6 REASONS WHY MANY SONGWRITERS IN THE PHILIPPINES ARE POOR

Songwriters don’t get praised a lot. Oftentimes, the artist or the interpreter gets the credit. Let’s take a test. Can you name at least 10 Filipino songwriters? Gotcha!

I bet most Filipinos never even knew who Levi Celerio is, our National Artist for Music (1997), who wrote over 4,000 songs and recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the only man who could play music with a leaf!

But more painful than not getting enough credit is not getting off financially. Only songwriters who have direct access to record companies, TV shows and production, very popular boxer, err personality pala get rich. Does that mean they are the only GIFTED songwriters God has ever created?

NO! The fact is there is no scarcity of songwriting talent and genius in our country. Someone who used to work for a giant record company (that recently closed shop) even told me that if I were a songwriter in the US, I would have been a multi-millionaire right now, because of the popularity some of my songs gained.

So why is it that many songwriters in the Philippines are poor?

I can cite six reasons why and maybe you can relate to one or all of them:

1. RAMPANT PIRACY AND GROSS DISRESPECT FOR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

Piracy in the Philippines is very rampant and we can unanimously say it affects many businesses including the Music Industry. In fact piracy has gravely pulled down the Music Industry that several Record Companies which had their heydays in the 80s and 90s closed down. Some of the bigger companies merged just to survive. I don’t own the copyright for these good articles (they are written by different bloggers) but you can check them out if you want to know more details about music piracy in the Philippines:

-Music Piracy and the Philippine Government

-Piracy and its Impact on Philippine Music Industry

-Who Killed The OPM Radio Star

Some record companies have evolved with regard to their marketing and selling strategies. Instead of dwelling on losses from piracy of physical albums, they focused more on managing artists and organizing live shows/concerts. Good for them, they can still earn. 

But how about US, songwriters? Our main avenue for earning is slowly getting sucked up dry by piracy. It is not a lack of good songs or quality of production that created the monster that is Music Piracy. As Dave Aguila, a musician/entrepreneur said in our conversation, it is TECHNOLOGY that is making piracy so hard to stop.

It is so easy to download, burn, and share music nowadays. No one seems bothered because almost everyone is GUILTY. But the truth is THIS: for every song that we copy and share, the songwriter loses profit. Profit that could have motivated him/her to create and produce more beautiful songs. 

But don't lose hope! For every problem, a new opportunity arises. I will talk about it at the end of the blog so please read up till the end (hanggang sa P.S. section hehehe).

Issue of Intellectual Property Rights

Many songwriters don’t see their songs as PROPERTIES. They think of their songs as mere products or commodities. Let me tell you this, your song is borne out of your CREATIVITY. It is VALUABLE! Think of it as a house. You can rent it out for a lower price, but if someone wishes to OWN it, the buyer has to pay a BIG amount because you will be selling to the buyer ALL THE POTENTIAL EARNINGS FROM YOUR SONG. This leads to another reason why most songwriters are poor.

2. MANY SONGWRITERS ARE IGNORANT OF THEIR RIGHTS

When I started writing songs, I didn't think of earning money from it. My dream was just to hear my songs on the radio or on TV. I never realized that as creator of the song, I am entitled to certain rights. Rights that have to be respected and paid for should someone use my song. 

I was very fortunate to have met several people from the music industry who introduced me to these concepts. One of them is Rico Soliman of the group Father and Sons, who became famous in the 90s for their hit song Miss na Miss Kita. He in turn introduced me to Ms. Christine Bendebel, a Song Licensing Manager and herself a prolific composer (Kung Maibabalik Ko Lang and Urong Sulong, both by Regine Velasquez). 

They told me to be careful of any publishing contract that I will sign, specially the fine prints (sections of the contract that needs magnifying glass to read!). Be watchful of the word PERPETUAL or the phrase "in perpetuity". Because it means you are assigning your rights to the other party FOREVER— which in effect means you don’t own the song anymore (yikes!).

Many songwriters are not aware of these rights:

Mechanical Rights – the right to record your song in a particular format and medium (digital/physical CD). You should get paid for this, first through an “advance” payment that has to be recouped or made up and deducted from future earnings of the CD or digital file.

Synchronization Rights – composer should get paid if the song is used as background for TV shows, commercials or movies.

