December 2018
Guild Tidings
The official publication of
The International Songwriters Guild
Volume 23, No. 12
Next Meeting Sunday December 2nd 5:00pm. This will be the Annual Christmas Party.
Please bring a dish to share, and non alchoholic beverages. We will be having an
acoustic Jam Circle, so please bring your instruments and your voices, and let's
have some fun!!!
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
The typical 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),
or a short workshop/exercise. 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/
Web Chatter
by Cybertoad
http://www.cliffgoldmacher.com/three-situations-where-songwriters-should-think-twice/
Blocked Part 2
By Jeff Mason
The last two articles I wrote were about songwriting tips and ways to break through writer’s block.
This article is a continuation of those themes.
I found this gem of an article which explores songwriting challenges that will help you, not only,
overcome writer’s block but will make you more prolific. It was written by Sabrina Peña Young in N
ovember, 2017 and is titled “Songwriting Challenges to Cure your Writer’s Block.”
https://www.musical-u.com/learn/songwriting-challenges-to-cure-your-writers-block/
Here is Ms Peña Young’s definition of a songwriting challenge; “it is a composition exercise with very specific
parameters meant to challenge your creativity. This can be anything from limiting lyrical content, time frame,
instrumentation, or trying to create a certain amount of songs within a day.” Ms Peña Young lists the benefits
to be gained from songwriting challenges. They will make you create music outside the box, develop new skills,
produce a large amount of content, generate good musical ideas that can be fleshed out into full songs at a later
date, earn exposure, expand your song library, unearth talents that you didn’t know you had and connect you to
other songwriters.
If you google “songwriting challenges” you will find hundreds of them. In her article Ms Peña Young provides
links to some of the best challenges. One kind of challenge is a timed challenge. “This requires you to write within
a specific time frame.” “The 50/90 challenge occurs between July 4th and October 1st.” You have to write fast for
this one! The challenge is to write 50 songs in 90 days! This is the link to it but don’t worry you have seven or eight
months to prepare for it! 50/90 challenge http://fiftyninety.fawmers.org/
This challenge is hosted by the folks who run the February Album Writing Month challenge. It is better known as FAWM
and as expected begins and ends in February. You have to write 14 songs in 28 days. You still have to write fast but not
as fast as for the other one! http://fawm.org February is not that far away so get ready!
Another timed challenge is the Reddit Song-A-Week challenge. https://www.reddit.com/r/songaweek/
This gives you more time and as it says on the web site; “the goal is simple: write one song a week for 52 weeks straight.”
It looks like they may challenge you with different themes each week. Themed challenges “ could be anything from romance
to holidays to nondescript items.” Food themes seem to be popular. I liked this songwriting challenge: 10 Mini Songwriting
Challenges to Sharpen Your Writing Skills. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/10-mini-songwriting-challenges/
These are mini challenges. Here is one example:
Write the names of eight superheroes on notecards.
Put the notecards in a box.
Randomly select one card.
List three main characteristics of this superhero (for example, strong, slow, fast, green, genius).
Using your instrument or voice, create a short one-minute song based on this character in a day.
For this challenge, you can write a fun pop tune, an epic film score, a guitar solo, or whatever else you can imagine.
Some other themes are “Let Art Inspire You,” “Rewrite the same melody in three ways.” I can see how that one could
build up your melodic chops. Write a song inspired by a postcard. I was right about the food challenges being popular!
For here I found the “Musical Food Challenge.” Songs about polk salad and spaghetti are very popular, especially in
kid’s songs. Another was to write 10 songs about a girl. (or a guy) I am not sure if it has to be about the same girl or guy.
That would be a real character study. I liked this next one. Look at the emojis on your phone and assign an emotion to each
one and then write 7 songs about emotions. I have no clue why only 7 are required!
The Speed Songwriting’s Story Hook Challenge: 176 Popular Hooks for Songwriting took me to a new place where it
uses the periodic table of storytelling. http://speedsongwriting.com/story-hook-challenge/ This will help you “write original
lyrics with a strong hook.”
“Created by artist James Harris, The Periodic Table of Storytelling is designed just like the tabular arrangement of the
chemical elements, except instead of being organized in groups of alkali metals and noble gases, you've got plot devices
and archetypes”
The Google Image Challenge: https://images.google.com/ “Input any word into Google Images. Use the resulting
images as a prompt to write a new song. Be creative. For example, typing “ear butterfly elephant ballet shoe” might have
more interesting results than “dog”, like an African elephant with blue butterflies for ears or unique tattoos.”
Reddit is populated by writers and musicians sharing their creative ideas. I think that Reddit Writing Prompts would be
a good place to get one’s creative juices flowing. https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/
I hope that this article will help break your writer’s block. 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.
Past ISG member Nelson Vincent will be hosting a Songwriter Contest on Thursday November 29th at
Stardust Video & Coffee 1842 Winter Park Rd, Orlando, FL 32803.
Brought to you by O-Town Records, Soundwire Records, International Songwriter's Guild and
Stardust Video and Coffee.
Here are the details https://www.facebook.com/events/2178003432415805/
Details so far: Doors open at 6pm. $7 per song (registration at the door
limit 2 songs.) $5 per song if you pre-register online (details will be posted on website and
Facebook group page, also limit 2 songs.) Contest starts at 7, by which time all entrants must be registered.
Judges and audience voting will determine the winners, so bring your peeps!!!
First and second prize winners to receive trophies and publishing options and First prize winner
to get cash or gift card.
Why isn't your gig announced here? Members in good standing
call SusieCool with your appearance schedule! 407-760-2153
If you are interested in open mics in the Central Florida area, SusieCool has compiled a list.
https://sites.google.com/site/susiecoolsongs/Home/open-mic-directory-central-florida
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 8:30/9pm. The BBB has many delicious items on their menu, and also 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 19th 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
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/
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 2018 Critique Results
1. We May Never Pass This Way Again Melanie Fisher 16.83
2. Too Much to Ask Jeri Long Simpson 15.00
3. Make a Happy Mess Ron Collins 14.50
New members always welcome!
© 2018 ISG