Author: Jody Whitesides

  • Singing A Breakdown

    Singing A Breakdown

    singing-a-breakdown-jody-whitesidesOne of the things an artist will discuss during the recording is how they will go about singing a breakdown. Which is exactly where I’m about to take you in the following video. George Leger III (co-producer), Jesse Stern (co-writer) and I take a moment to figure out the correct way for me to be singing the breakdown in Till We Meet Again. Jesse takes charge to give a mental picture of an example that should give the right vibe.

    What would you do?

    Watch and enjoy!

    Singing A Breakdown

    YouTube player

    Transcript:

    Carry on.

    This is the breakdown where you go out onto the key, that like goes out into the middle of the crowd. And you like, hold the mic stand.

    And the band.

    You hold the mic stand in your left hand and you get down on your knees.

    Exactly.

    And you’re just like…

    Well then I should the carry on… Right?

    Don’t. Do, do, what you would do in that situation.

    I’m thinking, carry. Well I, I think it. A softer version of what the original was.

    Don’t tell us. Just do it.

    Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

    Fuck it.

  • How To Call Attention To Your Music

    How To Call Attention To Your Music

    logoThe age old dilemma for musicians going it alone without a record label often wonder how they can call attention to their music. Musicians working on surviving in today’s music business are attempting to figure out where things are going. The biggest issue is often what happens after they get the music written, recorded, and are ready to release.

    If there is someone who had a more direct line on what did and didn’t work for musicians forging a path without a record label, I don’t know who it would be. The best source for such information is Derek Sivers. He created CD Baby. He helped to usher in the paradigm of the music industry with allow non-signed artists a platform for selling CDs away from their shows.

    Derek ushered in another change when he gave CD Baby artists an avenue to get their music onto iTunes (albeit, he had a little coaxing from me as well). Which is still one of the better platforms to use for most non-signed artists to get their music onto iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, etc.

    Derek wrote a book called “How To Call Attention To Your Music” and put it up on his website sivers.org as a free publication for any interested musicians. I recently decided to take a look at it and realized this book is in PDF format. Great format for a wide range of portability. However, many of us are now using more modern devices like iPhones, iPads, Kindles, Kindle readers, eReaders, etc. Thus I took a few minutes out of my day today to convert the book into EPUB format. That way, everyone who is interested in Derek’s sage advice can now read it in iBooks, Kindle, Nook, etc. Like it was a real book that can be paged through on an electronic device.

    Grab “How To Call Attention To Your Music” EPUB format.

    As per Derek’s page for getting the book, I’m making it available for others to have as well. I would really appreciate it if you would sign up on my email list (http://hearjody.com) if you grab this copy of the book in EPUB format. Mostly because it’s a cool thing to do for someone that took the conversion step out of making it easy to read on your favorite eBook reader.

    Now go forth and rise above!

    p.s. – welcome to May!

  • All The Things Lyric Video

    All The Things Lyric Video

    Falling In From Practical InsanityOne of my first successful co-writes was All The Things with Greg Watton. It happens to be the subject of today’s post. Mostly because I thought it prudent to make a lyric video for it in an acoustic environment. The bonus is that you get to see and hear what I’m singing and how I played the acoustic guitar part in the song. It was written just before I had gone to a songwriter’s conference and it was one of several songs that A&R people from the major labels were interested. That’s always a shot in the arm to boost one’s confidence in what they’re doing. Greg and I have written a few other songs – but none have made to the airwaves yet.

    All The Things Lyric Video

    http://wp.me/P20RW6-35g

    Lyrics & song by Jody Whitesides, Greg Watton

    Ever since I was a kid Everyone picked on me
    Growing up was the hardest thing For a boy with no self esteem
    So I found a little place In the backyard of my mind
    Disappeared without a trace Didn’t want them to find me

    For every year that passed me by
    There was less of me to recognize
    I wish I made more room to grow
    Instead I hid I didn’t know

    All The Things that people say
    All The Things that people do
    Will bring you down When you let it get to you
    All The Things that you don’t know
    All The Things that make you fall
    Doesn’t really matter When you rise above it all

    Now that I’ve become a man You were there to walk me through
    Facing each memory Of those who harmed me
    Now that I’m trusting you I’ve started exploring everything
    Emotions that may drown me Like a river pouring out-

    (Chorus)

    Finished with the words that hurt
    Finished with feeling like dirt
    No use living in regret
    Instead its best to forget

    (Chorus)

    Enjoy yourself!