Performance Rights – whenever your song gets played either live or recorded in enclosed venues (particularly malls, bars, and concerts), you are entitled to be paid since it was used for commercial purposes and not for personal consumption. FILSCAP is an organization in the Philippines that acts as a collecting body for songwriters. You might consider joining it, just go to their site.

Print Rights – remember those songhits and song magazines wherein the chords and lyrics of a song are printed? A songwriter should be paid for it too!

I will deal with the above including the details in another blog.

3. MANY SONGWRITERS DO NOT GRADUATE FROM THE FIRST STAGE

I have written about the different stages of songwriting in another blog (click here). Some songwriters remain financially hard up or have not even earned anything from their talent because they do not go beyond the first stage of songwriting or the realization stage. This is supposedly your springboard to a more successful and profitable venture as a songwriter, when you realize that you can actually write songs. Most songs that you create while in this stage are all about yourself and your experiences.

The problem with remaining in this stage is you become stagnant in your own universe. Your talent will not grow if all you can write about is and for yourself. That’s it, you don’t care if nobody can relate to what you are saying. What matters is you are happy with what you’ve done.

But that’s a problem if you want to earn from your songwriting talent. You will have to be sensitive to what others can relate to. Because like any other business, the question you should ask yourself as songwriter is this: do I have a market for my song? In order to have a bigger business and earnings, your song should also have a BIGGER AUDIENCE. You should not only be a plain songwriter. You should be a SONG SELLER! (try saying it, "I am a Song Seller!").

4. MANY SONGWRITERS ARE NOT AGGRESSIVE

This is very much related to number 3. Since some songwriters live in their own universe, they don’t go out and meet people who can help them. They don’t look for mentors who can coach them to improve their songwriting skills. So what they do is write songs about themselves and wait for THE break or opportunity, hoping that it would be given to them on a silver platter.

Or if they submit demos and get turned down they easily get demoralized. If they join a songwriting contest and don’t win, they get discouraged. Trust me, these songwriters will not succeed.

Just like in any aspect of life, you should not lose hope. You should learn to hustle. As author-preacher Bo Sanchez said, if eleven doors are closed, you should look for the 12^th door that is open. There is opportunity out there if you open enough doors! 

Sadly, like Juan Tamad, many songwriters in the Philippines opt to just wait for the fruit to fall down their wide open mouths.

5. MANY SONGWRITERS WORK ALONE

I have also written about this topic in this blog. Most songwriters don’t earn money from their gift simply because they like doing things on their own. They write the melody and lyrics. They play the instrument, sing and record it. They then look for record companies or independent album producers to give their demos to. They do it ALONE.

This is okay if you are an ULTRA GIFTED songwriter/ musician/ singer/ arranger/ mixer/ publisher/ and hustler. But I have seen songwriters and heard demo songs fail simply because either the lyrics is bad, or the vocals doesn’t fit the song, or the song is good but there is no one to market it.

STOP WORKING ALONE!

Find superstar teammates whose strengths are your weaknesses. You’ll be amazed by the results.

6. MANY SONGWRITERS ARE FINANCIALLY IGNORANT

Okay this point is a bit encompassing because it includes even seasoned songwriters who already earned a lot from their songs but are still complaining that they don’t have enough or they are still not financially free.

Let’s say you earn a hundred thousand pesos from your song or jingle, or even a million. Now what? What are you going to do about it? In fact that is not the question many Filipinos ask themselves when they have money in their hands. It is this: WHAT AM I GOING TO BUY?

The truth is many Filipinos, songwriters or not, do not know anything about money. We are generally a FINANCIALLY IGNORANT people. I personally only learned about Financial Education just recently after reading books by Robert Kiyosaki, Robert Allen, Napoleon Hill, Larry Gamboa and Bo Sanchez.

I have earned money from songwriting for the past few years but I wasn’t growing my money and letting it work for me, simply because I don’t know how to! But now, I know more. And I am continuously expanding my content and context.

So there, I encourage YOU to read up on the authors I mentioned, while improving your songwriting skills. I also invite you to become a member of the TRULY RICH CLUB, founded by Bo Sanchez. I’m a member, and you can gain tons of great stuff about improving your core gift and how to handle money. Just click on this link.

May you be successful in your musical venture,

Robster Evangelista

P.S.

