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One of the most asked questions I get by songwriters who have not yet had a song published or recorded is, "how do I get someone to listen to my songs?" There seems to be a perception among beginning and intermediate level writers, that the music business is a great big giant industry designed to keep all newcomers out. I know this feeling from personal experience. And I'm sure that every successful writer has felt this way at one time or another in their career.
I had the pleasure of meeting one of my songwriting heroes, Dottie Rambo, for the first time, about sixteen years ago. I went to her after a concert to see if she could bestow any wisdom on me. I told her that I was a songwriter. I was ready for her to give me some great words of encouragement. But instead, this is what I heard her say. "It sure is a frustrating business, isn't it?" I couldn't believe what I heard. This was Dottie Rambo!!! This was the writer of such classics as WE SHALL BEHOLD HIM, I WILL GLORY IN THE CROSS, HE LOOKED BEYOND MY FAULT AND SAW MY NEED, I GO TO THE ROCK, I'VE NEVER BEEN THIS HOMESICK BEFORE, and so many others. It had never crossed my mind that maybe she had struggled to get people to take her seriously. I thought that every song she ever wrote had at least fifty artist waiting to record it. We visited for a few moments, then I thanked her for speaking with me and turned to leave. I had only gone a few steps when I heard her call out to me and say, "keep on writing, and remember to give all the glory to Jesus." I walked back to my car that night with a whole new perspective of the music industry. I was not the only writer who ever felt shut out.
Every songwriter has to climb their own ladder to success. The problem is, most of us try to start at the top. That's a mistake I made. I sent my songs to every major record label, and had them all returned unopened. You see, no one at those labels knew anything about me or my music. And they get so many songs in the mail, they just cannot spend the time sifting through all the "unsolicited" material they receive. "Unsolicited" means, no one there asked you to send that package. But during that time that no one in the industry was listening to me, a local artist in my hometown was recording her first album. My friend from college was going to produce the project, and he asked me for some songs. So I said I would bring him some. This artist recorded several of my songs on her album.
One thing led to another, and then another. Now, several local artists had recorded some of my tunes. Another one of these local artists opened a concert one night for the Cathedral Quartet. This local artist performed one of my songs in their set, and the Cathedrals were listening. Before the night was over, Glen Payne came to me and told me that he wanted to record my song. And he did indeed record it.
During this same period of time, I sent the recording of one of my songs by that first local artist, to Rex Nelon. He then published the song, and recorded it on his next album.
That started a chain reaction. Now I had a track record. A small track record, but a track record none the less. I decided in 1987 to attend the National Quartet Convention for the first time. By this time I had built a positive relationship with a couple of artists. One night during the convention, Roger Bennet, from the Cathedrals, introduced me to the A and R director of Canaan Records. "Canaan" was the top label in the industry at the time. It was also a label that had already returned my songs to me. But now I was being introduced to someone from that label, who wanted to hear songs from me, because two of his artists had already recorded my material. I couldn't believe it! And now, the hardest person to reach at that label was asking me to send him songs. He said to address my package to his attention, and write REQUESTED MATERIAL on the envelope. That would take my package out of the return pile, and put it on his desk.
You see, record labels and producers need songs that are ready to record. They are not looking for songs with potential, or even writers with potential. They need a song that can hit a home run right now. That's why they tend to return to the songwriters who have a history of writing material they can use, rather than digging through the mountains of demos they receive from people they know nothing about.
My advice to the unknown songwriter is, go to as many concerts as you can. Buy as much music as you can afford to buy from artists who record the style of music that you write. Most of the time, these artists are very accessible after a concert. Go to their product table. Introduce yourself. Don't be pushy. Politely ask permission to send them songs. They may say yes! And then again, they may say no. But you won't know unless you ask. If the answer is no, then be polite and know that this is not the open door that you are looking for. But above all, don't get angry at the artist. Remember, it's not their duty to listen to your song.
Don't be afraid to let a local or amateur artist record your songs either. You never know who may be listening, later on, to that same recording.
And remember, if you'll let God direct your path, you'll be amazed at how, suddenly you are in the right place, at the right time, talking to the right people.
Let me leave you with the same advice Dottie Rambo gave me so many years ago. Keep on writing, and give Jesus all of the glory.
Reader Comments
What an encouragement to us struggling writers!
Thank you so much! You give much wisdom!
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Written: 04/01/2003 
Author: SGN
Category:
Monthly Articles
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The Songwriter
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