Michele Freedman: From Songwriting to Sync
Sync is short for synchronization – the synchronizing of audio to visual media. More often in the songwriter space, this is a songwriter pitching their songs to music supervisors for their songs to be considered for TV and Film placements. Often this includes making sure your music fits a very specific and often narrow brief.
Michele used her weekly songwriting practice in The Club to practice writing to a brief and building discipline in her songwriting practice and creative output. Read more about her story and journey below.
My day job didn’t provide any space for creative expression
I spent the last few years running my own telemarketing business in London. I found myself with an office and staff living that 9-5 existence like most people. Although it was successful, I felt like I was living in a grey world. Yes, folks, my life was boring and predictable. Every day much like the one before. I had been in the creative industry from a young age, and that’s where I thought I’d end up, not managing people. Something I was not very good at!
I went to numerous sales meetings dressed in smart suits, meeting potential clients and vying for their business. Something I was good at! All the time, I felt that my creativity was not being expressed. Something was missing. I even set up a choir to find some sort of satisfaction. When the pandemic came, my business became untenable, and I found myself with much time on my hands. I even managed to break my foot, so I was stuck in a top floor flat going nowhere! I sat at my piano and went back over some old songs I had written in the past. They weren’t too bad, and I reached out online and found I Heart Songwriting Club. It was almost as if it had found me!
How I reignited my relationship with songwriting
I joined the Club in May 2020 and tentatively started writing again. My first posts were of me singing live with my Wurlitzer onto an iPhone. The discipline of having to write and post a song every week soon got my creative juices flowing. The themes and guidelines helped me focus my mind and try out different ideas. It gave me a starting point when looking at a blank sheet. I soon discovered that having weekly feedback really helped me hone my songwriting skills.
All the people in my groups have been supportive, and it’s been great getting different perspectives on my songs. Before this, I would get so involved in my songs that I forgot to take a step back and look at them from another viewpoint. The Club helps me to be objective about them, and I can go back and improve my tracks.
I knew this was what I should be doing with my life. It felt right! I also joined Level Up Club last year, which is part of I Heart Songwriting Club’s mentorship program, and that’s been an invaluable source of inspiration, knowledge and creative and business resources. The accountability sessions have been particularly great because they really force you to do what you say you’re going to do. We all need a bit of tough love from time to time if we’re going to become better songwriters and business people.
Production development through songwriting
I used to be in a funk band, and I love dance music, so I concluded that I would have to learn to work a DAW and put my own tracks together if I wanted to write in a pop/dance style. As a result, I surprised myself by how much I loved this mysterious side of music creation. I could spend hours looking for the right loops, drum patterns and sounds. Eventually, I learned to write my own drum parts and manipulate loops to suit my tracks and used my weekly songwriting in The Club to do this. When I felt ready, I joined a mixing course with Bobby Owsinski, a top rate professional. It was hard going at first, but eventually, I got the hang of it.
How this has increased my sync opportunities
Since joining the Club, I’m proud to say that I have completed 91 songs, and I’m in the middle of my 92nd! When I joined the Club, I did toy with the idea of being an artist and going out with a shit-hot funk band and performing my own numbers. Don’t get me wrong; I love performing and regularly play in Soho in a jazz club. However, I realised that my passion lay in creating tracks in different genres, so I thought I could pursue a career writing music behind the scenes. This way, I am not limited to only writing in one particular style of music.
I’m free to do whatever I want! Uplifting and fun songs one day and cry in your boots ballads the next! That’s when I discovered the world of sync licensing. i.e. getting your songs placed in film and TV. We are in a golden age of TV with Netflix, Prime etc. Shows are being made all of the time. Each one needs music and songs. I thought this might be a good opportunity for me, so I am now focussing my energy on this. I am learning everything I can about the business, what format to send songs in, how to mix a track for TV, the best way to approach music supervisors and how I can serve them with my skills.
And big biggest news is that I’ve now been accepted by a music supervisor who sends out briefs for TV shows and ads.
I’m excited about this new career path I’m walking along
It’s a long road, but it’s filled with joy and fulfilment, and I’m going to keep going and learning and honing my skills until I have reached my goals! So watch this space, or rather watch some TV shows, and you may hear my songs on there!
Check out one of my latest songs called ‘JUMP! below’ This was written and produced for the early January 2022 theme ‘Herald’ the task was to write a theme song for 2022. So JUMP! is my shout of encouragement to you to take that leap of faith and live your dream!
Listen to Michele Freedman here:
