Advocacy In The Music Industry Part 1: ft. Jason Blume

Jason Blume joins us this week to share his struggles, challenges, and successes in Negotiation in the music industry. He emphasizes the importance of persistence, networking, and collaboration. He discusses the interplay between creativity and business in songwriting, highlighting the need for songwriters to understand both aspects of the industry. We also dig into the key elements of persuasive songwriting, such as melody, repetition, and relatable lyrics.
 
Jason Blume is a songwriter with more than 50 million album sales. He has had singles on Billboard’s Pop, Country, and R&B charts, and his songs have been recorded by artists including Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, the Oak Ridge Boys, K-Pop & J-Pop artists. He composed the background score and songs for an Emmy-winning TV show, and his songs have been heard in top TV shows and movies.
 
“We have to put ourselves in the position to tip the scales in our favor to get lucky.” - Jason Blume 
 
This week on The Persuasion Occasion: 

• How Jason found success writing for others after his initial aspirations to be a superstar artist failed 
• Jason shares his journey from a temp agency to an A&R department at RCA Records in the 80s. 
• How it felt to write over 1000 songs in 11 years and have them all rejected by publishers 
• How Jason negotiated a life-changing deal that got him a staff writing deal at a music publishing company 
• Jason shares his experience of hearing iconic country songs and cowriting a potential hit with a professional writer in Nashville. 
• How Jason's life changed when the Oak Ridge Boys recorded their song 
• Why he decided to go on Wheel of Fortune and some of the research he put in to make sure that he was lucky on the show 
• Why Jason chose to sign with a company that had a record label and worldwide offices despite them making him a lower financial offer 
• Why the quality of the song is crucial for success in the music industry, but so is the ability to navigate the business side of things
• Jason discusses songwriting techniques, including repetition and using a hook to make a song memorable
• Why Jason believes AI can be a useful tool for generating effective titles, as he found with his second Britney Spears recording