The Songwriting Charity has announced that English musician, songwriter and record producer Rupert Hine is to become a patron of the London-based music charity.
Launched in 2011, The Songwriting Charity addresses the emotional health and well-being of children and young people of all abilities through the art and craft of songwriting and music technology. It helps children to generate creative energy around issues that impact on their lives, through songwriting and performance.
Rupert Hine follows British songwriter Guy Fletcher, who joined as a Patron last summer.
During his 35-year career, Hine has worked with a wide a range of gold and platinum-selling artists – including Tina Turner, Chris de Burgh, Rush, Bob Geldof, Stevie Nicks, Kevin Ayers, Thomson Twins, The Waterboys, Kate Bush, and Suzanne Vega.
As a songwriter, his songs have been recorded by million-selling artists such as Tina Turner, Stevie Nicks, Dusty Springfield and Wilson-Phillips.
Hine said: “The Songwriting Charity powerfully illustrates how children working together creatively as a team can rise above their individual practical difficulties and limitations and create something fun or even beautiful in a field that is very close to my heart. I fully endorse their vision and look forward to helping to expand their reach in any way I can.”
Nathan Timothy, CEO of The Songwriting Charity, said: “This is another landmark in our charity’s young life. Rupert shares my passion for developing artistry and for using songs and songwriting to positively change the lives of people all over the world. I’m so proud that Rupert Hine has agreed to become a Patron. And I’m delighted to welcome him as part of the team as we celebrate the charity’s second birthday!”
The Songwriting Charity has so far worked in 450 schools around the UK and has linked with projects in Italy and Canada. The charity’s work has positively impacted on the well-being, self–esteem and confidence of more than 12,500 children and young people.
Its unique one-day workshops present children with opportunities to sing, write lyrics, perform and record their ideas both individually and as a team.
So far, some 460 songs have been written by young people for young people – covering concerns such as bullying, world peace and friendships. The songs are hosted on the charity’s Soundcloud page and have been streamed more than 91,000 times.
Find out more about The Songwriting Charity, or make a donation, HERE…
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“How [Not] To Write A Hit Song! – 101 Common Mistakes To Avoid If You Want Songwriting Success” is now available from Amazon’s Kindle Store for only US$7.22 or GB£4.78.
Read a FREE sample of the book HERE (USA) and HERE (UK).
Also available from Apple’s iTunes Store (Books/Arts & Entertainment/Music), and Barnes & Noble’s Nook store.
Alicia Keys recently revealed that she managed to maintain her unique voice and songwriting style despite being pushed “in different directions” early in her career.
She thinks writers have to really believe in what they want to do—and then keep working at it until other people start to believe in it too.
The 32-year-old singer-songwriter is classically trained and is a highly accomplished musician. She began playing the piano at the age of seven and studied classical composers such as Mozart and Beethoven at performing arts schools in New York.
However, it seems her rich musical knowledge and diversity proved to be quite a challenge for her managers in the early stages of her career. They found it hard to package her as a typical pop songstress.
“People definitely tried to push me in different directions for sure,” she recently told VH1’s Storytellers. “I was very familiar with the street, had a lot of street knowledge, very clear, very rough around the edges. But at the same time I had studied classical music.”
She added: “I loved everything from Biggie Smalls and Jay-Z to Nina Simone, Patrice Rushen and Donny Hathaway to Erik Satie and Chopin, and everything in the middle. There was no kind of direct path or prototype for anyone to follow. So I think all they knew to do was to kind of push me as close to maybe something they saw that worked before.”
A lack of focus is one of the biggest weaknesses of many new songwriters. This is usually because the writers have no idea where they are heading when they start out. As a result, their career simply meanders from one direction to another with no clear distinction between them—and often with no real progress.
Fortunately, Alicia Keys was strong enough to maintain her focus and remain true to herself. “It was my goal to make people love me,” she said.
When starting any new job, you are more likely to be successful if you are given a proper description of what you’re supposed to be doing … and what you’re expected to achieve.
Songwriting is no different, except it is down to you to define your job description in terms of genre, style and career path, and then set yourself clear goals—and stick to them.
Watch this Songs in A Minor documentary about Alicia’s early career …
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“How [Not] To Write A Hit Song! – 101 Common Mistakes To Avoid If You Want Songwriting Success” is available from Amazon as a paperback, or as an eBook from Amazon’s Kindle Store, Apple’s iTunes Store (Books/Arts & Entertainment/Music) and Barnes & Noble’s Nook store.
Read a FREE sample of the book HERE (USA), HERE (UK) or HERE (Australia).
For a song to become a great song, it must be able to reach out and touch listeners and stimulate an emotional response within them. It should take them on a memorable and emotional journey. It should make them feel something.
That’s why Amy Grant, the Nashville-based Christian singer-songwriter, believes the greatest compliment a songwriter can receive is to have someone tell you that your song captures exactly what they’re feeling inside.
“The challenge of a songwriter is to articulate – in an accessible way – things we go through, if what you are trying to do is to make people feel connected to their own life, ” says Amy. “I’m inspired by specific situations and try to capture in a song what people feel.”
On May 14, the six-times Grammy award winner will release her first full album of all-new songs in 10 years.
Titled How Mercy Looks From Here, the new album was produced by Marshall Altman and includes guest vocalists James Taylor, Carole King, Sheryl Crow, Will Hoge, and Eric Pasley (who wrote the only song on the album not written by Grant). Amy’s husband, Vince Gill, also makes an appearance.
Watch the official video for Amy Grant’s 1991 hit ‘Good For Me’ HERE…
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“How [Not] To Write A Hit Song! – 101 Common Mistakes To Avoid If You Want Songwriting Success” is available from Amazon as a US paperback, UK paperback and as an eBook from Amazon’s Kindle Store, Apple’s iTunes Store (Books/Arts & Entertainment/Music) and Barnes & Noble’s Nook store.
Read a FREE sample of the book HERE (USA), HERE (UK), HERE (Australia) and HERE (Canada).
SONGWRITING: THE HIT FORMULA 