Took It For Granted

I’ve been waking up multiple times during the night. (and its not because I drank too much water before bed)

I’ve been waking up with lines and couplets. Ideas and rhymes. A few nights ago I woke up and thought, that’s a great idea. I’ll remember that. I didn’t even need to get up and write it down, it was that good. Good thing, because I was at a hotel and I didn’t have my notepad next to me..

I forgot the idea by the time I woke up again.

Try as I might, I’m still lamenting the loss of that idea. Moleskin is back in place. Recorder is at the ready. Its been awhile since the thoughts bubbled. Now they boil at times.

I’m thankful they’re back and I will try to be prepared. Hit me, Lord. Hit me!

Detroit to St. Charles to Nashville to Detroit

I’m sitting in the passenger seat on our drive back from Nashville. I’ve got so much to write down, so this will be a long entry.

The last week and a half have been great. I left early on Thursday morning and drove to St. Charles, MO for the Write About Jesus conference. Like going back to a small country church. (only with great music) Ran in to many old friends and some new ones from last year. Had some great classes, a cowrite attempt, and a great one on one with Dave Clark.

This summer has been pretty dry for my writing. When my nephew was murdered in the the spring, my writing took a pretty dark turn. When I got out to Vegas for the memorial service, they had just captured a suspect that is almost certain to be the murderer. The grief and the anger that surrounds the next 3 days put me in a strange place. I had a lot of things show up on the page, but nothing seemed to make sense.

Out of this, however, I wrote a song called “That’s Why They Call It Amazing”. I decided to submit it for the Conference competition. I was fortunate to place as the runner-up for the weekend.

On Sunday I drove in to Nashville and checked into the Hit Song Casa near the airport (Great deal, by the way, Songwriters) only to realize my cowrite that evening was in Clarksville (which I went through 40 miles earlier.. ughh) Drove out, though, and met David Walker, and over take out Chinese, we wrote for the evening. Good to see David again.

Monday morning I met up with Gene Reynolds. We’d talked online, but had never met. Turns out he’s a church planter and a Moody Graduate. We met for coffee and drove to his place and started a song. Had lunch and I drove in for a meeting at ASCAP. That evening, I had gotten tickets for he Amy Grant / Take 6 taping for the Armed Services Christmas show at the Grand Ol’ Opry. Great show featuring the Army Reserve Orchestra, the Air Force Strings. It will air on the Armed Forces Network, starting on Christmas Eve.


After the taping I drove over to the Mercy Lounge on Cannery Row just in time to see Tyler James kick off a multi-date tour through the south. He’s previewing his new CD online here if you’d like to give it a listen. Great stuff. It was good to talk with Tyler about the CD and catch up.



Tuesday morning I drove out and met Chuck Butler at his studio in Franklin. I had an idea for a song and Chuck and I spent the morning nailing down the melody and form. Chuck suggested I accompany him to a vocal recording session that afternoon, but I had had a lunch meeting scheduled with a writer who was a mutual friend of some of my co-writers. Within a few minutes, though, I received a call to let me know that the writer had called in sick with the flu. So we Chuck and I grabbed lunch and headed over to the Brentwood Benson studios to meet Michael Fordinal and cut a vocal for a song that he and Chuck had written. Good tune guys... and yes, Chuck has a mohawk.

Tuesday night, on the way to meet Dennis Dearing at his studio in Franklin, I ran through a inordinately short yellow light and got pulled over by on of Franklin’s finest. The most repentant spirt and largest puppy-dog eyes proved fruitless and I will be helping to reduce the Franklin City budget deficit in the near future.

Anyhow, I made it to Dennis Dearing’s place to see what all the hubbub was about. What a great guy, and a nice studio. Really good stuff, from a guy who’s spirit is one of the most giving I have experienced. I hope we get a chance to work together soon. You can check out his studio here.

Wednesday morning, I met again with Gene Reynolds and we resumed our work on a great song.. discovering a great aha moment that neither of us saw coming. Skip Adams from Global Graffiti, who introduced us, listened the worktape and it looks like this one will get signed.

Wednesday night I drove up North of Nashville to Craig Winquist’s home. Adam Olson, who used to work with Giant Slayers Publishing had introduced us a few year ago, but we’d never gotten together. Kari, his wife took time from caring for her newborn son and 3 year old son, Caden and cooked us up a great homemade Chicken noodle Soup (yum) and a Walnut-Topped Apple Crisp. Kudos to the Winquist family for giving me my first home-cooked meal in Nashville. I’m going to write with Craig again!) After dinner, we went out to Craig’s writing room and we started a deep one. I love Craig’s spirit and his heart for God and great country music. I need to get back soon and finish that one. By the way, he showed me his cherry 1964 Galaxie that he trailered down from South Dakota. Sweet.

