TRIO'S DEFINITION OF A COACH

A coach, also called a tutor or trainer, helps an individual or a team of people attain goals by evaluating where you are in your development, what you're doing right and what you're doing wrong. He or she implements programs and specific exercises which facilitate correction. A coach helps you achieve mastery by showing you how to coach yourself, will teach you things you didn't even know you don't know, and inspires you. By knowing your limits and pushing you to the edge and a bit beyond, the end result is growth and excellence. We call it 'Personal Excellence.'

TRAIN CORRECTLY - GET THE RESULTS YOU WANT

Listening to songwriters' submissions, I find many eager songwriters wishing, hoping, and dreaming for commercial success. However, the majority are unclear about what makes a song commercial. Many would-be songwriters don't know how to go about getting their songs into the right hands or how to do a proper demo. Many hours and often hundreds of dollars are spent on demos that can't be used because the song is not quite ready (or too far away from being a real song). Let's face it-a good demo can make an OK song sound great, but a great demo will never turn a good song into a great song. It doesn't happen. That makes for major disappointment when you've poured heart and soul (and a big chunk of your bank account) into your work, only to hear a publisher like myself tell you:

1. I can't use it,
2. it's a great idea but too wordy,
3. overall it's a pretty good song, but the second verse is weak and it needs a bridge,
4. it's a cool song, but I can't really make out the lyric because the band is doing their thing and it covers up the song,
5. the song is way too long,
6. any of about a hundred reasons why not, or
7. no reply at all.

Just because a publisher likes your song enough to offer you a publishing contract doesn't guarantee either yourself or the publisher monetary profit from the song. Okay, you have a song or two published-what does that mean? Do you know? A good publisher works very hard and DOES NOT get paid unless songs they publish get on records that make money-that usually means getting cut by an artist with a major record label.

Another stumbling block for unknown songwriters is the fact that there are at least a few thousand established songwriters (you know, the guys getting all the cuts). In addition there are several hundred thousand aspiring writers, so you have to write something quite exceptional, something that pushes through the masses of wannabes, to get noticed. Your first cut is the hardest one to get. Producers like to be able to go back to writers they like for material again and again. Wouldn't you like to become one of those writers…the kind where they call you? Now that's a reality to aspire to!

It's frustrating to meet aspiring songwriters who have worked for a long time, written hundreds of songs over the years, but have failed to develop their craftsmanship. Perhaps one of the problems is that most people believe it's easy to write a song. I understand that to a point, but writing songs your mother or your girlfriend/boyfriend thinks are great are not exactly the kind of songs we're talking about.

Writing commercial songs isn't easy, in fact I think it's almost as hard as becoming a neuro-surgeon - much studying and training involved. You need a chance to work on a few cadavers, dissecting and probing your dead songs to see what went wrong: do a few autopsies. Unlike the medical profession, it is possible to resurrect a long forgotten, deceased work and breathe new life into it. It usually takes some extreme surgery and some grafting of new material, but it can happen. Most people either don't believe it takes this kind of training and dedication, or they don't want to invest in themselves to that degree. They simply keep on doing what they always do and get what they always get: no cuts, no paycheck, no fame or glory and for sure no Grammy!

Serious songwriters are willing to look at new ways of doing things if their way isn't working. They take the time and effort to study, prepare, and invest in themselves by taking classes, going to workshops, and buying books (and reading them). What if you could train the same way an athlete trains? What if you worked with someone who could see your weaknesses and help you correct them? What if you had someone to encourage you, be truly honest with you, inspire you, and at the same time push you to greatness? If this were available, would you be willing to do what it takes?

Trio Productions has developed a coaching program for serious songwriters. This program is intended for writers who want to take their craft to the next level of excellence, the goal being commercial success. We realize not every songwriter is disciplined enough, but for the few who are, the benefits are limitless. Are you one of the few who would qualify for our program?

This is what we look for in a coaching client:
Self-discipline
Understanding of basic song structures
Basic understanding of music
Good linguistic skills
Willingness to be vulnerable
Self-esteem

If you have the qualifications and have the desire to excel, this program may be right for you. Email us and tell us about yourself, what part of the country (world) you're in, the kind of music you really like to write, the kind of music you listen to, and anything else you want us to know. Any good songwriter is three minutes away from a hit record (give or take a few years). We look forward to hearing from you.