| Do you secretly harbor ambitions to write Kenny | | | | If you really want to break into the country |
| Chesney's next hit song? Do you want friends to | | | | music scene, the Luboffs stress that you have |
| download country songs that you have penned? | | | | schmooze with the major players in Nashville. |
| You may have thought it impossible, but there | | | | "You need to promote yourself and your material; |
| are ways to go about pitching your country music | | | | otherwise, who will? There are books about how |
| to the next big country star if you are | | | | to schmooze. Get over your reticence! How bad |
| determined and persistent. | | | | do you want to be a professional writer?" they |
| "The best way to pitch is any way you can," say | | | | say. |
| Pete and Pat Luboff, workshop leaders with the | | | | Because most people get free country music off |
| National Academy of Songwriters in Los Angeles. | | | | the Internet, the Luboffs say that promoting |
| "The closer you can get to the artist, the better | | | | yourself online is a great way to attract the |
| the chances of being heard by someone who | | | | record industry and fans to your country songs. |
| makes the decisions. Publishers are often easier to | | | | "You can hear what the artists are doing, find |
| get through to, but other good routes are | | | | connections and information on artists, see what |
| managers, A&R people at the labels, attorneys, | | | | kinds of messages they'd like to deliver and how |
| producers, publishers of songs previously cut by | | | | appropriate your song would be for them. A |
| the artist, band members, other writers who | | | | country song mp3 is a great promotion tool for |
| have had cuts with the artist. We also know of | | | | new artists." Playing the songwriters clubs via |
| an Oscar-winning writer who worked his way into | | | | open mic in Nashville is another great way to |
| a very lucrative song by getting to know the | | | | network with top country song artists and |
| producer's barber, lawyer, dentist, etc. and actually | | | | collaborators. |
| becoming a client of those people! " | | | | Of course, the most important way to sell your |
| If you are really ready to lay it all on the line and | | | | country music is to keep writing, even past the |
| head to Nashville with a demo in hand, the | | | | rejections. Even the great country songwriters all |
| Luboffs recommends getting a hold of tip sheets | | | | initially met with some degree of resistance when |
| which tell you which producers/artists are looking | | | | shopping their country songs in Nashville. Just keep |
| for material and drop your CDs off personally." | | | | in mind that if you persist, your friends will one |
| Meet with people at the performance rights | | | | day be able to download free country songs |
| organizations and get advice and referrals. | | | | written by you! |
| Perform at songwriter nights. We had a | | | | Listen to Country Songs at EZ-tracks for free. |
| songwriter take one of our songs directly to an | | | | Where does your favorite top country songs |
| artist that he had a hit with because he liked it | | | | rank? Visit EZ-tracks to check out top country |
| when he heard us sing it at the Bluebird. That isn't | | | | music charts. |
| the only time that's happened to us." | | | | |