Thursday morning never got booked so I got up and planned to write on my own. The writer who had cancelled on Tuesday, however, called and asked if I wanted to get lunch. I drove into meet him where he’s currently working on Music Row and picked him up. We went to have lunch and in our conversation I said something that sparked an idea between us. We went back to his publisher’s writing room and wrote a great song. When we were done, he called upstairs and said, “ I think we wrote one that doesn’t suck”. His publisher came down and we played it for him. He had us make a change and then called and had his plugger come down and listen. He asked us to do a guitar demo and he’s going to start playing it around town! At some later I’ll tell you who the writer is and where he’s writing. That is a whole story in itself.

Thursday night I drove out to Whit and Al Hill’s place and had my second home-cooked meal of the trip. Whit and I started a song based on an idea I stole from something Gene said to a friend when he was on the phone. (Thanks Gene.. ha ha!)

When we were done (around 10) and I drove in to the airport and picked up Cyndi. It was so good to see her again.

On Friday morning we slept in and drove into downtown Nashville for lunch. Jack’s Barbeque is a tradition for us (AWESOME and cheap!) We checked into our hotel (thanks TOUR CONNECTION) and then drove out to the salon where Cyndi had a hair appointment. She looked great. Now I have an excuse for us to come once a month!


The 2nd Round of songwriters in the round at the Commodore. Left is Patty and Rick Stewart, Joel Shoemake, and Craig Winquist (It’s Halloween, in case you’re wondering.)

Friday night I drove out to see Craig Winquist play a round at the Commodore on West End. Craig’s a great performer. Craig also let me in on the history of the publisher who owns the office where I’d written on Thursday. He looked at me and said, “You’ve Had a Good Week!” I concurred. It’d been a great week. One of providence. I could feel God at work.

Saturday morning, Cyndi and I spent the morning at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Wow! I wasn’t expecting to be so moved. I’d put if off for a couple of trips, but it was pretty overwhelming. Gary Harrison (Strawberry Wine, and I Hate Everything, and hundreds more) did a small concert and Q&A) Afterwards, we drove out to Lebanon to meet Skip Adams an his wife Teri a their horse ranch. They had literally moved in on Wednesday afternoon. I played some stuff for Skip and we talked business for awhile.

Finally we drove down to Cornersville to see some old friends. They have a hundred acres on a ‘holler’ on a running stream. I got lost in the country as my cel phone reception sketched in and out of service. Finally, I was able to find the place (without Cyndi killing me for being so stubborn about directions) and spent the rest of the night around a campfire with our friends from Huntsville. We drove back to Nashville and slept in before leaving around 10 for Detroit.

So here I am. I’m looking forward to getting back in the grind, and seeing what God will do with the fruits of the trip. They are His. I saw Him work so many times during the visit. He is good. He is so good! I am excited to see what He has in store.

WANTED. Up-tempo Radio-Ready Drivel.

I was reading a posting over at Ninety Mile Wind on the current state of the country music market that prompted the following response:

The current parade of country drivel on terrestrial radio is perceived to be what the customer wants, and in some respects, it IS what the customer wants, or at least what they are willing to settle-for to get where they want to be. They play it, and people listen. (or at least advertisers think so)

Artists and writers can't stand most of it, of course, but the market exists, and it comes with formulaic risk that is easily exploited by the accountants and execs.

Pop culture will always exist, and it will rarely be pretty, and will almost always be laughable and/or forgotten in hindsight, but as long as people will put up with them, 30 second hits are not going away.

There will always be someone willing to whip up what the customer will consume.

I'm reminded of a quote from Henry Ford. When asked about giving the customers what they want, he replied, "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said 'Faster Horses'.

People and labels may think they want more drivel (uptempo horses), but what people really want is a way to extract themselves from reality and for that, the current drivel and vacuum-packed productions deliver! Even we, as artists, have to admit we’re distracted from reality as we contemplate how such a mindless song ever made it to the airwaves.

Unless presented with a different destination and a compelling vehicle to get them there, the consumer will continue to shovel all the hay and manure the label’s hit-farms have to offer.

Songwriters. You were made for a higher purpose.

©2009 Tim Wheeler

Look out NAB members. There is something called the Public Trust.

A reader sent me the link, below. MusicFIRST is asking for some accountability for alleged inappropriate actions by some broadcasters.

