My Journey Into Music… So Far (Part One)

By Scott Coner

Country Artist

(Following is the first of a series of blog articles offering my experiences as a singer-songwriter and performing artist in country, Americana and Southern Rock.)

            The music business isn’t a refined science. There are many ways to get somewhere in this business, and to be honest, they have all eluded me. My approach has been consistency. Simply forging ahead even when there didn’t seem to be any hope has been my policy. It is funny how things begin to take shape if you can remain standing though. You begin to notice that behind each curtain there was a purpose of some type. What may have appeared to be a waste of time and money might have turned out to be a stepping-stone.

            I have spent my private life involved in some type of construction for the most part. I have worked for contractors, but mostly I have run my own show. I found out pretty early that I had a knack for estimating and managing work. I seemed to excel at putting a job together along with a scope and timeline that would not only meet the clients needs and expectations, but it would also make a reasonable profit for everyone involved. The most important part of this type of work though is to have open conversation with a team that communicates well with others, as well as with me. As in most things in this world, it is always important to surround yourself with honest and competent people.

            I have approached the music pretty much the same way I have approached construction. I knew, and I think most of us know, that the whole process starts with a song. Now, I am a singer-songwriter with a specific skill set, so I felt that putting together a great team early on was probably the most important first ingredient. This team needed to work around any of my weaknesses. Then we could analyze and finalize where we needed to go from there. I wanted a group of players, along with an engineer who understood where I was coming from musically. I didn’t want a group of session players showing up for three hours at a studio, knocking out three songs, and calling things done. I began working with an engineer that was from a different musical background than me, but who understood where I wanted to go and how I wanted the songs to sound. For instance, I wanted very big sounding drums, so I would need to record in a room with tall ceilings with an outstanding drummer. (I have always used Kenny Aarnoff as my example as far as a drummer goes.)

            I didn’t want too much of the “sugary” type background singers in my mix, so I do a lot of my own backing vocals and I also work with Marcia Ramirez as often as possible. (In my opinion, she is one of the finest vocalists I have ever known.)  Marcia understands the importance of dialect and the layering of vocals. She is willing to “over-sing” her parts throughout a song, bringing all sorts of ideas I hadn’t taken into consideration for the final mix. We do the same thing with different guitar hooks, textures, pedals, bass lines, and whatever else. Then, we put together a “rough” mix to live with for a few weeks. After listening to the “ruff”, we meet to begin the final mix.

Scott Coner with acclaimed singer Marcia Ramirez (Photo by Cynnamae Media Productions)

            Early on, I had a friend back in Indiana helping lay some of my songs down using a Pro Tools application. This approach worked, but it also had its limitations simply because it had a tendency to close certain doors for future performance and production ideas. I have also used a BR-1600 to record on, but this was almost as limiting. What I do now is play the song on video using a loop for guitar if I have lead arrangements and send the file to my engineer/producer. I will usually discuss Ideas right there on the video either before or immediately after the song, and then we proceed from there.

            Okay, so that is a simplified version of how I work on my songs. You probably have a better and more advanced approach, but I have to keep things kind of simple. I’m a pretty simple guy. So, let’s assume you already have a large bag of hit songs written and recorded. What would be your next step? Well, to me, the next step was pretty obvious. I needed to launch a social media campaign. I needed to reach out into the world and let people know about what it is that I do, and why and how I do it. I didn’t understand how all of that works, and I still don’t, so I hired a publicist. A publicist is a pretty big part of the puzzle from here on out, so I suggest that you try your best to locate someone that you like and trust. After all, you are about to give that person access to your entire library of music, photos and thoughts.  You might want to look at their current and more recent clients. Check out their “brand”. Did the publicist do a solid job representing that artist or band? Do the colors, the fonts, the press, and photos work well with who and what is being represented? Could you see any type of growth or other transformation? Can you afford this service at this time? Do you have enough material put together that would allow for this to take place now? Or do you need to get back into the trenches and maybe get some video work and photos done, then see where you stand? I think the most important step is to be willing to take your time. Don’t rush things.

