Patrick Ballantyne – master songwriter

Popular guest co-host and guest on Song Talk Radio, Patrick Ballantyne dropped by the studio to share two of his well-crafted songs. “Where Things Used to Be” is great example of the skillful combination of melody, structure, and lyrics to evoke a strong feeling of longing in the listener. Listen to the bridge in particular and the completely surprising chord on the word “dreams”. Patrick’s song “Plans” starts with a great line, “In California there are dates in the trees…” and connects to “dates on my calendar”. The message of a man who sees that he must change is both poignant and honest. As we discussed the tunes, we talked about:

• “Hit-a-month” project
• Having a manager
• How tasty an E flat chord can be in the key of G
• The use of “pause” in songwriting
• Co-writing and collaboration
• Ticket sales and merchandise (how to make money in music)
• Kickstarter, Go Fund Me, FACTOR
• Lifting a song through chord progressions
• Natural or loads of experience?
• Rhymezone.com for alternative rhymes

Listen to the show here