Notes on Napkins

musings for songwriters


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Meet the SongU Special Event Pitch Guests

Join us for the latest “Staff Writer For A Day!” Special Event Pitch which is running during the months of February and March 2021. This is an exclusive opportunity to be selected by Ciara Shortridge, Senior Creative Director, Publishing of Curb | Word Music Publishing for a chance to find out what it’s like to be a professional staff songwriter for a day. This includes a meeting with Ciara and a CO-WRITING SESSION with Grammy nominated songwriter, Bobby Tomberlin! Additionally, Ciara will be listening for potential signings for single song contracts. Ciara says she’s happy to be participating in this event and looking forward to hearing our songs. You can read more about our special guest below.

Creative Director, Ciara Shortridge

About Ciara Shortridge: Having Joined Curb/Word as Sr. Creative Director, Country Publishing in January of 2020, Ciara previously held the position of A&R Manager and served as the main creative point of Disney Music Group’s Nashville-based publishing office. In her role, she was responsible for signing and developing songwriters, placing multi genre catalog, and connecting Disney internal and international collaboration opportunities with the Nashville community. Ciara’s career at DMG began in September 2009 after graduating from Belmont University’s Mike Curb College Of Entertainment & Music Business and included previous roles as A&R Coordinator and A&R Representative.

In her newest role, Ciara helps curate writing and catalog placement opportunities for the Curb|Word publishing writer/artist roster and catalog, including hit writers such as Kyle Jacobs, Hannah Ellis, Chris Gelbuda, Billy Montana, Adam Wood, Phillip Lammonds, Bobby Tomberlin, and many more.

A Webster, New York native, Ciara felt the intangible magic of Nashville at the age of 13, ultimately making it her permanent home in 2007. Through various college internships and countless writer rounds, she found her true passions were rooted in the far-reaching impact a well-crafted song can have on someone, and in championing the incredible songwriters that bring them to life every day.

Hit Songwriter, Bobby Tomberlin

Bobby Tomberlin is a GRAMMY, CMA, and ACM nominated songwriter. He started his music career at age eleven as a disk jockey in his hometown of Luverne, Alabama. Bobby’s position at the radio station provided the opportunity to interview some of country music’s biggest names including Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Keith Whitley. With a childhood so closely intertwined with country music and its legends, Bobby developed a deep-rooted respect for the genre. His signed his first publishing deal with Mel Tillis and he is currently a staff writer for Curb Word Music Publishing. His first number one hit at country radio was “One More Day,” a career song for Diamond Rio. Bobby’s songs have been recorded by Barbra Streisand, Willie Nelson, Blake Shelton, Jerry Lee Lewis, Faith Hill, Kenny Rogers, Josh Turner, Rodney Atkins, Thompson Square, Tyler Farr, Chris Young, Dylan Scott, Pam Tillis, Little Jimmy Dickens, Joe Nichols, Sundance Head, Terri Clark, Joe Diffie, and The Oak Ridge Boys, just to name a few.  

As the old adage says, “You can’t play the game when you’re sitting on the bench.” Whether or not you win the co-write session or a song contract, you will have done the work of a songwriter by putting your song out there into the world. Good luck to all!

Update: Our Fall 2020 Special event winner, Brad McKinney has a co-writing appointment scheduled for mid-February with hit songwriter, Danny Myrick. In the meantime, for inspiration read the interview with our Spring/Summer 2020 Staff Writer for a Day winner:


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Meet the SongU Special Event Pitch Guests

Join us for the latest “Staff Writer For A Day!” Special Event Pitch which is running during the months of October and November 2020. This is an exclusive opportunity to be selected by Emily Dryburgh, Creative Director of Deluge Music, for a chance to find out what it’s like to be a professional staff songwriter for a day. This includes a meeting with Emily and a CO-WRITING SESSION with hit songwriter, Danny Myrick! Additionally, Emily will be listening for potential signings for single song contracts. She says she’s excited to hear new writers and new material.

Deluge Music is a Los Angeles and Nashville-based Publishing, Management and Record company.  Opening its doors in 2015, Deluge has become home to hit and developing songwriters with cuts by artists including Rod Stewart, Tim McGraw, Little Big Town, Jason Aldean, Reba, Walker Hayes, Rascal Flatts, Ashley McBryde, Keith Urban and more! They Currently have Lady A’s single, “Champagne Night” and have recently landed a TBA major deal with one of their artists. 

Emily Dryburgh, Deluge Music Creative Director

Emily Dryburgh is the Creative Director and Nashville face of Deluge Music.  Her duties include managing and/or developing writers and artists between LA and Nashville, setting up collabs, tweaking and pitching songs, overseeing creative processes, and developing and maintaining relationships with other publishers, managers, labels, writers, producers, etc. in the Nashville music industry.  Prior to Deluge, Emily worked in artist management, handling “day to day” and development for Grammy, CMA and Tony award winning artists in the Country, Bluegrass and Gospel genres.

Danny Myrick, songwriter

Danny Myrick is a 3 time #1 Country songwriter and producer, and 6 time #1 Gospel and Contemporary Christian writer. With songs recorded by Tim Mcgraw, Jason Aldean, LoCash, Craig Morgan, Maddie and Tae, Trace Adkins, Big and Rich, Randy Houser and more.  Danny has Trace Adkins current single, “Just The Way We Do It.”

A little bit muddy water Mississippi preacher’s kid, a little bit California beach bum, Danny grew up playing, singing and writing for his family’s gospel band in south Mississippi and being consumed with 70’s FM radio. He achieved his first #1 gospel song as a songwriter at the age of 17 before moving to Nashville.  After landing several more #1 Gospel and Contemporary Christian hits, Danny re-focused his attention on founding and fronting country rock band, Western Flyer, with whom he made two albums and had several Top 40 singles, including What Will You Do With M-E and Cherokee Highway, which dealt strongly with racial division in the Deep South and led to Western Flyer being the first country artist invited to play the annual Martin Luther King Day in Atlanta. 

Following thousands of miles on the road with Western Flyer, Danny decided to stay home in Nashville, and ended up singing 100s of songwriter demos as well as adding background vocals to numerous albums by the likes of Blake Shelton, Montgomery Gentry and Keith Anderson before immersing himself in his love of songwriting.

Over his career, Danny has produced numerous artists, including The FARM and The Jane Dear Girls, and has written songs for a wide range of artists from Maddie & Tae to Joe Cocker, celebrating numerous hits, including Craig Morgan’s “International Harvester, Tim McGraw’s “Truck Yeah”, LoCash’s “I Love This Life”, as well as 2009’s most played country smash, “She’s Country” for Jason Aldean! 

Danny’s wide array of interests has led to appearances on MSNBC and CNN discussing political and religious topics affecting country music and southern culture.  He is currently working on several projects, including his own self-produced album, King Of Jones County;  and releasing remixes under his alter ego DJ DMaxx featuring social media sensation Leslie Jordan.  Danny currently writes for Deluge Music.  

As the old adage says, “You can’t play the game when you’re sitting on the bench.” Whether or not you win the co-write session or a song contract, you will have done the work of a songwriter by putting your song out there into the world. Good luck to all!

For more inspiration read the interview with our Fall 2020 Staff Writer for a Day: