Collaboration IS Alive and Well in the Music Community

Having just returned late last night from the 8th Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival, I can’t help but be inspired by the days spent at that event, as it relates to crafting this week’s blog.

I might not be to the point of getting gray hairs or losing sleep over it, but I’ve leaned a bit toward the ‘being vocal’ side about too many performers taking on an attitude of competition instead of collaboration.  Those two CO words are themselves in a bit of a battle.  Competition wants you to horde everything for yourself and take an accusatory glance over your shoulder at the person that allegedly is trying to move in on your territory.

Collaboration, on the other hand, is born out of an entirely different posture.  It could be argued that it starts with gratitude and shifts into wanting-to-give-back mode.  With this perspective there is a realization of the bigger picture.  After all, if you co-write a song with someone, doesn’t that double the potential for the tune’s exposure?  Your co-writer will be out performing it (and saying that they penned it with you) and vice versa.

And so it was at the Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival this past weekend.  Songwriters playing original songs (only) and not only introducing them by mentioning who they wrote them with, but, meeting other songwriters during the event and often times concluding with, “We should write together.”

While in the Florida panhandle I even did an interview for a future episode of “Now Hear This Entertainment” with singer/songwriter Colleen Lloy and she too stated during our conversation about one’s willingness to help if they’re giving you the time of day.  In Nashville, where she lives, “the time of day” might not be two hours, but the fact that they’re talking with you about their music generally (although not always) indicates they’re genuinely interested.

On the episode of NHTE that comes out this Wednesday (Episode 139 with Shevonne Philidor, who was on “American Idol” this year and had been on “America’s Got Talent” in the past), the guest talks about collaborating – including having unselfishly had opening acts at her own CD release party, rather than keeping the spotlight only on her and the album that was being celebrated.

Collaboration has been a cornerstone of “Abbey Ridge Live,” the live, online, in-studio concert series that I’ve been serving as the Associate Producer of.  Businesses coming together to make that show happen and artists sharing the stage with each other testify to the movement that is slowly building.

There’s more work to be done, though.  While there are other songwriters festivals out there, it’s being back from those events and in the day-to-day grind that necessitates that sight not be lost of the air of collaboration that can be found at such gatherings.  Songwriters try to avoid clichés, but remember that “two heads are better than one” and that Paul Simon enjoyed a successful solo career, but only after we were introduced to him through Simon and Garfunkel.