Get my Ebook THE SECRETS OF RADIO HIT SONGS AND 10 TIPS ON HOW YOU CAN USE THEM WHEN WRITING YOUR OWN SONGS for FREE!!! Just sign up on the upper left corner of this blog or below and you will receive an email with instructions on how you can download my FREE EBOOK.

YOU WANT TO BECOME A MORE SUCCESSFUL SONGWRITER? STOP WORKING ALONE!

Jesus Christ has the 12 Apostles. Superman has Justice League. Thor and Iron Man have the Avengers. Wolverine has X-Men.  Heck, even Barney has his friends! The list goes on. They were good individually, right? But with their TEAMMATES, they are MAGNIFICENT—more POWERFUL.

LeBron James was heavily criticized when he made The Decision in 2010 to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers to join Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. He was bashed and laughed at when the Heat lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Finals. They said he made the WRONG decision. But after the 2012 NBA Finals which everybody knows the Heat won over the Thunder, nobody is laughing at James anymore. Why? He made his point. He reached his GOAL. He left the Cavaliers because he wanted to become an NBA champion. LeBron knew he cannot do it alone—he has to surround himself with winners, even if it meant he has to take less money. AND HE REACHED HIS GOAL.

BUILD A TEAM OF SUPERSTARS

What does Lebron have to do with songwriting? Hey, I am no Lebron fan but we, songwriters, can learn a lot from what he did. Or even from Superman, Thor, Barney, and Jesus Christ. That is – for you to become more successful, you have to sacrifice something and BUILD A TEAM. Surround yourself with people who are BETTER than you.

WHY? Teams are more powerful, more efficient, and they achieve more than an individual does or can.

Let me tell you my story 10 years ago. I was a struggling composer. Nobody accepted my demos. I even came to a point when I didn’t want to touch or even look at my guitar anymore— I was so depressed! One person even told me, “Robster, no matter what you do, nobody will accept your song!”.

Well, all that changed when I met a very talented person named Benjie Pating. I heard him in the lobby of a recording studio playing with his keyboard and making it sound like a heavy metal guitar. I was so impressed that I told myself, “I have to know this guy!”. So we had a little chitchat and found out that he arranges songs. Just give him a raw demo of your song and he will magically turn it into a high-quality minus one. Some of the artists he has worked with are Luke Mijares, Toni Gonzaga, Mocha, Gretchen Espina, Sexbomb Girls, and a lot more. From that point onwards, Benjie became my sidekick, my trusted arranger.

So there, I realized that my songs were good but when I recorded them they sound bad because I was not a very good instrumentalist! THE REASON I GET NO BREAKS IS I WORK ALONE! I write the lyrics, melody, and record my songs on my own using my not-so-good-sounding guitar. But when I worked with an awesome arranger like Benjie, things changed: producers noticed my songs.

FIND A PERSON WHOSE STRENGTH IS YOUR WEAKNESS AND WORK WITH THAT PERSON!

If you are a good composer of melody but sucks at writing lyrics, then find a good lyricist, and vice-versa! Search for one in your area or in social networking sites. COLLABORATE with them. Never mind if you won’t get 100% credit for the song that you made. BE HUMBLE. Share your glory (and earnings). Sacrifice a little so that you will achieve more.

Your song will not be complete if it’s just melody and lyrics: it has to have accompaniment right? So if you are not good at instrumentation (like me) then you probably need a good arranger like Benjie Pating. Do they charge you for arrangement? YES of course you need to pay them, you made use of their time, effort, and talent!

But think of the benefits that you will get if you get your song arranged by a professional— your song would SOUND PROFESSIONAL too! All the more reason producers will notice you. Arrangers charge different rates depending on the usage (for demos, actual minus one, etc.) and this I will cover in a separate blog. The point is, you should also invest in your creation so that it will be easier to SELL.

GET A GOOD INTERPRETER TO SING YOUR SONG

As songwriters, we all wish to sing our own songs, right? I've been there before! But hey, you have to realize this point: your song may be good but it would sound bad IF YOU ARE NOT A GOOD SINGER! So go get one, have your song sung by a REAL SINGER and record your demo.

We should be humble enough to accept that nobody has a monopoly of talents. If you wish to become more successful as a songwriter, delegate your weakness and utilize the strengths of your teammates.

