When did you start writing and performing music?
I started writing songs when I was about 10 years old. In the opening lines to my Sonicbids EPK I talk about riding in the back of my dad’s pickup truck watching the clouds roll by and writing little songs in my head. I remember singing the first few lines of “Sugar In The Morning” by The McGuire Sisters, and my dad taught me Gene Autry’s “Ridin' DownTheCanyon.” I’d noodle around with those melodies andattach my own words. My grandfather fancied himself a lyricist and co-wrote some songs recorded on the old Fable Records label out of Hollywood. I’d listen to those and I think hearing his music made it real to me that a person could create music and it didn’t just fall out of the sky. I learned to play drums at 13 at school and to get there I had to study piano. I picked up guitar a little later. I started playing in rock bands in high school and played in cover bands through my thirties. I still write on piano some, but the guitar is my primary instrument. Keyboards can draw one into the modern high tech stuff and although technology can be useful to a songwriter, I also think you can lose sight of things quickly if you don’t watch it. The bottom line for me? My favorite special effect is a new set of strings!
What do you hope listeners will get from your music?
That’s a difficult question. I’ve never thought of it. I’ve never written for anyone else but me. Broke a lot of rules and all that. I discovered the astounding music of Tom Waits when I was in Europe in the early eighty’s and I guess I can thank him for that. I must say it never occurred to me that I should consider writing commercially viable music. I’ve always just written songs that made sense to me, something the GASC judges have been quick to point out. One of the many things I’ve gotten out of winning the GASC in fact is being nudged towards writing with more of a commercial bent.
Many emerging artists do all of their “business” themselves. Have you found this aspect to be challenging?
Full disclosure? Yes. Self-promotion is hard. That’s not really a songwriter’s job, is it? You either have it or you don’t, I think. The can I kept kicking down the road was to enter songwriting competitions I believed in: GASC, American Songwriter Magazine, Kerrville Folk Festival, Dave Carter Memorial Songwriting Contest. I got fantastic exposure through my association with those organizations and it’s been a matter of building from there. It sure would be nice to have some help though!
What made you first submit for GASC?
I kept running across the GASC in my internet travels. I cannot say enough about how cool Steve Cahill and his organization are. There’s something about songwriting contests, it’s like meeting a person for the first time. You just have a gut feeling. The GASC has plenty of history to look into and they’re legit. All you have to do is look at their judges. It’s all up to your song from there.
How has the reaction been from fans and others in the industry since your big win?
Great! From emails asking for my advice, to the warm wishes from the musical community, to the inroads into the industry. The dust is still settling and I am determined to use the wonderful tools the GASC has given me to further my career.
What is some advice you can give to artists looking to submit to GASC this year? .
Enter your favorite song along with your most commercially viable ones. Your favorite just might be your best work. After all, it’s your favorite song for a reason.
Check out more on Michael McGarrah here.
The 15th Annual Great American Song Contest is now open for submissions. Submit your best songs here.
