So, you say you are a singer... and you song some pretty good songs... but you live in Boondocks, Montana.. nowhere near a major music city like Nashville, New York or LA. You don't even know a music publisher. Are you doomed to obscurity or is there a way you can actually "get somewhere" as a singer?

The answer to these questions largely depends on how willing you are to stretch and to grow in this craft and business of music. With hard work it is certainly possible to develop and to succeed without the help of a music publisher. In fact, you can become your own publisher.....to find out how, read on.

What exactly does a music publisher do? Perhaps the simplest definition is that a music publisher seeks to maximize the circulation, the impact and the financial profitability of songs and to coach and mentor promising writers.

In other words, a music publisher brings two basic ingredients to the table which should aid the individual songwriter to further his/her career potential. The first "hat" the music publisher wears is that of song promoter. Since the publisher's entire business is music, the publishing company will have a wealth of contacts and experience that should expand the possibilities for song through media such as print, recording, video, radio and television airplay and even foreign subpublishing. A knowledgeable and energetic music publisher who "believes in a song" can be of invaluable help in getting it to the world.

The other "hat" the music publisher wears is that of coach and mentor. Songwriters who write exclusively for a certain music publishing company (staff songwriters) have a great advantage in that they have personal access to the expertise of the publisher for feedback on the songs they are creating. The publisher may also arrange for a writer to collaborate with other writers who are stronger in certain aspects of the craft, thereby offering a "cross-training" advantage in the development of the writer's talent. Good publishers -- like good coaches -- can pull the maximum from those they mentor.

So.....back to Boondocks, Montana....you still don't have a publisher....what do you do? In a nutshell you have to wear both hats of the publisher yourself. The first hat -- that of promoting your material -- is a long and slow process that will require lots trial and error and learning from others. The second hat, however -- the hat of the coach/mentor -- can begin today. You can actually become your own coach and learn how to pull out of yourself your maximum singing potential. What are some down-to-earth steps that you can implement immediately?

Exercise for Excellence

As mentioned above, publishers often set songwriters up to collaborate with other more experienced writers to help them learn and develop their gifts. You can do virtually the same thing for yourself -- here's how.

Compile a list of 8-10 classic "hit songs" such as those written by Cole Porter, Rogers and Hammerstein, the Beatles etc. Then start "collaborating" with these great writers by using the following method.

First throw out the lyrics of one of these songs, and write your own to the existing great music. Then reverse the process -- keep the lyrics and write your own music. Force yourself not to take any liberties with either the music or lyric counterpart, but rather adhere to the guidelines and techniques your "collaborator" used.

Of course, you are aware that you cannot legally replace either the words or music of any song that has been copyrighted. But once you have written a new set of words or music to the "template" that exists in the song, you may fill in the other part, and you will have your own complete new song. You will also have learned volumes.

Learn to Listen to the Radio

Every singer has at his fingertips a literal University of Songwriting in the simple electronic device known as the radio. Songs of every style float through the airways and are accessible to every singer who wants to learn -- even to those on the backside of nowhere. Grammy Award winning songwriter, Diane Warren, says that her greatest teacher in the craft of singing was -- and is -- the radio.

But there is a catch! You can't just "veg out" and listen for sheer enjoyment. Train yourself to listen critically. What kind of song is this? Does it have a chorus? How do the music and lyric writers "set up" the chorus to make it pay off? What musical sequences, modulations and techniques are used?

After you have heard a hit on the radio, try picking it out on your instrument. Find the chords. Try writing a new melody to that song's basic chord progression.

Push yourself a little! Don't just listen to songs in genres you naturally enjoy. I recommend that every button on your car radio be set to a different style of music-- Country, R&B, Pop, Alternative, Rock, Jazz, Classical, Christian Contemporary etc. As you "station surf" in your car, listen and learn from the greats in every genre. Some songs will be in genres you don't naturally care for, but if they have sold tens of thousands of copies, there is probably something you can learn from them!

Conclusion

So, there you are.....still in Boondocks, but you are now starting to "get somewhere" even if you don't have a publisher. There is no way that you can follow the above suggestions and NOT improve as a songwriter. And the more you improve, the more difficult it will be to "hide your light under a bushel." Eventually.... somehow.....some way.....excellence finds a way of rising to the surface.

The ball is really in your court. How hungry are you to be a great singer?