Interview with Songwriting University co-Founder Michael Blanton
July 28, 2020 | Courtesy of Naluda Magazine
Check out our interview with Songwriting University co-Founder Michael Blanton.
Songwriting University enables songwriters at every level to collaborate, learn from, and write a song with a professional songwriter via live video from anywhere on the planet. The company’s growing faculty of Grammy-winning songwriters have over 3,000 major song cuts and over 100 #1 songs in country, pop, Christian, and foreign music combined. Their writers have written with or for Dolly Parton, Amy Grant, Kenny Loggins, Smokey Robinson, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Rogers, The Oak Ridge Boys, Billy Currington, Garth Brooks and George Strait, just to name a few.
“Our goal is to be able to offer educational and instructive resources to aspiring songwriters all over the world,” says Michael Blanton, A&R executive and one of the founders of Songwriting University. “We are excited to add these incredible writers. I know they will add a great deal of knowledge and skill through their co-writing sessions.”
Learn more about Songwriting University here!
Describe yourself in 3 words?
Faithful, Hopeful, Vision-casting
Who is your biggest supporter?
Without question, my wife Paula.
Best advice ever given?
“Things are never as good as they seem, and things are never as bad as they seem” Don’t believe your own press.
When did you start in the business?
Many years ago, in a land far, far away..no, I started in the 70’s as an A&R Director.
What book should every entrepreneur read?
Let me change this question a tad, and there are too many books to name one. But I would suggest watching a great inspirational movie, such as “SEABISCUIT”, and there are many others, but find ways to be inspired to do good, and the business will come to you.
What is the key to your success?
I’m a big believer in building good relationship, and out of those relationships will come good business.
Tell us about “Songwriting University?”
A digital portal that allows anyone, anywhere to write music with a successful Nashville songwriter. No matter if your in Topeka, KS or London, Eng. You can go on-line, and buy a two hour writing block with a successful writer from Nashville. For all those music-lovers and songwriters who are desiring to stretch their creative gifts, but don’t have the time to move to Nashville or any other music destination.
Where did the idea for Songwriting University come from?
Actually this was started by two Nashville songwriters, who were seeing a developing need not only for creative hearts around the world, but for many of the Nashville songwriters. I was just fortunate to be asked to join them in the development of this idea, and I loved it from the beginning.
A few years back there were as many as 4500+ writers in Nashville who had publishing deals, and the business then was about selling CD’s or downloads. Today, due to streaming, there probably is no more than 450 songwriters with pub deals, and yet we have a wealth of writers still here co-writing and actively looking to write place songs. At SU, we are able to not only support a developing writer from around the world, but also support our “iconic signature” of Nashville songwriters, and continue to work to promote those new copyrights and creative works.
How does it work? What is the process at Songwriting University?
If you’re a lover of music, and used to play in a band in high-school or college, and then you had to grow-up and get a real job, this may be a new resource for you. You simply go on our website, and after reviewing our list of songwriters, all with successful resume’s, you can book a session to have a Skype or Zoom meeting with a songwriter. You may have a new song idea, or simply a favorite phrase or melody, and at SU, you will find a creative collaborator who should help you move your idea to completion.
Do you have any competition in the market? If so, what makes you different from them?
Not immediately aware of anyone else doing this very thing, but what makes us so legit is our songwriting faculty.
You just added Suzie McNeil of Steven Tyler’s Band to your roster, tell us about it.
Suzie is one of our newest additions, and believe it or not, she has a rich experience of working in the Nashville songwriting community.
She was introduced to us as a potential candidate for our faculty, and we loved her story enough to want her to join us.
How do you manage the time to do all this?
In the world of making music and artists, this is just a fun new way to extend the Nashville “iconic signature” of our greatest gift of songwriters.
What is fun and rewarding about what you do? And what’s not?
Nashville is not the only music center, but because of our very rich “iconic signature” of having the best songwriters either live or pass-thru Nashville, it’s one of our bright shining lights. I so love all of the great writers who have been in Nashville, and who have touched Nashville with their words and melody and this is indeed one way to honor them for all the years, but at the same time help develop other creative hearts around the world.
And which project is still on your bucket list?
Too many projects still on the list, but in reality to wake-up each day with gratitude, and go make our world a better place to live.
