -
you’d be crazy not to meet with
him. Marc is a perfect gentleman and
he’s all business when you’re at an
appointment with him. His goal is to
help you improve your writing and your
knowledge of Nashville and how it works
from the inside out. You’ll only
be cheating yourself if you don’t take
advantage of this guy’s Music City
experience and song writing expertise.
Marc Alan Barnette is definitely one of
the not-to-be -missed "high
notes" in a visit to this great
musical town. Marc-Alan Barnette’s write-up opportunities are manna from heaven in the crazy world of songwriting. I’m a screenwriter in Hollywood, so I’m well acquainted with a world of insiders and outsiders. How often are the somewhat-talented insiders tenaciously holding onto ground that should be left fallow for outsiders with fresh ideas to offer? Let’s face it, Nashville record labels and producers rely on “who they know” in order to find songs for their artists, and the odds of them finding the truly best songs using this method are astronomical. The best songwriter in the world could write songs his entire lifetime and never get them listened to if he doesn’t talk the talk and meet the right people. But the labels have no choice – they are inundated with millions of CD’s – more than they could ever listen to. It seems like an irresolvable situation. Enter Marc-Alan Barnette. For the cost of an upscale dinner, Marc-Alan, an established Nashville insider and prolific songwriter, will sit and co-write a song with anyone, regardless of their status, songwriting history, or lousy networking skills. This is the very liaison that the Nashville system is missing. I know of no analogous service in the screenwriting world, but I certainly wish there had been one when I was starting out. I have done several song write-ups with Marc-Alan, and I never leave one without new knowledge about how to write a song or what choices to make to meet current Nashville trends. The learning curve of the songwriting session combined with the establishment of an insider contact who is now your co-writer is priceless. It’s the biggest no-brainer in songwriting today – a must-do for every unpublished writer in the country. Chuck Pelletier - Hollywood, CA chuckyp@pacbell.net "Marc-Alan Barnette's Song Tour provides something that no-one else in Nashville can match....a true, up-close and personal crash-course in the Nashville songwriting experience for both non-Nashville and Nashville residents alike. As a songwriter living in San Diego, he opened my eyes, ears, and emotions to what true Nashville songwriters go through on a day-in, day-out basis. During the song tour, I was introduced to important music industry leaders, hit songwriters, and potential long-term co-writers living in Nashville. I also was able to take advantage of an opportunity to perform my original songs live during a local Nashville showcase. This experience helped me establish one of the most important building blocks of songwriting success, which is FRIENDSHIPS. I HIGHLY recommend attending the song tour for anyone who is serious in pursuing their songwriting goals. Thanks MAB, for being able to outreach and te ach about the Nashville songwriting culture, both in the craft and the business." Sincerely, Marc-Alan: Just wanted to let you know that your group tour was an incredible experience. I doubt there is any better way for an up and coming songwriter to learn more about the business. From talking shop over breakfast with Jerry Vandiver to getting a song critique from Barbara Cloyd, the entire tour was first-rate. Having the opportunity to perform a couple of my own songs to an audience that included a couple of number one songwriters (Joie Scott and Jimbeau Hinson) was pretty special too. And of course the co-writing sessions were invaluable. You have a real knack for pairing the right people up. My partner Kat Speer and I meshed perfectly, and we have a pretty cool song to show for it. Thanks for all your time and patience. To quote John Anderson, "I'm just an old chunk of coal, but I'm gonna be a diamond some day!" God Bless, Mike Arcuri /Charleston, WV Marc Alan, Thank you so much for the opportunity to attend your songwriting tour. Not only have I met a new handful of great songwriting friends, you paired me with a fantastic co-writer, Mike Arcuri. I appreciate that you took our strengths into consideration when you matched us. I would not have expected to find a co-writer from North Carolina (soon-to-be Nashville!!!) without your help. I also liked the format of the day. Having some time to visit with each other helped us to relax and develop trust in each other by knowing each other more personally. The time frame we worked in was a real eye-opener to the demands of staff writers. The underlying message from that: Just write it! and don't waste time over-thinking it! LOL Thank you for all your help, and for putting us through what we needed to experience instead of holding back. You're not afraid to say what others won't...so others can... With much appreciation, Kat Speer (Nashville/Kansas) Hey Mark. Just wanted you to know what a great inspiration you were to my and Tammy's son Kiah. A few weeks ago when we were in town [Nashville] checking out venues with him, he got a little bored, until you showed up at The Commodore. He watched as you lifted the audience up from an hour of slow song whining. He has been taking lessons for some time, and watching you that evening got him in gear. We appreciate it. His entire presentation and playing has gone up 3 notches. As always...a pleasure running into you. Thanks for helping the boy. Rick Stewart - Crossville, TN I've made several trips to Nashville this year, but it's amazing how much more I accomplished by taking Marc-Alan Barnette's group tour. I met so many great people, had a terrific time, worked with new co-writers, and learned a lot. