by Mike Errico | Jul 6, 2021 | Music Lyrics and Life, Press, So Good, Teaching
I’m so grateful to hear back from mentors and heroes on their reactions to the book. Here are the first to get back to me: “Others may have written Bibles on songwriting. This is the Talmud.” — Eric Bazilian, writer, “One of Us” (Joan Osborne); founding member of the Hooters; collaborator, Cyndi Lauper, Ricky Martin, Bon Jovi, LeeAnn Rimes, Jonatha Brooke “Songwriting is a mystical art, and Mike Errico joins all the dots, helping us visualize the process as well as igniting our passion for the ultimate freedom of creativity.” — Martin Page, cowriter, “We Built This City” (Starship); “King of Wishful Thinking” (Go West); writer, “In the House of Stone and Light”; collaborator, Chaka Khan, Heart, Earth, Wind & Fire, Robbie Williams, Josh Groban “Mike Errico’s book on songwriting (and more) is an inspirational tool and a wonderful reference for artists and musicians involved in a creative effort. Highly recommended.” — Patricia Barber, composer, songwriter; Guggenheim Fellow, Composition; American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2019) Music, Lyrics, and Life: A Field Guide for the Advancing Songwriter “The songwriting class you always wish you’d taken, taught by the professor you always wish you’d had.” Coming November 1, 2021 on Backbeat Books PRE-ORDER HERE: Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads | Books Are Magic...
by Mike Errico | Jun 29, 2021 | live shows, Music, Music Lyrics and Life, Teaching
Someday (Live) Recorded at the 2019 Mike Errico Holiday Show Rockwood Music Hall, NYC Release Date for streaming: July 20, 2021 I’ve always loved playing “Someday” live, and this version is special. Former student Gabriella DeLa Cruz sang backgrounds, and I asked guitarist Matt Beck to go noir, “like it’s in a David Lynch film or something.” It was a highlight of a beautiful night, and as we open back up, it’s a reminder of the return of live music. PRESAVE NOW so that you, and the algorithms, know when it’s released. (Or download it on Bandcamp) Mixed and mastered: Jamie Siegel Cover design: Kristen Schleifer Photo: Jeanette Moses ALSO: “THE SONGWRITING CLASS YOU ALWAYS WISH YOU’D TAKEN, TAUGHT BY THE PROFESSOR YOU ALWAYS WISH YOU’D HAD.” Music, Lyrics, and Life: A Field Guide for the Advancing Songwriter Release Date: November 1, 2021 Publisher: Backbeat Books PREORDER: AMAZON | BOOKSHOP | BARNES & NOBLE | TARGET | BOOKS ARE...
by Mike Errico | May 18, 2021 | and Life, Books, Music Lyrics and Life, Teaching
Holy… Last week was the kind of start I could not have imagined. To be bouncing around in this company is unreal. And this came directly from you, because it’s not even out yet. My goal was to create the class I always wish I’d taken (I even teach it at the place I wish offered it), and I’ve tried to capture not just the ideas, but the spirit in the room. I’m humbled, and super-nervous, too. This is a whole new world. There’s more to come, but for now…thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Music, Lyrics, and Life: A Field Guide for the Advancing Songwriter Release Date: November 1, 2021 Publisher: Backbeat Books PRE-ORDER HERE: Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads | Books Are Magic WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Music, Lyrics, and Life is the songwriting class you always wish you’d taken, taught by the professor you always wish you’d had. It’s a deep dive into the heart of questions asked by songwriters of all levels, from how to begin journaling to when you know that a song is finished. With humor and empathy, acclaimed singer-songwriter Mike Errico unravels both the mystery of songwriting, and the logistics of life as a songwriter. For years, this set of tools, prompts, and ideas has inspired students on campuses including Yale, Wesleyan, Berklee, Oberlin, and NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. Alongside his own lessons, Errico interviews the writers, producers, and A&R executives behind today’s biggest hits, and investigates the larger questions of creativity through lively conversations with a wide range of innovative thinkers: astrophysicist Janna Levin explains the importance of repetition, both in choruses and in...
by Mike Errico | Mar 29, 2021 | Books, Lessons, Music Lyrics and Life, Teaching
The songwriting class you always wish you’d taken, taught by the professor you always wish you’d had. ORDER NOW: AMAZON | BOOKSHOP | BARNES & NOBLE | TARGET | BOOKS ARE MAGIC Music, Lyrics, and Life: A Field Guide for the Advancing Songwriter Publisher: Backbeat Books MUSIC, LYRICS, AND LIFE is the songwriting class you always wish you’d taken, taught by the professor you always wish you’d had. With humor and empathy, acclaimed singer-songwriter Mike Errico examines both the mystery of songwriting and the logistics of life as a songwriter. For years, this set of tools, prompts, and ideas has inspired students on campuses including Yale, Wesleyan, and New York University’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. Alongside his musical lessons, Errico investigates larger questions of creativity with a wide range of innovative thinkers: astrophysicist Janna Levin theorizes on choruses; painter John Currin tackles song form; actor Phil LaMarr counsels on cowriting; author George Saunders unpacks authenticity; and much more. The result is that Music, Lyrics, and Life ends up revealing as much about the art of songwriting as it does about who we are and where we may be going. MIKE ERRICO is a New York-based recording artist, writer, and lecturing professor. His opinions and insights have appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and...
by Mike Errico | Mar 10, 2021 | audio, live shows
“Between the Lines” will go live on all streaming services March 16th, and pre-saving it NOW will help the algorithms notice it and recommend it to others. PRE-SAVE “BETWEEN THE LINES (LIVE)” HERE I’d really appreciate the click, because I have a soft spot for this one. I love whoever it is, in his car, daydreaming, asking the big questions. Or maybe it’s The Big Question. I think we’re all doing a bit more of that than ever, lately. This version was recorded before the pandemic, at the 2019-2020 Holiday Show. I was lucky to share the stage that night with bassist Nick Jost and guitarist Nick Cianci, who is a former student of mine, and a brilliant player. ”Between the Lines” has never been recorded in the studio, but I hope to change that this year. I’ve been working on…well…something else. Something kinda big. But that’s for another email. Until then, pre-save, share this with friends, and enjoy. I hope this finds you safe and well. -M Between the Lines May 21st Wind in the trees on my way to work I’m late again High up in the leaves Versions of me I may not ever be For being who I am Am I doing this right Am I doing this right They’re just paintings on the road But I really want to know What’s between the lines A good look around Coffee in faces lost in what they found Like truth just pulled up slow And once in a while They jerk the wheel and hit the evening news That’s one way to go Chorus Easy come...
