Customer Reviews

Your First Cut: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting There

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Picture this... you've been drifting around in the songwriting sea for years, unsure of where to go next. There doesn't seem to be any clear direction to take. That elusive first cut is somewhere out over the horizon, and you're not sure where. Sound familiar? It was to me until I picked up a copy of this book. In it is a wealth of information, good advice, and a practical guide to the songwriting world. You won't learn how to write a song by reading this book, but you'll finally have the answers to what to do once the songs are written. It's all so clear now. I'm not there yet, but I've got a map, and I'm headed for the horizon. Don't leave home without it!

"Your First Cut" is the most helpful and educational book about how to succeed as a songwriter that I have seen. It does not teach one how to write a song. There are many other places to learn that. But whether you are just beginning or have been writing for many years and don't know how to get your songs before the ears of those who can get them recorded, this book is a godsend. It lays out in very clear step-by-step fashion what it takes to become successful as a professional songwriter. Starting at the most basic level ("Do you play an instrument or sing?") Jerry and Gracie take the reader on a journey leading to having one's songs recorded by a major label artist. The steps are laid out in pyramid fashion, with the early chapters forming the foundation on which the succeeding chapters are built. Stressing a continual process of improvement, both of one's own writing skills and of one's relationship network, "Your First Cut" is like a manual explaining just how successful songwriters "get it done" in the publishing and recording business. The book is also filled with inspirational anecdotes from hit songwriters and suggestions for helping one establish and stay focused on one's goals. Make no mistake; there is nothing in here that says it's going to be easy--success in this field takes an enormous amount of hard work, resilience and persistence and sometimes just a little bit of luck, too. But while no book can "guarantee" a successful music career, (certainly that takes talent and effort on the part of the reader) it is safe to say that if one is NOT following the steps outlined in this book, one will most likely NOT be successful. This is the way the pros do it, folks. "Your First Cut" is probably worth at least a few years of hanging around Nashville, New York or L. A.

As an aspiring songwriter I bought this book, at the time for grins and kicks, but it has become very valuable to me. For those people who like step-by-step guides and a plan to do something, and want to be songwriters, this book is for you. It covers the basic steps of how to get your first cut in 20 chapters, and there is a lot of insight and advice from other songwriters. If you are even curious, I would say buy this book. I'm actually considering getting a second copy!

This book is not reslly a book, it's an action plan for your songwriting career. Everything you need to do is laid out in a clear and easy to follow order, with plenty af helpful advice, personal experiences and links to added resources. I personally appreciate the larger print used and the included space to make your own notes. The book also does not let you make excuses, as it predicts the kinds of things that might impede your progress and warns you of the thi8jngs you yourself might do to derail your success. I have not completed the process yet, so I can't give a results-oriented review, but I can say that I have read many books about "making it" in the music business, and this one is the easiest to follow and seems to have real and USEFUL information.

This is a great book for the aspiring songwriter. Songwriting is such a creative process that the basic step by step of getting better, getting songs heard, meeting publishers, and ultimately having a song on the radio is often lost.

This book lays out for the writer in clear and concise steps what needs to be done to get a song on the radio. Not only is the process presented step by step, but also as a pyramid. Completing steps high up on the pyramid can be self defeating if you don't have the foundation laid from earlier steps.

The book is clear, concise, and inspring. Each chapter (or step) includes stories from writers who have "made it" already.

The book is designed to be "loved". . . that is, by the time you complete the last step (have a song on the radio!) it ought to be dog eared, written in, re-written in, and pretty much beat to hell.

If you are serious about becoming a hit songwriter, you need this book.

I made the move to Nashville in November of 1996, not knowing a soul in town. I spent an entire year without a clue or connection. Sadly, it was another 5 years of taking baby steps before I found " Your First Cut ". This fabulous book is a how to for the serious music composer. It focuses on the all elusive goal of getting your songs heard and recorded by music artists. Jerry and Gracie provide the ground work for making that pipedream into a reality. Whether you're a neophite tunesmith, or a solid writer with an impressive catalog of wannabe hits, this book will help you reach your goal of getting your first cut. The chapters walk you through the process of crafting, networking, and self evaluation with complete detail each step of the way. Taken from the perspective of two people that have "walked the walk". I truly believe that by using this book, i'm closer today of realizing my dream of having my first cut. Do yourself a favor, add this wonderful book to your collection! Take it from me, you can wander aimlessly in circles without a true gameplan, or you can own this book, use it as a tool, and be on your way to getting "Your First Cut".

A spectacular book written by spectacular people! "Your First Cut" is a must have for anyone considering the "business" of becoming a marketable songwriter. It is designed to "empower" the reader and guide them through all necessary steps of the songwriting career. Step by step, day by day, "Your First Cut" will provide you with the tools that will MOVE you closer to getting your first cut!!!