Artist Development Network » songwriter

Artist Develpment Network Presents Courtney Yovich

Cathy Lemmon, President — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 23:40:08 +0000

Meet young 14 year old Courtney Yovich! She’s the kind of girl who lights up a room with her cheerful personality and sweet disposition. Plus, this young teen has a ton of talents from playing guitar and piano to writing her own songs and singing her own unique style: Country/Pop with some Jazz.

The Artist Development Network would like to congratulate Courtney and her co-writer CJ Watson on getting an honorable mention in the NSAI song competition just last March!

Hi Courtney!

The results of the 10th Annual NSAI Song Contest presented by CMT are now posted online. It’s my honor to inform you that your song, “Happy To Be Here” has earned Honorable Mention honors.

We received over 2000 submissions to this year’s contest. To be counted amongst the top entries, as you have, is something of which you should be incredibly proud. You can view the full list of winners on our Song Contest page of our website by clicking here.

You will be receiving a certificate of achievement in the mail for both you and any co-writers of your song soon. In the meantime, CONGRATULATIONS again.
This is a truly wonderful achievement!!!!

All the best,

-dp

Dave Petrelli
NSAI Director of Events
1710 Roy Acuff Place

This is the best way for an artist or song writer to promote themselves…get out there and get your music heard!

Cathy Lemmon,
President of ADN, Inc.

Karen Staley’s FEMA parody to the song “Fever”

Cathy Lemmon, President — Thu, 20 May 2010 18:00:17 +0000

Hello friends, Karen Staley is one of my favorite songwriters here in Nashville. She has written so many awesome songs for clients with the Artist Development Network. With the terrible rain storms we experienced in Nashville a few weeks ago, many homes were destroyed. Karen’s home is one that was flooded, and we’d like to help her out. She put together this amazing video of her home and the recovery process to try to get her house back in order.

That’s Karen singing, and she wrote the words this FEMA parody to the song “Fever”. If you can help, donate what you can at www.myspace.com/karenstaley.

Love,
Cathy Lemmon, President of ADN, Inc.

The Key West Songwriter’s Festival

Adam Nergenah, ADN Journalist — Tue, 11 May 2010 00:07:35 +0000

The 2010 Key West Songwriters Festival just wrapped up last week in Key West, Florida, and I was lucky enough to attend it this year. What an incredible environment for soaking up some songwriting knowledge, and a few rays! Randy Houser kicked off the festival with a bang, performing a string of hits with his high octane band. Each night consisted of amazing rounds with amazing writers such as Dave Pahanish, Chuck Cannon, Shawn Mullins, Dave Berg, Liz Rose, Frank Rogers, Jamey Johnson, Bobby Pinson, Tom Douglas, Bob DiPiero, and Luke Laird. If you aren’t familiar with these names, do yourself a huge favor and look each and every one of them up. They make up a good portion of the Nashville hit makers, and they are an insanely talented group of writers. Just being in Key West for four days and taking in all the songs was good enough, but the accessibility of the people was also very cool. It wasn’t difficult at all to have a great conversation on the beach with any of the previously mentioned writers. Not to mention the large percentage of Nashville publishers that attended the festival.

While checking out a writers round one night, I spotted a previous client of Artist Development Network, the one and only, Jesse Lee. She took the stage and rocked the house! We are very proud of her and her accomplishments! A little hard work and a little dedication, combined with the services you could find at Artist Development Network, could take you to the next level, just like Jesse! But if you’re just looking for a great vacation in a great location, with an added bonus of catching a couple dozen hit Nashville songwriters doing their thing and having a good time, then I believe the 2011 Key West Songwriters Festival is for you!

Johnny Cash, Taylor Swift And You

David Harper, A&R — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 03:11:25 +0000

If I were to ask you why you want to be a recording artist or a singer/songwriter … what would your answer be? I would really love to hear these answers in our blog, by the way! For most of us, I’d say the dream begins early on. For myself, I decided I would be a drummer at the age of 6. I didn’t really make a formal announcement to my parents or anything; I was just born a musician. I am a musician/songwriter today because that is what I am most comfortable doing.

How about you? I ask this question because the why of it all is important. I think it’s important to be who we really are. We’re not going to kid anyone if we assume the wrong role while we’re on this planet. I think that in the case of recording artists… we’re going to stand out even more than most when things are mismatched… we do our work on the world’s stage and there’s nowhere to hide.

Singer‐Songwriters have to know who they are. Johnny Cash could not have gotten on stage at Folsom Prison and sang to those inmates if he didn’t honestly feel a kinship with them. Taylor Swift obviously loves her young fans enough to help them articulate meaningful words that they would like to be able to say, but can’t yet. She validates her fan’s feelings through her remarkable songs. Johnny did the same thing. Johnny Cash was, and Taylor Swift is transparent, at ease and delighted to be singing. I dig that.

The juice of this whole star business magically switches on when fans love you and you love them back just as much. The power of this reciprocal relationship transcends any artistic limitations too. Quality of voice, depth of musicianship and perfection mean little when stars and their fans unite. All that really matters is the connection, and the rest is as natural as an evening stroll.

So back to you… why do you want to be a star? This is a tough field we’ve chosen. Writing songs that stand up to the competition is hard. Singing beautifully night after night is hard. Keeping a band together is hard. Why do we do this? It’s personal for all of us and I’m really looking forward to seeing your replies on our blog. I do know this much… the friends, clients and prospective clients of Artist Development Network are a devoted and serious group. I’ve been here for a year and a half now and I’ve enjoyed every single minute of my time co‐writing beautiful music and getting to know many of you well. I am energized by your motivation and you keep me young. I feel your musical desires and make it a point to help you co‐write the most original music possible. Our whole songwriting team feels the same way. Cathy Lemmon has that same force about her as well. She’s been steering the ship here for 16 years in Nashville. Our dream is to help you with your dreams. We love our work. And there’s that reciprocal‐relationship thing popping up again ☺

Country’s Night At The Grammy Awards

Adam Nergenah, ADN Journalist — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:51:09 +0000

I hope you all had your TV’s tuned in to the 52nd annual Grammy Awards this past Sunday night. If not, you missed out on one of Country music’s biggest nights at the awards in years! With Taylor Swift and the Zac Brown Band taking home two huge awards, it was truly a wonderful night for everyone involved in the world that they call Country music.

Many of you know that Taylor Swift won the night’s most coveted prize, Album Of The Year. Her sophomore release, “Fearless”, took the nation by storm and catapulted her into superstardom. The Zac Brown Band won the award for Best New Artist, beating out several pop acts. Lady Antebellum took home an award for Best Vocal Group in the Country category, and they offered a thrilling performance of their newest smash hit, “Need You Now”.

So what is it that these three big winners have in common? They are ALL songwriters! Taylor Swift, the Zac Brown Band, and Lady Antebellum either wrote or co-wrote almost every song on their respective albums! This is a growing trend in the Country genre and I believe that it is a step in the right direction for music. The most important thing I learned while watching the Grammy Awards is that it takes AMAZING songs to win the hearts of millions. If you’re discouraged that you have the vocal talent and the drive to succeed, but have yet to take a dive into songwriting, don’t lose hope.

Here at Artist Development Network, you are able to co-write with wonderful songwriters on staff, as they take your ideas and work with you to mold your perfect masterpiece. So what are you waiting for? Come write a song with us!

ADN Artist Danika Kary Promotes Music with New Video!

Cathy Lemmon, President — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 01:18:53 +0000

The Artist Development Network artist, Danika Kary, is a 14-year-old future super star! We are so proud of her! She’s become quite a talented songwriter, and she’s an example of what it takes to make it in this competitive market….SELF-PROMOTING! Danika is getting music videos produced in her home town, to help promote her music. The major record labels may not be around much longer, so it’s up to each artist to get out there and make it happen! Get your videos on the internet, get your own website and myspace up where people can see and hear you! Put together your own band and get out and play your songs! Way to go Danika!

