Jamie Parmenter’s Post

All the time and always! It’s similar to what I say to people when I talk about songwriting techniques. I do not believe in evolution, but I will tell you your brain notices things that you don’t cognitively when it comes to music. The great songwriter Pat Pattison has said “if you don’t say it that way don’t sing it that way” talking about putting emphasis on the right syllables with your melodies; or here’s another one, one of the reasons music producers can charge as much as they do is because their ears have been trained to notice things that the average ear simply doesn’t, but that the BRAIN does! Give your ears 10 to 20 listens through a song that you think is pretty good but there’s just “something” about it that doesn’t sit right with you and you just happen to lose interest in it. Producers hear those things more clearly so your songs don’t crash and burn within weeks, even if they are “incredible”. I have actually studied in my AAS some of the neuroscience and psychology of how music affects our brains and how certain frequencies work in our heads, how harmonic balance and acoustic treatment in the recording rooms makes a huge difference IF it’s done right. I have spent enough time now processing and mixing vocal tracks (for example) to hear very clearly all those tiny nuances that can make or break a track. It’s the difference between that unprofessional “homemade” sound and the professional Spotify ready sound. You may not know when your brain is telling you something sounds weird or just ever so slightly “off”, but us producers have been trained to hear those little details, trust us! https://lnkd.in/gTaVKCx7

Here are the winners of Songwriting Pro's "Play For A Publisher" event for March 2024! First of all, thank you to each of you who took a chance, took positive action, and submitted one or more songs to this special event with Chad Segura a music publisher / songplugger for VP of Publishing for Centricity Music. Ya’ll are just plain awesome. There were a lot of worthy songs sent in, and it was tough to leave so many out. If your song wasn’t chosen this time doesn’t mean that it isn’t a good song. You know, one time I turned a song in to my publisher, and they didn’t know what to do with it, so they didn’t want to do anything with it. My co+writers wanted to demo it, and the publisher said they wouldn’t pay for a demo. The song was called, “Crickets,” and we got it cut by Joe Nichols. It’s the title track to one of his recent albums. That’s right. The song my publisher wouldn’t even pay to demo got cut, anyway. (My cowriters did an out-of-pocket guitar/vocal, and we pitched it ourselves.) Welcome to Nashville. So while each and every song was heard and every effort was made to pick the ones that have the best chance of catching Paul’s ear… I could be wrong. That’s just the way the music biz works. So if your song wasn’t selected, it doesn’t mean you should give up on it. Okay, here are the Top Ten (in no particular order): https://lnkd.in/gi7SJNbj

Week 1—Big Idea Book Series: How Music Works   “Music can get us through difficult patches in our lives by changing not only how we feel about ourselves, but also how we feel about everything outside ourselves.”            --David Byrne, How Music Works   This is the first post of a Big Idea Book Series, an inspiration/challenge from a friend and mentor during a conversation a couple of weeks ago about my love for my work and the direction I wanted to move into in the coming year.   These books do special things. They make an impact. They start a conversation. They talk about something in a different way. How Music Works, by David Byrne of Talking Heads fame (also 2022 Academy Award nominee for the title song on the film Everything Everywhere All At Once). I was excited about the concept, the structure, the idea. Byrne looks at something that’s part of our every day in a most unexpected way. Music has its own infinite complexities and mastery of form, but this book is not about that. Instead, it looks at music in context—technology, places where we listen to it, how those factors change the way it affects us—and makes a very simple observation into a very Big Idea. He writes: Genius—the emergence of a truly remarkable and memorable work—seems to appear when a thing is perfectly suited to its context. When something works, it strikes us as not just being a clever adaptation, but as emotionally resonant as well. When the right thing is in the right place, we are moved.   When I read this dozens of emotionally resonant moments flash in my memory like a movie montage; family road trips singing to Van Morrison, listening to a song on my Walkman on repeat after a nasty breakup, my kids laughing at me as I cry during every sad or happy movie soundtrack ever (!), feeling anxious during every suspense soundtrack ever….you get my point. It seems so simple because it’s part of our everyday, but the complexities of it as he breaks them down are fascinating.   I often say that great art makes you feel something. In this case for me it’s envy. #bigideas #nonfictionbooks #writerslife  

Internet Archive is a very popular and the best website online. There are a lot of websites out there that offer free music downloads, but the Internet Archive is the best, so you can discover basically the best and most mind-blowing in this synopsis of the best Websites for Free Music and also download, Movies, eBooks, and a lot more. To #InternetArchiveMusic #RoyaltyFreeMusic

Writing and producing great broadcast ready music is the best way to start generating income with your audio engineering skills. After you have 10 great tracks within the same genre find music libraries, publishers and sync agencies to submit your music to. Rinse and Repeat using your skills and producing the music that your gifts are well suited for. Networking and collaborating is another great way to help you with your music career. Be professional, courteous and help them solve problems by offering your music as the answer. Also ask them what types of music they are looking for. This is key to your success.

