An Analysis of a Book Source

In David Baskerville's analysis of the music business, Music Business and Career Guide, insightful tips are offered on how to handle the music you've written and predictors of success. In his exegesis of the business, Baskerville says there are four main indications of a hit song: 1. The song has to be memorable. One of those songs that you get in your head for days and just can't seem to get it out. This is usually accomplished by including a "hook," or a catchy phrase that occurs several times throughout the song. 2. The song must have immediate appeal. You can't expect your listeners to wait for a potential memorable part of a song. You must hit them with it immediately and follow through with the rest of it. 3. The lyrics must have a recognizable theme, be well organized, and contain extreme imagery to grab the listener's attention. Your lines should be well thought out and use a variety of vocabulary. 4. The song must be thoroughly put together. It is vital to have a memorable beginning, middle, and end. This rule applies to number two in the sense that, in order to have an immediate appeal, your beggining must be easy to listen to. The beggining must carry into the rest of the song, that can grab and maintain the attention the writer believes the song deserves. He says that these four rules can be a writer's best friend, and that listeners can be highly unpredictable in likings and trends in the music business (Baskerville 27). Even if all elements listed are included in the song, it still only contains the potential to become popular amongst the masses. Baskerville says that a song's potential to become a hit often does not even rest in the hands of the writer, but factors beyond the writer's control. These factors may include whether or not the song is picked up and performed by a well known artist, which record company picks it up and its airplay, how well it suits the market's current demand for a particular style, and how well it is distributed. You could have the world's best song, but if it is not well managed under these conditions, it may never be recognized to its full potential (Baskerville 28). The author also offers advice to aspiring songwriters such as"Songwriters, particularly those just starting out, will also do well to open themselves up t advice and feedback on their early writing efforts, which likely won’t be
world-class right off the bat (they may, for instance, include lyrical clichés such as
“right off the bat.”). Here again, listen and learn. Don’t become discouraged and
don’t take any one opinion as gospel—everyone in the music business has a story o an eventual megahit that was initially scoffed at (Baskerville 31)". He continues to tell the reader to look for recurring issues critics may have with their writing; it may leave room for adjustment.

I believe this book is an excellent source in many ways. I liked how the author included insightful examples on how to, and how not to write. The tips on professional approaches of songwriting were also very helpful. Baskerville obviously knows what he's talking about when he can provide up to four points for the reader to understand. It was interesting to find out that some songs that have a lot of potential sometimes don't even make it into the recording process. The author included charts, graphs, and easy to understand explanations of a concept (often through simple phrases that even a person who does not write music can easily comprehend). In an overview, I think any serious songwriter looking to publish their music should pick up a copy of this book and read it.

There are of course, a few minor complaints I had about this book. At some point during reading, I would have liked to see Baskerville go into a little bit more detail about some of the writing techniques rather than a recording/producing standpoint. Some of the items about the industry that the author went off explaining could get a little confusing and unorganized. I think I saw a bit more of potential to write about actual songwriting rather than the explanations putting it onto the radio. But overall, I found this book to be interesting and well worth my time.

Baskerville, David. Music Business Handbook and Career Guide. 8th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2006. Print