Workshop Descriptions

Workshop SCHEDULE-AT-A-GLANCE

Part 1: WHAT’S IN A SONG
Part 2: SONGWRITING REVENUE STREAMS
Part 3: MUSIC PUBLISHING 101
Part 4: THE MUSIC MEETING
Part 5: SONG REVIEW & CRITIQUE

WHAT’S IN A SONG

What makes a hit song? What makes a song stick in the minds of a listener? What makes people call their local DJ’s requesting them to play the same song time and time again? The answers to these and other questions will allow you to hone your songwriting skills and learn ways to make your songs come alive.
In this session you’ll learn:
What makes a great song so great?
How to improve your songwriting
How to generate ideas and the right words to express them
New ways of saying and seeing things
Organizing rhythms and rhymes into verses, choruses and bridges
How to write hookey, strong melodies

SONGWRITING REVENUE STREAMS

SOCAN is the Canadian copyright collective that administers the performing rights of more than 90,000 composer, author and publisher members, and hundreds of thousands of members of affiliated performing rights organizations (PROs) worldwide, by licensing the use of their copyright-protected music in Canada. They collect licence fees for the communication and public performance of their members music in Canada. These fees are then distributed as royalties to writers and publisher members and their international affiliates.

In this session you will learn:
• What a performance rights society does (ie. SOCAN)
• When you should become a member of SOCAN
• Copyright 101 and revenue streams
• About performance royalties
• Where the money comes from and the value of music
• How you get paid for public performances of your songs (TV, Radio, Concert, etc.)

MUSIC PUBLISHING 101

Music publishers play a vital role in the development of new music by taking care of the business aspect and therefore allowing writers and composers to concentrate on the creative aspect.
In this session you will learn:
• At what point do you need a Publisher
• Find out who’s looking for songs—and how to get to them
• Break through the “No Unsolicited Songs” barrier
• Pitch for TV and Film
• Earn and collect royalties
• Understand and issue mechanical and synchronization licenses
• Decide if self-publishing is for you
• Roles of copyright collectives and performance rights organizations

THE MUSIC MEETING

A small segment will aim to answer questions like . . . How do I get my song on radio? How come my phone calls aren’t being returned? What will it take for a station to play my song? As an Artist can I promote myself? Help!!! Not a problem… Some of Canada’s top Program and Music Directors will be on hand for this session for a behind the scenes look at the ‘music meeting’. Find out the common elements that most radio hit songs share and how these Gatekeepers decide what gets played on their station, what doesn’t and most importantly…. WHY?

SONG REVIEW & CRITIQUE

At last, the captive audience you’ve always wanted! This session allows you to bring a demo CD and have your song evaluated by a panel of music industry pros, or just come and listen to what the experts have to say; learn about song structure, lyric writing and generally how to improve your songs. You’ll have a chance to put the panel on the spot during our Q & A!

The panel will listen to as many demos as time permits.