Songwriting today

I can't begin to say how much I took away from my three days at the ASCAP Expo in LA. It's a conference for songwriters, composers and producers--in case you've never heard of it. But since I write all my own lyrics and arrange and produce my own music, this was definitely where I needed to be last week.

What made the biggest impact on me was the generosity of the songwriters that shared their experiences and what they've learned along the way. Check the talent on this panel out:

• Natasha Bedingfield - Songwriter, Performer - "Unwritten," "Pocketful of Sunshine," "Love Like This," "These Words"
• Sean Callery - Composer - TV: 24, Bones, Medium, La Femme Nikita
• Wyclef Jean - Songwriter, Producer, Performer - "Gone Till November," "Hips Don't Lie," The Score, The Carnival
• Ryan Tedder - Songwriter, Performer - "Apologize," "Bleeding Love," "Stop and Stare"
• Craig Wiseman - Founder - Big Loud Shirt Industries; Songwriter - "Live Like You Were Dying," "Believe," "Summertime," "A Baby Changes Everything"

You probably think of them as overnight successes, but it took Ryan Tedder eight years and a lot of false starts to get his songs on the map. But now he can't keep up with the demand.

Wyclef Jean's story is also incredibly inspiring. He came from such humble beginnings and through his creativity and perseverance turned into a major international recording artist.

There's a lot about this industry that's ridiculous, but true artists like them keep it real for their fans and those following in their footsteps like me. I'll try to get some photos up here in the next few days -- have just been busy getting back to San Diego and routine!

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