Aside from saving you headache (and heartaches from ignored demos), building a team will give you these benefits:

1. You save time and money ( you don't need to study how to play certain instruments or how to operate recording equipment and take singing lessons!).

2. You get to share income/profit/recognition (Hey LeBron was so much happier when he won the NBA Championship than when he won the MVP Award, did you notice?).

3. You get to focus on your TRUE STRENGTH, and that is SONGWRITING.

Lastly, let me tell you the story of my former manager at work, Raymund Ryan Santes. I look up to him A LOT. He was the one who inspired me to never stop writing songs because he said I only need ONE song to make it big. Anyway, one day at work, I caught him humming an unfamiliar melody (he doesn’t know how to play any instrument) and then suddenly called for the recording room operator so that he could record the melody with rough lyrics he just made.

Then, Raymund Ryan sent his recorded voice to an ARRANGER who made the demo and had it sung by a real singer. That same rough melody and lyrics became a hit in 2005: GET ME, recorded by MYMP (you may listen to it here). It was in the same manner and procedure that he created other hit songs such as Paalam Na, A Little Bit (also by MYMP), In My Life (Ariel Rivera), among others. Again, Raymund Ryan doesn’t know how to play any instrument. So he found people to work with, those whose strengths are his weaknesses– recording, instrumentation, singing, arranging, mixing, publishing, and promoting. AND HE MADE HITS.

You want to become a more successful songwriter? Get superstar teammates!

May you be successful in your musical venture,

Robster Evangelista

P.S.

Get my Ebook THE SECRETS OF RADIO HIT SONGS AND 10 TIPS ON HOW YOU CAN USE THEM WHEN WRITING YOUR OWN SONGS for FREE!!! Just sign up on the upper left corner of this blog or below and you will receive an email with instructions on how you can download my FREE EBOOK.

HOW TO WRITE SONGS THAT SELL

“You cannot give what you do not have” – from someone with an awesome brain. Honestly, I did my best searching on the net for the person who FIRST said that line, but failed. Anyway, that statement is very powerful because it applies to a lot of things, songwriting included. You want to write songs that sell? Then you have to HAVE songs that sell! HOW???

Mr. Louie Ocampo, a very successful and respected musician in the Philippines, and composer of great OPM hits such as Martin Nievera’s Say That You Love Me and You Are My Song, Gino Padilla’s Closer You and I, Joey Albert’s Tell Me and a whole lot more, said that our brain works like a hard drive of a computer. You store tons of data in it and then when it’s time to download, our brain would spew the same items that we stored in it. So applying that to songwriting, his advice is to LISTEN TO AS MANY HIT SONGS AS YOU CAN! Store your brains with beautiful melodies that were loved by millions so much so that they translated into millions of pesos (or dollars even).

DO NOT DISCRIMINATE. Listen to different genres. Rock, hip-hop, RnB, ballad, novelty, etc. Just store them up in your hard drive, your brain. Subconsciously, you will be familiarized with sounds that hook audiences. It could be the intro, the chorus, the first line of the verse, or it could even be the story of the song—it doesn’t matter. Radio is a good source of these hit songs.

I’m gonna let you in on a secret. You know why album producers come to me to write songs for their artists even if I am not a Vehnee Saturno or a Ryan Cayabyab? Because I have a knack for writing hooks. But how was I able to write these hooks? Because I always listen to the radio, EVERYDAY! In fact, IT’S MY JOB TO LISTEN TO THE RADIO (haha). There, you know my secret. That is my ADDED VALUE as a songwriter. That is my UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION to album producers. That’s how I differentiate myself to other songwriters: I can write songs that are RADIO FRIENDLY.

Enough of myself, the point I’m driving at is if you listen to hit songs everyday, you will find it easy to write songs that have the potential to be popular and therefore, sellable. Again, do not discriminate. Some songwriters tend to be hard-nosed “artists”, those who say, “I won’t listen to that, it’s so BADUY”. Or, “I don’t listen to this kind of song because it’s not who I am”. If you are like these people, chances are, you won’t grow. Brendon Burchard, a best selling-author said: you will manifest whatever you expose yourself to. Whatever comes in comes out. So if you immerse yourself with songs that have the LSS factor, the higher the probability that you will write songs that have LSS factor.

