Three ways I help you with songwriting:
- I can send you songs to consider for your recording project.
I have hundreds of songs in catalogs at BMG Music, Universal Music, Warner Music, Chrysalis Music and my own publishing company Favorable Wind Songs. I may have just the right song(s) for you.
If you would like to be sent songs to consider recording, contact me with the details, focus and genre of your project. Please note: Issuing and paying mechanical license fees for at least 500 digital or physical sales will be requested.
- If you are my vocal student, I can assess your songwriting.
We can devote part of your lesson to song assessment. I may suggest tweaks to lyrics and/or music (no I don’t take a co-write for this!) And while we’re at it, we can work out how to conquer any vocal issues on the song.
- If you are my studio production client, I can co-write songs with you. Or help you find them elsewhere.
Please note that I do have limited availability; please contact me to discuss this option.
What do I know about writing songs?
Well, I’ve spent a lifetime dissecting songs and learning from the best. Here’s a little of my songwriting history:
Besides all the songs I’ve written alone, I’ve been blessed to co-write with some legendary writers including Hall-Of-Fame inductees Jerry Foster and Dave Loggins. She has also written with award-winning hit writers J.D. Martin, , Dewaine Orender, Thomas Cain, Marc Beeson, Ronny Samoset, Tom Damphier, Karen Taylor-Good, Gene Nelson, Carol Chase, Jane Bach, Jeff Black, Kurt Howell, Robert Jason, Shantell Ogden, Keith Hinton, Jimmy Scott, Barbara Orbison, Michael Stergis, Michael Hodges, Louise Goffin, acting director Darren J. Butler and Grammy winning producer Ross Vannelli and Loretta Lynn.
My first publishing contract was 1984 with MTM Music. I wrote many of the songs on my MTM albums. She Thinks That She’ll Marry hit #9 on the Billboard country chart. Another of my songs, A Place Called Love, became the title of my second album. Loretta Lynn recorded When I’m in Love All Alone, which I co-wrote with Dave Loggins. Loretta and I penned a tune called More Alone. The MTM catalog is now with BMG Music.
After MTM Music went out of business, Dave Loggins signed me to a publishing contract in his joint-venture company with MCA called Shy Piper. I credit Loggins for being my most influential songwriting mentor. You don’t work songs with him without digging deep.
I signed with Warner Music Group in 1990. I wrote many songs alone, including my favorite ballads Shadow Of Her, Carry Them With Me, and The One Who Loves Her Wings, a woman’s anthem. In 1996, I co-wrote One Way Ticket (Because I Can) with Keith Hinton. LeAnn Rimes recorded the song, produced by Chuck Howard, and I found myself with a #1 single again. The song went on to sell over a million copies, landing me the coveted Million-Air award from BMI.
Cuts from my Warner catalog include Demons And Angels, recorded by Diamond Rio for Arista Records’ Closer To The Edge album, Girl Thing, recorded as a duet by Tammy Wynette and Wynonna for Wynette’s pop-duet album on Sony, A Cloud Of Dust, cut by Maureen McCormick, and A Crack In My Armor, co-written with my brother Billy, recorded as album title song by bluegrass artist Randy Koors. Randy Travis cut Passing By on a Warner Brothers album that has not yet been released. In addition, around 15 more of my Warner songs have been cut on independent label albums and by current new artists shopping for recording deals.
In 1987 I left Warner Music and signed a split publishing deal with Chrysalis Music and my company, Because I Can Music. Though there are no released songs from this catalog yet, many songs have been on hold for several major artists and have been cut by new artists shopping for labels.
I then formed my own BMI publishing company, Favorable Wind Songs. For this catalog, I have written multiple genres of songs, including country, pop, rock, blues, alternative, and Americana. It’s a blast to be able to color outside the lines!
Cuts for my Favorable Wind Song catalog include: “Missing Child”, cowritten with Michael Black and cut by Emil Bishaw, which was chosen in 2010 as the theme song for the national Missing Children’s Organization. I co-wrote ‘Be My Rain’ with Shantell Odgen, for her IMEA American Album of the Year 2014 ‘Ghosts In The Fields’. I cowrote and produced ‘Gambler Of Us All’ with Michael Hodges. It was on the soundtrack of the Robert Duvall movie ‘Wild Horses’ in 2015. My cowrite with Marky Silvers “Forgive My Sins” garnered 1/2 million views on Facebook. In 2022 LeAnn Rimes released a brand new version of ‘One Way Ticket (Because I Can).
In 2015 I co-wrote, produced and performed a project with my husband as ‘John and Judy Rodman’. One of our songs, also co-written with our son Peter, titled “Somethin’ Like That”, was placed in an episode of the Amazon Sci-Fi series “The Expanse”.
Currently, I am writing for contemporary musical theater. Collaborating with Darren J. Butler, I have songs in three musicals including “Runaway Home”, which received standing ovations to both star-studded industry readings in NYC 2023 and is hopefully going to full production in 2024!
For your listening pleasure:
Here’s a song I co-wrote with Cassandra Kubinski and recorded for our ‘John and Judy Rodman’ album which is also in a pivotal scene of our musical ‘Runaway Home’. Hope you enjoy: