Great of you to drop in...
I live in the world of words.
I’m a career lyricist, fortunate enough tohave worked with truly talented composers, producers and wonderful artists.
photo by: Patricia Steur
Songwriting
I’ve always been a mellow collaborator – whether I’m working on rock (which I totally love writing!), alternative, pop, country (spent lots of time in Nashville learning at the feet of some greats!), R&B, film and TV.
….. And nothing is more stimulating than when a new project falls from the sky!
Re-imagining
I feel rewriting is part of the process, and I’ve never been afraid to let go of something I like, and find something better.
Just because I think I wrote something wonderful, it may not be the something wonderful “that” moment of “that” project needs.
So I keep re-imagining.
The Process
I live by the credo that
“The Process is the Purpose.”
I have another credo that I live by:
The art of collaboration is
to allow your collaborator to be brilliant!
In this Songsalive! Songcraft Masterclass, 3x Grammy-nominated Lyricist Pamela Phillips Oland. talks about Life As a Songwriter – Taking the Long View Songwriters:
Sometimes your Mindset needs a Reset!
I know you sometimes get Discouraged, Fed-Up, Disgruntled, and ready to just throw in the towel.
But I’m here to tell you, you would miss it dreadfully.
I’ll give you tips and tricks to help continue to grow your songwriting skills, to recognize what you’re doing right, and where you’re falling short.
We’ll discuss the joy and satisfaction of the art, the hard work, the tears, the joy of inspiration, the perseverance, and the rewards!
ABOUT GUEST SPEAKER: PAMELA PHILLIPS OLAND
3-time Grammy-nominated, Pamela Phillips Oland is the author of The Art of Writing Great Lyrics and The Art of Writing Love Songs.
She’s the lyricist/co-creator of “Soldier of Orange”—recent winner of Holland’s People’s Choice Award for “Favorite Original Dutch Musical of All Time” selling 4 million tickets, and in it’s 15th year!
She’s written hundreds of songs for such artists as Whitney Houston, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, The Four Tops, The Jacksons, Earth Wind & Fire, Anne Murray, Engelbert Humperdinck, and Reba McEntyre; forthcoming are releases by rapper Megan Thee Stallion and jazz diva Karen Souza.
Her film songs include “Digga Digga Dog” for 102 Dalmatians, and “Come Into My Life” for Coming To America.
With UNLV, she created the “Pamela Phillips Oland Excellence in Lyrics Award.”
Her songwriting seminars include Carnegie Hall, UK Academy for Contemporary Music, Ireland’s IMRO, plus Helsinki, Australia, and Denmark, and 8 years teaching at UCLA.
She was one of 22 American songwriters invited to participate in the iconic Music Speaks Louder Than Words collaboration between American and Soviet songwriters.
"SOLDIER OF ORANGE" - The Musical
Lyricist & Co-Creator Pamela Phillips Oland
* The longest running show in Dutch theatrical history
* 3,700+ performances, and over 3,800,000 tickets sold
* 15 years of sold-out performances
* Soldier of Orange Amsterdam re-opened to a socially-distanced limited capacity audience on September 2, 2020, and to normal seating in March 2022.
* Nominated for Best Musical in the 2019 Dutch Music Awards.
College of Fine Arts Announces the 2nd Pamela Phillips Oland Excellence in the Art of Writing Lyrics Award
The winner receives $5,000 and is invited to UNLV during the fall 2024 semester to work with College of Fine Arts students, and to an event celebrating the award.
The College of Fine Arts at The University Of Nevada, Las Vegas, is pleased to announce the newly-created Pamela Phillips Oland Excellence in the Art of Writing Lyrics Award.
“This competition seeks to develop and promote the craft of songwriting across the disciplines of music, theater, and dance. We are so pleased to steward this worthwhile endeavor within the College of Fine Arts,” said CFA dean Nancy J. Uscher.
Judges for this years competition are, Clint Holmes, Jud Friedman and Susan Slamer.
