by Dan Reifsnyder, GSC Reporter
Dan Reifsnyder: Tell us about yourself as an artist and writer.
Tedd Swormstedt: I am a songwriter pure and simple, not an artist in the traditional sense. I love the act of writing a song that will touch someone and get a reaction.
DR: What got you into music?
TS: Very good question because no one in my family is musical. I remember lying in my bed at night listening to my father play Johnny Cash on the big stereo console in our living room and the sound would come through the floor. I guess that is when I knew I wanted to play guitar. I got my first guitar when I was 10 years old – a rental at that because my parents didn’t think I would stick with it. And I started to write songs, but they were not good ones at all. In high school I was in a band and we played all the dances, then in college I did the coffee house thing. Then I had to get a real job and I took some time off from writing. I gravitated to country music because it is pure and authentic and you don’t need all the accessories to get the meaning across.
DR: Who are your musical influences?
TS: That is a difficult question because there are many from Steely Dan, The Rolling Stones, and Allman Brothers to Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw and Jason Aldean.
DR: How did you get hooked up with GSC?
TS: I had gotten to that point where I wanted to get more serious about writing songs and how to pitch them to win. I asked the question in an online forum and Jayne Sachs said join GSC, Sheree is a great mentor, teacher and works hard for songwriters.
DR: Jayne is great! What do you feel is different about GSC?
TS: The personal touch and attention that Sheree is able to give everyone. The incredible connections that Sheree has and is able to give her members that put you face-to-face with publishers that make it happen. You have to have the songs and Sheree and her team help you learn the craft. To this day I don’t know how she does it all, but she has such passion for the business of songwriting, her members and seeing us grow and taking the talent we have to the next level.
DR: What are some songs you wish you had written?
TS: Dan that is another hard question – so here are a few “When I Get Where I’m Going”, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”, and “Humble and Kind”
DR: Good choices! What are some of your goals right now?
TS: I am working on setting up and doing more co-writes in Nashville and with other GSC members based on the contacts that I’ve made through GSC, and building my song catalog and pitching as often as I possibly can.
DR: What drives you to write songs?
TS: I love the process of writing although sometimes it can be frustrating and painful, but I love the idea of being able to say something and touch someone with a message that they can relate to.
DR: As a songwriter what is the most powerful thing that you’ve learned?
TS: Songs can come from anywhere always be open and always remember that your best song is yet to come.
