Tim Nichols and One of the Best Workshops Ever!

 

Hit Songwriter Tim Nichols and Me

 

In the spring of 2005, I visited Nashville during spring break as a student with Berklee College of Music. There were incredible workshops each day from the best artists, producers, labels, musicians and songwriters. One workshop, though, hosted by Tim Nichols and fellow hit songwriter Craig Wiseman, still sticks out in my mind as one of the very best songwriting workshops I've ever attended.

Tim and Craig were sitting in the large conference room at ASCAP when we filed in. We were all going to watch them co-write a song. I think my expectations were quite high of what I might witness, given their track record of writing songs like "Heads Carolina, Tails California" and "Live Like You Were Dying" (and many other hit songs listed here). I was on the edge of my seat near the front- poised for the heavens to part, angels to sing and some type of songwriting miracle to happen.

Craig picked the guitar and they both bounced back ideas for about an hour. A little groove here, a little line there and more discussion. The thing that was amazing to me was that nothing really great was coming up. These hit songwriters stared at blank paper without filling it with anything amazing that day.

As a songwriter, it was the most liberating experience ever! It drove home the point to me that all songs start the same way and sometimes you just don't get anything good when you stare at a blank page. I remember thinking, "If songwriters that talented can stare at a page, so can I. Even they have bad days."

Recently, I saw Tim performing at Tin Pan South and I was able to finally thank him for the lesson. After remembering that was the "year that they didn't get anything," he just smiled and said that he was glad I learned so much.

Seven years and many good and bad co-writes later, I appreciate more and more when great ideas show up- and remember their workshop when they don't.
 

Tim Nichols Performing at Tin Pan South