Songwriting For Guitar Podcast

What causes some people to grow at a faster rate in their songwriting career? Here at SFG, we believe it's all about collaboration, and in this podcast episode, we explore how radical growth happens because of it. Mike Meiers and COO of Songwriting for Guitar, Heather Taylor, dive deep into discussing people's resistance to collaboration and talk about three top reasons why. Along the way, the conversation takes a personal turn as Mike discovers and shares his own 'feels' on this subject. Listen to how their personal experiences of working with others in their own music and business at Songwriting for Guitar helped them develop new skills and elevate their work beyond what they would be able to without collaboration. The conversation touches on the importance of recognizing one's strengths and weaknesses, and how collaboration can help individuals stay in their "zone of genius" while accomplishing more as a team. Overall, the episode offers insights into the benefits and challenges of collaboration for growth and success, and three reasons why we might be resistant to it. Join Mike and Heather as they share their own stories and explore how collaboration can help you achieve radical growth for radical change. For the Advanced Lyrics and Melody Workshop or free training from Berklee Grad, Lainey Dionne, visit https://www.songwritingforguitar.com/TopliningWorkshop

Lainey Dionne and Mike Meiers chat about the misconceptions of pop music and why it gets such a bad rap. The truth is, pop has heavily influenced music from the dawn of Western music to now, and it’s constantly evolving.  Our guess is if you have a blanket statement like “pop sucks”, you’re not listening to the broad spectrum of what it is today. Mike grew up only listening to punk music, but once he became a teacher and started listening to music in a new way, his mind changed. There’s so much competition out there for songs to get heard and some great songs still fall through the cracks but Mike and Lainey argue that what gets through and lasts, is still because of authenticity and simply because it is just a good song. Lainey and Mike challenge you to find elements of the modern songwriting world and bring it into your own writing.  Leave a comment: Are you for pop or still against it? Guitar Essentials for the Modern Songwriter LIVE starts this weekend! Our live element helps you walk through the course with ease and gets you writing great songs on your guitar with confidence! Only two days left to register. Register now: https://www.sfgessentials.com/guitar-essentials-live-experience

Have you ever had anyone say to you with great enthusiasm, “You should try out for American Idol!”?  It’s a well intentioned but generally a misguided statement for musicians and our guest today and best bud of mine, Madeline Finn, is living proof it’s more something you get through than benefit from. Madeline was scouted for American Idol, went through the stages, and got that golden ticket, but it’s not something she’d suggest for someone’s career.  Madeline shares the things that fulfill her musically and spiritually in this week's episode. Though opening up to opportunities is something Madeline believes in and encourages, the most important work has to do with an internal shift. Plus! Special announcement that Madeline Finn recently joined the SFG coaching team and is teaching DAW 101. If you’re someone who just needs a little help getting through the DAW barrier to make the music you want, Madeline has you covered.

Sync licensing has quickly become a buzz word in the music world and for good reason - you can make a living in it! Some people don’t even believe that, and end up missing out on a big source of income. There are so many myths about this field because it truly takes years to become an expert in sync licensing and it's constantly evolving.  There are too many people making uninformed decisions that veer people off course for years. Since we can’t always know what to pay attention to when starting out, industry sync experts Mike Meiers and Anthony Clint Jr. get together to dispel myths about this growing field so you can make informed decisions going forward.  If one of the greatest skills in our lifetime is adaptability and discerning what’s true and false, this is the episode you’ve been waiting for. Listen now! Listen to Anthony Clint Jr.'s Music Is My Business Podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/jm/podcast/music-is-my-business-podcast/id1558729036 Enroll in the 3 Day Songwriting Immersive here: https://www.songwritingforguitar.com/3-day-songwriting-immersive-1

How many avenues to make money are available to you in music? Gigging may have fallen off a bit for some since the pandemic,  but it’s in full swing again. My friend Lainey Dionne has THE formula for getting your gigs to become a main source of income.  With some gigs you can get stuck and waste your time, but you don’t have to. You can learn the signs to spot the good ones, know the ways to get them and then become such a boss you even know what you’re worth when booking them. There is a clear path to take your gigging mindset of a hobbyist to a gigging pro.  She opened my eyes to some cool things I wish I knew when I was out in the circuit. If you’re not totally confident about booking gigs and charging what you’re worth, this episode is for you!

After my first chat with Heather Taylor on the last episode, “Just Say Yes”, where we talked about the music-career affirming conference she went to, it reminded me of my own first conference and how important this one thing I did was so important in getting my career going. So many great things have come out of this technique that I call Lyft Affirmations. Heather and I sat down to chat about it in this week's episode. Feel free to leave comment about where you are with this journey!

