Toni Childs is the powerhouse behind hits like "Don't Walk Away" and "Stop Your Fussin',". She isn't just a singer-songwriter; she's a force of nature. Listen to Toni's inspiring journey from open mic kid to international sensation. This episode is a testament to the transformative power of music. Thanks to the 2023 Whitsundays Songwriter Festival for bringing us this episode today.  Timestamp: 2:42 - Exploitation is ok   6:32 - The Open Mic Moment   10:03 - The Evolution of Creativity   13:20 - The London Interlude   20:12 - A Meeting of Minds  ..read more

We chat with Vika & Linda at the 2023 Whitsundays Songwriter Festival, to shine a light on their journey as artists and songwriters - from singing with The Black Sorrows, to discovering their artistic sound as a duo, finding the songs to record for their first album, and how they started writing songs as established artists.  Timestamp: 2:27 - Exploring Song Selection for Albums 4:47 - The Evolution of Choosing Songs 6:59 - Diverse Sounds and Genre Experimentation 9:08 - The Gospel Album Journey 12:07 - Refining Song Choices Over the Decades 12:40 - Entering the World of Songwriting ..read more

Music publishing is an area of the music industry that is complex and hard to get a handle on so we ask publisher and 2019 Billboard International Power Player, Rachel Kelly all the hard questions: What is a music publisher? How do they support songwriters? And do you really need a publishing deal? This episode is a solid overview of music publishing and how they can support songwriters. Timestamp:  4:45 - What does a publisher do? 8:50 - How do publishers pitch songs to artists? 15:00 - We talk selling songs vs selling catalogues 19:35 - Pitching for Sync vs Pitching for A&R Cuts&nb ..read more

Welcome to Season 6 of the Magic of Songwriting Podcast. This season is all about songwriting opportunities - from publishing deals, pitching your songs to artists, co-writing, sync opportunities and more. By the end of this season, our hope is that you will have a greater understanding of how songwriters can grow their careers, networks, and opportunities.  Find out more and contact us at I Heart Songwriting Club & Francesca de Valence. Get your creativity, confidence, and songwriting output flowing. Join The Club and receive the support and structure to write 10 songs in 10 weeks ..read more

The idea of playing your music on a stage at a key industry event somewhere in the world can sound alluring, but showcasing can be a big financial investment and should be part of a much bigger picture growth strategy for you as an artist. How do you know if the time is right for you to showcase and what’s involved?   Want Professional Development mentorship to guide and support you to release your songs to the world? Find out more about Level Up Club here.  Find out more and contact us at I Heart Songwriting Club & Francesca de Valence. Get your creativity, confidence, and song ..read more

To shed light on the intricacies of the PR landscape, the potential impact of publicity on your release, and what you can realistically anticipate, we spoke with a PR expert, Genna Alexopoulos. This episode offers valuable insights for artists navigating the complex PR decision-making process and the impact of the multifaceted PR world on the artistic journey. Want Professional Development mentorship to guide and support you to release your songs to the world? Find out more about Level Up Club here.  Find out more and contact us at I Heart Songwriting Club & Francesca de Valence. Ab ..read more

Viv Mellish, founding partner from GYROstream, shares how independent artists can best use their digital distribution service and power up their digital marketing game to make the most of release day and reach as many people as possible. Viv mentions Every Noise At Once as a tool to help you get clear on your genre.  Want Professional Development mentorship to guide and support you to release your songs to the world? Find out more about Level Up Club here.  Find out more and contact us at I Heart Songwriting Club & Francesca de Valence. About Viv Mellish:  Viv Mellish is ..read more

Take a look at behind the scenes of the magic of songwriting.  In Season Three of the podcast, we unveil more of the mystery of songwriting and what this magic can look and feel like, and that when you start to tap into this magic, you can rely on it to take your songwriting somewhere really special. Find out more and contact us at I Heart Songwriting Club & Francesca de Valence. Get your creativity, confidence, and songwriting output flowing. Join The Club and receive the support and structure to write 10 songs in 10 weeks and get feedback from a private peer community. This is THE ..read more

The songwriting podcast designed to help you reconnect with and experience the transformation, joy and magic of songwriting to become the songwriter you’ve always dreamed of being. How do I know if my songs are good enough? How do I get unstuck? How can I improve my songwriting skills? How can I become the songwriter I dream of being? These are just some of the big questions that award-winning songwriter, music educator, and founder of I Heart Songwriting Club, Francesca de Valence, dives into on The Magic of Songwriting.  In addition to mini solo episodes abundant with songwriting tips ..read more

Francesca talks with songwriter and the Australian voice of Siri, Karen Jacobsen, about accessing songwriting magic through meditation. In this expansive Club Conversation, Karen shares how she received song ideas while travelling in the New York City subway but often couldn’t find time in her day to finish these songs. As a result, so many of these ideas went unrealised.  Fast forward, Karen has written over 100 songs in 100 weeks! She has done this through a songwriting practice around meditation that has revolutionised her career and life.   Timestamp: 3:27 - Karen shares the purp ..read more