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to get serious about his/her songwriting career! Thanks, Marc! Kathy Stanley/ Clarksville, MD/ DC chapter of NSAI What a fabulous 3 days! I want to thank you so much for the wonderful opportunity you have put in front of me. You have given me a direction and now it is up to me to stay on a steady course and just write like crazy, and continue to network with other writers. The most valuable part of the tour was actually sitting down and going through the actual cowriting experience. Other than the write ups I have only written for myself. I tended to get caught up in trying to find a style that suited me and did not see the creative benefit of 2 or 3 minds working together to create something special, or to try to write something more uplifting and less depressing. It was a fun and rewarding experience and I was given valuable suggestions by Doak Turner on developing ideas with creation of the hook book. Being a visual person, it was very cool to see the song develop before my eyes, from hook to theme to storyline to rhyme to melody and the unique way that common everyday words are woven into magic. I started writing new material on the plane going home almost immediately. I now plan on regularly attending the NSAI OC meetings on a regular basis and always having new songs to be critiqued by more advanced writers in the group. As far as suggestions for future tours., I would like to see, as one of the other writers on the tour suggested, two extra days tacked on to give a final critique on the song or songs and then have a full demo made in town.(Jay does absolutely wonderful work and I plan on letting him do my next demo. I knew this tour would be great but it far exceeded my expectations! In summary, I want to thank you for the wonderful opportunity you have extended to me, as well as other songwriters. You obviously love what you do. I now understand the "formula", which took me 10 years and 7 trips to Nashville to figure out. I will now work hard to put out more well crafted songs to bring with me when I go on my next tour. I feel as though I have received my high school diploma and am now a college freshman, eager to embark on my future songwriting journey. There is no turning back now!!! Bob Kissel - Orange County It was about learning the process to
help me be a better writer. You can let me know in
December how well it worked, cause we WILL be spending
some time doing write ups again. I recently had the pleasure of taking my
second "tour" with Marc-Alan. When I was
setting this up, I said something to the effect "let's
skip the Nashville tour part this time and just work on some
songs," to which MAB replied "That IS the tour,
it's a 'tour' of your musical career." Of course!
That put MAB's I want to thank you for making each and every tour more challenging than the last. I feel I've really "up'd" my level of writing, since I've been making trips to Nashville, and I never make a trip without scheduling at least one day with you. As you know I was here for the Green Bay "Group Tour" in February, which was fantastic, but this most recent trip was great because you had a full day to give personal attention to the ideas I'm working on this week...and now I'm getting a great catalog of songs, that you either produced the demo, wrote on the song, or gave advice for improving the song. I have everything from comedy songs to love songs to Swamp Country to attitude songs (for both male and female vocals) to traditional country. You have really made me stretch my writing abilities, and I truly appreciate it. Thanks for pointing me in the "right" direction on the song I brought in Wednesday. It's much more focused. In fact, it may have been the least commercial song I had brought in, but it meant I lot to me because it was written four a young girl who lost her father. I can't wait to get it demoed. Also thanks for introducing me to other members of your "flock" that were in Nashville for Tin Pan South. I'm sure I'll be writing with many of these people in the future. (...and I didn't think you would be able to top my first tour, when you introduced me to Tony Brown and Vince Gill...but I was wrong) Sorry I didn't make any time for recording some new demos, but I'm sure we can do that on my next tour. I'll see you in June or July. Thanks Again. Kevin Van Pay – DePere, WI For the
beginning songwriter, I can’t think of anyone who would be more
helpful than Marc-Alan Barnette. He is a wealth of knowledge about the
craft of songwriting, the I have
personally benefited from Marc’s wisdom and help so much that it is hard
to describe. I have gone from a mediocre writer who would hardly even play
a song for a relative, to someone who has independent artist cuts, songs