            I already had photos and some video work started, so I felt that the time was right for me to get started developing some media attention. I had already written one book and was in the process of completing another. I had 30 or 40 songs in the can, and I had already experienced some success overseas on their charts and had some radio play in the U.S. We got started with some pretty dismal numbers at first, but we worked together and discussed how we planned to attack each quarter of the year, and built up some pretty nice numbers. I found out that I truly enjoyed writing blog articles and Facebook and Twitter entries. I also began to develop a very personal involvement with the folks that were following my music. I could see their families, their likes and dislikes right there on my computer. It began to look like maybe we could get some wind under our wings. We needed to take another step.

            Managers seem to be effective only if you have more than you can find time to manage on your own. Through recent years, I have tried a few, and although they were nice people, I can’t tell you that they got anything of value done. Especially when you consider the cost factor. So, my next step had to be a deliberate one that was willing to take risks and put my cards on the table. I hired a music attorney. This person is knowledgeable in all facets of the industry, and they can be very effective in getting certain doors open when the time is right. An attorney will probably only take you on if he or she like and believes in the music. They need to see you have spent ample time on development of your brand. And finally, they need to feel like they can take the fruits of your labor and develop some type of deal.

            Remember, everything we are going over here has to be in your own time. You may need to take baby steps. You might even need to get a second job in order to save up the money to get this done because it is an expensive start-up. But if it is in your heart, you really don’t have much of a choice. You just have to figure out how to get things done within your own budget and timetable. I have always said there are people that play golf; others are season ticket holders for sports teams; and some drive fancy cars. I am like none of those people. I am a songwriter. These songs are important to me. Sound is important to me. It is where my passion is.

            I am aware that this is an incredibly thin overview of what I have done and how I have done it. But, if it is in your heart, you will find a way. Enjoy the journey. Enjoy the people you meet along the way, and allow yourself to grow from all of the new experiences that the world of music has to offer. I can only tell you from my own experience that it has been a fun and exciting trip so far. In this world, most everyone is a little bit different. They see things more colorfully and challenge me in ways that I had never before considered. I have stood shoulder to shoulder with some pretty amazing and talented people, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I am certain your trip will be pretty special in its own way.

            Scott Coner is a country singer-songwriter who has worked in the studio with legendary artists such as Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown and Charlie Daniels. You can learn more about him and hear his music at www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, www.YouTube.com/user/ScottConer, and www.ScottConer.com. Follow Scott at www.Twitter.com/ScottConer.

(Stay tuned for part two of "My Journey Into Music... So Far".)

It's All About That Tone

By Scott Coner

Country Artist

When I first began playing guitar, my appreciation for music began changing around the same time. I wasn’t really exposed to FM music until I was around 15 years old, so as I have said countless times, I listened to country music that my parents listened to, and I had an AM radio in my bedroom that played whatever Top 40 pop hits were on the charts.

            It was around this time that I washed the family car and my dad’s work truck on the weekends for extra spending money. One weekend was a little different though. My older sister must have needed her Maverick washed, so I worked on it as well. I remember exactly where it was parked in the backyard as I fiddled around with an 8-track tape called “Toys In the Attic” by a band called Aerosmith. I was scrubbing the tires when “Walk This Way” came on. I had never heard anything like it before. The drums at the front of the song were cool, but when Joe Perry cut loose on the guitar hook, I saw guitar possibilities in high definition.

            These days, most of us have heard that song a million times on the radio. We know about the drugs and drama that followed that band around for several decades. And we know about, at least to some degree, how many outstanding songs they have released. But for me, as far as that band goes, everything comes back to Joe Perry. His guitar work is outstanding, and the “tone” of his guitar is dark and deep.