ADN Presents Singer/Songwriter Courtney Yovich in the song “Happy To Be Here”

Cathy Lemmon, President — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 01:48:57 +0000

We are so excited and honored to present the young and beautiful Miss Courtney Yovich! It’s hard to believe she’s only 13 years old! Japanese/German background, this talented guitarist and singer/songwriter also plays bass and piano. The song “Happy To Be Here” which Courtney is singing in this home-spun video produced by her dad Matt Yovich, was written by Courtney and one of Artist Development Network writers, CJ Watson! Congratulations on a great song!

Congratulations on a great song!

Milking the Demographics in Country Music

David Harper, A&R — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:35:03 +0000

Country music has taken on a new direction over the last decade. I’m sure you’ve noticed. It’s rock. Get the right guitar tones mixed in with hard hittin’ drummers and you’ve got a great start on a modern day “country” song. I’m no traditionalist. I’m all for it. Crank it the $%^& up! I love every bar and measure of new “country music.”

But there’s one thing that absolutely doesn’t work for me within the mix, and that is demographically correct lyrics. You see… astute local songwriters have been figuring a lot of stuff out. In particular, they’ve learned that two important things make music profitable right now. One is the mention of brand names, like Chevrolet, Ford, Coke, Jack Daniels etc. And the other, which chaps my hide, is they now know who they’re singing to. Contemporary Country music lyrics are designed from the first pen stroke to appeal to women under the age of 30… the ones still clinging tightly to the prince and the princess fairytale stuff, bless their hearts.

It’s gotten so bad that I’m actually starting to favor and miss those old cheatin’ and drinkin’ songs. Country Music Radio isn’t speaking to men these days. And more importantly, these new lyrics absolutely don’t work with the rock & roll music beds. If you recall, rock and roll didn’t exactly need demographically correct lyrics to make those guitar tones strike a nerve. Jumpin’ Jack Flash, You Ain’t Nothing But A Hound Dog, Walk This Way, Get Back, Honkey Tonk Woman and the like didn’t need much more than a smokin’ hot band and a whole lot of attitude. Were lyrics a part of the deal? Yeah. But they were usually unisex and they made everybody smile.

I’m personally and professionally insulted listening to songs with contrived and manufactured lyrics. They piss me off. The lyrics I hear on today’s country radio about some man drawing his woman a bubble bath after a hard day in the workforce make me nauseous. Ladies, let’s take a survey! How many of your husbands walk the walk and do the things these well-carved modern day country heroes sing about? Come on… truth or dare!

I say contemporary country songs are basically little more than romance novels rolled into four-minute songs. And candidly… the lyrics represent the everyday US male as well as Playboy Foldouts represent the everyday American woman. Now… I know what you’re thinking ladies. You’re probably thinking… men have had their foldouts, porn, and whatnot for a long time now! Maybe it’s your time? Well, I’ll roll with that. It definitely is your time on American country radio. You’re certainly being played.

I know my fellow songwriters here in Nashville. They’ve got it in them to do much better. And in their defense, it’s not that they’re selling out. They’re just trying to pay the bills. But I’m just hoping we can get past this contrived stuff and on to lyrics that appeal to both men and women.

Only time will tell what will be on the heels of this milking the demographic era in country radio. I still tune in, mostly because I’m a songwriter and I have to know what’s up. But honestly, if I weren’t… I’d be glued to satellite radio looking for the stuff that’s off the grid.

Contact David Harper at:

musicbydavid@gmail.com

Fast Food and Songwriting

David Harper, A&R — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:35:38 +0000

I’ve noticed a new trend lately in American fast food restaurants. Value Meals are creeping up everywhere! Maybe it’s the recession. Maybe it’s just time. I guess we got tired of super-sizing and now we’ve moved on to anything under a buck.

God help us.

