March 2010
Guild Tidings
The official publication of
The International Songwriters Guild
Volume 15, No. 3
NEXT MEETING: 5:00pm Sunday, March 7th, 2010
Officers:
President/Treasurer
Russ Robinson (407) 851-5328
Vice President/Member Reception/Newsletter
Matthew Griffin (407) 903-1212
Secretary
Jacquelyn Gould, campkittycat@gmail.com
Website
Carlos Colon (352) 326-4295
Membership
Gilda Corrales (407) 327-5494
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.isgorlando.org or myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/internationalsongwritersguildorlando .
President's Letter
Dear Members,
I trust all of you talented songwriters to have the best song you’ve ever written to share with us this coming meeting. I’m going to try myself and see what I can come up with.
I’m presently not residing in my own home. I’m living with an old friend, songwriter and ISG member Warren Bridges. Some of you may remember Warren is the owner of Catherine’s Choice, a vitamin company. Warren ’s not only a good musician (sax and clarinet), but is always ready to make music. It’s good to have such a friend; I was also good friends with his late wife. Warren is already ready to dig in and learn new music. We often get wound up and play some of the oldies together. Maybe we can play for you at an upcoming meeting.
The phone number is 407-658-0962 if you need to call me here at Warren ’s; feel free to call me. My old number (407-851-5328) is going to be set up to ring here soon.
Hey, great news! Our VP Matt wrote a song about volunteering, and he and the song are now in a video promoting volunteerism. The video should be available on the internet soon. Hopefully it will be ready by next meeting, so we can all see it.
I’m looking forward to our meeting Sunday. You are a talented group, and I do appreciate all of you.
Russ
What If You Can’t Write?
By Matt Griffin
Have you ever experienced writer’s block? I think most of us have. I heard once on a radio show that a famous songwriter was terrified of someday losing his gift. The writer, believe it or not, was Paul McCartney, who of course has written or co-written dozens and dozens of (mostly) terrific hit songs. So I guess fear of writer’s block isn’t limited to us wannabes. J
I think the most important thing is just realizing that it can happen to anybody. Fortunately, writer’s block seems to almost always be temporary! But how long it lasts can vary. Often if you cool your jets for a couple of hours, things will be fine. But I’ve had one or two bouts that lasted several months. When it hangs on that long, a loss of confidence probably exacerbates the problem.
Here are some tips for dealing with writer’s block, a mixture of suggestions off of the internet with my own ideas:
Don’t panic. Inspiration seems to come and go naturally; get over it. Come back later and give it another try. If the blockage hangs around awhile, don’t let your self-confidence wane; remind yourself that you’re a good writer, perhaps listening to a couple of original compositions that you’re particularly proud of.
Try another activity. If you want to stick with something songwriting-related, there are lots of non-writing tasks you could do: work on a demo, catalog songs, scan the web or the library for a publisher, or make phone calls. Or give yourself a break with something totally different, like physical exercise or watching a movie. For a long dry spell, an extended interesting activity might be in order; you could join your church choir, take a night class, or go on holiday. The idea, of course, is to divert your mind.
Write anyway. This technique works especially well for people who are “blocked” because they are critical of their own work. Ignore your internal editor, stay relaxed, and just keep writing; eventually something you like will probably come out.
Deal with the underlying issue. If you know about a specific problem, you may have to deal with it before you’ll be able to write. For example, if you’re obsessed with a relationship issue, it may not be the time to try to compose. If you feel stressed or ill or hungry or angry, it will naturally be difficult to write until you get relief from the stressor.
Listen to songs. I don’t know why this works, but it often does. Sometimes inspiration comes on the wings of someone else’s composition (of course, be careful not to plagiarize). Mr. McCartney provides us another example: he was famously inspired to write “Let It Be” after hearing Paul Simon’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water”.
Don’t stress out or beat yourself up over it; just remind yourself that writer’s block will pass. Or come to an ISG meeting, and we’ll remind you. J
ISG Bulletin Board
Acoustic Open Mic Night, Fridays 8pm-12am, hosted by Matthew "Sax" Campbell
Edna’s Place, 4076 S Goldenrod Road , Orlando (north of the airport and Hoffner)
Bring your acoustics, voices, hand percussion, original and cover tunes!
Jeff Mason’s gig schedule:
Appearing at Tijuana Flats on the Patio (weather permitting), Thursdays and Saturdays at 6pm
444 S. Hunt Club Blvd , Apopka , FL 407-774-0402
Delivering high-quality FLASH streaming video! No matter what product or service you may be offering, the power of video can be impressive! In fact, flash video is the most effective way to deliver rich media on your website. Video grabs your visitor's interest more so than simply text and images, or even audio. Video keeps visitors on your site longer and often triggers a purchase! Video not only will enhance your marketing message, but it's also entertaining. Video is useful for demonstrating your product or service, as well as teaching, inspiring, and motivating your visitors to become a customer! So if you're holding out with a website that may look outdated or obsolete, you may be losing business. It's time to make a change. Visit my website at http://www.videosaysitall.com.. Thanks and call me anytime (352-326-4295)…Carlos Colon
Kitty Camp Pet Boarding—A loving, lakeside resort in Fruitland Park . Daily activities include: playtime, bird-watching, brushing, petting, purring, sunbathing, catnapping, and kitty’s favorite…mealtime! Daily/Weekly/Long Term, private rooms and suites available. 25% off weekly stay, FREE first night. Please call for details at 352-205-4284. Posted by ISG member Jackie Gould.
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.
We’re always looking for material for the newsletter. If you have any information that you would like to see added to the newsletter, please see Matt Griffin at the meetings or email him at isgorl@cfl.rr.com . Please keep your articles brief and to the point. Print deadline for the newsletter is approximately two weeks prior to the monthly meeting.
Classified advertising may be placed free of charge to members in good standing with the ISG . For more information on display advertising and/or classified advertising for non-members, please call Matt or email: isgorl@cfl.rr.com .
Why isn't your gig announced here? Call us with your appearance schedule!
Place your classified ad or gig announcement here! Free to ISG members as always! Just get your text to Matt by the print deadline (usually the Friday 16 days prior to the monthly meeting); email is best ( isgorl@cfl.rr.com ).
New members always welcome!
February’s Top Songs—Results of monthly critique session
(1) Sway by Matthew Campbell
(2) Excitable by Ester Starling and Mike Kondol
© 2010 ISG