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Hit Songwriting 101 at the Atlantis Music Conference & Festival
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You knew this was a panel of musical superstars because half of the six people on the stage had dark shades on, inside. During the whole session.
You knew this was a panel of musical superstars because there were five impromptu performances, dancing in the aisles, and at one point, some people started waving their cellphones overhead like lighters at a concert.
And you definitely knew this was a panel of musical superstars because there was lots of talk about those three industry staples: sex, drugs… and actually, more drugs.
“I think a reoccuring theme is pills here,” moderator Catherine Brewton of BMI noted with a laugh. “Aspirin, Tylenol…”
Hey, whatever it took to inspire panelists Bilal, Dallas Austin, Teddy Bishop, Brent Smith and Jasin Todd of Shinedown and Ed Roland of Collective Soul.
One even playfully advised smoking a marijuana cigarette to cure writer’s block.
But the funniest thing may have been Austin explaining part of the process of writing Pink’s hit single, “Just Like A Pill” : “There were certain pills everybody used to take. I don’t know why. It just used to make them feel good.”
(Austin, some in the audience knew, was convicted this past summer in Dubai for possession of cociane and ecstasy. Then he was immediately pardoned.)
Things took a somber turn in the Capitol Ballroom of the Sheraton Hotel Downtown when Bishop explained how he and Johnta Austin ended up penning “Miss You” by Aaliyah; a musical adieu, of sorts, by the late R&B singer. Turns out, it was actually written for Aaliyah’s friend and fellow R&B singer, Ginuwine. But Aaliyah came in the studio, heard it, and was like “Wow! Who’s song is that?” Bishop recalled. And when he told her, she replied, “Nope I want that record.” And she went in the studio and recorded it in one take. That was two years before she died in a plane crash. And it was the last single released by the artist.
“I believe that was God putting that song in her life,” Bishop said.
Brewton opened the panel by having each songwriter explain the genesis of her personal favorites — “Soul Sista,” by Bilal; “Just Like A Pill,” by Austin; “Torn,” by Bishop; “I Dare You,” by Smith and “The World I Know,” by Roland.
Then she asked them to share their personal favorites — and Bilal performed part of “Sometimes”; Smith and Todd did a particularly inspired “Save Me”; and Roland closed with Collective Soul’s signature, “Shine.”
“The reason I love that song, first,” Roland explained, “is it gave me a career.”
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Pop Music
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By jonny
October 8, 2006 11:22 PM | Link to this
jonnyBy Nas
October 9, 2006 12:34 PM | Link to this
Catherine Brewton did an EXCELLENT job at facilitating the panel at Saturday’s Atlantis Music Conference. Out of all of the events during the week, this one was probably the best. It was informative, interactive and interesting. After all, what can be better than getting open and honest songwriter tips from some of the best songwriters in the industry: Bilal, Dallas Austin, Teddy Bishop, Shinedown and Ed Roland. Next year, lets try to get NEO in the line-up. Thanks BMI.