FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hit Songwriter Reveals Secrets of Songwriting on New DVD
NASHVILLE, TENN (Oct. 20, 2009) Millions of people have picked up a guitar with aspirations of writing a hit song. Though few ultimately achieve their goal, help is on the way. Odie Blackmon—a Grammy-nominated songwriter who has written country chart toppers for such stars as George Strait, Lee Ann Womack and Gary Allan—recently released “The Craft of Writing Hit Songs,” a DVD and booklet that together break down the creative process surrounding songwriting into a step-by-step method for turning a mediocre song into a bona fide contender.
“Songwriting isn’t just something that happens,” Blackmon says. “Creativity is a big part of it, but you have to know how to use that and hone your talent if you want to be consistent in your songwriting. It takes a lot of work to write a hit. And, the hardest thing to do is write timeless songs that are also commercial.” In Nashville’s sea of co-writers and three way co-writes on Music Row, Blackmon is one of the few that can actually write songs that are commercial hits by himself and teach how that is done.
Blackmon, who once fronted bands in Arkansas, California and later Nashville when he first arrived, found his true calling with songwriting. He wrote Strait’s 50th No. 1, “She’ll Leave You with a Smile,” Allan’s smash “Nothing On but the Radio” and the poignant “I May Hate Myself in the Morning” of which Womack notes, “You can look for a lifetime and never find a song like that. I was so fortunate that Odie brought me this song; it has meant as much to me and my career as any that I have ever recorded.”
Although several songwriting books on the shelves right now give musicians pointers on how to craft a hit song, Blackmon developed his approach by conducting workshops across the nation. He discovered that the best way to teach aspiring songwriters is to give them a visual, audio and literary component to help polish their craft. “Songwriters have a need for some kind of interactive tool where people can actually see me sharing my craft,” Blackmon explains.
Both Allan and American Songwriter magazine, which gave the DVD four stars, believe Blackmon can turn even the most average song into a hit single using a unique twist not found in most music lesson books. “Odie makes songwriting an exciting and almost therapeutic experience each time you sit down to write,” says Allan, who has collaborated with Blackmon on many albums. “Anyone from a beginner to a seasoned professional in the songwriting realm can learn from him.”
According to American Songwriter magazine, “Blackmon is not only a great song craftsman and hit writer, but he’s also an accurate, understandable communicator of the songwriting process and its flow. Songwriters who are aspiring to be professionals in some capacity are in need of a visual, interactive tool like this DVD, and it hits the mark on many levels.”Blackmon will be touring the country giving workshops to aspiring songwriters and promoting his DVD. Aspiring songwriters in Music City can find the DVD at Gruhn’s Guitar, known as the premiere vintage guitar shop. For more information about Blackmon, the DVD or the workshops, visit his new website at www.thecraftofwritinghitsongs.com.
