Guild Tidings
The official publication of
The International Songwriters Guild
Volume 29, No. 03
March 2024
Live meetings are Cancelled due to Corona-virus.
However, we will be having on-line Zoom meetings.
The next zoom feedback session will be Sunday March 3rd.
We will send details under a separate e-mail,
and an announcement on the Facebook group page.
If you want the zoom meeting details,
please e-mail us at isgorlando@gmail.com
Hopefully we will soon be meeting in person again.
Please stay tuned for more info.
Any Details not in this newsletter are at:
If you wish to join our Facebook group, please check us out at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/831814850193553/
FAWM 2024, My Struggle
by Jackie Mason
FAWM is the acronym for February Album Writing Month. This is taken from the FAWM web page. FAWM is “A global collaboration for making new music. So-called "fawmers" have collectively written more than 250,000 songs as part of our annual songwriting challenges. The goal is simple: challenge yourself to write one new song every other day in the shortest month of the year. Don't wait for inspiration; show up and make music! Participation is free.” This year marks the 20th anniversary of the songwriting challenge. https://fawm.org/
February 1st arrived and I enthusiastically opened my voice memos on my phone. I started a song and after a verse/chorus was written, I was bogged down. What was this song about? I opened a songwriter class and realized that I’d allowed myself to get side tracked. Three weeks later, I am yet to complete a song. I have several ideas on the burner including my first song attempt. I have nine days left and I am still optimistic that I will get some songs written.
During these three weeks I have come to understand that preparation is as important as execution. I’ve completed the FAWM challenge twice already and I think that’s a factor in my thinking too. On my to-do list there are other priorities that I must consider. I have a lot of important work to do on my house. On the music side, I realized that my files are in disarray. This is the Cambridge definition of disarray: “the state of being confused and having no organization or of being untidy.” This calls for my need to prepare and leads me to the following podcast.
https://chrislocurto.com/472-how-to-spend-more-time-preparing-than-executing/ “How To Spend More Time Preparing Than Executing” featuring Chris LoCurto and Brian Alex. It’s a good discussion and has some memorable quotes.
“This time around, examining that rough tension that exists between doing and preparing for the execution of our tasks and duties.” I can relate to this tension as I mentally punished myself for not working on FAWM as I applied myself to other priorities. I like this analogy “You probably remember that old adage about how sharpening the ax helps to chop down trees. Well, there’s really no mystery there! But, how often do we actually put that concept into practice? I mean, the part about sharpening before chopping. Not often enough, right?” Or this timely piece of advice. “Just because you’re accomplishing things and knocking tasks out doesn’t mean that you’re being the most productive and effective that you can be!”
I have an app on my phone called “Oblique Strategies.” This is Wikipedia’s description of Oblique Strategies:
“Oblique Strategies (subtitled Over One Hundred Worthwhile Dilemmas) is a card-based method for promoting creativity jointly created by musician/artist Brian Eno and multimedia artist Peter Schmidt first published in 1975. Physically, it takes the form of a deck of 7-by-9-centimetre (2.8 in × 3.5 in) printed cards in a black box. Each card offers a challenging constraint intended to help artists (particularly musicians) break creative blocks by encouraging lateral thinking.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oblique_Strategies
My app randomly selected this strategy last week. “Slow preparation, fast execution” My experience with “The Artist’s Way” advises me to pay attention to such random advice. Here I am referring to what Julia Cameron calls synchronicity. Julia created “The Artist’s Way.” https://apriljulia.com/2020/09/24/the-artists-way-reflections-synchronicity/
This article “Going Slow To Go Fast” by Chris Cancialosi gives some wise advice in the title.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/chriscancialosi/2020/06/23/going-slow-to-go-fast/?sh=7790549861fe
The following quote sums up my FAWM Struggle.
“I have the relentless voice in my head telling me to be decisive. To move, to execute, to push through. But what if this self-imposed reaction to all of the “chatter” in my life wasn’t something to try to simply push through but, rather, they were signals that it was time to reboot?”
I’ll have to write songs fast now! More from the Song Motel next month.
WebChatter
by CyberToad
If you are interested in releasing your music, Ari Herstand has a very good comparison chart for the Digital Distribution Companies that are around these days. He keeps it updated as things change.
https://aristake.com/digital-distribution-comparison/
Ari has been very successful as an educator, and has written a book that is now standard in many music colleges.
We are asking members to renew their dues for 2024. It costs only $5 per year,
and it helps us to defray costs for the zoom meetings.
We have 2 methods of payment. Either PayPal to our treasurer Asli Goncer's
PayPal account. The PayPal access is at aslivision@gmail.com
or you can mail a $5 check to
Asli Goncer
2849 Babylon Court
Oviedo, FL 32765
Either way, we appreciate your continued support.
ISG Bulletin Board
Meeting space graciously provided by Central Florida Musicians Association,
Local 389. You are invited to join the largest union in the world, representing the
interests of the professional musician. Visit their website at afm389.org for more
information. You may reach them by phone at: 407-894-8666.
Why isn't your gig or live stream announced here? Members in good standing call SusieCool with your appearance schedule! 407-760-2153 or e-mail her the details at isgorlando@gmail.com
If you are interested in open mics in the Central Florida area, SusieCool has compiled a list. Steve Hodak hosts several newly listed open mics on the East coast.
https://sites.google.com/site/susiecoolsongs/Home/open-mic-directory-central-florida
SusieCool is the admin for a Facebook group called "Orlando Creative Music Network"
where we give out info on songwriter meetings, playing circles, open mics, workshops and concerts.
We have a Facebook page for this group if you want to join.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/274152179716552/
No Critique scores for February, since no live meeting.
New members and guests are always welcome!
© 2024 ISG