Week 9. This whole book Ariel Hyatt’s Music Success in 9 Weeks, has really changed the way I do business. The music business has changed drastically over the last few years, and for so long I resisted that change, but this whole book has really opened my eyes and led me on an interesting journey. I thank you Ariel.
Even though the course is 9 weeks (and I did finish it months ago with the group), this book is something I have incorporated into my career on a daily basis. It’s been a catalyst to change my thinking about how I market myself and the things I do to do just that. The 9th week is aptly titled, and although it’s the end of this book, it’s only the beginning. It has challenged me creatively and given me focus and now I am constantly thinking of new ways to engage my fans and nurture that relationship. It’s simple, sure, and every artist who cares about their career and their fans, needs to read this book. Really.
I recently went book shopping on my book shelf. I am a self-confessed bookaholic. I don’t do drugs, I rarely drink, and I’ve pretty much given up chocolate, so buying books is something I tend to have a problem with. It is rare I come out of a bookstore without some new shiny book. Sometimes I read them right away, sometimes I don’t. This one book, Musicians In Tune, is one that has been on my bookshelf (the top shelf, so until I got a chair to reach it, there it stayed) for at least a decade. It always fascinates me what the catalyst was for people, not only musicians, to do what they do.
Musicians in Tune talks to many great musicians, some with musical families, some not. I come from a family of not. No one played an instrument, most relatives on my mom’s side (including my Mom, sorry Mom) are tone deaf. But, we listened to music all the time. Elvis. Kris Kristofferson. Linda Ronstadt. Those were often playing in our truck. And, of course, having an older sister, I always listened to whatever records she had (only when she wasn’t there, of course)…the Bay City Rollers, Fleetwood Mac, Rick Springfield…she even had these two tapes with these funny looking characters on them called Kiss. Those two tapes went into hiding for some reason. I got my first real record Trooper – Hot Shots for my birthday, and my Dad found an old turntable (yes, I’m dating myself), and it went into my and my sister’s room.
But, for me, the fateful day came when my sister’s boyfriend at the time asked me if I had heard of Kiss. Up until this point I was always singing around the house and giving old songs new lyrics. My mom told me when I was really small, I didn’t talk, I only sang.
So sis’s boyfriend brought over his sister’s collection of Kiss records (and I never gave them back). That was the defining moment in my life. I would listen to them over and over and figure out the lyrics and pour over the covers to see who wrote what and who produced and who played and sang which songs.
I think through osmosis I learned about hooks, song structure, and rhymes, and metaphors and tongue in cheek, cause I sure as hell didn’t know what they were singing about at that age (my parents never ever said anything about it either, they patiently let me listen to the tapes I stole from my sister in the car, or sing for them the newest lyrics I figured out from whatever album of theirs I was listening to at the time). Picture this, a little kid, singing “Meet, meet you in the ladies room.” at the top of her lungs. And all throughout school, I was teased mercilessly because I loved them so much…but I didn’t care.
Then Bryan Adams came into my life. More melody, more hooks, story songs; like The Eagles. Passionate delivery. Lots of guitars (well, in those early days, anyway). Love ya Bry, but you’re too AC for me now. And Def Leppard. The guitars floored me and the harmonies…I fell in love with Joe Elliot’s voice and their attitude.
Huge influence on the sound of my first album, Blame It On Rock and Roll, and I think, my overall writing style and sound.
When I first realized I could write my own songs, and had a band at 15 to help me put them to music, I found what I had been looking for. We started throwing originals into our set list.
I began to study the craft as much as I could. Like the Kiss albums, I pored over songwriting instruction books from Sheila Davis and John Braheny among others, and put that knowledge to use every time I wrote a new song. I went to songwriting critiques, to hone things even further. I wrote more. I studied the structure of lyrics and songs of my favourite artists. Even recently I took classes at Song U and learned valuable info from Sarah and Danny, Craig Bickhardt and Jai Josefs, I went to intensives with Eddie Schwartz and Bill Henderson and Pat Pattison and John Capek. I still learn things every time I write a new song. Especially with a co-writer.
After I released Blame It on Rock and Roll, my band introduced me to this band called Metallica and a song that blew my mind called Enter Sandman. Once I started poring over their songs, it confused me. Not only were the rhymes off sometimes, but James Hetfield broke all the rules with his lyrics. He writes in a way that is open to interpretation, he uses words that sometimes aren’t singable. And, not to mention their whacked out time changes…but it works. It works for them. And he writes about things a lot of people don’t want to touch on because… yikes, it’s too personal, and that scares some people. I personally like it.
When a reviewer reviewed Monsters and Two Words, two songs from my third album Monsters,
he described Two Words as something inspired by Metallica…what a compliment to me, and another when describing Monsters…ala Kiss’ Carnival of Souls.
he described Two Words as something inspired by Metallica…what a compliment to me, and another when describing Monsters…ala Kiss’ Carnival of Souls.
When I write, I’m not trying to copy anyone else. I only hope that my songs reflect my influences, by taking just a little bit of something different I’ve learned from each writer and then running with it.
I write from my perspective, I write from my voice and my experiences, and I write from my heart. The rest of it is osmosis, and I’m okay with that.