on internet radio stations, several songs that have pitched and held by
the biggest names in the industry (Trace Adkins, George Straight, Phil
Vassar, Toby Keith – the list goes on), and am now performing regularly,
playing original songs. I have even played shows in If you are an experienced songwriter, Marc is someone you don’t want to forget about! He stays on top of the business trends and is constantly striving to keep on the forefront of “the next big thing”. He will help you write / produce / pitch your songs so that they have a much better chance of getting past the gatekeepers and succeeding. Plus, as an active and outstanding performer, a co-write with Marc always has a chance of ending up in his arsenal of great songs and being played live across the country! I know because it has happened to me and that is one of the biggest thrills of my life. Seeing a crowd of people singing along to one of your songs is something we all strive for...and with Marc’s help it has happened for me and it can happen for you too. Just put yourself in MAB’s hands and watch your career goals start to be achieved! And if all this weren’t enough, Marc is just a ton of fun and whatever you end up doing with Marc, you will laugh and enjoy the time spent, I can guarantee that! But pay attention – in between the jokes there is gold to be mined! Dave Smith - If Jimbeau Hinson is the Dahli Lama of songwriting, Marc-Alan Barnette is the "Iron Chef." Marc takes all the elements of craft and business, puts them together, stir fries it with humor and intensity, and you come away feeling totally inspired. Marc spent several days in Cincinnati recently and what a wonderful experience. What made the time so incredible was his attentiveness and honesty in wanting to see writers succeed. Every songwriter suffers through the usual critics and rejections, but Marc really nails what you need to focus on without just telling you you're not good enough. I can't describe how cool it was to hear Marc say I was on the right track. What a great boost of confidence! I would absolutely recommend everyone schedule time with Marc. It is the most entertaining and inspiring seminar you can attend! Eddie Heinzelman - Cincinnati, OH Psssst! - Yeah, you reading this - listen - are you looking for a "holy cow, I can't believe I didn't do this sooner, why did I ever think twice, this is the best thing I could have done for my songwriting career, I'd do this again in a heartbeat kind of experience? If you're nodding your head, then do whatever you have to do to participate in Marc-Alan Barnette's "Writing Up" program. I've been writing for a long time and face the same obstacles that everyone does as an industry "outsider." So I jumped at the opportunity to "write up." What a rich and rewarding experience it has been. Marc-Alan is the real deal. He helped me take an ordinary idea and make it extraordinary. His insight into the "visual landscape" of a lyric has me approaching songs from a whole new level. He helped me recognize and avoid cliché’s and ramp up my rhyme scheme. I was scared to death at first, but he put me at ease immediately. And he treated me as an equal partner in the song - never condescending or patronizing. I can't wait to do it again, and I can't encourage others enough to get on this train. You won't regret it. Marc-Alan Barnette is one helluva great guy - take advantage of him!! Terri
Ann Becherer - Thought I would let you guys know about my "Music City Tour" with Marc-Alan Barnette. First of all, I'm not sure tour is really the correct description. It's really your day with Marc to focus on your songwriting future. Marc has a questionnaire that you fill out that lets him know what you really are interested in doing. My desire was to figure out where my writing was and to develop a plan of action to get me to the next level. We started out at 10 AM and went through every line, word and note of each song I brought. We made it through 3 or 4 before we went to the Longhorn for lunch. We ran into several other writers, song pluggers, and producers there and Marc-Alan would introduce them to me as they stopped by our table and talked. Of course, part of the day was I could ask Marc any dumb nagging question about anything in the music business that I wanted to know. There was a brief stop Jay's Place recording studio on the way back and I met the folks there and being a techno-geek did the old rubber necking at the equipment. We returned to Marc's place and continued with songs. We finally worked through all of the songs that I brought until we hit the not fit for public consumption ones. More rewriting, reworking of some of my better songs followed and then we selected 3-4 of my better songs that I should record, hand to potential co-writers, etc. Marc made some suggestions on how I should market myself and music and gave me a couple of names of potential co-writers. Finally, we made our way to Hobo Joes and Marc-Alan introduced me to the owners there. Bottom line is it was a GREAT day. We worked our butts off on MY songs and I'll have to admit I was mentally tired at the end of the day. Marc-Alan pointed out some things I was consistently doing wrong that I needed to work on and that's exactly one of the reasons I wanted to do this. He made specific suggestions on what MY next steps should be on MY music journey and did what he could to hook me up with the right people. If you are interested in trying to move your music out of your bedroom and into Nashville, then you owe it to yourself to schedule a session with Marc-Alan. It's probably one of the best bangs for the buck things you can do for your songwriting. I'm sure I'll do it again in a few months as a progress check. Dave Swinford – Muscle Shoals, AL