            There have been several of these bands around that just had a “sound” or a “tone” that is so recognizable that the listener only needs a second to establish just who is on the radio. My mind goes to the bands Boston, AC/DC, ZZ Top, Dire Straits, or Pink Floyd. These bands came to us with strong music, but they had a sound that was theirs and only theirs. 

Scott Coner performs (Photo by Cynnamae Media Productions)

            In today’s music, I sometimes think this variable may be missing. I don’t think this lack of a trademark sound is missing only in the current rock genre. I believe it is missing in a big way in country music as well. Maybe the business of music has changed in a way that is based on money. There are union players in Nashville that are so good, so amazing, that they could easily play and record up to an album a day every day of the week. This is without a doubt remarkable, and I don’t mean to take anything away from such a talent. It saves time and money to be this precise at anything. But, if this is happening at a large scale around Nashville, don’t you think in the end, most of the music begins to get “sterilized” in some way? Have you not noticed that nearly all of the tones, the vocal mixes, the drums, as well as the guitars, tend to sound alike in certain ways these days?

There is an outstanding documentary on Netflix right now called “The Wrecking Crew”. The show documents the process of an outstanding group of West Coast session players and how they shaped a large portion of 1960s and 1970s pop music. I will freely admit that some of those, if not most of those tracks, were perfect. But I am not sure that this is happening today, and I am also certain that part of the contributing factor is technology itself. Pro-Tools, computers and keyboards can replace pieces and parts on a track that end up sounding cold and slick and maybe a little bit too “un-human”.

            I started thinking about all of this the other day while listening to some older Dwight Yoakam. His sound has always pretty much been his. And yes, I am also aware that his sound was loosely based on Buck Owens. But if you listen to “Long White Cadillac”, you can hear what Dwight was about. He had a sound that was his. His production was outstanding, and that guitar “tone” was alive and well living in the forefront of the songs.

            It has been a natural movement for me to pull away from the type of recording that occurs in some of the studios. I found myself pretty unhappy too many days in a row after working on a song, then losing its heart and soul during the recording process. I am in no way being critical of anything or anyone. It was and is just my approach, and I didn’t want to lose sight of what I was trying to accomplish. To me, it would be like getting your picture taken and somebody making you wear an ugly sweater for the picture even though you didn’t bring it to the photo shoot. It’s not my sweater, and it wasn’t the sound I had in mind. Sometimes it might be best to stand your ground and give BillCosby back his shirt.

            I’m from Indiana, and when I was a teenager, John Mellencamp was a big deal in our neck of the woods. I remember him talking about why certain people found him a little bit hard to deal with, and this very issue was one of the primary problems. He wanted big-sounding drums, so he hired Kenny Aronoff. He had Larry Crane and Mike Wanchic on guitar, and he had a sound that was all his own. I admire that. I think we need more of that attitude. Mr. Mellencamp might have needed to work on his people skills a little, but he brought serious game.

            So, if you’re reading this and you happen to be an artist, I guess I want to challenge you to be who you are. If you wrote the song, don’t allow the song to be lost of its energy. But be careful. Many of the players in Nashville also have the ability to take a mediocre song and make it a hit. It’s a fine line. Personally, I have found a good way to hold on to your ideas is to pre-record the song before you record in a major studio. If you have guitar hooks, background harmonies, beats, or whatever, bring that information to a preliminary meeting. See what your team thinks, listen to their ideas, and allow the music to flow. Remember, it’s your song.       

            Scott Coner is a country singer-songwriter who has worked in the studio with legendary artists such as Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown and Charlie Daniels. You can learn more about him and hear his music at www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, www.YouTube.com/user/ScottConer, and www.ScottConer.com. Follow Scott at www.Twitter.com/ScottConer. 

