By the mere title of this blog, you are probably trying to figure out what the heck Scott is talking about!

Well, there is a story here about an experience my son just went through that could apply to anything in life. However, because it’s my son and I’ve worked in the music business, this is the application for us today. In other words: bear with me!

Read more…

I just sat on a panel with country artist JoDee Messina and regional rep for Shure microphones Ryan Smith, to judge the “Sing Your Heart Out” talent competition in Franklin, TN.

Contestants from grade school through high school came from across the South to perform in front of us judges and a live audience.

There was pretty good talent there – some that blew us away and some with potential that just needs to be realized. Most songs fell into the country and pop arena with a Broadway number thrown in just to mess with our heads – the 3 of us hadn’t seen or at least remembered “Hairspray.” (Good Morning Baltimore??)

One thing all the contestants had in common though Read more…

In my recent blog, What Does Your Look Say About You?, I talked about how important it is to work on your image. Your look, your photographs, and people’s perception of you visually, can work for or against you.

Someone’s first look at you, whether it’s in person, or a photo on your website, is their first impression, and as the saying goes, “you never get a second chance to make a first impression!”

As Tom Jackson will tell you, Read more…

Some of you know I’m a big sports fan. A few years ago while I was in Atlanta working with an artist, we drove down to see a Braves game. As I walked up to the stadium, a scruffy looking guy came up to me and said “I’ve got a free pass to get in; do you want one?”

He must have had a reason to pick me out of the thousands of people there. I don’t know why. And I couldn’t believe it – It was an awesome seat behind home plate!

Some artists think they should get a pass, too. Read more…

Tomorrow I’m heading down to Orlando to work with 17-yr-old singer Robert Pierre. He and his band from Nashville are getting ready for a festival gig down there this weekend.

Four years ago when I first met and worked with Robert, Read more…

“My child’s got talent – what do I do next?”

Parents, here’s the dilemma: you’ve got a child, they’ve shown interest in being a musician or a singer, and you’re not in the music business. So what steps do you take to help them? Read more…

Remember when that song, “I’m too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my shirt …” was huge? I was writing for BMG at the time and there were “encouragements” to write a hit like that.

I was about ready to “ralph,” and it made me start thinking about what success really is. Well, I just got a dual question from an artist that reminded me of just that. They asked: Read more…

From the time we’re little, we have to play by the rules. On the playground, we know that if “Simon says” it, then we do it. If we don’t hear “Simon says,” then we don’t do it. We play by the rules, or we lose the game.

Even creative people play by rules when they are creating. Painters know there are basic rules of composition in a picture. A jazz saxophonist knows he has to improvise around the chords in a song. A songwriter knows how long a song needs to be for radio play.

So, if you plan on being live onstage with your music, do you know the “rules of onstage?” Read more…

This week’s American Idol was really full of drama! In fact, picking the top 24 finalists played more like a dramatic series than a vocal competition.

They really know how to keep a person on the edge of their seat as they talk to the artists, letting them know whether they’re in or out. (Makes for great TV, but it almost seems cruel at times.)

Now the game is on. Read more…

I have been asked to blog my observations on upcoming American Idol episodes this year. To be honest, I resisted at first, for a couple of reasons. Read more…

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