COLLABORATING
By Patricia T. Bishop
Collaboration is the act of co-writing a song with one or
more writers. I once read, “Sometimes it is more difficult
to locate a sympathetic songwriting partner than to
find a suitable marriage partner”. So, why bother to
collaborate?
Well, if you’re a lyricist, like I am, you need to collaborate
with a musician in order to create a complete song.
And, vice versa, if you’re a musician who needs a lyricist,
collaboration is the answer. If you’re a musician
who also writes lyrics, you may still find it very rewarding
to collaborate with a partner to enhance the
quality of your own songs or perhaps to broaden your
creativity as a songwriter. Two heads (or maybe more)
are always better than one.
Where do you find collaborators? Right here !!!!! at
the Houston Fort Bend Songwriters Association Meetings
or through the HFBSA user-friendly website
(www.hfbsa.org). Requests for collaborators can be
listed in the Forum Section or in the On-Line Critique
Section. This was made possible through the fabulous
engineering of Tony Rose, our Webmaster. Thank you
Tony……you’ve done wonders for me. You may also
find collaborators through other songwriting organizations,
songwriting magazines or through the internet. I
have been very fortunate to collaborate with many wonderful
and talented members of the HFBSA. Don’t be
afraid to ask someone to collaborate with you…..and
don’t be disappointed if the answer is no! Ask someone
else…..
I have read many articles concerning collaboration from
various songwriting books. The following information
is taken from these articles:
“Song Writing” by Stephen Citron
“I should like to let you know one method that has always
helped me have harmonious relationships with my
collaborators. We have always decided beforehand that
both artists must approve of both music and lyrics.
That means if anything does not appeal to one, the other
will change it – and no questions asked! (Too many
beginning collaborators waste time arguing about the
merits they have each turned out.) But don’t accept
from your collaborator material you know to be trite or
second-rate, just to ensure a smooth relationship.”
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Songwriting by Joel
Hirschhorn:
“Getting a partnership’s emotional ground rules worked
out from the beginning is vital. Just as important are
the business decisions. Here are some questions that
must be answered before you start working with a partner:
Will you each get 50 percent of the royalties, or
will one get the larger share?
Will you both co-own the song’s publishing?
If a song doesn’t succeed, will one writer or the other
have the power to take his or her lyric or melody
back and find another writer to put fresh words or
music to it?”
The writer adds: “I’ve had writers say to me, ‘We began
with a 50-50 split, but I wrote more. Don’t you
think it’s fair that the percentages be amended to 60-40
or 75-25?’ My answer is a thunderous NO! In an ideal
partnership, there should be no list-making or toting up
of scores of who did less or more. In the long run, the
contributions even out, and a you-did-this, I-did-that
attitude is the death knell for the partnership.”
“One arrangement that should never be made with a
collaborator is agreeing to pay him or her to put words
or music to your material. True collaborators share
royalties and operate on an equal basis.”
I remember seeing a draft of a Collaborator’s Agreement
Form in our August 2001 Newsletter and fortunately
I was able to locate it. Of course, you can write
up your own agreement to your own specifications or
you may wish to consult an attorney for guidance before
signing anything. This is available at the HFBSA
website.
An extract from the May 2006 Newsletter |
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