It Finally Makes Sense to me Now... I Guess

By Scott Coner

Country Artist

            I think back to the days when I was young. I was from a little small town world. Me, I was your basic t-shirt and flannel kid, but I had big ideas and even bigger plans. I never wanted to be part of the pack. I used to laugh at authority, and I pretty much still do. I have always had it in my genetic make-up to do the exact opposite of what somebody tells me I should be doing, and I have no plans on changing anytime soon. I believe this is the very part of me that has allowed me to have the freedom to make my own choices and go my own way throughout my life. But, there have certainly been mistakes made along the way, and I am prepared to own every one of them... If they were actually mistakes.  

            When I was in my early twenties, I got married for every wrong reason you could imagine to a girl from my town. I found myself moving to Minneapolis the day after I got married and going to an Assembly of God college. I learned a lot. I learned about the Bible of course. I also learned about me. I found that I couldn't live on such a short chain. I found out that I was completely against all of the rules and regulations and that I wasn't going to last very long living like that. Everything pretty much went as you would expect, and as usual it was all my fault. Those five years were good for me in many ways though, and I wouldn't want to trade them. I do wish people I cared about hadn't been hurt, but life has sharp edges I guess. This has always been a problem for me if the truth is to be known. I am given an opportunity to grow and change in some way, but others seem to get hurt around me. I don't know if it's that way for you or not. I hope you have been able to steer your boat a little better than me. 

Scott Coner (Photo by Cynnamae Media Productions)

            Now, all of those "holy" people from the church, and the school, and everywhere else talked about me like I was some kind of devil. It seems funny and sad to me at the same time looking back now. If you don't fully adhere to the ways that others insist that you live, then you’re going to hell. And they begin the process of telling literally everybody they know what a sorry human being you are and that you are ill equipped to be in their sick little circle. That really doesn't seem too Christian to me, but then again, I have been wrong before I guess. All I know is that I have met some pretty great people through the years, and they didn't spend much time telling others how to live. Instead, they live in a way that sets an example that doesn't hurt others or make them bitter.

            It took a lot of time for that storm to pass for me. I never backed down from all of those people, but it hurt me just the same. As I worked through the emotions, I wrote songs. I wrote about my own faith in God. I wrote about the distance I felt from others. And I wrote about healing. It was during this season that I finally found "me". I found out that I surely wasn't perfect, but I found that if I was willing to allow God to work in my life, then there was a chance for me to do something significant, and hopefully help others in some way.  I wrote a musical called "The Broken Seal" about the crucifixion and ascension of Christ , and many other songs about my own journey back to being a human being. I took my music to Nashville, and here we are today.

            Looking back, I see a path that I was forced to follow. I am certain that you have had your own path just like me. You have felt betrayed. Maybe, like me, you betrayed yourself. But, no matter what journey you have taken, we still find ourselves standing here. It is our day now. It is our time to finally make the right choices and try our best to be who we were meant to be. We are entering a new calendar year. Now, I have never been a big believer in waiting for a new year to begin in order to start something new. But, since we happen to be starting a new one, what do you think about making a few changes in our lives? Me? Well, I've been through the ringer. I'm still standing though, and all of those people far back in my rear view mirror only made me stronger. They gave me a reason to finish what I started, and I promise that I will never stop until I get to where I have planned on going all along. From this point forward, how about enjoying the trip? I'll see you when we both get there, and be careful along the way.  

            Scott Coner is a country singer-songwriter who has recorded with legendary artists such as Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown and Charlie Daniels. You can learn more about him and hear his music at www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, www.YouTube.com/user/ScottConer, and www.ScottConer.com. Follow Scott at www.Twitter.com/ScottConer.

Me, Too!

By Scott Coner

Country Artist

            What's your earliest memory? How far back can you go? Mine is a hodgepodge of memory and weird dreamy thoughts. I think I may remember actually being in my crib. It was light blue, on the right side of my room, and there was one of those mobiles at the foot of the crib. I remember having some white plastic pretzel-type teething toy. It's strange to be able to go that far back. The styles and the sounds of the sixties were gaudy, yet cool. It's too bad that during the moment we don't realize what a special moment in time we are in. I was just a little kid though, and my whole world revolved around waiting for the next cookie or bowl of Quisp cereal. (Remember that little pink space guy? Me too!)