Next step is to write your own hit song. Wow, that’s a tough call! Some people ask me, “Robster, when you write songs, where do you start, melody or lyrics?”. My answer, it depends! Sometimes, I start with a title or a concept (e.g. the song I wrote for Wondergays, “Blind Item”, you can listen to it here) and develop the entire song from it. Sometimes I start with a memorable line, e.g. “Kung pwede lang sumigaw ang puso kong ito… (you can listen to it here). Or a story (like my song for Parokya ni Edgar, AMATS, you can listen to it here). There are times when I would just hum and hum to a set of chords, like this very famous chord pattern: D-A-G-A, and then after a few minutes or hours, voila! I have a song!

So how do you start? It depends on your style, mood, or requirement. But I guarantee you, if you have stored enough hit songs in your brain, the right words and melody will just flow out. Don’t worry if eventually you’ll realize that your song sounds like this or that song. It’s a reality you have to accept: WHATEVER COMES IN COMES OUT. You get a part of this song and this song and string it together and make it your own. As Mr. Louie Ocampo maintained, everything we make is BORROWED.

But hey, I’m not saying that you PLAGIARIZE. That‘s an entirely different animal. Plagiarism is intentionally copying another’s work. What you do as a hit songwriter is to be INFLUENCED by other hit songwriters so that you can make your own hit.

There’s a practical way of being influenced by a songwriter. Pick a hit song that you really like and then try to put yourself in the shoes of the composer of that song. If you were the one to say what the song is saying, HOW WILL YOU SAY IT (lyrics) and HOW WILL YOU SING IT (melody)?

Say you choose the hit song by Jose Mari Chan, Beautiful Girl. If you were the one to say the following lines, how do you say them? How do you talk to a beautiful girl?

Beautiful girl, wherever you are

I knew when I saw you

You had opened the door

I knew that I’d love again

After a long, long while

I’d love again

That’s just one way of doing it: get someone else’s topic and express it in your own way/words.

After writing your “hit” song, TEST it. ALL songwriters have the tendency to FALL INLOVE with HIS/HER OWN SONG. That’s understandable, it’s your creation, your baby! But for you to know if your song really has LSS factor (therefore, sellable),  you will need the ears of other people. Get their opinion. As much as possible, get an objective listener. DO NOT GET REACTION FROM YOUR MOTHER, FATHER, GIRLFRIEND, BOYFRIEND, OR WORST SOMEONE WHO OWES YOU MONEY!

I remember writing a song and singing it in front of my mother. She said it’s very good and I believed her! And then I presented the song to Mr. Nonoy Tan, the first person who introduced me to the business side of music. He is the father of Champ Lui Pio (former vocalist of the band Hale), and is likewise a successful producer and composer of hit songs such as My Love Will See You Through and You Made Me Live Again. Anyway, when he heard my song, he told me, “Ayoko ng kantang yan, iho” (I don’t like that song, son). I said “But sir, it’s a beautiful song!”. Sir Nonoy reiterated, “Hindi yan maa-appreciate ng masa, iho, hindi yan bebenta. Kung ipipilit mo ang gusto mo, mas mabuti pa, ilagay mo na lang sa baul ang kanta mo!”. (Your song will not be appreciated by the general public, so it won’t sell. But if you will be hard-headed, it’s better for you to just put your songs in a wooden chest).

Ouch! That hurt a lot! But hey, Mr. Nonoy Tan is a nice guy and he knows what he is saying. So I swallowed my pride, lick my wounds, and went back to the drawing board to write a new song. I have learned a valuable lesson that day: don’t listen to your mother’s feedback. Just kidding! GET AN OBJECTIVE FEEDBACK. Don’t fall inlove too much with your song. Have the humility to accept criticism.

Now, I have one way of testing if my song really has the LSS factor: I let KIDS hear my songs. To be more specific, I let my 2-year old son listen to my songs. If my son dances to my song or hums along with it (even if the lyrics is gibberish) I know that my song has LSS factor. THIS WORKS! Why? Kids do not lie. They are not yet influenced by any social discrimination about which is acceptable or beautiful. Kids do not brand songs (baduy, jologs, corny, cheesy, etc.). They have simple standards. They will dance or sing along with a song that sounds good and easy to remember. Oftentimes, these are the songs that you HEAR ON THE RADIO. These are the songs THAT SELL.

So there, start writing your hit song!

May you be successful in your musical venture,

Robster Evangelista

P.S.