Earlier this year, the NAB spent a lot of resources trying to create a public swell against the performance act by renaming the royalties (that were to be paid to artists) as TAXES. I recall seeing articles saying that the public was overwhelmingly against a peformance Tax on broadcasters. Heck, when I heard about it, I was against it too. No new taxes, right. Then I heard they were black-balling U2 for supporting the bill. That is, some stations were purposely not playing their new single as a sorta gotcha for promoting the Performance act.

Thats when I stopped drinking the cool-aide that was being spoon fed to me by the radio stations. A little more research, and I was pretty angry. Not just because of their opposition to the Performance Act, but that they had deliberately retitled it in such a way as to deceptively create a public swell against it. I was even more miffed that they had initially duped me, too.

Give this link a look-see and then come back and comment. What do you think? Do broadcasters have a responsibility to recuse themselves from promoting their own interests at the expense of artists? Do they have the right to distort the issues in order to bolster their bottom-line?

MusicFIRST asks FCC to Rule on Broadcasters using Airtime to Lobby Listeners

Another interesting link on the hearings:

Senators Hear Plea For Radio Performance Royalties

More on the Performance Rights Act

A friend of mine sent me a link to another perspective on Artists vs. Broadcaster debate over the Performance Rights Act.

Cathy Hughes Attacks John Conyers for His Support of Performance Rights Act



Another valuable perspective. Check out who else she’s attacking.

It occurs to me that it is an outright battle just to find the other side of this story. The general public only hears about the PERFORMANCE “TAX” fight, which in itself is a blatant misrepresentation. (The Government will not be involved in the payment system for the peformer’s royalties... no tax collected) The reason is that the media outlets that can spread the news are biased on the issue.

The only reason I even questioned the first news I heard on this was because of a funny feeling in my gut. I had to do some serious digging to get another perspective.

Always Follow the money.

Performance Rights Act moves to the Senate. Clear Channel Tries To Squelch The Facts.

Quoted from Radio News:

MusicFIRST Releases Ad Clear Channel Doesn't Want You To Hear


The musicFIRST coalition today released the ad Clear Channel and other radio groups and stations across the country do not want you to hear. The 30-second script features Motown legend Duke Fakir of the Four Tops. After reviewing the script for more than six weeks, Clear Channel told musicFIRST NO! 



"Clear Channel's decision is further evidence of how corporate radio groups and stations are violating their public interest obligations," said Jennifer Bendall, executive director of the musicFIRST Coalition. "They are not the first to say NO. It just took them a little longer to reject our ad."



In June, musicFIRST asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to investigate corporate radio for violating its public interest obligations. Radio stations across the country refuse to air musicFIRST ads, threaten artists who support the effort to create a fair performance right on radio and continue to run misleading ads produced by the National Association of Broadcasters - all in an effort to further their own private commercial interests. 

"At the time of the filing we did not have an answer from Clear Channel. Now we do," Bendall said.


This week, Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. Rick Boucher, chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet, weighed in, asked the commission to investigate allegations of broadcaster misconduct.

"AM and FM music radio stations are using their broadcast license to protect a loophole in copyright law that lets them earn billions in ad revenue every year with compensating the artists and musicians who bring music to life and listeners' ears to the radio dial," Bendall said. "

All other radio platforms in the U.S. - including satellite, internet and cable radio - pay a fair performance royalty as do radio stations in almost every other country in the world. Radio gets a free ride in Iran, North Korea, China, Rwanda and the U.S. But this is going to change."

The Performance Rights Act has been approved by a lopsided 21-9 bipartisan vote by the House Judiciary Committee.

The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing on the bill for Tuesday, August 4th. The bill creates a performance right on radio that is fair to artists and musicians, fair to other radio platforms and fair to radio.



Here is the script for the ad Clear Channel and corporate radio don't want you to hear:



DUKE FAKIR: Broadcasters earn billions every year playing The Four Tops and other artists.



ANNOUNCER: Duke Fakir helped define the Motown sound with The Four Tops.



DUKE FAKIR: But artists don't make a penny when our music is played on radio.



ANNOUNCER: Duke's right, thanks to a legal loophole AM and FM radio gets a free ride while satellite and internet radio pay artists and musicians to play their music. A bill before Congress, the Performance Rights Act, will correct this injustice



DUKE FAKIR: All we ask is fair pay for airplay.



ANNOUNCER: Tell Congress to support the Performance Rights Act. Paid for by the Music First Coalition.

Are We Just Too Paranoid?

Are we just too paranoid about our kids. This is an enlightening piece... brave enough to look facts in the face.