Greg Johnston, composer, songwriter, producer and former MacEwan music student, was on campus this week as a part of the new Visiting Artists in Songwriting initiative. The program is a partnership between MacEwan University and the Department of Music, the Songwriters Association of Canada, Music Publishers Canada and Royal Bank of Canada (RBC Foundation).
Johnston paired up with Margaret McGuffin, CEO of Music Publishers Canada, for classroom visits with music students to discuss songwriting and music publishing. On October 4, he hosted a live songwriting event called Live in the Session, featuring Edmonton-based and Juno-nominated songwriters and producers iamhill and Michael Schlosser.
When Johnston first set out on his path to becoming a songwriter, he headed for Vancouver. He enrolled at Simon Fraser University, but felt that it was missing something he was looking for.
“I realized I wanted something less theoretical and more practical, because I wanted to be a working musician. I wanted to be a creator,” he says.
He found what he was looking for at MacEwan and says that his progression from student to working songwriter was a relatively easy transition. “You build a community of people that have a shared interest and a shared passion while you’re in the program. You leave the institution with people to play in bands with, people to ask to do a session with, and so opportunities build themselves.”
Johnston has been working in the field ever since, both composing scores for movies and television, and writing and producing radio hits with high-profile performers, such as Olivia Newton-John, Backstreet Boys and Nick Lachey. A career highlight, he says, was working on the music for a Dior short film titled Lady Grey London, starring Marion Cotillard and Sir Ian McKellan. Johnston worked with friend and fellow Canadian musician Hawksley Workman on the project.
“There was a real blend of songwriting, production, performing and scoring. It was the ultimate combination of all the things I love,” he says.
Outside of writing, he also works extensively with the Songwriters Association of Canada, Music Creators North America and Fair Trade Music to ensure that songwriters are treated equitably and understand how changes in the industry affect them, including the rise in streaming and the decline of traditional broadcasting and CD sales.
“We advocate for fair remuneration and for transparency within the industry,” says Johnston. “That means talking to lawmakers and being involved in copyright reform discussions. It can feel like a David and Goliath situation.”
When McGuffin approached him to be a part of the Visiting Artists in Songwriting event, Johnston was immediately on board. “I’ve always been a big proponent of MacEwan and the program. It was crucial in my career, and I’m still friends with people I went to school with there. I’m so excited to be a part of this.”
Students learned about both the creative and business side of songwriting and music publishing during Johnston’s and McGuffin’s visit this week. The Songwriting minor in the Bachelor of Music, being offered for the first time this term, aims to help students understand more about the business of music and how they can have a successful career that may not include being a performer. The minor is currently the only one of its kind in Canada, and Johnston is excited to see the outcomes.
“I found out about songwriting through trial and error,” he says. “There are these idiosyncrasies that you’ve got to get your head around in the songwriting business. I think this program is definitely going to provide a head start for students and their understanding of the business side of the music industry.”
Three tips for student songwriters
Get your share of streaming and radio royalties
“About two-thirds of the royalties that go out for the top-earning songwriters in Canada are going to songwriters and composers who are not the artist. I think it’s really important that songwriters understand how to make a living in music publishing and where the revenue sources are as they move into their professional careers,” says McGuffin.
Look beyond performing
“Someone may be an artist or musician on a track that they’re releasing, but there are also opportunities that come from being the songwriter or producer for other artists and with pitching songs, co-writing and composing. That’s what’s going to give them a really rounded-out career and full creative and business success in the industry,” says McGuffin.
Find your community
“It works well when creators and musicians are supporting each other. Ideas are born of other ideas. I think people can learn from the way creators talk to each other and bounce those ideas off of one another. Great songwriters always go with the flow a little bit,” says Johnston.
Tuesday’s songwriting event was only the first in a continuing series, says McGuffin. “We want to bring other professional songwriters, producers and music publishers to MacEwan over the course of the year. We would love to be able to connect students to music publishers so that the learning and connections continue, and to look for opportunities to grow music publishing companies in Edmonton.”