Saying YES just means that you’re showing up for yourself. And when you show up for yourself, the world can finally see you. It can allow great things to happen, and connections to form. Today my COO and friend Heather Taylor is on the show! She just got back from a life changing experience at a music conference. She’s been on her musical journey in a very relatable way, and the energy she had today was so palpable we just hit record while in a meeting to share these thoughts with you.  Heather recognizes saying yes, and that believing in yourself can be one of the hardest things to do. It took a lot for her to say yes to the opportunity she just came back from, but she’s so invigorated.  We talk about what taking a risk can feel like, what doors it can open up, what behind the scenes things can stop you and why YOU shouldn’t be the one to stop you.  We dive straight into the heart of this topic. Listen now.  You can find Heather on instagram @htcreates_

Lij Shaw is a perfect example that every path to success in music is unique. He’s a chart breaking, award winning, musician, podcast producer and owner of The Toy Box Studio. Lij isn’t just an awesome person to talk to, he’s incredibly inspirational. One month he wins a Grammy and the next minute he receives a cease and desist order for operating a recording studio at his home giving him 30 days to shut down. If you’ve ever recorded in a home studio in Nashville or if you have a home studio in Nashville like me, you have Lij to thank. Listen now hear his story. https://recordingstudiorockstars.com/ https://www.thetoyboxstudio.com/

When you see a problem, what’s your move? Complain, run, or resolve? The uneasiness of feeling disappointed or rejected has kept so many creatives on the benches, just watching the game. We’ve been trained to think it's just win or lose. What we need is more training in redefining and recovering. Heather Evans and Mike Meiers dive into their own experiences of disappointment. In this episode, you’ll hear stories of grief, rejection, and evolution, what they did about it (or didn’t do about it) and the results.  The question for you is... is disappointment strong enough to keep you down? We don’t think it is!

What happens when following a "blueprint" gives you mediocre results? What happens when what you're doing doesn’t live up to who YOU are and what you want to do? Mike Meiers and special guest Josh Doyle from 3 Theory Music agree, there’s not enough discussion around this topic of thinking outside the norm. This episode shows you cool ways of viewing your education, music creation process and career.  If every music career is unique, your strength comes from engaging your creativity.  You can find your unique voice through songwriting, and find your way through this industry by leaning into your creative thinking. If you're wondering if the risk of doing things "differently" is worth it, just remember that out of the box thinkers tend to scale by leaps and bounds. Episode 66 is our FIRST Youtube LIVE podcast of the year! Now we go live every Tuesday on Youtube with special guests unfiltered! If you want to be a part of the podcast, be there live with us next Tuesday.

Lainey Dionne, is an award-winning, sync placing, indie-pop singer/songwriting ROCKSTAR who graduated from Berklee College of Music. You can find her most recent syncs on Amazon Prime's _Making the Cut. _ She popped on the podcast today to share with us about what is working now in the music industry as an artist, as well as helpful tips about co-writing. We've been co-writing together for a while now so we both have a lot of thoughts on this. SPECIAL BONUS! I also asked Lainey to give a free training for my podcast listeners! She's sharing her number one tool you can use right now to improve your songwriting. Click the link to get some Berklee wisdom in this quick 10 minute training. Get the free ten minute songwriting training with Lainey here! https://www.sfgworkshop.com/songwriting-workshops-with-lainey

Part two of my conversation with friend and mentor, Josh Doyle, is my favorite. Not just because of all the juicy information, and insight throughout our conversation, but because it's time for our announcement!  Josh is an excellent musician, songwriter, producer, audio engineer, as well as creator/founder of L.A. based record label and sync licensing company, 3 Theory Music. So along with the list of awesomeness, he’ll now also be a mentor and coach at Songwriting for Guitar!  That’s right! Now if you’re in my Insiders Track membership or one of my classes, you have access to one of the best mixing engineers AND to one of the best people I know. Let’s get into some golden nuggets from Josh… Sign up for the Songwriting For Guitar Insiders Track here: https://www.songwritingforguitar.com/offers/GzuW3vyo/checkout?coupon_code=PODCASTINSIDERS

Part 1 : We’re chatting with Josh Doyle, one of my most valued mentors and founder of L.A. based record label and sync licensing company, 3 Theory Music. 3 Theory Music is a collective who have been placed with Amazon, Nike, Nintendo, Toyota, Netflix, HBO, and so much more. We’re talking Josh’s backstory as a creator and mixing engineer, as well as what led him to becoming an entrepreneur. Josh has navigated the industry in a unique yet natural way, and is sharing his experiences of what worked, what didn’t and what's working now for modern creators. Next week we’re sharing part II including a big announcement. Sign up for the Songwriting For Guitar Insiders Track: https://www.songwritingforguitar.com/offers/GzuW3vyo?coupon_code=PODCASTINSIDERS