Taking Marc's tour prepared me for my move to Nashville... All the tools he taught me from networking... performing...to songwriting.... helped me attain a publishing deal in a year and a half after i moved here... That never would have happened with out his help..... Moke Cameron – Fresno, CA Marc Alan Barnette is by far one of the most down-to-earth people that I have ever met in Nashville. He literally knows pretty much everyone in town. By the end of my one day tour with Marc, I had a hard time remembering the names of the many fabulous people that Marc was kind enough to introduce me too. The biggest difference with Marc & a lot of industry people in Nashville is that he made me feel like I was hanging out with a good buddy of mine. While Marc is very serious about helping up & coming songwriters to improve their craft, he hasn't forgotten that music is supposed to be about having a good time. And boy did I have a good time hanging out with Marc! I can honestly say that my one day tour with Marc-Alan Barnette was by far the most fun I have ever had in Nashville. Unlike a lot of other one-on-ones, this one was just plain fun. Yes Marc gave me many great suggestions & tips on my strengths & weaknesses as a writer. But he also made me laugh a lot about some of the weaknesses in my songs. The funniest thing was a particular lyric that I had written. The lyric ended with the phrase "I OFTEN RAN". After several minutes of discussing the song (which Marc actually thought had great potential) Marc decided that I had written a wonderful Shakespearian lyric. At this point we both began talking in Skakespearen language. Needless to say we were both cracking up at this point. It was then I knew that Marc just wants writers to feel relaxed. There is way too much pressure put on new writers to do all of the technical things right. I was just glad to be able to laugh at a mistake in my lyrics. For anyone who does not live in Nashville or the surrounding areas, I would highly recommend signing up for Marc's tour. If you want bang for your buck, this is it. I honestly believe that I learned way more from Marc than I paid for. I will definitely be continuing to work with Marc-Alan Barnette on a regular basis. After one day of hanging out with Marc, I feel more confident as a writer. But most importantly, I feel like I have found a friend & associate here in Nashville who will be able to help me to write better songs, meet more people & thus develop more relationships, & feel welcome when I come to Nashville again. Take this tour. It is well worth the investment of your time & money. Thanks Marc from a Newfoundland songwriter. Damian Follett-Newfoundland CANADA
Julie Moriva is the coordinator for the Green Bay Wisconsin chapters of Nashville Songwriters Assoc. International and Songwriters of Wisconsin. She had made repeated trips to Nashville over the years and had recorded a few songs. She had one really killer one and several others that needed to have follow up work done. After several trips she now has several hit songs waiting to happen, is writing with some of Nashville's best, and has several song pluggers giving her an open door on her material. She has met dozens of hit writers, been accepted to an invitation only songwriters series with ASCAP and capped her last trip to Nashville by meeting Tony Brown, Rodney Crowell and Vince Gill. Carla Bryant out of Columbus Ga. met me through a one on one workshop in Andeslusia, Al. I thought she had some very special stuff and over two years shamed her into one of my tours. She had made trips over the years and had gotten the cold shoulder from the town. A little gunshy, she made the trip. Her tour included songwriting process and recording. Her songs were so good to begin with it didn't take much from me. But her songs have been picked up by publishers and artists alike. She is headed for some great things. Bev Nelson of Irvine California brought several members of her NSAI group into town, had co-writing appointments, and an unheard of 2 hour group appointment with one of the top publisher in town. Becky Horton-I will write more later, but I just wanted to say THANK YOU again. I can see how much dedication and hard work you have put into your life and I hope you get some rest. How many "I'm Gonna Die and Take Me With You" songs can anybody stand? I appreciate you so much and I'm old enough to know who to appreciate and who not to. I hope someday you really do get what you deserve---and that would be name recognition from every household in the USA. Peace out Moke Cameron of Fresno California actually moved here. I gave him some heads up which prepared him for actually getting a publishing deal inside a year, which is unheard of in this day and age. It also prepared him for the downside of competition, companies folding and having to get up when you get knocked down. He is truly a survivor. |
