By Rose Jay
The Writers Jam panelists (l-r): Priscilla Renea, Jonny Lang, Lindy Robbins and Hillary Lindsey
The highlight performance at the ASCAP EXPO for me was at the Writers Jam as Priscilla Renea performed Rihanna's "California King Bed" accompanied by two acoustic guitarists. Her live performance was heartfelt and simply amazing! The song showcased her singing abilities so well. After her performance, more of the panelists sang their hit songs acoustically. Many of them sang with even more emotion than the artists who are famous for performing the songs. Each panelist discussed their songwriting process, from where the inspiration came from to write their biggest hits to what they do when they have writer's block.
I learned from this panel, the very last panel I attended for this year's EXPO, that every songwriter has his or her own journey to becoming who they are today. The only thing that separates up-and-comers who keep trying from the ones who create hits is perseverance and dedication to the craft of songwriting. If you love writing songs, and you commit to getting better, eventually the dedication will show through in the song. That's when people will notice and hear what separates your songs from the masses of songs. That's when your songs will turn from good to great and somebody will eventually find you because they will want your songs.
This was such a productive weekend. I learned, networked and received inspiration and encouragement from extremely talented music creators. I'm so thankful to have an event such as this to look forward to every year. I can't wait until the day comes when I'll be one of the panelists to inspire the up and coming attendees.
