Gail, on Day One at ASCAP's Expo in LA

Hey GRGR fans and fellow rockers!

Wow -- I am out here at the ASCAP Music Conference for the second year in a row and my head is just spinning from all the information. And it's not even close to being over!

The morning kicked with a panel of renowned songwriters/artists including Natasha Bedingfield, Wyclef Jean, Craig Wiseman, Ryan Tedder and Sean Callery talking about "the creative process" of their craft. My fave thing about listening to these folks? You realize they have the same hopes, dreams, fears and neuroses as the rest of us. But since they have gotten somewhere they sometimes have some pretty good advice.

Here were some of my favorite tidbits from this group…

1. “If you think radio has really bad pop music then write some pop songs and help fix the problem.”

Natasha said she didn’t write for years because she was a perfectionist and thought she wasn’t good enough (gee who can relate to that I wonder…), so write a little everyday and don’t judge yourself. Just do it!

2. Get rid of your fears, open up and allow yourself to be touched. When someone reveals their vulnerabilities through their writing and songs it helps others become aware of their own..

Some things came up in this panel that made me think of a game I love to play with my bandmates I call “guilty pleasures." You ask your fellow peers, "what music do you listen to or are influenced by that you don’t really want to admit?" Mine is The Carpenters (hey my mom was really into them and they write some great songs!). Do I was thrilled to know that Wyclef Jean likes to smoke up and listen to Enya, and Ryan Tedder was a Yanni fan at 15!

Next I was off to a panel about networking. Now, having been in the business world as a musician and founder of GRGR, I can tell you that networking is hardly new to me. Still, it never hurts to get a refresher course. Dan Kimpel was a funny, animated and great speaker, he’s got books on this stuff if you care to learn more. Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Connect with others who share your aspirations and energy!

2. Effective networking needs to be about both parties-- not just you!

3. Network for the future. It’s not instant but good relationships take time.

4. Relate to people as people

More on the conference later…