M. Jason Green is is one of our endorsers. Jason is an award-winning songwriter with gold and platinum records to his credit. He writes for and runs country music star Clay Walker's publishing company penning 5 of the cuts on Clay's newest album but totaling 12 throughout Clay's career. Jason has also written multiple songs for artists such as Chris Cagle, Moe Bandy, Perfect Stranger and even Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen's License To Drive Playstation 2, Gameboy advance and Nintendo games. More recently writing 13 of the 16 songs including the title cut for the upcoming movie "Noble Things," starring Lee Ann Womack, and Ryan Hurst. His career seems poised to jump into overdrive.

We had a chance to catch up with Jason and got him to sit still long enough for an interview. We thought folks interested in our guitars would also be interested in all that Jason had to say.

FM: One thing our viewers will want to know is how you got into this. Ambition since childhood, something you fell into, or a combination or something else?

JG: W ell, it was actually kind of humorous in middle school, I thought I wanted to play the trombone and I can still remember the band director politely telling my parents I should get into something other than music. I was horrible! Later on in high school I bought a keyboard as everyone else did in the eighties and learned a few bits and pieces of things, but it wasn't until I turned eighteen and got my first guitar that I started to get serious. I took lessons for about 6 months and learned the rest from friends. Shortly after, I met Clay Walker while he was playing at a local restaurant. I asked him if we could get together and I could share some of the songs I had written. Clay actually came to where I worked and said, "Do you really want to be a songwriter?" I said, "Yeah," and he said the best thing I can do is be honest; the songs aren't that great, but you sing really good." (It wasn't me singing, it was another friend) We still laugh about that today. Along with the criticism Clay offered direction and through my wanting to learn more about the craft, we bonded a lifelong friendship.

FM: Do you remember specifically any suggestions he made?

JG: I didn't really understand song structure. I had never been exposed to any real songwriting. He showed me how to break things down, the mechanics of lyrics, how to build a hook and write towards it, to be visual etc. We began communicating back and forth - this was before Clay had been signed to his record deal and once that happened, he wanted to start a publishing company. He signed me as a writer and brought me to Nashville . Through his connections, he put me with some very high established songwriters, I can remember him saying, "This is my writer; take him under your wing." He got me appointments with such greats as; Kim Williams (Midnight Cinderella/Garth Brooks), Aaron Barker (Easy Come Easy Go/George Strait) Ed Hill (It Matters To Me Faith Hill) and Chris Waters (Better Things To Do/Teri Clark) to name a few. You cannot help but learn from these guys.

FM: Were these question and answer sessions or did you write together with them?

JG: I've written with all of them, everyone shows up with ideas but being the new guy, you have to prove yourself so I brought in many. I have always tried to use an abundance of titles to make up for my lack of singing abilities and my average guitar playing. I've always been strong with lyrics. I actually have a "hook book" with song titles that I keep with me all of the time and regularly add new ones to it.

FM: Most writers seem to have a preferred method on working and stick with it. There's always exceptions, but how do you write best?

JG: 90% of the time I'll start with a title and work backwards. Structure can be different depending on whether you're writing for rock or pop or country. For country, the end of the chorus, the last line we call the "delivery" of the song. That's where the biggest impact should be. I write the chorus first and then work back into the verses. Sometimes we don't have a title to start with, maybe just a really cool opening line and that can be tough because you can write yourself into a corner with nowhere to go. It's usually best to start with a great title.

FM: What's the shortest amount of time you've spent writing a song (that was picked up) and what's the longest?

JG: Well, I co-wrote "Rumor Has It" with Clay. It was #1 for two weeks, Billboard's #6 most played song for 1997; If memory serves me right, I think we did that in around a half hour.

FM: Did you know right away you had a hit?

JG: I didn't, I was still new. But Clay knew. He put the lyrics in his guitar case and said, "I'm cutting that." I'd say most songs average about a four hour session and we usually finish at least one song, sometimes two. You know, I've written songs that took ten minutes and stretched some over months while there're those I never finished, they're all different. There's a feeling when they are right and you know they're done and if they're not, well, they're not.

I think there comes a time when you really "get it" and understand how to hook out a song. You don't just rhyme for the sake of rhyming. You've got to say something. Every line has to say something. And so many lines are over used. You've got to say something that's been said a million times in a new and different way. It's also got to be combined with a melody that a singer would love to sing.

FM: Does working with another writer force you to get better quicker than you would on your own?

JG: Until you learn what you're doing, I encourage everyone to "write-up" (with someone better) because that's how you really learn what to do and grow. I also think it's just as important to "write-down" (with someone who is also still learning). You sometimes can learn more that way because you're trying to teach as you write. You'd be surprised what you can learn by teaching. To me, co writing is great. I like to write with folks that are either really good musicians or singers. It helps hearing the development of the song and it can be very inspiring.

FM: Do you have a web site?

JG: We will soon be launching mjasongreene.com. I also have a "my space" at "myspace.com/mjasongreene."

FM: How are you using our Foggy Mountaing guitar?

JG: I play it pretty much everyday and in all my songwriting sessions. I would guess that I've already written more than 150 songs on the guitar and there will be plenty more ahead. It's always in-tune and always ready to go. I love it!