November 2015
Guild Tidings
The official publication of
The International Songwriters Guild
Volume 20, No. 11
Next Meeting Sunday November 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:
If you wish to join our Facebook group, please check us out at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/831814850193553/
Shoemaker Part Two
By Jeff Mason
Victorian novelist Anthony Trollope said,”My belief of book writing is much the same as my
belief is to shoemaking. The man who will work the hardest at it, and will work with the most honest
purpose, will work the best.”
I’m going to continue from last month’s article and further examine the arduous and daunting
task of rewriting. I think that an important reason a song doesn’t work is because the writer doesn’t
know what the song is about. This problem can be dealt with at the beginning stage of writing a song.
Write out a synopsis. Sheila Davis writes in her course and workbook, “Successful Lyric Writing” that
the first element of a well written lyric is a “A Genuine Idea.” The creative process, however, can be
convoluted. Sometimes a song develops from a chord sequence or a provocative rhythm. The brain works in
labyrinth like routes. The puzzle is to understand what the song is about. Paul Simon describes his
writing process for “Song About The Moon.” “ I was beginning to think that the idea of the song was
becoming too complex and inaccessible; that you had to know too much to like it. I kept asking myself,
what I was actually talking about? What was the point of the song? Although I was enjoying it, I
figured that I should be able to say what I had to say simply.”
http://www.paul-simon.info/PHP/showarticle.php?id=44&kategorie=1
This is an example of a writer tweaking his work during the creative process. It may take
months to deconstruct a lyrical idea. “ Sometimes, this kind of tweaking occurs during an initial
writing session. Other times, you might identify the lines that are “placeholders”-lines that you will
revisit and continue to work on later.” Jason Blume.
http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/the_art_of_rewriting_songs
“Often when we’ve worked on a lyric for a long time, it’s easy to lose the forest for the
trees. In other words, we get so wrapped up in making things rhyme and using imagery that the overall
concept of the song loses some of it’s focus.” This comes from Cliff Goldmacher in his informative
article “10 Foolproof Ways To Critique Your Own Songs.”
So the rewriting process occurs at the beginning, during and after the first draft. We should
always be checking to make sure that our “genuine Idea” is clearly understood.
Another important element according to Sheila Davis is “A Strong Start.” She identifies
several first line devices in “The Craft of Lyric Writing.”
Goldmacher stresses the importance of a strong opening line. “The opening line is the first and best
chance to engage your listener in the story you’re about to tell.”
http://songwriter101.com/articles/entry/10_foolproof_ways_to_critique_your_own_songs
Paul Simon is one of the best in the business at crafting a compelling opening line. Think
of “Hello darkness my old friend” from “The Sounds of Silence.” “After I died and the make-up had
dried, I went back to my place” from “The Afterlife” and from “Graceland,” “The Mississippi delta was
shining like a National guitar.” Maybe my favorite is “I met my old lover on the street last night”
from “Still Crazy After All These Years.”
http://www.americansongwriter.com/2011/10/interview-paul-simon-discusses-songwriter-and-songwriting/
Davis suggests we practice and study first- line techniques. She cites American, lyricist
Dorothy Field’s action opening line, “Grab your coat and get your hat” from “On The Sunny Side Of The
Street,” “ I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” and the provocative “I’m in the Mood for Love.” These
songs written with Jimmy McHugh’s melodies are still being recorded decades after their creation.
I would suggest that the reader spend some time studying these song examples and web pages.
Try to apply some of these techniques to your own songs. I found the first Paul Simon article very
informative and the two Sheila Davis books have to be in the aspiring songwriter’s library.
See you next month.
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
Asli Goncer, Dell Smith and SusieCool AKA "Jane Gang" will be playing at
Barberville Fall Jamboree
1776 Lightfoot Ln Barberville, FL 32105 386-749-2959 All day festival Saturday Nov 7th 10am-5pm,
Sunday Nov 8th 10am-4-pm.
"Jane Gang" performances as follows.
Saturday 7th Cabin Trail
12:30 to 12:55pm
Sunday 8th Depot
10:00 to 10:25am
Sunday 8th Sugar Cane Stage
3:30 to 4:00pm
SusieCool has just completed her latest CD called "The Best of SusieCool"
17 songs for just 15 dollars.
Details at: https://sites.google.com/site/susiecoolsongs/Home/cd-information
Jeff Mason gigs:
Nov 5th to 8th. Attending TAXI Road Rally in LA
https://www.taxi.com/taxi-road-rally-2015.html
Sat Nov 14 I'll be hosting a stage at the Deland Original Music Festival
I have 10 tickets for sale at $10 each
Over 175 acts at 27 Stages in Downtown DeLand Historic District. The largest one-day independent music
festival in the southeast!
https://www.facebook.com/events/1686916761538416/
Also for anyone interested, Central Florida Folk hosts a song circle at the Sleeping Moon on the last
Wednesday of each month. 7 to 10pm. All are welcome. It is acoustic. Next one is next Wednesday
September 30th. They have a facebook page too.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Central-Florida-Folk-Song-Circle/139385302761066?fref=ts
On the third Wednesdays of each month we have a playing circle with the Fingerstyle Guitar Group in the
Community room of the winter Park Library. 460 E. New England Ave.-- Winter Park, FL 32789.
6 to 8:30pm. Songwriters are welcome, but we do try to play our fingerstyle songs and not use picks.
There is more info on the facebook group page.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/228147620559285/?fref=nf
Current members please send us your website info if you would like your site to be listed in the ISG
members page. https://sites.google.com/site/isgsusiecool/home/links-and-recommended-reading/member-
websites 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.
October critique Results
1. "My Forever is With You" by Asli Goncer, Susan Foster-Trewick
Tie 2. "Long Live the Dreams You Pass Along" by Matt Griffin
2. "I Took a Chance on You" by Will Campbell
3, "Less Than Three" by Bill Frank
New members always welcome!
© 2015 ISG