Welcome to Songwranglers!

Note: This is a "beta" version of this page set up at this time to check links, etc. If you are interested in participating in the programs described in this page when they become available, please use our contact page to express your interest, and we will contact you when the programs are up and running.

The Songwrangler community is a virtual convocation of songwriters and would-be songwriters who are committed to helping each other grow artisticly and professionally. For more information on the community and how to join, check out our "Songwrangler Team" page.

I chose the title "Songwrangling," because that's what songwriting is to me. I get an idea, maybe a topic or a tune or a riff, maybe a catch-phrase or a potential "hook." And I wrestle with it, like an old cowpoke finding a maverick steer in a canyon, lassoing him, dragging him all the way to the camp, and wrangling him to the ground for branding.

Several of my friends are song-crafters. They approach songwriting the way potters or woodworkers approach a new project, with the right tools, some idea of what they want to produce, and the talent to see the job through to completion in a reasonable period of time. And the end products often sound more "organic" and "inspired" than mine do even after all my heavy lifting.

But my brain just doesn't work that way. Yes, every song I write carries my "mark," but each of them has worked as hard on me as I've worked on it, and some have left their mark on me, in a way. (I almost used a painting of Jacob wrestling with the angel in the header, if you know what that means.)

Lots of folks who read my pages are already song-crafters. Some are song-wranglers. Some wouldn't know a "bridge" if it came off the page and slapped them in the face. But we can all learn and share.

Note to my Friends who are Professional Songwriters - My friends who are professional songwriters, including Clay Mills & Marty Dodson, of SongtownUSA.com remind me that " . . . Learning from People Who DON'T Write Songs for a Living Can Create Bad Habits." I am NOT using these resources to teach anyone how to write songs - just trying to provide a "safe place" for sharing as we all learn together. (BTW, at the moment, Clay and Marty have a free resource up that you really should take advantage of here.)

If this site doesn't seem huge at the moment, don't worry, I have resources to add and other resources planned as I get time to work on them. But in the meantime, permit me welcome you aboard and wish you the very best of luck in all your musical endeavors!

Paul Race - Songwranglers

Songwrangler Features

The following features are currently available or TBA soon:

  • An open Songwrangler's Discussion Forum where folks can share ideas and links to good sources of information about songwriting. Only members can contribute, but everybody can read what is posted there.

  • The closed Songwranglers' Circle, where you can submit songs or partial songs or song ideas for comment and provide feedback for other folk's submission. This feature is free to members - you "earn" your continued membership and your right to submit your songs and song ideas for feedback by providing substantive, helpful feedback to other songwriters. Nobody but members see or hear what you write, so it's the online equivalent of a closed-door songwriter's workshop.

  • Songspectors. If you would like to get one-on-one feedback from Paul (and other qualified reviewers as they are added in the future), you can do so through the "Songspectors" feature. Paul accepts a limited number of original songs per month and - if he thinks he can make a fair judgement - gives the level of feedback that he thinks is appropriate for the submission. No payment is required up-front, or period, really. But if you think Paul's feedback is appropriate and helpful, you may express your appreciation, both through a feedback form and in a more tangible form.

  • Automatic subscription to our Free E-mail Newsletter - "Momma Don't 'Low," which supports all of our music web pages.

  • TBA: Other Articles about songwriting "to come."

Other Resources


Paul Race playing a banjo. Click to go to Paul's music home page.Whatever else you get out of our pages, I hope you come away with some great ideas for "sharing the joy."

And please stay in touch!

    - Paul Race Click to see Paul's music home page Click to contact Paul through this page. Click to see Paul's music page on Facebook Click to see the Songwrangler discussion forum. Click to hear Paul's music on SoundCloud. Click to see Paul's music blog page Click to learn about our Momma Don't Low Newsletter. Click to see Paul's YouTube Channel. Click to see Paul's Twitter Page


All material, illustrations, and content of this web site is copyrighted © 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006,
2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 by Paul D. Race. All rights reserved.

For questions, comments, suggestions, trouble reports, etc. about this page or this site, please contact us.

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