Get my Ebook THE SECRETS OF RADIO HIT SONGS AND 10 TIPS ON HOW YOU CAN USE THEM WHEN WRITING YOUR OWN SONGS for FREE!!! Just sign up on the upper left corner of this blog or below and you will receive an email with instructions on how you can download my FREE EBOOK.

YOU WANT TO KNOW THE KIND OF SONGS THAT SELL? READ ON!

The highest stage of songwriting is the Commercial Level. I wrote about this and the other stages here. But let me reiterate about the Commercial level some more because this is where the money comes in. In this stage, the composer is at his highest creative self that he can mix his emotions and creative genius to concoct words and melodies that sell. “Whoa”, you might say, ang bigat men!

But what really are the types of songs that sell? Dyaraaann: songs that ARE EASY TO REMEMBER. This kind of song is so easy to recall that you only need to listen to it once and then you’ll catch yourself singing along with it, humming parts of it, or singing it repeatedly that you sometimes embarrass yourself when your crush or your boss catches you singing it. Sounds familiar?

There you have it. Songs that sell are songs that have “recall power”. These are the songs that become POPULAR. Some call it the LSS or Last Song Syndrome factor. Some producers refer to it as HOOK. For jingles it is known as the LOGO or the signature melodic line which contains the brand, product or company name. For complete songs, the recall power is oftentimes in the CHORUS. Nevertheless, some songs have LSS in their intro or stanza.

WHY DO THESE SONGS SELL? First, songs with LSS factor attract album producers, those who pay the composers, because they know these songs would be easy to sell to consumers, in turn (in CD’s or in Digital format). Ask yourself this question: will you buy songs that only the singer can sing or understand? NO! You buy albums because you like the songs, since you can sing along with them, or you can easily remember them either through relevance, emotional attachment, or plain appreciation.

Second, since songs that have LSS factor become popular, companies would be attracted to use them in their promotional campaigns through licensing or buyout (subjects that I’ll cover in my future blogs). They would PAY MONEY, in thousands (or millions, sometimes) just to ASSOCIATE THEIR NAME/BRAND/PRODUCTS with ANYTHING, in fact, that is RECOGNIZABLE, LEAVES AN IMPRESSION or voila: EASY TO REMEMBER. Ever wonder why these companies get popular celebrities as endorsers?

SAME BANANA: by attaching their brands to popular songs, companies believe that they will be on people’s top of mind whenever they buy products or use services. They believe that this ATTACHMENT will create a CALL TO ACTION for the consumers to buy what they offer instead of those of the competition.

NOW, HOW DO YOU WRITE SONGS THAT SELL? This will be the topic of my next blog, so watch out for it! 

In the meantime, check out these songs that became popular that not only were they sold in CD's but they were also used as jingles/commercial background music (NOTE: they are not mine, they are properties of the companies, composers, and publishers concerned):

"Penge Naman Ako Nyan" by Itchyworms, used by RC Cola

"Inuman Na" by Parokya Ni Edgar, used by Mang Tomas Sauce

"Ikaw" by Sarah Geronimo, used by AMA

"Betamax" by Sandwich, used by Cafe Puro

I'm sure you know other songs that were turned into jingles or theme songs, but anyway, I think you get my point.

  

May you be successful in your musical venture,

Robster Evangelista

P.S.

Get my Ebook THE SECRETS OF RADIO HIT SONGS AND 10 TIPS ON HOW YOU CAN USE THEM WHEN WRITING YOUR OWN SONGS for FREE!!! Just sign up on the upper left corner of this blog or below and you will receive an email with instructions on how you can download my FREE EBOOK.

THE 4 STAGES OF SONGWRITING

Most songwriters don’t realize that they go through different stages. It is only when I saw the TV interview with Rey Valera, an icon of Original Pilipino Music (OPM) of the late 70s and the 80s, a few years back, that I was made aware of the various phases a composer undergoes. I consider Rey Valera as one of my most favorite songwriters because his songs are heartfelt yet very simple, melody-wise and lyrics-wise. Have you noticed that his songs are still being revived or used as theme songs for Pinoy Telenovelas?

Rey Valera’s interview was very informative that I decided to share the insights I got from it and inject some of my own.