            I watched some of the very first "Sesame Street" programs along with "Captain Kangaroo". I remember all of the pretty girls in school. I remember wishing I was cool like the school jocks. I remember wishing school would finally be over forever so I could be an adult. But I don't remember ever considering how hard it would be to actually be a grown-up.

(Photo by Cynnamae Media Productions)

            The whole world was my oyster. I actually believed that I could do anything I wanted, and it troubled me that I couldn't do it all. I, honest to God, remember considering the pros and cons of being the president of the free world. Arrogant? Not really, just a little bit under informed about how the world really works. But the truth is, it is actually possible for us to reach our dreams or at least some version of the dream one way or another. Do you remember pledging allegiance to the American flag and praying in your classroom before you had your milk break? Me, too!

            Sometimes, the memories are warm and sweet. Sometimes, memories are just cold and dark. I don’t want to let any of my past go because each moment is a small piece of who I am. But, I know there are far too many people that would give anything to let some memories go. Just remember that wherever you came from, your life matters. Maybe you have some part of you that should be shared with someone else. Sift through some of those memories and share them with your kids and others that you care about. Maybe, when you weren’t looking, those memories morphed into wisdom. By the way, do remember that really cool red Torino on "Starsky and Hutch"? Me, too! 

Scott Coner (Photo by Cynnamae Media Productions)

         For more information about Scott Coner or to hear his music, visit www.ScottConer.com, www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, or www.YouTube.com/user/ScottConer. Follow Scott at www.Twitter.com/ScottConer.

Where Do We Go From Here?

By Scott Coner

Country Artist

         Well, This year is nearly past, and I can't help but think about the following year that's just around the corner. Musically, as far as my career goes, we have covered a lot of ground. I have been inspired and truly touched by so many kind people out there that have talked to me through this "world wide web" contraption. It just feels personal and not so far removed when I can actually see the people that listen to our music and read the blogs and other posts. I never knew how my career would go. I simply jumped on its back and grabbed a hold of its mane as we took off together galloping wildly.

         I am different from so many other writers and singers out there because I put music on the back of the stove until I knew my kids, my wife, and I were ready for the changes that are required in order to attempt something like this. Of course, I have heard all of the advice everyone wants to give freely whether I ask for it or not. They like to remind me about the "odds" of making a dent in this business. I don't listen to them. I do not hear them. And I do not care what they have to say to me. I already know about the odds. I already knew the deck was stacked before I started. But it never was about the chances. It was about what I needed to do. I needed to do this one thing for me as well as for others.

         I have taken into consideration how blessed I am to have a beautiful, healthy, well-rounded family. My parents are both alive and happy and healthy. I can't help but feel like I am asking too much of the Universe to allow me to have a music career. But, I still ask. I still pray. And sometimes I think I might even beg a little bit. I am not complaining, but I didn't ask to be a songwriter, although I am happy beyond measure to be one. It's true. I look in the mirror sometimes and see a man who needs to be adjusted a little bit because he can't see the trees for the forest. He needs help in the fact that he has been blessed beyond his wildest dreams, yet he continues to come back to the trough complaining that his cup isn't as full as it could be. Sometimes I feel a little guilty about that.

Scott Coner (Photo by Cynnamae Media Productions)

          As we plan for the first quarter of next year, my publicist, my wife and I know we are about to swing the bat and aim for the lights in the parking lot. I find myself freaking out a little bit every day wondering if I have a better song in me than what I have already provided. I want everything to be perfect as label representatives consider my songs, my stories, and my life. I wish I could tell them all that my music is different because my values are a little bit different than theirs. But that sounds pretty drastic and full of itself even as I write it here. I want to promote stories from my past. I want to allow people to see into my life and understand that my life is probably very much like their own. I usually don't write about bar scenes or pickup lines. I write about love and loss, marriage, and life and death. I try to share my world with the listener in hopes that he or she can identify with that and maybe make it their own song. It matters to me that we can all be members of this small community of listeners, real-life people with real-life relationships and problems with answers. This is where I want to go from here.

