BECAUSE YOU ASKED...
I've been listening to you, and in response, I've lowered the "Choose Him Again" group bundle price to $4.99. I want to make it as affordable as possible. I hope that's helpful.
And since I'm on the topic of listening to you, here are the 4 most frequently asked questions from my customers, and my answers:
1. Why isn't your music free? (We're used to getting Church music for free)
Okay, nobody's ever come right out and said exactly those words, but they've asked it indirectly many times. And believe me -- I've asked the question to myself many times. I wish I could give it all away, but I can't, and this is why:
I don't arrange, perform, produce, or transcribe the music. I just write it. So I have to pay other people to do all that. Without their help, you'd never be able to hear the song before you ordered it, and you'd only receive a piece of hand-written notation paper with a melody line and a few inaccurate chord symbols.
I won't say how much it costs to produce one song, but I will say that I've only ever made all my expenses back on two of my songs. And I bet you can guess which ones they are. :)
If I don't charge -- and charge enough -- for the music, then I can't keep doing this.
2. Do you sell CDs?
I tried that. And it was a colossal waste of money and time. I did everything myself -- including designing the booklet insert and shipping everything. I even had a little 'shipping station' in my garage. Every time I received an order, I'd have to go out there and package, label and tape everything up, then drive to the nearest Post Office and send it. What a pain! (I'm not com-plaining -- just EX-plaining. Well, maybe both.)
Anyway, after a few days of that, I almost dreaded getting orders at all. And another week down the road, I vowed never to do that again. And I haven't.
3. Can I get your music on iTunes?
Yes! (Most of it, anyway.) Search the iTunes store on my name and the name of the song and you'll be able to download directly from there!
4. Why don't you write more music?
Well...that's a loaded question, and it has two answers:
Answer #1 is I do. I have lots of songs I haven't put out there yet. Some of them I plan to post during the first few months of the year:
SEND ME (about missionary work),
FOREVER IN MY SOUL (about grief and how we can find solace through Jesus Christ), and
CLOSER TO HEAVEN (a Mother's Day song).
I'm also working on a series of children's songs...so keep watching for those.
The 2nd answer to 'why don't I write more music' is that this is just a part-time effort for me. I would like to devote more time to it, but I have a busy life outside the music.
If you've read my blog before, you'll know that I refer to myself as "the accidental songwriter." Because I never planned to write music at all, let alone put it out there so other people can sing it. So I'm just grateful for this little 'miracle' in my life, and trying to keep moving forward, as time allows, writing a few songs here and there.
Please let me know what you think I should write about next.
And thanks for listening,
Shawna
Why should you ever apologize about the small fee you charge. I know every primary chorister could ask her bishop for the 5.00 it would take to get the bundle. I hope you break even on your arrangements. Writing music is very different than having a melody rolling around in your head. I am so impressed you decided to take it a step further for our benefit. You obviously have a lot of talent. I will continue to pay. Thanks.
I appreciate your ministry. My favorite song (The Miracle) humbles me every time I hear it. I love that your songs’ beautiful tunes and melodies allow your lyrics to speak their wonderful message! I thank you, and pray that God continues to bless your ministry.
Tom, thanks for your very thoughtful and timely comment. While I’ve struggled with this issue, I agree with you — we spend way too much time with the “popular twaddle” of the day…and “apply our financial value on that which our heart values less.”
Thinking about it that way, I’m happy to be part of something that brings meaning to a few people here and there, and if I can keep doing it, I will be very grateful.
Thanks again, and have a blessed new year,
Shawna
While it shows a good heart that you struggle with being compensated for your music, allow me to give you a perspective that I hope will help. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is free for all and it is that way by design. Your music is NOT the gospel. Rather, it is an artistic reflection of your feelings for the gospel and the God given talent for turning those feelings into beautiful music. We all know the power that good music has to uplift us, and in this genre of gospel centric music, to edify us as well. It is not a gift I possess myself so I value that gift and artistry in others to create such music to inspire me. Accidental or not, you have a gift for this, and it IS worth something. Frugality is a deeply entrenched part of the LDS culture. While frugality is a good thing, as it applies to an attitude that “church music” should be free, it is counterproductive. That very frugality can rob us something of great worth. We think nothing of paying for a popular song we like, without really considering that the artist produces numerable songs of questionable moral content that do nothing to uplift us, and even potentially degrades us. Then we complain there is so much questionable music out there while we have insured the future success of those who write questionable music. At the same time, we complain about having to pay for uplifting gospel centric music which, if we did, would insure the viability of those who create that type of music. To those people, I would say, open your eyes and be wise. We all need bread but if we insisted that bread was free, there would eventually be no one left to provide us with bread, because that is simply unsustainable. The same is true with the creation of music that edifies and uplifts. If we honestly looked at our feelings here, we may value such rare, edifying music over the popular twaddle we are inundated with every day, yet we apply our financial value more often on that which our heart values less. If we find something of value in this genre of music and would like to ensure it will continue to be available, our task is simply to “put our money where our mouth is”. To me, it is simply not a question of whether “church music” should be free, it is a question of whether we want to continue to have such music available to us. If we do not support the artists who bring us this music, we have no place to complain when it is unavailable. We cannot allow the pitiless principles of supply and demand to rob us of something of such great worth. You talk of your otherwise busy life. It is my hope that people will wake up and place sufficient tangible value on what you (and similar artists) do, that the most productive and valuable way for you to be busy is to spend the bulk of your time applying your gift to writing more beautiful and uplifting music for us to enjoy. Please, do not be ashamed to receive appropriate value for the value that you provide.
Hi Gina,
I’ve emailed you a response — but for others who might be interested, I should be able to post “The Star Still Shines” in the key ob Bb (1 whole step lower than the original) today or tomorrow.
Hope that helps you,
Shawna
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