I recently caught up with songwriter Melyssa Corrigan, the winner of our Fall 2024 Special Event Pitch with hit songwriter and producer Michael Jay. (View Melyssa’s SU member website.) She was thrilled with the professional co-writing experience that followed. Michael included his frequent co-writer, pro singer/songwriter Scott Barrier, as a third collaborator. Below, Melyssa shared the original voice memo they used to kick off the co-writing session and the studio demo of the final song.
The Co-Writing Experience
“It was a pleasure to write with Michael and Scott! They were warm and laid back and clearly both experts in their respective crafts. It was a thoughtful and efficient session and I sense we have a strong song on our hands. So grateful for the opportunity!!” — Melyssa
Michael Jay agreed. After the session, he told SongU they had written “a fantastic song” and planned to demo it.
Q&A with Melyssa: How the Song Took Shape
Q: How did you prepare for the session?
“I sent Michael a voice memo of a song start that had been running through my head for a while. I suspected he’d be just the right fit for it. Turned out he liked the concept and we rolled with it.”
🎧 Listen to Melyssa’s Voice Memo Song Starter:
Q: How did the co-writing session come together?
“When we first started setting up the session, Michael suggested inviting Scott Barrier, a writer he collaborates with often. Scott was fantastic and offered some really great lyric ideas, and worked out the melody with Michael. He seems to be a very active writer who is often out at writer’s rounds, etc.
Q: Did you feel comfortable during the co-write?
“Completely. Both Michael and Scott were warm and welcoming and the write itself was professional and efficient yet relaxed.”
Q: Did you take away any key writing lessons?
“Michael and Scott did a great job of steering me away from being too specific in the lyrics to broaden the appeal and make the song work for a greater variety of artists.”
Q: That makes sense. I noticed that you removed “Mrs. and Mr.” from the original voice memo for that reason. What else did you learn from the experience?
“To keep an open mind and allow them to do what they do best in order to elevate the song.”
Q: Do you have any final thoughts?
“Very GRATEFUL for the opportunity and loved it!”
Song Evolution: From Voice Memo to Demo
Here is the final studio demo of the song, featuring vocalist Katie Ohh. It was based on the original voice memo Melyssa sent to Michael Jay, which sparked the idea.
🎧 Listen to the Final Demo: “What If It Was Me”:
Why This Demo Works (Even Without a Full Band)
Even though the final demo is a simple guitar/vocal recording, the professional quality of the guitar playing and Katie Ohh’s expressive vocals bring the song’s emotion to life. This is an important insight for songwriters: you don’t always need a full band production to show your song in its best light. A well-executed guitar/vocal demo can be just as effective and pitchable.
Congratulations to Melyssa! We’re proud of how she represented the SongU community!
Ready For Your Moment?
📢 Don’t miss your chance! Our current Special Event Pitch with Dylan Emmet is open now. Submit your songs to the current Special Event Pitch!
In Case You Missed The Big Reveal with Michael Jay …
A unique aspect of all of our Special Event Pitches is the one-hour educational session leading up to announcing the winner, which we call The Big Reveal. Here’s a 20-minute recap of the exciting Rising Star Contenders Countdown leading to the winning song of the Golden Ticket with Michael Jay. Along the way, Michael gave truly actionable tips about writing standout songs. Hear them now in Episode One of our brand-new SongU Podcast!