         As we take this music on the road next year, I want to meet as many of these people as possible. I want us to have dinner together. I want to drink coffee and hear their stories. I want to be part of something that lifts "them" up, not me. I want the music to be more theirs than mine. I want us to have a revival of sorts. I want us to celebrate through music as well as laughter. I want the songs themselves to allow for real-life application. I hope that we can all grow a little bit together and build an internal relationship that matters. We have all seen the "dead-heads" and the "parrot heads". We can begin something together that promotes family and purpose, music and art itself, and the realization that our music represents our lives.

         At this current moment, I am open-minded about what the future holds. I am willing to follow the rabbit into the hole. But, what I believe in is people. I believe we still have common ground in the fact that we haven't fallen too far away from where I have always stood. I believe we still like loud guitars and big drums. I believe we still stand for what is right, and we will stand for family and life values. This is where we will go from here. We will go together. Maybe we can call ourselves "Life-ers"....

         For more information about Scott Coner or to hear his music, visit www.ScottConer.com, www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, or www.YouTube.com/user/ScottConer. Follow Scott at www.Twitter.com/ScottConer.

If I Leave Here Tomorrow, Will You Still Remember Me?

By Scott Coner

Country Artist

         Putting everything into some type of perspective, I find myself troubled when it comes to my music. I'm pretty clumsy around the barn and a pretty bad driver to boot, so clearly, my days are numbered. I have songs lying around half finished. I have songs in my head that haven't seen the light of day. And I have songs that I've recorded that are important to me that haven't been promoted at all yet. What the heck is a man supposed to do about this? It's not like I can have a will written with specifics regarding my music.

         I think I write because I have something I want to say. On the other hand, maybe I write because I want my family and friends to remember me. I'm not even sure about it to tell you the truth. But, if you are reading this right now, and I happen to be dead already, go to my sock drawer and give my wife all of my unfinished lyrics.

         I realized early on that I could write songs and say certain things without certain people knowing the song was even about them. I mean, Paul McCartney wrote a song about his dog, so there really are no rules, right? I wrote "Put a Line in it" one day about the current administration that I have so much trouble enduring. But you haven't heard that song because I don't guess we want to make people mad. I wrote "Close to You" about my wife along with many others. I even wrote a song about one of my uncles when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. I have far more songs than I can promote, and I don't have enough time to get all of my work done. So, I'm a little bit freaked out about it all. 

Scott Coner (Photo by Cynnamae Media Productions)

         I have decided to begin releasing EP's every quarter or so along with full-length albums at least once a year from this point forward. The problem with this approach I'm being told is promotion. This is certainly a problem, but honestly, it is far more important to me that I finish this mess I started so many years ago. When I say I'm freaked out, I'm just kidding though. I have never been as happy as I am these days. My goal has always been to play and write full time, and it appears we are about to do just that.

         Now, I need to go find my algebra teacher and tell her once again how useless her class was to me and that I was right all along. Life ain't nothin' but a song.

         For more information about Scott Coner or to hear his music, visit www.ScottConer.com, www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, or www.YouTube.com/user/ScottConer.

'I Didn't Lie'

By Scott Coner

Country Artist

            I have had a pretty good run as far as songwriting goes to this point. I’m not referencing commercial success. I only mean that the songs I have written seem to represent my life pretty much up to now. I know this is not everyone’s approach, but I kind of wish it was. I have been a part of the songwriting mill in Nashville. I have met a complete strangers, had a cup of coffee, and written a song. I don’t like this approach. It feels cheap, and it feels like I am cheating whatever potential listener is out there into believing some conjured up experience that never happened. For what it’s worth, only one of those songs was ever recorded by me, and I wrote most of the lyrics.