Playlist challenge! I challenge you to build better habits around listening to new music. Consistently listening to new and current music in your genre will do more for your music than you know!  As a songwriter, producer, and composer, making and refreshing playlists are a base-line task I do. And, it’s one of the first things I instruct anyone else to do when looking to improve – especially if they want to get into sync licensing.   In this episode I go over some of the top questions you can ask yourself to get the MOST out of your listening time. To do this challenge, and to do it consistently, my best tip would be to keep an open mind! Simply put: people who have an open mind–– grow. When you grow you can’t help but implement what you’ve learned. Get listening!

You’ve set out to become one thing in music, but it’s transforming into something different. Sound familiar? Seth Mosley knows all about that being a Grammy-Winning Producer, Songwriter, Podcast Host, Publisher and Educator at Full Circle Music Academy... And he has some thoughts on how to get the most out of that transformation. What's it take to become a songwriter? How many van breakdowns does it take? How many songs do you have to write to become a better songwriter?  Coming from similar mindsets and roles as producers and songwriters, Mike and Seth sit down for a friendly conversation packed with tips to navigate the industry, songwriting ethos, and insights into making the most out of a co-writing session.

This is your personal invitation as a podcast listener to the much anticipated 5 Day Songwriting for Guitar Bootcamp! I’m showing up every single day for five days to share my secrets as an Emmy winning songwriter and seasoned guitar coach so YOU can make moves with your music career. Whether you need to break old patterns and stop using the same old cowboy chords, unlock better songs, gain more confidence and clarity, or even start on your transition to get from hobbyist to pro, this bootcamp is the PERFECT first step. Listen to this week's episode to get your personal invitation and to hear what a past bootcamper has to say about the lasting effects of their experience Go ahead and enlist in basic training for a full HOUR of training or join me at my mini-mastermind all week for the interactive VIP experience. Get the training thousands of other songwriters and guitarists have used to unlock their next great songs. It all starts May 19th. Here is the link to sign up: https://www.songwritingforguitar.com/offers/iFxFLSwL/checkout

Have you ever wanted a song critique, but weren’t sure how to go about it? Or maybe you’ve asked for a critique, but you never heard back. It's common even to be intimidated by the idea of sharing your songs with professionals, but that all has the potential to change. Today I'm sharing an insider's perspective on song critiques through my conversation with Josh Seawell from Seawell Studios. Listen until the end to hear the four things you should consider before reaching out for a critique. Josh Seawell is coming from 20 years of professional mixing and mastering experiences with a portfolio ranging from the Winter Olympics to the Voice, to Apple and ESPN. Find him at http://www.seawellstudios.com/ To sign up for Songwriting For Guitar Bootcamp, head to http://www.songwritingforguitar.com

It was 2020, and Dan Walker suddenly found a lot of time on his hands. He started using that time to hone his skills. He started practicing by recording himself through his computer which turned into a curiosity about different guitar tones and slowly turned into production and recording from home. He then tripped into our Songwriting for Guitar Bootcamp and his journey in songwriting took off. Now Dan and I are working together in a one-on-one coaching  experience and Dan is making big moves. He’s building up his teaching business, he’s songwriting, co-writing, and feeling confident in his production skills.  He’s on the road to making a full time living in music. Before, Dan was fearful about sharing his music. Now he shares his music and finds people enjoy what he writes. Before, Dan worried how he was going to "make it happen". Now he's making it happen and having fun with it. Listen to his episode to hear how one student has transformed his entire outlook and future in music. “Don’t let fear hold you back” says Dan. Coaching application form: https://forms.gle/eYUze9L1brnFrqFw5

What does the work ethic of an up and coming country artist and songwriter look like? Megan Barker is the person to tell you. From Nashville to Las Vegas and back to Nashville for years on end, the grind is no stranger to Megan. And neither is the music industry. Her parents were both musicians and her Dad was a songwriter for legends like Ronnie Milsap, Barbara Mandrell, Hank Williams Jr. and more. She shares insights that span generations.  Want to hear more from Megan? Catch her on Jammin’ in Jammies! A podcast where hit songwriters get together and share valuable insights into the music industry.

Heather Evans has an impressive resume when it comes to DIY music success, but even more impressive is her life story and overcoming huge obstacles to keep music at the forefront. We dive deep with Heather, discussing what's been driving her career development and the mindset it's taken to "make it" as a professional. And the big news? You'll have to listen to find out.