All those interested are invited to apply. Applicants, emerging and mid-career artists who have focused careers on the writing of lyrics within a range of art forms, are asked to submit a C.V., two examples of lyrics writing, a personal statement about how this award will help advance an individual’s career, and how it is in alignment with future career goals and aspirations. Deadline for submissions is August 16, 2024. The winner will be named on Friday, September 6.
The winner of the competition receives a $5,000 award and will be invited to UNLV during the fall 2024 semester to work with College of Fine Arts students, and for an event celebrating the award.
Please submit applications/proposals online. You must log in with a Gmail or Google account in order to successfully load the competition application and ensure your required materials are uploaded along with your form answers.
Grammy Nominated Songwriter Pamela Phillips Oland:
“Let’s start a movement of mentoring children, so that no child would be without a mentor”
As a part of our series about rising music stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing triple Grammy nominated songwriter Pamela Phillips Oland, co-writer of “ONE WORLD,” the new “We Are the World” style charity anthem for the global pandemic and racial justice, currently bulleting up the Billboard Mainstream Adult Contemporary Chart.
Watch the music video and donate for a free song download at www.oneworldoursong.com.
Ralph Lauren Licensed
Pamela-Karen Souza-Davy Nathan’s Song,
“Language of Love”
Performed by Karen live in Estonia: Wordwide use for 6 months, Fragrance and Fashion!
Steve Cuden, writer of nearly ninety teleplays for many familiar TV series,
interviews
Pamela Phillips-Oland
qWaqq founder Jud Friedman
talks with hit songwriter
Pamela Phillips-Oland
Jud Friedman founded the songwriter streaming site www.qwaqq.com
A Life in Song
It's All About The Words
Defying categorization, the 3x-Grammy-nominated Oland writes pop, R&B, rock, country, jazz, kids and theater songs, with the same ease of inspiration
We all run into the same issues and hurdles.
Solving them is all in how you look at them!
Do you know how to turn a good idea into a great lyric?
I’ve always loved helping Songwriters find their Muse.
My own study of the Songwriting art and craft inspires keen Lyric Evaluations & Songwriting Consultations
I think conducting seminars is very much give and take. Writers open up, and I share a mountain of tips, tricks and secrets of songwriting
Book Review
The Art of Writing
LOVE SONGS
A Book Every Human Being
Should Be Forced to Read
As a guy with a graduate degree in psychology from Harvard and published scientific research, and as a songwriter affiliated with the Nashville Songwriters Association (and an author too) I picked up this book for some “tips.”
But then, I found myself absolutely blown away. This is a book every human being in the world should be forced to read, songwriter or not.
The insights into love, self-esteem, psychology, personal growth and personal development, the mystery of life, staying true to yourself–and becoming happier though writing and self analysis–are remarkable.
What Pamela shows is a path to learning how to love more deeply–to love others more deeply, to love yourself more deeply, and to be loved more deeply by others in return.
Using this information to write great love songs (as Pamela has) is just icing on the cake. But even if you don’t write songs, this book might change your whole life–its lessons on setting boundaries, nurturing your inner strengths, staying true to yourself and experiencing true joy and a sense of triumph in life simply blew me away. And I read a lot of books. Thousands.
This will remain forever as one of my favorite books of all time. I highly recommend this slender, brilliant and perhaps divinely inspired volume. It definitely gave me goose bumps–perhaps from on high.
If you are a songwriter and you don’t read this book, you will miss a lot of important information that could land you on the charts.
But even if you are simply a human being, you might find yourself living a life with a lot more love in it, if you buy this remarkable little book and spend an afternoon, or a month, or a year with it–letting it sink it to every cell of your brain and every fiber of your soul.
–David Snyder, NC Regional Coordinator, Nashville Songwriter’s Association International (NSAI), ASCAP Member
Author, How to Mind Read Your Customers and How to Hire a Champion CEO, Snyder, Inc.
* My apologies that this book is currently in short supply and awaiting reprinting. – Pamela