April 2004
Guild Tidings
The official Publication of
The International Songwriters Guild
Volume 9, No. 4
NEXT MEETING
5:00 PM
Sunday,April 4th, 2004
The International Songwriter's Guild meets the first
Sunday of every month at the Central Florida
Musician's Union building at 3020 East Robinson (at
the extreme east end of Robinson less than a block
from Herndon 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.
Officers:
President/Treasurer
Russ Robinson (407) 851-5328
Vice President/Member Reception
Matthew Griffin (407) 903-1212
Membership Coordinator
Susan Foster-Trewick (407) 679-4017
Web Consultant
Asli Walker (407) 359-0506
January 2004
Guild Tidings
The official Publication of
The International Songwriters Guild
Volume 9, No. 4
President's Letter
Dear Members,
Dear Members,
Well, here we are about to start our new season, springtime! This has always been a favorite time of year for me. Remember a film from the past that starred Ann-Margret and Pat Boone called �State Fair�? It has always been one of my favorite films because of a song I like so well. I play often and have noticed smiles from the audience every time I play it. The song is called �It Might As Well Be Spring�.
I have an original I call �Comes the Springtime�. My audiences seem to like it too. I don�t remember having played it at a Guild meeting, so perhaps I can do it for you next Sunday. Hey, see if you can come up with a springtime song, too.
As I�m writing this letter, I�m getting ready to see a vocal group I�ve liked for years, the Four Freshman. At long last, they are appearing in Orlando tonight (March 21). Since they do my kind of harmonies, I�ve been a fan since they first started. I wish they were going to be in town at our meeting time so I could ask them to attend. ISG member Lois Frye is an agent for the group; she lives in Melbourne. I hope to see her at the concert.
And I want to see you all at our next meeting. I�m looking forward to it!
Best ever,
Russ Robinson
Dealing With Writer�s Block
By Matt Griffin
Admit it, you�ve been there; we all have. Maybe it was late at night, and you spent what seemed like an eternity staring at a blank sheet of paper (or a blank computer screen). No music, no words, no ideas, no nothing!
Many writers approach so-called writer�s block with a certain amount of intrepidation, if not downright terror. Shouldn�t a writer always be able to write? Short answer: of course not. Lots of things can come between you and inspiration: time pressure, weariness, physical discomforts, nervousness, frequent interruptions, etc. But it may be harder to accept that writer�s block can rear its ugly head when no obvious distractions present themselves. Sometimes no matter what you do, the brain just isn�t ready to write.
Some so-called experts say you should �write through it� but I generally disagree. You�ll never do your best work when the creative juices aren�t really flowing. Worse, you may start pressing or getting down on yourself.
I believe that the best solution is the most obvious one: relax and do something else. Creative people always get their inspiration back, and usually it doesn�t take long. In the meantime, focus on another project. Or, focus on another phase of the same project. There are lots of songwriting-related tasks that require much less creative energy. For example, compile a list of publishers to whom you want to send the soon-to-be-completed song. Make up your lyric sheet. Go to the store and buy cassette tapes. Read a new songwriting book, or reread an old favorite. I�m sure you can come up with many more similar ideas. It may also help to do something totally different and non-creative. Go to a movie, play a board game, or watch a cool sporting event on TV. Distracting yourself, in fact, might be just the thing to wake your slumbering creative spirit.
If you are stuck on a particular song (say, the bridge isn�t working), you have a somewhat different problem. Getting blocked on a given song is a very common problem and happens to all songwriters. Again, don�t force the issue. I like to go work on another song and let the first one sit a while. If it�s a good song-in-the-making, it�s worth coming back to again and again. If there�s still no progress after many repeat tries, put the song on mothballs for a while, or�consider taking on a collaborator. A fresh set of eyes and ideas can work wonders and break the logjam.
To me, the important thing is not to panic. Writer�s block is temporary and almost always brief. In my experience anyway, if you hang in there, the problem will take care of itself. J
ISG Bulletin Board
Printing services for Guild Tidings are graciously
provided by Printing USA, 4732 South Orange Blossom
Trail (just south of Holden), Orlando. Phone: (407)
857-7468. (Thanks Art Cappuccio !!!)
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 Russ or 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!!!
March Top Two�Results of March critique session
(1) Merry Christmas to All�and to All a Good Night, by Kristen Anne Bruno
(2) Small Things, by Patricia Locke