Lately my life has been so “in the office” that I’ve actually been frequenting drive through windows at fast food joints. It’s a shameful habit, I know. But not wanting to be left out, I decided I’d try a few of these “value” items. It’s a good time to be saving money, right? But are these decoratively wrapped .99-cent gems really a value? The answer to that depends on how much you respect your body. They’re usually pure fat and well below the already low nutritional standards for fast food.

And then I got to thinkin’… junk in, junk out, right? This must apply to the songs we write too. The same laws are all over the universe. We are a product of the lives we lead. Let’s see. What have I been writing about lately? Sure enough… after a careful lyric check, I’ve been writing mostly my moods and my environment to the T. When I’m in love, I write love songs. When I’m stressed, I write songs that sound like it. If I spend too much time thinking about commercial success, my songs sound like that too. I can listen to the song, and like a little snapshot of my history, I can tell you exactly what I was going through based on the lyrics and vibe of my chord progressions.

Food for thought. What do you want to represent in your writing? The truth is, you’d better live it. You can’t write fiction in songs. Well, actually, you can… but they don’t work very well. You have to write about what you really know or you come off lookin’ like a buffoon. Like when 15 year olds sing about relationships beyond puppy love… ew. Listening to one of those give me a “post value meal” kind of nausea. Or when middle class suburban kids sing rap songs. That’s another kind of feeling all together. No, man, you have to sing what you are. You have to write what you know and live. Anything else sounds no more sincere than a Hallmark card, chosen in haste.

I can’t tell you how to live your life or what you should write about. I can only bring it to your attention that your lyrics and musical moods will reflect the love, anger, resentment or compassion you harbor. So dwell on this a little, will ya? Think about your life and where you’re going. And if you can, step outside yourself and survey your life as objectively as possible. Is the life you lead today in line with the life you want to be remembered for 15 years from now? If not, know there will be no escaping your musical history.

Take steps to get your life in order. Often, we get so bogged down with the day-to-day business of living that we fail to realize that we’re probably on a wheel. Our little feet are running like crazy. But where are we going? This economy has, unfortunately, put most of in a place where we don’t’ have a lot of expendable income to busy ourselves beyond work. So why not use some of this broke-but-free time reflecting, and doing some soul searching? Your songs, your relationships and your life will be the better for it.

Contact David Harper at:

musicbydavid@gmail.com

Professional Techniques for Singers and Songwriters

Cathy Lemmon, President — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:44:19 +0000

“Audiences are so visual in their orientation that an artist’s visual connection with an audience has incredible power. Think about it. Your perception of everything around you is influenced by how it looks. So many artists are mistaken by thinking that people are only there to listen and that the music is everything. But they are so wrong. An audience didn’t come with only ears. If they only wanted to hear you, they’d have bought the CD. They are whole people who have come for a unique experience and every other element, especially the visual, has a huge influence on their opinion of you and your music. Your visual impact has tremendous impact on future bookings and on CD sales.”
Diane Kimbrough, Performance Coach

“As a Songwriter you want to make sure you write from a place of honesty. Write about something you have lived, have seen, or want to experience. Those are the types of songs that others will identify with. You will also want to make sure that your song is not longer then four minutes, so that it fits in with the radio format. A Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, 2 line Bridge, Chorus format is usually the longest you can go without going over four minutes.”
Joe Sins, Professional Songwriter

“If you are seeking a singing career, your voice is your main asset and should be fully discovered, maximized and protected as such. Getting into top vocal shape first requires assessment of your vocal strengths and weaknesses: Do you need to address some vocal strain, thin tone, lack of control, pitch or range issues? Do you need to work on developing your unique sound and style of vocal delivery? These and other vocal advances can be made by getting your breath right, your throat open and your communication skills sharpened. And yes, it takes all three.”
Judy Rodman, Vocal Coach

These are just 3 of the 10 music industry experts who will be teaching at
our camp for singers this spring and summer.

Click this link for more Singer’s Performance Camp information.