Beth Thornley: Making a Living as a Songwriter
Matty Kerr is co-creator with John Brancaccio of The Working Experience. He is also a filmmaker and published author. Listen to our podcast on iTunes and Spotify and visit our website: theworkingexperience.com for videos, merchandise and more. You can also find us on Facebook, Linked In, Instagram, and Twitter.
Beth Thornley is a songwriter in Los Angeles. I wanted to know two things:
1. How does she write a song?
2. How does she make a living writing songs?
Beth grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, playing and singing a lot of classical music. She joined a band, and they toured the US, traveling in a van and playing mostly Top 40 songs in bars and hotels. Sometimes they would book a place for a week or maybe even a month or two and then the contract would be up and then they would move on.
She loved performing and learned a lot from it but after two years decided that she had had enough of the band and touring and wanted to do something else with her passion for music.
Beth Thornley: “I had one friend in LA and I called him up and said, ‘Hey, can I sleep on your couch?’ I didn’t really have a clue what would happen, but I just didn’t have anything pulling me back to the things I had already done.
“So I slept on his couch for a couple of weeks and got work being an extra, a receptionist, house cleaner, waiter, and I just did whatever I had to do. But all during that I was in a band or taking voice lessons. I found a church choir to sing in just because I still really loved singing in choir and it was a great place to meet people because a lot of the singers that got work around LA were also in this choir, so I got to talk to them; it was really wonderful.”
It was her vocal coach that suggested that she write a song. He told her that the next week, he wanted her to come in with a song. So, she did and realized that she loved it. She had found her calling and was set on her career path.
BT: “It was great advice because if you’re the songwriter that’s really where the control is. The songs are really what make the money. And you can do it the rest of your life; you don’t age out of songwriting.”
How does she write a song? What is the process?
BT: “It’s kind of evolved over the years. I usually start with lyrics. I’ve got just a general topic that I want to write about. I write down words and I try to see where they are going to take me and after I have a couple of ideas for verses, I know a lot of people start with choruses but I would start with the verse because I wasn’t even sure what my chorus would be if I didn’t define the song more in my mind. So, I write the verses first and then come up with what I thought was a chorus idea. And then I would think to myself, ‘What kind of song do I want to turn this into now?’ I didn’t sit down with a groove or a feel in mind; I just really started with the words. Then I would poke around on Spotify or whatever until I found a song that I thought was a good starting point and I would listen to it for a little bit and then I would completely stop listening to it because I didn’t want to copy it. Mostly what I was looking for was just a groove, just a feel.”
It is important, however, to get out of your comfort zone and try new things. This keeps the creative process fresh. Always sticking to the same routine can be stifling.
BT: “It is really a good idea to change your process up. I was afraid to do it; I was afraid to let go of the process that I became so comfortable with which was starting with lyrics and going from there but there was just something in the back of my mind that said you’ve got to start trying this differently. But I thought, ‘Isn’t that cheating? Isn’t that going to be worse? Isn’t that going to get me all off track? I was really afraid to change what was so comfortable but I did and it was really nice, really freeing. So I encourage people to yes, find their comfort zone, how they like to create things but then also step out of that comfort zone and see what else comes up.”
How does a person make a living by writing songs?
The short answer is TV shows, movies, and commercials.
Breaking onto this industry is not easy. Connections are essential. More than education or talent, in any industry, networking is how people get ahead. And it takes time to build those connections, to create that network. The music industry is no different. Beth had to get her work out there and let people see what she could do.
BT: “I eventually knew enough people who were working in the film and TV industry that they would sometimes call me and say we’re looking for a song, would you like to try something? And that is really wonderful, really fun.”
Initially, Beth was writing songs for scenes in movies on spec (no pay up front). Someone that she knew in the industry would approach her and say they had a scene and ask her to write a song for it. Even if they didn’t use the song, she still had one in her repertoire that she could use later. If they did use it, she would get paid, so it was a win-win. Just getting the exposure is valuable.
Over time she was able to develop contacts with outlets like MTV. Beth had submitted her work to the person at MTV who was in charge of finding music for their various shows. It was sitting in a pile of music that was going to be trashed but then someone pulled hers out and liked it. They called her and she gave them blanket permission to use her music on any of their shows: Vanderpump Rules, Jersey Shore etc. Her song, You’re So Pony was featured on an episode of Jersey Shore, which gained her a lot of exposure.
BT: “Everybody back then wanted their song on Jersey Shore because music supervisors (for MTV and other channels) were paying attention to what songs they were hearing in case they could use a song for something they were working on.”
Her song Wash You Clean was used in the Magic Mike movie, during the strip scene ,so it was blasting full volume, no dialogue over it. She got a lot of exposure from that film
Of course, songwriters need to get paid. If Beth gets a song placed on a TV show she gets a check initially for giving permission and then residuals for each time a song is used, depending on when it airs and what network it airs on. The pay structure is more of a one-time fee for a movie but there can be residuals depending on what happens with the movie later on.
This exposure can be a great thing for musicians. However, TV shows have become packed with songs and there has come to be a glut in the market which means that the songwriters are being paid less and less.
BT: “We got so excited about our music being used and the potential of reaching other people that the price started getting lower and lower. Bands started breaking via TV shows. They (the networks) were paying people for their music, which was great. Then it reached this peak where bands were practically giving their music away just so it would be heard. At this point, not a lot of people are making a lot of money getting their songs placed in TV shows or movies. At the lower level they expect you to give them your music for free [ just for the exposure]. It’s a double-edged sword.”
Creative industries are tough to navigate. The path forward is never straight; there are many pitfalls and, unfortunately, people who take advantage of artists. You want to stay true to your art and reach as many people as possible, but you also need to make a living. It is possible. You just need to be patient and realistic.
Beth has done it. She makes a living doing what she loves to do.
It does happen.
