September 2019
Guild Tidings
The official publication of
The International Songwriters Guild
Volume 24, No. 9
Next meeting Sunday September 1st 2019 at 5pm
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 meetings will be structured as follows: 5:00 to 5:30, business, networking 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/
Thanks to Matt Griffin for showing us the software he uses to help him write songs.
It is called Band-in-a-Box, and has many neat features.
WebChatter
by CyberToad
Here's a blog from Marty Dodson of SongTown about exercises to stretch your writing boundaries.
Looking For Joni #4
By Jeff Mason
One of the more interesting places to visit on YouTube is Wings of Pegasus. Here a young English
guitarist analyzes live performances of different musical acts. His name is Fil and he knows what he is
talking about. Wings of Pegasus are actually a well respected heavy metal band with a unique approach
to marketing and live streaming.
https://wingsofpegasusband.com/home
I found Fil’s breakdown of a 1969 video featuring a solo performance by Joni Mitchell singing
“Big Yellow Taxi” and “Both Sides Now.” Fil gives us a fresh take on Joni’s guitar playing. Pointing out
that she is skilled in the use of sound dynamics and comes in strong with the opening guitar chords but
fades back when she begins to sing. She has her guitar tuned to an open string F# which allows her to
play chords with one finger. We learn that she used up to 50 different tunings which meant that someone
was always back stage tuning her guitar for the next song. Fil also compliments Joni on her vocal skill.
She switches effortlessly between her head voice and her chest voice and her vocal range is wide. A skill
which is like yodeling. Talking about the song “Big Yellow Taxi” he tells the story of Joni staying in a hotel
in Hawaii and having a beautiful view of the mountains but also miles and miles of parking lots. This is
where the idea for the song about man’s destructive impact on the environment originated. While the song
is mostly an early environmental song the last verse could be taken in a couple of different ways. Is the
“old man” her boyfriend? Or could it be referring to her father? And was the “big yellow taxi” a reference to
a Toronto Metropolitan Police car? They used to be a bright yellow and so seen through the eyes of a child
a “big yellow taxi” taking her dad away.
“Late last night
I heard the screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi
Took away my old man”
Next Fil takes a look at “Both Sides Now.” Written by Joni but originally recorded by Judy Collins.
Joni didn’t care for Judy’s version so she recorded her own. Fil points out how skillfully Joni plays and loops
the opening chords around until the audience applause dies down. Joni placed #72 in Rolling Stone’s list of
the Top 100 Guitarists of all time. A fine guitarist who never allows her skill to dominate the song. And finally
Fil expresses enthusiasm for the fact that Joni produces and arranges all her music. This is another set of skills.
She’s won 9 Grammys and a Grammy Lifetime Achievment Award in 2002. She’s referred to herself as a
“painter who got derailed by circumstances.”
I have found watching Fil’s instructional videos enjoyable and his obvious enthusiasm is contagious.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLOoi37zuuw
I have gained a great deal of respect for Joni. She is a tough, uncompromising, multi faceted artist who has
sustained a long career in a male dominated business. She recalls some of her challenges in a 2014 interview
with Maclean’s magazine;
“Oh yes, I had the respect of my musicians. In jazz circles, the girl singer was tolerated and called “the chirp.”
For the most part, these women were accused of having bad timing and not being able to spontaneously compose.
I heard sessions with Billie Holiday where she would have no power in the room. It’s a man’s world. Men wrote
most of the songs for women and they were mostly tales of seduction. I wrote my own songs. That ended that.”
She says she was an outlaw because she used suspended. chords in songs. Something that “men cannot wrap
their heads around.”
“Men need resolution and suspended chords keep things open-ended. You go to a man if you have a problem
and he tries to solve it. You go to a girlfriend and she’ll pat you on the back and say, “Oh yeah, I get it.” She doesn’t
try and come up with some stupid solution.”
I will finish by leaving you with a link to that interesting interview.
https://www.macleans.ca/society/the-interview-joni-mitchell/ 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 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 Wednesday August 21st and September 18th 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. The event usually takes place on 3rd Wednesdays, but sometimes
2nd Wednesdays. 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/
August 2019 no Critiques
New members and guests always welcome!
© 2019 ISG