March 2015
Guild Tidings
The official publication of
The International Songwriters Guild
Volume 20, No. 3
Next Meeting Sunday March 1st 5:00pm
The International Songwriter’s Guild meets at 5 PM on the first Sunday of every month at
the Central Florida Musician’s Union building, 3020 East Robinson (at the extreme east end
of Robinson, near Orlando Executive Airport) in Orlando.
Songwriters, composers, performers, publishers, and the curious are encouraged to join us.
Non-members are invited to attend a meeting or two to get a feel for our group and what we
do. For more information, visit our website at www.tinyurl.com/isgsongs or myspace page at
The meetings will be structured as follows: 5:00 to 5:30, business and introductions. 5:30
to 6:00, presentation by a guest speaker (when scheduled), 5:30 or 6:00 to 8:00, song
critiques. Please bring a CD or I-phone or mp3 player or perform your song live, and bring
10 or more lyric sheets. If we have at least 5 songs by members who wish to be scored, and
6 members scoring, then we will have them entered in the Monthly competition. Everyone is
encouraged to write constructive comments on the lyric sheets.
Any Details not in this newsletter are at:
Note: There will be a talk on March 1st from Singer Songwriter
Beth McKee http://bethmckee.com/ about her adventures in music.
She currently hosts a songwriter's venue at the Smiling Bison
on first Thursdays. The next one is on March the 5th.
More Sonic Highways
by Jeff Mason
Technological change is inevitable and it’s consequences are far reaching. No
business has been affected more than the music business. I miss going to the record store
and browsing for a couple of hours. I’d usually go home with some unexpected treasure with
a delicious anticipation of listening to it.
If I’ve learned anything from watching “Sonic Highways,” it is the sad fact that
the local music studio is an endangered species. In the final episode, Dave Grohl
interviews Steve Rosenthall, the owner of the Manhattan studio; The Magic Shop. Here is an
excerpt from the script, “ We’ll see if recording studios last. We’ll see if this is
something that goes the way of the buggy.” Here is another excerpt from the script, “So
every time a studio folds, people cry,“Oh I miss that place. I miss that studio.” “Just
close your laptop and support your local studio. And the important part of this story is
the mentorship and the fact of helping younger people.”
I think I’d like to record in these studios just for their unique vibe. Robert Lang
Studios is the oldest studio in Seattle. It is a subterranean studio which has been dug
under a beautiful, old house on a hill. The scenery is breathtaking and the facility is
superb. The third and fourth floors serve as guest rooms for producers and extended stay
visitors. It’s luxurious and the view from the balcony looks to be spectacular. I’m sure
one would feel inspired being there. Robert Lang studios is continuing the mentorship thing
by offering hands on training for select students. The studio offers training on both
analog gear and Pro Tools. Among the famous clientele who have recorded in these stone
walled studios are Alice in Chains, Nirvana and Dave Matthews. The studio has been around
in some form since 1975. Six platinum’s, ten golds and two Grammys later, they are still
excavating! http://www.robertlangstudios.com/ Dave Grohl’s song for the visit to this
studio is aptly titled “ Subterranean.” Although the studio that I’ve described sounds
idyllic, I’m sure the overhead to run and maintain it is very high.
In the first episode of the series Dave and the other Foo Fighters record in
Electrical Audio studio in Chicago. This is a two studio complex owned by producer Dave
Albini. The show makes no secret of Albini’s reputation for being difficult. A 2005 article
from Sound on Sound opens with the following paragraph. “ The big cliché about Steve Albini
is that he has a reputation that precedes him. Regularly described in the press as
‘controversial’ and ‘difficult,’ he has against-the -grain opinions on studio technology
and on the role of the producer, and he’s stigmatized as the Godfather of Grunge, the
champion of heavily distorted, in-your-face, alternative rock. In person, however, he’s
easy-going and forthcoming, and it turns out that many of the other myths about him are
just that: myths.” After watching the show I came away with a similar opinion. He’s not out
to screw the musicians that he’s producing. From the same article, “He’s averse, for
instance, to the idea of a record producer, and he thinks that taking royalties is an
insult to the band. Albini insists on defining himself as an engineer and sees the essence
of his work as purely technical, rather than artistic. For this reason he will work with
anyone who calls, regardless of musical style or ability, and would rather not see his name
appear on record sleeves.”
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep05/articles/albini.htm
This idea is examined further in the show. Here’s an excerpt from the script: “If
I spend a certain amount of time on a record, and I’m paid for it, then I’m content. I just
don’t see any reason to extend the band’s obligation to me beyond that. That’s an unusual
position within the music industry. Totally normal if you’re a plumber or a carpenter. You
know, you spend X number of hours working on a house, you get paid for your time. You know,
‘Oh look, the house is still standing in 20 years. Maybe I should get a little bonus for
that, huh?’ You know what he’s leaving on the table more than anybody.” The last question
is directed at Dave Grohl who was the drummer for Nirvana. Albini refused the offer of a
royalty percentage for engineering the sessions of Nirvana’s album “In Utero.” In 1993 it
was estimated to be worth $500,000 but Albini proposed a flat fee of $100,000.
He appears to be a man of rare principles. In this next excerpt from the script
Albini delivers this brutally, honest assessment of his studio business, “ My monthly nut
on this place is about 30 grand, meaning come hell or high water, I have to make a $1000
every day. I’ve gone broke a couple of times. I’ve sold my house and I’ve had to sell off a
bunch of guitars. There was a very glorious period of about six or eight months where I
didn’t own anybody a penny. Now I’m up to my “expletive” in debt again. Playing cards is a
pastime of mine, but it is also a second income, and there have been times when I’ve been
able to pay the salaries of the people that work here because I had a good week playing
cards. Owning a studio is much more gambling than I do when I’m playing cards.”
The original song that Dave Grohl and the other Foo Fighters recorded at
Electrical Audio is titled “Something from Nothing.” The song took it’s inspiration from
the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Here’s part of the lyric, “Here lies a city on fire, it
started with a spark, and burned into the dark.” I took away my own interpretation of the
song. I thought about all the studio owners who’ve started from scratch, all the new
musicians picking up an instrument for the first time. I thought about each time we sit
down to write a song with nothing but an idea. A spark of an idea and we make “Something
from Nothing.” See you next month.
Web Chatter
by SusieCool
The following comes from Armen Chakmakian, a Grammy-nominated composer, keyboardist, and
recording artist.
Here he shares his royalty statements from streaming songs
http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/permalink/2014/04/03/streamingstatements
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 announced here? Members in good standing
call SusieCool with your appearance schedule! 407-760-2153
Jeff Mason playing St Paddy's Day,
O'Keefe's Irish Pub,
Tuesday, March 17th, 2015,
From 12.30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
115 S. Rockingham Ave,
Tavares, Fl, 32778,
352 343 2157
Current members please send us your website info if you would like your site to be listed
in the ISG members page. Also if you have any songs that have placed first in the monthly
critiques, please send the mp3's to isgorlando@gmail.com if you would like to have them
featured in the ISG MySpace page. https://myspace.com/21075001
February 2015 Critique Results
1 Ladies Night Bill Frank
2 Drinkin' From the Bottle Will Campbell
3 Faded Star Kent Trewick, Susan Foster-Trewick
4 This Ain't my Home Idell Smith
5 Springtime in my Heart Troy Soos
New members always welcome!
© 2015 ISG