TAXI: How to Write Better Songs Faster...

“You Can't Have a Hit Record Without Writing a Hit Song”
	— Tommy Dowd, legendary producer of Aretha, Eric Clapton, The Allman Brothers, Rod Stewart, John Coltrane, Ray Charles, and dozens more!

Dear Passengers,

I still remember this like it was yesterday...

As I dutifully vacuumed the carpet in the lobby of Criteria Studios during my very first day in the music business, I saw two older, obviously more experienced men playing a high-stakes game of pinball.

I turned off the whining vacuum, politely interrupted the two gentlemanly-looking chaps, and naively asked, "Excuse me. How do you make a hit record?"

Little did I know that those men were Tommy Dowd and Arif Mardin – two of the most legendary producers who had ever set foot in a recording studio.

“Wanna know how to make a hit record?”

Tommy responded, "On the other side of this wall we've got one of the greatest artists of all time (Eric Clapton, recording I Shot the Sheriff), we've got the best session players money can buy, the best equipment money can buy, and I can't promise you that we're recording a HIT record. You wanna know how to make a hit record?"

"Sure!" I exclaimed with my nineteen-year-old eyes opened wider than they'd ever been.

"You write a hit SONG," was Tommy's life-altering answer. I can still hear his smoky voice and see the genius behind his twinkling eyes as he said it.

34 Years Later and Tommy's Advice is Still
the Key to Success in the Music Industry

It doesn't matter if you're trying to make it as a songwriter, an artist or shooting for film and TV placements. Nothing will get you there faster and keep you there longer than crafting great songs.

Notice That I Said “Great Songs.”

Good isn't good enough! Not with fewer slots and more competitors. You need to be great — you need to write hits. I've never met anybody who was looking for album cuts.

How to Write Better Songs Faster

That's the goal isn't it – writing better songs faster? Short of working at your craft for eight to twelve hours a day, the quickest way I know to see dramatic improvements is to learn from a master.

Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting...
I Loved It So Much I Published It!

When TAXI's Head Screener Robin Frederick, showed me a manuscript for a songwriting book she had started, I was so inspired I began to write a song myself. Pretty funny when you consider that I'm not a songwriter ;-)

I didn't stop reading it until my eleven-year-old daughter hijacked the first three Shortcuts and began to write little "tween-pop" songs with solid hooks a couple days later. I was so blown away that I offered to publish Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting. I'll tell you more about that in a minute!

Meanwhile, I sent manuscripts of Robin's book to some good friends who are "in the know" and asked for their opinions. This is what they sent back...

“For people serious about writing great songs, it's got it all!”
– Kara DioGuardi, BMI "Songwriter of the Year," American Idol judge

“Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting should be in every songwriter's arsenal.”
– Jason Blume, hit songwriter and author

“An excellent road map for writers at all levels.
This is the songwriter's GPS!”
– Ralph Murphy, Vice President, ASCAP Nashville

“A Swiss Army knife of a songwriting manual.”
– John Braheny, author

The book came out last November, and by Christmas Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting was #1 in its category on Amazon.com. It has remained in the TOP TEN PERCENT of ALL of Amazon's book titles ever since!

Here's just one example of what
readers are saying about it:

"Robin IMHO is the freshest new voice out there about the "craft" we are all trying to perfect. And this reads just like her live seminars ... fast, funny, energetic, cut to the chase. I've probably read 10-15 books about the craft and the biz this last year and this is unlike any other. Read every book you can about songwriting, no doubt. But I swear, this one could honestly save you some time. So, start with this one... I can almost guarantee, you'll come back to it again and again. (I'm on my third read-through.)" – Ted Fox

This Book Makes It Much Easier...

You might not have the time to read an entire book to increase your odds of writing a hit song. Robin understands that.

She's laid this book out so you can go right to the section you need most, read it in no time flat, and see instant improvements — DRAMATIC improvements! Any one of the 126 Shortcuts is well worth the price of this book.

Want to know how much I thought it was worth?

I Risked My Kids' College Fund to Publish It!

I was so blown away by Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting that I invested a huge chunk of my children's college fund to bring this book to print. No, I'm not crazy, and YES, I love my kids :-)

I actually didn't see my investment as risking their college fund because I was absolutely positive people would love it as much as I did. Thankfully, my gut instinct was right.

What's Your Risk?

Actually, the only thing you'll risk is not learning what Robin will teach you in this terrific book! Other than that, you've got nothing to lose because Amazon lets you see the Table of Contents and gives you some chapters to read online. Try it before you buy it!

Click this link to look inside the book.

If you think I could get Kara DioGuardi, Jason Blume, Ralph Murphy and John Braheny to risk their good names by endorsing a book that was less than wonderful, think again. Besides... do you think I would have even asked them if I thought it would hurt my credibility with them?

Not a chance!

And I wouldn't risk my credibility with you...

...by recommending a book that's not a great investment of your hard-earned money. When you read this book you'll feel like Robin is sitting right next to you, teaching you all that she's learned after getting more than 500 of her own songs picked up! Watch this short video clip to see what I mean.

Do You Want to Write HIT Songs?

Then remember Tommy Dowd's advice and invest less in this phenomenal book than you will on your next night out at the movies.

Imagine how proud your family and friends will be when you start writing songs that are good enough to end up on a major label or placed in movies or TV shows. Go make me proud. Make Tommy Dowd proud!

Enjoy,
Michael

P.S. My favorite Shortcut is Using Hit Songs "Ghost Songs" – every hit songwriter has done it because it works so well. Want to learn how to do it and see the other Shortcuts Robin has waiting for you? Click here!