December 2017
Guild Tidings
The official publication of
The International Songwriters Guild
Volume 22, No. 12
Next Meeting Sunday December 3rd 5:00pm. It's the Christmas party!!!
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 St.,
Orlando, FL 32803 (at the extreme east end of Robinson, near Orlando Executive
Airport)
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. If you wish to join, there is an annual fee of only $5. 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/
We welcome new members Terrance Berman and Darryl Berman.
Webchatter
By Cybertoad
We are preparing for the ISG Christmas party on December 3rd. Please bring some food to share.
We will be providing some meats (Chicken wings etc.), cups, plates, napkins, cutlery, sodas and
it would be nice if others could provide side dishes and deserts. We will then have an unplugged
playing circle, so please bring your instruments and voices. You can even play Christmas covers!!!
On another topic, I would like to recommend a new book written by Ari Herstand. It is called
"How to Make It in the New Music Business" you can find details of it at Ari's website https://www.ariherstand.com/
I am halfway through reading it, and it is packed with lots of detailed information for the independent singer/songwriter,
as well as being very entertaining.
Collaboration
by Jeff Mason
When I last talked with you I was hurriedly preparing for my trip to the TAXI Road Rally in LA. I was squeezing in some
guitar time as I’d decided not to take mine with me. It has become such a chore to fly with an instrument. I even had my carry
on bag searched because I had a harmonica in it! That decision was validated by a Facebook posting last week. United
destroyed a $15,000 custom 12-string guitar last March. I consider TSA an enemy of the touring musician.
I had found myself immersed in the collaborative compositions of Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello. They had first worked
together in November 1987. As I am writing this I am having one of those moments that we all have. Was it really thirty years ago?
I am realizing that is not the first time that I have been fascinated by this collaboration. Three of their songs appear on Costello’s
1989 “Spike” album. That album had a profound effect on me and the other musicians I was hanging with at that time. In particular
the song “Veronica” had a special meaning to me. It is about Costello’s grandmother and the ravaging affects on memory caused
by Alzheimer’s. My mother was suffering with a similar dementia at the same time. The song would later become Costello’s only
Top 20 hit in the USA. That’s another fact that astounds me. I have since learned how to play that song but I have never performed it.
I don’t know why. It was probably beyond my musical chops for a long time.
In December 2016 Paul reissued his new expanded version of his 1989 album “Flowers in the Dirt.” Nine of the songs are
McCartney/ Costello acoustic demos from that time period. There is a raw intensity about these songs and the performance of them.
Here is part of a People magazine interview with McCartney.
“For us, the best bit from the writing sessions was literally after we’d finished. We’d get our words written down and then we’d just
take our guitars downstairs to the studio and record ’em.” Flush from the high of creativity, these primitive takes possess an excitement
all their own. “It was great, coming really hot off the skillet. That’s my expression—it feels like we just cooked something, bang, right
to your plate! There’s an immediacy of just a couple guys going, ‘There’s a song!’ and banging it out. It’s immediate and I think it makes
it really believable. I like the performances too, because we hadn’t really thought how to perform it other than upstairs writing it. It’s just so quick.”
http://people.com/music/paul-mccartney-elvis-costello-song-collaboration-guide/
One idea suggested about pairing McCartney with Costello was that Elvis would provide a similar bite to the songs as John Lennon.
Certainly on the song “You Want Her Too” Costello responds to McCartney’s sweet line with an acidic, snarky line. It works too. I started
to learn that song and for a while found McCartney’s vocals a daunting proposition. Elvis took the lower vocal harmony in the songs which
is also reminiscent of Lennon in The Beatle’s songs. The next song that I learned is “The Lovers That Never Were.” During the bridge I made
a pleasant and interesting discovery. I realized that my Liverpool accented voice was blending with their vocals. Here is a quote from Elvis.
“I learned how to sing two-part harmonies from singing along with Beatles records. So of course, the minute I put my voice next to his, with
the somewhat harder edges in my voice, it naturally created some sort of regional echo. I call it the Mersey cadence. I wasn’t even born in
Liverpool. My family’s from Liverpool. But I’ve got a lot of those sounds in my voice.” I am happy to report to you that I only discovered this
quote last week and I was pleased to have my own discovery validated.
The third song that I have been trying to learn is “So Like Candy.” There is an edge and a sexiness to this piece. Later released on
Costello’s 1991 “Mighty Like A Rose” album. I don’t know why this song wasn’t a hit.
All of the songs that have emerged from this exciting collaboration are good. Some are even better. I offer this article as a suggestion
to learn about songwriting from two master craftsmen. 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
If you want to join us at the Central Florida Folk song circle, please show up at
Bikes, Beans and Bordeaux at 3022 Corrine Drive on the last Wednesday of each month
from 6 to 8:30pm. The BBB has many delicious items on their menu, and also have some vegetarian stuff.
They also serve beer and wine. They have a Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/Central-Florida-Folk-Song-Circle-139385302761066/
On December 20th we have a playing circle with the Fingerstyle Guitar Group
in the Community room of the winter Park Library. This is usually on 3rd Wednesdays.
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
SusieCool has become the organizer of a Meetup.com group called
"Orlando Creative Music Network". Please check out the webpage
for all sorts of upcoming events. It is free to join.
https://www.meetup.com/Orlando-Creative-Music-Network/
We also have a Facebook page for this group if you are not in meetup, but want info.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/274152179716552/
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
November 2017 Critique Results
1. Doesn't Make Sense Asli Goncer 17.43
Tie 2. Working my way Down Jeff Evans 17.00
2. BarbQ, Sweet Tea & Thee Bill Frank, Jim McDaniel, Ken Kittle 17.00
3. Sweet Angel Stephanie Barker 15.00
New members always welcome!
© 2017 ISG