Writing songs with others can be amazing, or it could be a complete nightmare.
To lessen your chances of a session like the latter, here are some tips to help create the best working environment.
Be Punctual
This should go without saying, but it isn’t polite to waste someone’s time. If you were consistently late for a job, they’d fire you. If you have any desire to make money from music, you have to treat it the same way. It isn’t called the music business just for fun.
A friend of mine is a pro at this: if her writing session is from 1pm – 4pm, she’d be walking in the door at 12:58pm and driving away at 4:01pm. We’d joke and say she kept bankers hours as a writer, but we couldn’t knock the hustle: she consistently gets work because she is reliable.
Be Prepared
Try to eat something a couple of hours before your session so you’re alert, and have some water with you so you stay hydrated.
Have a pen & paper ready at the start of the session, or a recording device if that’s your thing. If you write by a particular instrument, make sure one is present in the session. If creating from scratch with someone isn’t your thing, make sure you have some ideas to contribute.
Be Collaborative
A good co-writing session is all about give & take. Each person brings their ideas to the table, then mutually decide the best one. In order for this to work, you have to be receptive of the other person’s thoughts and ideas, and patient enough to let the process work out.
Nothing kills the mood faster than a partner who shuts down every idea but their own. If that’s the way you work, it’s best if you work alone.
Be Professional
During your session, stick to the task at hang. It’s cool to have fun with it, but keep it all about the music. Don’t complain about the music business or other people in it, as the industry is smaller than you think and it could get back to them.
When the session is over, make sure everyone fills out split sheets and gets a copy. If there’s a demo, have the engineer bounce it down and give you a copy.
What’d We Learn?
If you follow these tips, your writing session is less likely to implode.
Happy writing!
Links
- 7 Ways To Blow A Co-Write (via Man vs. Row)
- The Do’s & Don’ts Of Co-Writing (via BMI)