            I have always hoped and believed that the songs that I have loved all of my life weren’t just a collection of words that rhyme. When George Jones sang “The Grand Tour”, I felt like I was walking through an empty, lonely house full of memories. When Vern Gosdin sang one of his masterpieces, I felt like he was telling me about his life and not someone else’s. “You don’t know about lonely until it’s chiseled in stone” is a line that haunts me to this day. These men took the songs and made them their own.

            The song, “Maybe She Lied”, my duet with country legend Tanya Tucker, was written after a very good friend of mine went home from work and found his wife gone along with all of her belongings. He never saw it coming, and it shocked the daylights out of him when it happened. I thought quite a bit about his situation and probably thanked God that it didn’t happen to me personally, to be honest. But the song was from a very personal perspective. I sat down with a yellow pad of paper and an acoustic guitar and wrote the song complete in one sitting. At the time I wrote it, I never planned on Tanya Tucker singing with me on it. Honestly, I didn’t even write it as a duet. When she agreed to work with me, I took a green highlighter and pulled the song apart turning it into what you hear today. I knew the song was longer than what what most radio stations will play today, but the song was important enough to me that I couldn’t take that into consideration.

Scott Coner (Photo by Cynnamae Media Productions)

            Now, saying all this doesn’t mean that I take my music so seriously that each song has to be specifically about my life’s events. No, what I’m saying is that many of the songs I write have a distinct meaning. Some of them are about things I’ll probably never share with anyone. Not because they represent something bad, they would simply be impossible for me to try to explain. Other songs such as “Crimson and Clover,” for instance, were not written by me. But that song as well as the other “cover” songs I have done meant something. They represent a snapshot from a moment in my life, and I wanted to share those songs with others. I always look at those recordings like a kid bringing something to school for “show and tell”. I love those songs and I want to brag on them a little bit.

            There are many ways to write a successful song. Nashville likes to put prolific writers together and churn out hits. There are songwriting teams that strike gold with a certain rhythm or “feel” in their compositions. Nashville, L.A., and New York have all proved that the ultimate way to have a hit is to put big money behind a song, get heavy rotation, and the rest is history. I don’t disagree with any approach. After all, the business of music is about promoting the song and the artist. Remember “Achy Breaky Heart”? Oh yes you do! You only act like you didn’t sing along in your car. LOL!

            Listen, this business has always been about hits. There have been artists that could take a song and make it theirs. Elvis did a fine job covering Leiber and Stoller, and he was very convincing. Lennon and McCartney seemed to show up with a hit every now and again. Alabama dominated the radio for a very long time singing their own compositions, as well as songs written by others. And I have been told that George Strait could sing the yellow pages if he wanted and still have a hit. And the way that man sings I wouldn’t put it past him.

            What I meant to say from the beginning of this awful rant is that, although the other methods bring us joy, it is always nice to hear an artist talk about the importance of a certain song and why they wrote it. It just adds depth and meaning. I remember hearing Alan Jackson sing “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?”, and I thought it was one of the most important popular songs I had ever heard in my life. I still do.

            I have the lyric sheet from “Maybe She Lied” that Tanya used in the studio with me. On it, she wrote: “Scott, I didn’t Lie”. Now, I never dated Tanya Tucker. But, sometimes when I hear her sing my song, I swear I think she and I had a little something going on one time or other. Probably not though. I’m pretty sure I’d remember that, and I would have had a lot more to write about.

            Scott Coner is a country singer-songwriter who has worked with country greats such as T. Graham Brown, Charlie Daniels, and Tanya Tucker. Check out his latest videos and songs at www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, www.YouTube.com/user/ScottConer, and www.ScottConer.com. You can follow Scott at www.Twitter.com/ScottConer.