Hi. We’re Allie Moss and Bess Rogers. Welcome to Thinking Outside the Blocks!
TOTB (for short) is a community hub for songwriters who want to grow their writing, overcome their blocks, and prioritize creativity in their lives.
We’ve been professional songwriters and artists for about 15 years, and over the course of our careers, we’ve dealt with our fair share of writer’s block, self-doubt, and creative burnout. Those struggles taught us so much, and through them, we’ve learned how to cultivate long-lasting and healthy creativity that keeps us on a path of growth and joy with our songwriting!
We started TOTB in 2016 to help other writers who may be facing some of the same challenges. Our workshops, challenges, and resources are designed to help fellow writers break away from those unhelpful mindsets and patterns and get them into a place where their creativity is flowing and evolving. We take a holistic approach to songwriting, focusing not on how to write a hit song but on how to love the process of songwriting and embrace our strengths while honing our weaknesses without judgment.
Since its inception, TOTB has expanded from a single workshop to a wonderfully supportive and diverse community of songwriters who consistently write alongside one another, share their work, and collaborate!Â
About Allie
Allie Moss is an artist, sideman, coach, and a pretty big nerd. She’s from New Jersey but currently calls New Orleans home. She’s quiet except for her big laugh, which she refuses to muffle.
Her 2011 debut "Late Bloomer" landed syncs on Pretty Little Liars, Bones, Parenthood, and a prominent BT Infinity campaign in the UK. Most recently, her song “Already Down” was featured in Charmed, Batwoman, and Netflix’s Virgin River. She’s been an integral member of Ingrid Michaelson’s band since 2006 and has also toured backing William Fitzsimmons, Joshua Radin, and Rosi Golan.
She is currently writing and recording music set to release in 2024.
About Bess
Bess Rogers is Assistant Professor of Commercial Songwriting at Middle Tennessee State University and an artist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. She graduated in 2005 from SUNY Purchase with a Master’s degree in Studio Composition, where she recorded her first album, Decisions Based on Information, produced by Dan Romer (HBO’s Station Eleven, Pixar’s Luca). From 2007-2013 she was a member of Ingrid Michaelson’s band as lead guitarist and backup singer, playing on stages all over the world, including Madison Square Gardens in NYC & Union Chapel in London, and on live television and radio, including Late Night with Conan O’Brien & Good Morning America. She also featured as a guitarist and singer on Ingrid's records, Be OK, Everybody, Lights Out, It Doesn’t Have to Make Sense, and Songs for the Season. In 2020 she co-produced, arranged and performed on 4 new songs for Ingrid’s Songs for the Season Deluxe Edition, including a duet with Zooey Deschanel (She & Him, New Girl).
As a solo artist, Bess has written, performed, and toured-in-support of her albums, Travel Back EP, Bess Rogers Presents Bess Rogers, Out of the Ocean, & Can’t Remember Where EP. Her songs have been featured on many TV shows, including Pretty Little Liars & One Tree Hill, and in advertisements for brands like Cheerios, Motts, Hersheys, Google, Facebook, New Balance, Cadillac, and more. In 2013 she formed a female-fronted rock band called Secret Someones and was quickly signed to Interscope/Cherrytree Records (Sting, Robyn, Feist), where they released their self-titled album to critical acclaim. The band toured internationally, sharing the stage with Feist, Ingrid Michaelson, Mariana’s Trench, A Great Big World, and more. In 2018, Bess joined Broadway’s first all-female pit band for The Go-Go’s Broadway Musical, Head Over Heels, performing in NYC’s legendary Hudson Theater.
Bess now lives in Nashville with her family, enjoys teaching and guiding the next generation of songwriting artists, and is writing her next solo record.
