It happens a good deal. An old friend of mine contacted me about helping her with a song written by her husband, who passed away some time ago. It is a "Military" type song, and while I have not heard it yet, I am sure it is a very special song. She wanted me to help her get it "out there" and while I will do what I can, the reality is that it is difficult to get any song "out there" in any fashion, particularly, one that is from a while back.

I hear this fairly continuously, not only on military songs, but pretty much everyone trying to do anything in music. HOW DO YOU DO THIS?
It is not really a money thing. There's not really much of that. It is more a pride thing or wanting music to "live on" past when we are here. I think we would all like that for our music. And it is wonderful when a loved one who lives on, wants to do something for those loved ones. Very emotional. And I am sure all are worth getting out there. There are just a LOT OF SONGS, A LOT OF PEOPLE, and everyone trying to do the same thing.

Military songs are a very special thing because we are all protected by our military and rarely anyone in this country has not had relatives, been there, themselves, or know someone who has been involved in our country's military. So there are a LOT of those too. So what do you do?

Well, interestingly enough, there are a lot of former and sometimes even active military people who are actually musicians, singers, writers. They play in a lot of local VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars" or Veteran pubs, clubs, places where these warriors assemble. There are local businesses and civic organizations out there dedicated to helping the vets. So the options open up a bit.

Finding someone who is a singer and might be interested in military songs, would be easier to do if they were in the military themselves. And those people are in a lot of these places. That is where I would begin. I would also search Facebook for Veteran groups and find out who might be interested in corresponding on a song That is a good place to turn.

And this might be an approach for anyone with those "special songs." Songs about causes, or human interest stories. For most diseases, social ills, special interests, have support groups or people that have similar interests. I have a friend who has a song about Alzeimer's disease. My comments to him are the same. Find some people who are dealing with that, and the organizations that are interested in that. Pretty much anything people deal with, have other people with similar issues. Try going to those places.

Everyone who has ever thought about writing would love to have a "God Bless the USA" or "Where've You Been" with a major star singing it on television and bringing awareness to their concern. Sometimes that does happen, but very rarely. And the "We are The World" songs only come along once in a lifetime. So don't wait for that. If you have an issue, find the people who are simpathetic to that issue first. Trust me, finding a local group or singer, who might be playing those VFW or AMVETS lodge on the weekends, might be the perfect person to feature your or loved one's song.

In my case, Ed Moore, my co-writer, hooked one of our songs, 24 NOTES, up with an organization BULGES ACROSS AMERICA, who is dedicated to providing Trumpet players and buglers to play "TAPS" for veteran's funerals. A very worthy cause. And his band. BOOTHILL BANDITS carry the song well. A win win for all.

If you have a cause, find the people who share your cause first. Might not be the top stars, but it might be a star of tomorrow.
Good luck,

Marc-Alan Barnette
https://www.marcalanbarnette.com/home