I’d like to begin by saying I’m indebted to all the professors and visionary program leaders I’ve had the benefit of learning from over the past three decades. Over the course of my music education career, I’ve had access to some of the most innovative minds in the field. I take full responsibility for any lack of integration into my own music career. Looking back, there are days, and many, many nights, I would have lived differently had my focus been to make the most of what they were offering.

With that out of the way, I can get down to being frank. I dream of a program that prepares the new career-artist for a sustainable life of musicianship. So many programs teach old models of music education, too large to adapt to the quickly changing landscape of the music industry. While the new career-artist needs to have everything from instrumental skills, production, business sense and social media strategy on their radar, old models deal mainly with the competency of our musical skill. And many times, that competency is intended to be built through classes like horn arranging, songwriting 101, and traditional harmony. Undoubtedly, these skills are useful. But if I were to create a music program that aggressively took an amateur artist to a confident, stand-out artist in just two years, I’d approach things a little differently. Hindsight is indeed 20/20.

1. Critical Listening and Production Analysis

Songwriters and artists these days have the ability to produce their own music. That is to say that the prospect of producing our own music is less costly and doesn’t necessarily require live musicians, depending on style. But with all the music being produced and released these days, it’s evident that true artists understand the vehicle of production for the enhancement of the song. The instruction that teaches us to listen to both song and production as one is called ‘Critical Listening.’ Songwriters need it. Artists need it. It is the single most important path toward understanding why we make the musical decisions we make. Every songwriter and artist should take it. Take two.

2. One-to-One Assessment from an Advisory Board

I already said I’m dreaming. I’d like for a mix engineer, a producer, and a songwriter/artist to meet several times throughout the year to consider the musical and lyrical direction. Together, the advisory board can discuss what are the musical and lyrical traits and genius zones of the writer/artist, and describe those elements to the writer/artist as a reflection of their brand or identity. This isn’t a rating, but rather feedback on the qualities that feel most aligned with the artist’s character. This kind of reflection enables the artist to embody those characteristics further, when followed up with specific teaching tools.

3. Positive Real-World Experiences

I would like my program to involve writing with a few professional, flexible writers or artists, so that they can experience what excellence feels like. So often we songwriters have no clear compass because no one has modeled the end-goal. We may hear the beautiful, polished, heavenly sound of our favorite artists, but never our own songs in context of expertly played parts, character-driven vocals, or finely-tuned songs. I remember my first demo session in Nashville where I practically dropped to the floor as the band played my song. For the first time I heard what I’d written in context of the way it should sound. Mind-blowing. From then on, I could assess the quality of my writing based on that memory of how it might sound when expressed to the full extent I meant it.

4. Exposure to Excellent Musicians

Record with great musicians, and you’ll quickly realize their music theory chops serve them, and could serve you, too. Learning the Nashville number system and how to chart for a band including rhythmic notation are skills I developed as a result of trying to keep up with the best. When we’re not exposed to greatness, we have no idea how far we can rise.

5. Knowing My Why

Yes, music makes the world go round, but why is it so important that I create it? It isn’t, I suppose, unless I decide that it is. Over the last decade, I’ve had some of the most defining musical moments through sessions with specific and knowledgeable music and business professionals that help me recenter with ‘why.’ It’s what keeps me going amidst the challenges that always come, and able to discern opportunities I want from those that simply exist. It’s what takes the ego out of my ambitions and invites the greater good. Knowing my ‘why’ makes me more driven, not less, and way more confident.

For some, the school of life is the best music education. For others, the secret is hard deadlines and accountability. Whatever your needs, rest assured there are fantastic instructors everywhere, regardless of the notoriety of the school. Talk to fellow musicians at the local level for ways to connect to the local music industry, and join groups in which you can practice leveling up your skills. It’s never too late to start making music, and there’s no wrong or right way to do it except the way that allows you to harness the kind of success or expression you desire. Like any hard thing, you get out what you put in, and it’s the people who make it all worth it in the end.  

Stay creative,

PS: I’ve built my songwriting retreats around these core pillars, so if you’d like to put these steps into action with me in real time, click here to learn more.