Songwriting For Your Original Act

By Cat Cohen with Avry Budka (Editor) and Duff Ferguson (Illustrator)

A motivating and informative book that asks the important questions about you as an original act to help you define the kind of performer you are, who your audience is, your style and industry format, and your core message.

It includes guidelines for creating the right song concepts, appropriate lyrics, singable melodies, suitable chords set in the right grooves, helping you to structure your writing so that you grab your audience and keep them involved from beginning to end.

How to Buy:

1. Part 1–Your Original Act
2. What Kind Of Act Are You?
   Solo, Small combo, Full band
3. What Makes You Original?
   Message, lyrics, point of view
   Melody, chords & groove
   Sound, instrumentation, production, vocal style
4. How Original Are You?
   Revolutionary, evolutionary
   Familiar but distinctive, familiar and indistinctive
5. Who Is Your Audience?
   Kids, Teens, Young adults, Adults, Oldsters
   Affluent, Middle Class or Struggling
   Social Insiders or Rebels
   Winners or Loser, Good or Bad People
6. What Is Your Genre?
   Pop, Rock–Modern, Classic, Alternative
   Country, R&B/Hip-Hop, Rap
   Blues, Gospel, Jazz
   Dance/Electronica
   Hispanic/World Music/Americana/Other
   Mixed Genres–A Starbucks Approach
7. What Is Your Core Message?
   Gratitude, partying, commiseration
   Fighting, revenge, joining forces
   Love relationships, universal love
   For whom are you a spokesperson?

1. Part 2–Songcraft Guidelines
2. Song Concepts
3. Developing Lyrics
4. Melodic Guidelines
5. Harmonic Guidelines
6. Groove Basics
7. Song Sections And Forms
8. Songwriting Resources
   Books, Websites
   Songwriting Related Organizations