From Generic to Iconic: Standing Out in Your Genre of Music
November 10, 2024
How do you stand out when there are so many other songwriters writing music in your genre?
Here is how to sound authentic and not like everyone else.
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Hey! Give us a shout about anything really.
contact Sync Songwriter
Our goal is for you to start getting your music into TV & film.
Go ye forth and multiply musically and authentically! Amen to that Chris. Safe travels.
Hey thanks, Eldred!
Hi Chris, You hit the nail on the head of what I’m trying to do, particularly when I try to cross over to different genres. As you know, my main genre is Hawaiian/Beach/Island sound. The song I submitted for your review next month is more of a Country type song but the instrumentation is ukulele and acoustic guitar. My vocals aren’t great so I’m having a woman who is a professional vocalist and has done a lot of country give it a shot. The song is Looking For A Dream. We’ll see what happens. Thanks for all the suggestions! Dave
Looking forward to it, Dave!
Chris.. you never reply to me lol. No worries. Ride safe!
If you are commenting in my blogs I answer every single comment, except maybe the odd new one that sneaks into very old blogs. Let me know if you got this one.
Is there a course I can purchase on Popular Song Writing????
There are a lot out there with a quick search. Just make sure you vet them.
Hi Chris, these are lovely and inspiring (and artistically true) comments. It looks like you are having a terrific trip on your motorcycle–we are in Memphis, and the fall leaves look about the same as what you are experiencing. This is exactly what Alex Nollan is doing with his jazz compositions–he is speaking with his own voice, one of straight-ahead jazz with Latin accents and classical influence. The real challenge with sync licensing is to impress upon the music supervisors that when they have a brief requesting instrumental jazz, they should think right away of Alex Nollan.
Yes, that is a good goal. Ultimately it comes down to how the piece of music fits into the production. If you have the relationships, it just takes time if you have all your ducks in a row.
Thank you Chris, for your constancy in this message… it’s alluring to hear what’s ‘out there’ and want to emulate. However, they’re already doing ‘them’ so it completely makes sense to stay in my lane and create whatever the muse is so generously offering… even if comes from left field and sounds ‘out there.’
Well said Chris,
Thanks for sharing part of your journey with us😎
You got it, Paul!
Nice!
Of course, this makes sense, but is very generic. Some examples or at least a few deeper or more specific insights would be helpful. Maybe in the next blog (Part 3)?
Haha, you are a tough audience, Ban. I will try. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your perspective I appreciate the good advice . I’m not very up on technology and I don’t have a website
But if you would
like to give a listen to one of my songs
On utube – go to Harry Freiling
I have 4 songs there now ” Originals”
The Dream is my first one
Then Country Hideaway
3. Rockville
4. I’m Good
Be careful out there and enjoy your trip
I unfortunately don’t have time to listen to all the music that gets sent to me, but we open up The Art Of The Song Pitch every January so hopefully I will see you there.
Thanks Chris, a timely reminder.
Great to hear, Bob.
Right on the nose again, this is how I believe in myself. Thanks for reinforcing the notion of the path .
Thanks Jim, glad I could help.
Looks like a wonderful trip for you. And I appreciate your comments about authenticity. Even in the same family, each child lives a different experience. We are the lucky ones who can share our own experiences.
I love your analogy. Maybe better than mine. 🙂
Safe travels Chris. Thanks for sharing your journey with us- on the road and with the music. Love this…food for thought. Like the part about following our own path.
Cool!
Chris , thanks for the message.,
I do believe you are absolutely right , in making it your own journey, even working with sundown sessions , the room to leave your mark is there,, brilliant !
I was at the ” Collective Soul ” concert last night in Calgary . They put on an impressive show. A performance with surprises along the way throughout , played songs the way they wanted not what fans were expecting , I like that. I experienced the concert differently last night , lots of ideas
Heading home as well,,,be safe!
Great to hear, Lenard.
More than almost anything, I love seeing you talking about music in the area of the country where I grew up. In SWtern VA just over the hill from where you are now, and up the road some miles from where your cabin is in E TN. Even though I don’t live there anymore, that is the landscape and the roots of my music, and, as you are saying, my best songs are the ones that well remember that landscape and those roots. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for sharing that, Thornton. It is truly beautiful countryside.
Nice ride Chris especially for Veteran’s Day here in US. For those who cross genres it comes to mind that the song writer can only take things so far in terms of authenticity. Ultimately there is a role for the artist to make it all happen in a given genre and that may not be the same person as the song writer, nor should it be. Those are my thoughts on this rainy northern California day. 🙂
Interesting thoughts!
ago
Very assuring, I definitely don’t follow trends but I do follow “rules” to try to keep my songs unique and engaging.
As long as those rules never restrict you, you are good to go.
So neat to see you traveling through my state. I grew up pretty closed to where you are on this video. I grew up in Keyser WV twenty miles from Cumberland Maryland. I am now in Idaho Falls because my need and that of my wife’s need to come west and take care of her parents. I miss my mountain state and the greenery very much. I have been a composer for more than 30 years and just can’t seem to break into the business aspect of it. I would love to talk with you and let you hear my work.
Thanks so much
Dan Taylor
I open up The Art Of The Song Pitch in early January, Dan. Hopefully I’ll see you there and we get a chance to work together.
I love hearing from you, Chris! I have been consumed by my own path for a long time. Now I need to apply the spirit of my path to the expected formats of sync. It has been hard to wrap my mind around film. One of the supes made it quite clear I was missing how my music would fit into film. It means I have to alter some of the ways I have done things in the past. Although I have earned a few awards for my music, I need to learn to write for sync in the sense of simpler, not metaphorical, lyrics. I keep learning. Someday I’ll get my first sync!
Yes, that could be, but don’t just take the advice of one supervisor. It may be that your style doesn’t fit what they do but could fit someone else’s. Try to get your music vetted to find out the truth if that’s not it.
I love nature. It inspires me to write. That journey your on Chris looks amazing, even that place you stopped at for the video with the stream looks awesome and the mountains in the background wow. These are all inspiring things and i really think after or even during your road trip you should borrow a guitar from somewhere, thats why phones are handy just hum the melody or just a piece of paper and write and see what happens. I guess thats the art of songwriting right there.
Great idea. Maybe I can strap one to my bike. 🙂
Hey Chris, lovely words of wisdom, thank you.
You make me yearn for the days I used to ride…
Hopefully we’ll be back in touch in January.
Cheers!
Sounds good!
Nice work, Chris. West Virginia has stunning beauty, did you see any turtle rescues? Rock on.
No I did not, but I have rescued a couple in the middle of the road here in Tennessee.
Chris, I think you’re absolutely right, the only trick is that it’s not easy to do! Takes a lot of work to create a unique, authentic voice. Lots of writing, rewriting, listening, studying, learning from mistakes, years of effort, finding the right collaborators, time, money, tenacity, a thick skin, on and on haha!
I guess my point was to just be yourself just like a trip on a well worn path is your own. Yes, it takes some work, but should come from who you are, not only the work if that makes sense.