Monthly Archives: May 2014

So You Want To Be A Rock N Roll Star: Why Songwriting Matters


My first impression of the book was guarded. I didn’t warm to the title as it is songs that interest me. There is no paper copy available (only kindle e book) and the audio version has an unusual sound quality with a lot of echo. I hadn’t heard of Marc Platt’s music. I bought an audio copy based on other reviews and I have given it my top star rating.

The book may have it’s faults but I learned a lot from it. Marc tells you the things that you need to know but other people are unwilling to tell you. e.g. Your friends and family will always say nice things about your songs. Other musicians will praise your songs if you do the same for them. Here are a few snapshots

There are a lot of songs out there so don’t bore us; get to the Chorus. People can easily jump to the next song. grab them in 30 seconds or less. Keep the song short. 3 to 4 minutes . Keep up the attention and don’t meander.Look at the faces of the audience during the song. Not every song has to be Stairway to Heaven.

Melody, rhythm message. When building a song all three need to work together. Unless you are a genius then a great message will not save a song without a good melody. Keep checking all three as great production will not save a bad song.

You can find more info on Marc’s web site.

Best Bit: There is no such thing as a bad audience. Your Songs are not your children, if they don’t work then change them. The audience response during the song is far more important than after it has finished.

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