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THE
MARC-ALAN BARNETTE SONGWRITERS “TOUR”.
Quick
start guide.
Why is it called a tour? While it does include some driving around
Nashville’s music business locations, offices,
publishers, song pluggers, clubs, PRO’s,
recording studios, the actual “Tour” aspect is
through the particpant’s, past present and
future. This is done through reviewing their
experiences in conversations, their past and
current material, and lay out a game plan for
their future exploits and direction. Who does it work best for?
It
can conceivably help anyone, from the partial
bystander who has never written a song, to people
who have wanted to see their poems turned into
songs, to the seasoned professional who might be
wanting to experiment with different styles or
approaches and not want to waste years and
thousands of dollars to only find it doesn’t
work for them. What is so unique about it?
Because of the amount of people to generate enough
money for most of the major seminars and
workshops, getting individual attention is very
difficult, And at best, it is hard to focus on
much more than a superficial view of a very few
songs. And
that does not a career make. By keeping it catered
to the individual, or small groups, MAB is able to
look at a variety of songs, styles, demo quality,
performance abilities, networking skills, and
business knowledge, to give a more complete
picture of the Nashville music industry. In one or
multiple days, we are able to look at a great deal
of a writer’s abilities. That is what a career
is about. How does it work?
The
Nashville music community is a very social town
and is very sensitive to newcomers. So you have to
first master the “art of the hang.” This is
demonstrated in resturants and bars, where
everyone hangs out and discusses music and the
rest of the world. Our day usually starts in one
of the Nashville breakfast places where not only
do you discuss your past and present but also can
meet writers, producers, artists, publishers and
often share in their stories. MAB has a great
working knowledge and knows many people in the
town. Often including them in the conversations.
You should be prepared to ask questions. You are
sitting with a veritable encyclopedia of the
how’s, whys and who’s of twenty years in the
music industry.
From there, a trip to MAB’s home or a
corresponding office for a two hour listening
session. This
is where you
play everything you have. We go note by
note and line by line, trying to encourage but be
very realistic. Sometimes this can be frustrating,
as most people are not at the level they need to be, but ways to up that level are always
emphasized.
Where do we start?
Getting the information sheet filled out with your
deposit starts the transaction. You should e-mail
MAB at MBarne4908@aol.com
and get a date. Then e-mailing or calling MAB
three- four days before your tour will give you a
starting place. The most standard: Noshville Deli 1918 Broadway Nashville, TN 37203 (615)
329-6674 Broadway in the West End/Vanderbilt area of Nashville. When are these tours held? Year round, except major holidays and around MAB’s
out of town performance, workshops and travel
schedules. Must be booked three weeks in advance.
Week days are preferred because that is when
business is done, but certain weekends can be
applied.
After years of seeing people come in from out of town with not much time to spend, get to the NSAI, ASCAP, SGA, or BMI buildings and ask "what do I do with my songs?" and seeing those people get frustrated, I decided to act. That is what lead to the birth of the Marc-Alan Barnette Songwriter Tours. "What is that?" you ask. Basically, the industry is so business-like and in such a flux of change due to shrinking markets, downloading, competition, and consolidations, they just do not have the time give out the personalized kind of information people need to get in doors or just write better songs. While there are various services, seminars and workshops, there is no one to take you by the hand and show you some things you can use. That is what I do.
The tour usually starts around 10:00 am…time for a
quick breakfast and to organize for the day,
tailoring your time to best meet your needs. Then,
be ready to hit the ground running and for an
exhilarating (and exhausting!) day where we visit
NSAI, ASCAP and / or a personalized song
evaluation with me. This one-on-one evaluation is
your opportunity to play several songs (the more
the better), followed by a note-by-note,
line-by-line, in-depth analysis. For group tours,
we leverage my expertise and other hit songwriters
to support the number of people in attendance.
This is what we do. A full day examination of everything you are and how to get to the next step. We meet writers, artists, pluggers, publishers. Does it guarantee you anything? Of course not, but you get to know these people, see how they think, what they look for, what they have to do. If you want to play the game you better know the playing field. I get you on the sidelines, what happens next is up to you. SONGWRITER TOURS-DETAIL Your day will start 10:00 am at one of the local Nashville restaurants where songwriters typically hang out. Starting your day this way provides the groundwork for the rest of the tour and allows you to experience Nashville from several perspectives. This time is important to ensure your needs are met and allows me to tailor your tour. We will solidify expectations, get to know each other and, more than likely, meet a few hit songwriters to learn about their experiences. If they have time I invite them over to meet you and ask them to share their experiences and perspective of the town and business. We’ve been privileged to have such talented people as Butch Baker (top song plugger) Frank Myers (I Swear) Rory Lee (Don't Let the Chain Of Love End With You) and other professional members of the writing community stop by. Learning the “business” of songwriting is very important and lays the foundation for the rest of your tour. It is critical to fully understand that it is much more complicated than "I write some songs and want to be famous." This is a business and the more educated you are and the more people you know, the better your chances are in this industry. After “breakfast,” you will have a 2-hour one-on-one session with me to review as many of your songs as we can. We will disect each song line-by-line, note-by-note, and assess the strengths and weaknesses on each. We will also organize your songs. What are your best 5…your best 3? What would you play for a plugger, CO-writer, publisher, audience? Which ones deserve a demo? Are any of your songs un-pitchable? What songs should you just put on the shelf for now? Basically, we prepare you for a variety of professional situations so you can be your best. Everything we review is from the perspective of what the industry feels, not me or you. For Performers…I provide live performance evaluations and provide specific advice on “getting the biggest bang for your buck” during your live performances. We’ll focus on dynamics, pacing, technique, phrasing and song selection. If you want to blow them away live, this is how! We can conduct your performance evaluation during a one-on-one session with me, or I will arrange for you to perform at a local writer’s night. And, since I’ll be doing your booking, you won’t be the “end of the night” act! With respect to the industry, there are certain things that CO-writers, pluggers, publishers, record companies, etc. tune out that many people simply don't know. Such things as a title that has just been written to death, rhymes that say nothing, stories that are unclear, lyrics that are too esoteric or poetic. Basically, you’ll learn about the things that are career killer and you wouldn't have known it if you didn't have the experience or have someone to mentor you. Once we finish your one-on-one session, we head out to lunch at another restaurant to meet more writers. This gives you more opportunity to absorb the inner-workings of the town and get your energy back. We then drive around the town to get your bearings, visit Music Row, and stop at a couple of recording studios. This is where you’ll begin developing your relationships and understand the demo process. By this time, you’ll need a chance to catch your breath, make some notes, and rest up in your hotel room before we hit the road again. The evening / night will revolve around visiting writers clubs and meeting potential CO-writers. My role is to introduce you to as many industry people and contacts as possible. Once I pass you the ball, it is your responsibility to run with it. Of course, I will guide you so you don’t unintentionally fall into any traps (e.g. germing). At the end of your tour, you will be beaten up beyond belief and…overwhelmed. But, you will be educated and armed with specific goals and tactics to move ahead in your professional songwriting journey. It truly is a fun AND educational experience! Click here to read what tour participants have to say |