Before having the guts to write my own song, I learned to play the guitar first, at the age of 16. I learned on my own, from those music magazines that feature free guitar chords. With the help of friends, I was able to hone my skills and develop my own technique. But hey, I wasn’t contented to playing the music of others. There was this itch to “create” my own. Do you have this same feeling?

I told myself that if chord patterns in the music magazines were just man-made, and since I’m also human, what should stop me from making my own song? It was just as simple as understanding the patterns and the flow of melodies, right?

And so I wrote my first song, something about the Philippines (I was feeling patriotic back then) and I wrote it just for the sake of making it. And boy, the feeling was like having your own child (well, somewhere close to it): AMAZING!

So there you go with the first stage: REALIZATION. You feel the urge to make your original song, and actually doing it just for your PERSONAL FULFILLMENT. Oftentimes, the song one makes during this stage is about himself or his experience. It doesn’t matter if no one hears your song. The point is you made one, and you’re happy with it. ALL SONGWRITERS GO THROUGH THIS STAGE.

Unfortunately, some songwriters don’t graduate from the first stage. It could be that they are too busy (or too lazy?) to develop their talent, or maybe too shy to let others hear their works, or wala lang, they are just contented to write about and for themselves.

BUT, the moment a composer musters the courage to perform their song or just let other people hear it, he enters the second stage: COMING-OUT.

In this juncture, the songwriter craves for attention from an audience. He needs approval that his songs are actually good. He is open to criticism and is willing to learn. Songwriters at this phase normally makes songs for others, that is, the experience or subject matter is still drawn from his own experience but presented in a way that may affect other people too.

He becomes sensitive about the reaction of the listeners and purposely writes his songs to draw emotional response from them. Here is an example of a song I wrote during this stage, it’s called SHOULD HAVE BEEN, arranged by Benjie Pating Jr., and performed by yours truly. (To listen, click here).

The third level is when the composer learns and applies the technicalities of songwriting to his craft. He studies the different genre, structure, and format, etc. (stuff that I’ll be talking about sometime in another blog).

This is the AWARENESS phase, wherein the composer improves on his technical knowledge and sometimes tests the quality of his songs by joining songwriting contests. Or having the guts to record his songs and submit them to record company.

He is aware that he is actually a gifted songwriter and begins to experiment on the topics of his works and may even write about other people’s experience. A very good example is when a composer takes on a different persona.

Here’s a song I wrote for a 17-year old female singer (Lyn Reyes) entitled HOW WILL I KNOW (arranged by Benjie Pating, Jr.). The song is obviously not about me or my experience, but about the female persona. (To listen, click here).

The fourth and the highest stage of songwriting, according to Rey Valera, is the COMMERCIAL level. At this point, the composer is somewhat “detached” from his personal experience. He can write about anything.

 In fact, he can be commissioned to compose a song about a certain topic for a certain singer or artist. THIS IS WHERE THE MONEY COMES IN!

Like a product, it’s up to him if he wants the song to be bought or used for a certain period of time (licensing). This will be another subject in my next blogs.

Anyway, this is the stage whereby the composer is introduced or immersed to the business of music. The songwriter at this level is also capable of writing JINGLES, simple melodies with lyrics promoting a brand, product, individual or company.

Many young songwriters aspire to reach this stage. But to get this far, the composer needs more than sheer talent. He needs THE break. He should PERSEVERE to get the break. Remember what I said about BUILDING YOUR NETWORK? If you haven’t read it yet, please see my blog on the subject matter, click here.

I am very fortunate to have met the right people that gave me the opportunity to write commercial songs and get compensation in return. Here are just some of them, my commercial jingles:

AMATS, recorded by Parokya Ni Edgar:

BLIND ITEM, recorded by Wonder Gays:

MR. PAPABOL, recorded by Vhong Navarro:

My latest, KUNG PWEDE LANG, recorded by Eurika:

So which stage are you in now?

May you be successful in your musical venture,

Robster Evangelista

P.S.

Get my Ebook THE SECRETS OF RADIO HIT SONGS AND 10 TIPS ON HOW YOU CAN USE THEM WHEN WRITING YOUR OWN SONGS for FREE!!! Just sign up on the upper left corner of this blog or below and you will receive an email with instructions on how you can download my FREE EBOOK.

YOU CAN EARN MONEY FROM YOUR SONGWRITING TALENT! HOW? READ ON!