New Series! Growing up, music was my first love, and I always imagined it would be at the center of my career. However, during college, I found myself drawn to the written word, and writing became my new passion. But music never left me—it continued to play a vital role, influencing the way I crafted and developed ideas, both in my personal and professional writing. Today I find myself at the intersection of these two worlds, and it's a fascinating place to be. It's not always clear where the influence of music ends and my writing begins—they often seem to blend seamlessly together. With this in mind, I'm excited to start a new series of posts exploring the profound impact that music has on my writing process. Each week I’ll highlight a song and talk about its influence on me and my writing. My hope is to share it with you and, hopefully, if you like the artist and song, have you share it with your friends, too.  (NOTE:  I’ll share this intro for the first few weeks for context.) Song 6 is “Milestones” (1958) off the album of the same name. The track, originally entitled “Miles” on the very first album pressings, became referred to as “Milestones” colloquially and later showed up that way on subsequent album releases and CDs. It’s Miles’ first composition in a modal style, which is significant, because of what comes next, in 1959—the monster release, Kind of Blue. It features an incredible band: Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderly (alto sax), John Coltrane (tenor sax), Red Garland (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Philly Joe Jones (drums). For me, “Milestones” is all about rhythm and everything that comes with it. The rhythm and cadence of music offer many techniques writers can draw upon to enhance the rhythmic qualities of their writing. Pacing and flow, repetition and motif, sentence structure and rhythm, emotional resonance, voice and tone, and alliteration and assonance. By bringing together these musical elements, writers can create a more immersive and emotionally resonant experience for their readers, much like a beautifully composed piece of music. Rhythm is so much more than “the beat” and while in this song Miles Davis has the added dimension of his modal style to create a world for the listener, for me, it’s the rhythm that allows us to enter that world.  SONG LINK https://lnkd.in/eDtUFV3Y

Every independent songwriter & composer yearns for the opportunity to get their music heard by millions of people. It's wonderful to be able to earn money from your original music while also gaining exposure & recognition. Music licensing is the process of granting permission to use your music in various media projects, such as films, TV shows, commercials, video games, podcasts, & more. By licensing your music, you can reach new audiences, build your fan base, & generate income from royalties & sync fees. This is a complex & very competitive field.  Are you writing music that suits different media formats, genres, & moods? If you answered YES to this question, that's a good start. Next, how do you pitch it? Do you have the network in place? The experience to do so? That’s where we come in. We work with all genres & styles, from pop, rock, & hip-hop, to jazz, classical, & world, new age music. This area of the industry is open to writers of all levels, from beginners to professionals. Whether you have a few songs or a full repertoire, we can help you find the best opportunities for your music. If you are interested in working with us, let's chat more.

Here are the winners of Songwriting Pro's "Play For A Publisher" event for January 2024! First of all, thank you to each of you who took a chance, took positive action, and submitted one or more songs to this special event with music publisher, Paul Compton of Wide Open Music. Ya’ll are just plain awesome. There were a lot of worthy songs sent in, and it was tough to leave so many out. If your song wasn’t chosen this time doesn’t mean that it isn’t a good song. You know, one time I turned a song in to my publisher, and they didn’t know what to do with it, so they didn’t want to do anything with it. My co+writers wanted to demo it, and the publisher said they wouldn’t pay for a demo. The song was called, “Crickets,” and we got it cut by Joe Nichols. It’s the title track to one of his recent albums. That’s right. The song my publisher wouldn’t even pay to demo got cut, anyway. (My cowriters did an out-of-pocket guitar/vocal, and we pitched it ourselves.) Welcome to Nashville. So while each and every song was heard and every effort was made to pick the ones that have the best chance of catching Paul’s ear… I could be wrong. That’s just the way the music biz works. So if your song wasn’t selected, it doesn’t mean you should give up on it. Okay, here are the Top Ten (in no particular order): https://lnkd.in/g_amApVf