April 2010
Guild Tidings
The official publication of
The International Songwriters Guild
Volume 15, No. 4
NEXT MEETING: 5:00pm Sunday, April 4th, 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,
This is Matt writing. I should start by apologizing to Russ, and to all of you; logistical problems have kept me from getting Russ’s usual letter this month. I haven’t been able to get a hold of him by phone. Usually I just wait and put the newsletter out a day or two late, but I can’t wait this month: later today, I have to give up my laptop to a service guy for several more days (virus problems). So, we’ll all have to do without Russ’s usual words of cheerful encouragement for this month. Sorry. L
I’m sure Russ would’ve talked about Easter, and maybe writing an Easter song. Our April meeting falls on Easter this year; I hope that isn’t a problem for anyone. In the past, we’ve usually had decent turnout on first-Sunday-of-the-month holidays. I’m always surprised when the first Sunday falls on Independence Day and 15 people come to the meeting, but maybe I shouldn’t be. I draw a lot of writing energy and personal energy from our discussions and critiques, and perhaps many of you do, too.
For those of you who missed last month’s meeting, it ended up outdoors. The union hall had been given a fresh coat of paint the day before, and the fumes forced us out into the parking lot. Still, we had a spirited and enjoyable meeting before darkness and the chill of evening cut us short. I predict that for our next meeting, the weather will be warmer and the union hall will be habitable. J
Do join us on Easter Sunday if you are able. I’m looking forward to it, as always…
Matt (for Russ)
Make Every Word Count
By Matt Griffin
Spoken language tends to be filled with a lot of junk: um, uh, well, I guess, er, like, you know, hmm, and on and on and on. Even the best speakers sprinkle their informal conversation with plenty of words and sounds that communicate little. But when you’re writing a lyric, it’s important to avoid the extraneous junk; you don’t have many words or much time, so strive to make every word meaningful. It’s actually a pretty difficult thing to do.
I have a fun example for you: the first verse of “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” by George Bruns and Tom W. Blackburn. The song became popular in the 50’s as the theme song to the Davy Crockett TV show that starred Fess Parker (who by sheer coincidence died this week). Anyone familiar with the song will immediately hear the melody, but try to read the words without thinking about the music:
Born on a mountain top in Tennessee
Greenest state in the land of the free
Raised in the woods so's he knew every tree
Killed him a b'ar when he was only three
There are a lot of things to like. The lyric is cheery, the rhymes are clean and unforced, and the words are simple and singable. After a single verse, we already know a lot about Davy and where he lives. There’s a strong sense of pride in his home. The informal language itself reinforces the relaxed, mountain country appeal. Davy is completely at home in the outdoors, and he is smart and confident and brave and self-reliant. Not bad for one relatively short verse!
And every word sings. Each word is important, either to the meaning or to the feel. You can test this by picking any word and removing it; what’s left just doesn’t sound as good. And that’s without even considering how well the words mate with the melody.
In your own writing, try to craft your lyric so that it not only sings well and matches up nicely with the melody, but so that each line and (if possible) each word adds something. Work on the lines first; replace throwaway lines with better ones. If necessary, expand or narrow your overall focus to make it work. Then go through the lyric, word by word if you have to. Try to avoid junk-syllable words like “really” and “just” unless they really just need to be there (for instance, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” definitely needs the “just”). If you have obvious “syllable filler”, go back and rework the word or line.
You may not end up with a lyric that truly makes every word count. But if you put in the time and effort, you can get very close. J
ISG Bulletin Board
Matthew “Sax” Campbell open mics and gigs:
- Acoustic Open Mic Night hosted by Matthew, Fridays 8pm-12am
Edna’s Place, 4076 S Goldenrod Rd , Orlando (north of the airport and Hoffner)
- Acoustic Open Mic Night, 1st Thurs each month 9pm-12am
House of Beer, 13526 Village Park Dr, Suites 208 &210, Hunter’s Creek (Orlando)
- Live Music by Matthew "Sax" Campbell , each Sat March 20 thru April 24, 7-10pm
OLV Café (located in SODO), 25 W Crystal Lake St, Suite 175 , Orlando
www.olvcafe.com
- Live Original Music by Matthew "Sax" Campbell , Wed April 14th, 8-9pm
Orlando Brewing Taproom, 1301 Atlanta Ave , Orlando
www.orlandobrewing.com
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
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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!
March’s Top Songs—Results of monthly critique session
(1) Changed by Ginny Sparks and Susan Foster-Trewick
(2)-tie I Saw Red by Matthew Campbell
(2)-tie Cats Fight, Dogs Bite by Matthew Campbell and Matt Griffin
© 2010 ISG