Let’s face it. There are only a few who would become a Vehnee Saturno, Ryan Cayabyab, or a Gary Granada, Rico Blanco, or even a Lito Camo—composers who will be paid hundreds of thousands of pesos (or even millions) for their songs.

But does that mean that you, an aspiring, average, songwriter cannot earn money from your God-given talent? NO. Because nobody has monopoly of talent and more important, dyaraaannnn: CLIENTS.

Just like any product, your song has its audience or market. All you need to do is to find them. And in finding your audience/client, you will need a lot of patience and persistence.

Someone told me (my brother, actually) that in whatever he does, whether it be basketball, playing the guitar, singing, or even playing—all of which he does very well—he always meets someone better than him. That’s why he is so frustrated to pursue any of his talents as career. But I told him this: SO WHAT?

Let me tell you a little about myself. I’m not Lito Camo. But I have clients calling me up to make jingles for them. I’m not Vehnee Saturno or Ryan Cayabyab, but I get inquiries and requests from producers and artists to write songs for their albums. Why? Three things: 1. I have developed over the years the skills needed to write songs that are easy to recall. 2. I have developed a network of people who know about my songwriting abilities, and 3. I always put additional VALUE to my work. Allow me to elaborate them one by one.

I started writing songs at the age of 16, upon learning how to play the guitar. Almost everyday, I would write melodic lines and lyrics that by the age of 21, I have written over 200 songs. Never mind if none of them aired over the radio or became hits. Never mind if I’m the only one who appreciated all of them. I DID NOT CARE.

I just wrote and wrote songs. One day, I just found myself singing my songs in front of people at my university and getting flattering response from the audience.

Now, I’m 33 and I haven’t stopped writing songs. 17 years. Now I’m reaping the benefits of building my songwriting skills and my confidence over the years. Back then I was wondering why we pay doctors thousands of pesos for a few minutes of consultation just to tell you that you have a fever so you need to take up paracetamol. Now I know. They have developed their knowledge and skills to determine your sickness. They continue harnessing their expertise by continuously attending seminars and conferences and practicing their profession, such that every minute of their day is VALUABLE, hence we pay them hundreds or thousands of pesos.

DEVELOP YOUR SONGWRITING SKILL SOME MORE. Write as many songs as you can. Listen to hit songs and popular jingles. No matter what genre, and it doesn’t matter if the artist is male or female. Just listen and immerse yourself to the melodies and lyrics that became famous and you’ll find yourself becoming familiar to melodies and lyrics THAT PEOPLE LOVE. Then write your own. Record them. Compile them.

Next, BUILD YOUR NETWORK. Meet new people related to your passion. Let other people know about your MUSICAL GENIUS, your gift from above. Spread the word that you can weave wonderful melodies and catchy lines out of thin air. There are two things that will happen if you do this. One, you will get feedback about your work (positive or negative). Two, one of them (your audience) can be someone who knows someone who is a relative of someone who needs a song for his/her album or a jingle for their company or product.

Make song and jingle demos and then submit them to producers or marketing department of several companies even without initial payment. Give them your contact number.

Be humble if you get turned down. Remember this: it’s not no, it’s just NOT NOW. Believe me, you’ll be remembered. And when time comes that they need a song or a jingle, they might consider your services. JUST CONTINUE BUILDING YOUR NETWORK.

While building your network, FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN GET DEALS FOR YOU. He or she will come, just continue being passionate about what you do: songwriting. Initially, you will need to learn to negotiate for yourself. This will be uncomfortable because it’s always a shame to us Filipinos to put a price on our works.

Never mind, JUST DO IT. Research on current rates. Sooner or later you’ll find someone, an agent or a manager, who can negotiate on your behalf.

So there, feel free to post your comments below and watch out for more information about songwriting in the Philippines. You may ask me questions, and who knows, the answers could be YOUR OWN KEY TO MAKING MONEY OUT OF YOUR TALENT. Also, don’t forget to put your name and email on the upper left part of this blog to get more updates on monetizing on your songwriting talent.

May you be successful in your musical venture!

P.S. 
Get my Ebook THE SECRETS OF RADIO HIT SONGS AND 10 TIPS ON HOW YOU CAN USE THEM WHEN WRITING YOUR OWN SONGS for FREE!!! Just sign up on the upper left corner of this blog or below and you will receive an email with instructions on how you can download my FREE EBOOK.