August 2011
Guild Tidings
The official publication of
The International Songwriters Guild
Volume 16, No. 8
NEXT MEETING 5:00pm Sunday, August 7th, 2011
Officers:
President/Treasurer
Russ Robinson (407) 382-9942
Vice President/Newsletter
Matthew Griffin (407) 903-1212
Secretary
Jacquelyn Gould, campkittycat@gmail.com
Membership
Susan Foster-Trewick, susiecool2001@yahoo.com
Newsletter
Jeff Mason, jeffrey_mason@me.com
Matthew Campbell, matthew_sax77@yahoo.com
Website
Carlos Colon (352) 326-4295
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,
Hello again, friends. My wife and I attended ISG member Warren Bridges’ memorial service on Tuesday, July 19th. A number of current and former ISG members also were there to pay their respects. Warren used to say he’d be late for his own funeral, so they appropriately started the service 12 minutes late! The service was dignified and relatively brief, and ended with formal military flagbearers and a 21-gun salute; Warren had served in both the Army and the Navy, and had fought in two wars. If you’re interested, you can find an obituary on-line with some details of Warren ’s colorful life; google “Warren Bridges memorial” and it will pop right up.
To me, this is everything you need to know about Warren : when Russ became ill and unable to live by himself anymore, Warren took him in. Warren took care of Russ in this fashion for several years, even when 24-hour care had to be supplied. It can’t have been easy, but I never heard him complain. I had the pleasure of visiting with Warren and Russ a number of times; they always seemed relaxed together, and laughed easily. Warren was a gentleman and a friend, and I will miss him (and so will a lot of other people, for sure).
Russ was at the funeral by the way, and looked very dapper in a pinstripe suit. I’m grateful he was well enough to be there to say goodbye to his old friend. I’m not sure what the future holds for Russ, but for now he will continue to be cared for in Warren ’s home. Jenny is still there for Russ, and with her he’s in good hands. J
Matt (for Russ)
Life’s Great Contest
By Jeff Mason
I remember sitting in a restaurant with some musician friends about thirty years ago. The conversation got around to lotteries; one of the guys reminded me that I’d already bought a ticket for a lottery. I’m in the music business and that’s like a big lottery. It’s true that Lady Luck plays a part in any success one has as a songwriter. I think that luck plays a role in most endeavors. The difference between a lottery ticket and a songwriting competition is that a level of skill is involved in composing songs.
In my last article I concluded that I wasn’t ready to join TAXI. I think that entering a couple of songwriting competitions could be a cheaper alternative. Most of the benefits are similar to TAXI. There is an opportunity to win a lucrative prize and a chance to be heard by industry professionals. The judges can provide valuable critiques and there is the possibility of making useful contacts. To quote John Braheny from his Craft and Business of Songwriting: “For many writers, the incentive that a contest offers to get organized and quit procrastinating is worthwhile itself.“ I believe that entering one or two competitions would be an ideal preparation for properly taking advantage of TAXI.
The best and most comprehensive listing of competitions may be found at the following website: http://www.musesmuse.com/contests.html. There you will find links to the contests and be able to find out all their rules and regulations, including prices. The average entry fee is $30.00 per song.
Studiopros.com has an informative article about songwriting competitions. They stress that one should make one’s song the very best it can be because the level of competition is stiff. They advise to consider what the judges are looking for. Most competitions will list the criteria they judge the song’s merits on. Just remember that it’s always subjective. Most competitions provide a list of past winners so it’s easy to hear what you’ll be up against. The article points to five areas to concentrate on:
· The first suggestion is to be ORIGINAL and be as true to yourself as possible. Let your music come from you and not your influences.
· The next area to look at is MELODY. Make sure that it’s memorable. Try it out on your friends.
· The third area is COMPETITION. All the elements of your song should come together in a clear concise whole.
· The fourth area to look at is the LYRICAL CONTENT. Make sure you have a consistent theme throughout the song and that you have a clear message.
· The last point they make is what I consider to be the elephant in the room. They all say that they don’t judge the song on the SOUND QUALITY, but whether they realize it or not, sound quality will inevitably sway their opinion of a song.
The best article on the subject that I’ve found is in my dog-eared edition of John Braheny’s Craft and Business of Songwriting. He includes a ten-point guideline to song contests that is worthwhile looking at. The most important point is: do not enter a competition that places an automatic claim on song rights and any subsequent royalties. Before entering a song make sure that you’ve copyrighted it at The Library of Congress.
I have to go now. Good luck if you do enter a competition. See you next month.
ISG Bulletin Board
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.
Matthew “Sax” Campbell open mics and gigs:
- Acoustic Open Mic Night, 1st Thurs each month 9pm-12am, hosted by Matthew “Sax” Campbell, House of Beer, 13526 Village Park Dr, Suites 208&210, Hunter’s Creek (Orlando), www.hobflorida.com. All ages with parental supervision until 10pm, 21 and up after 10pm; no drum sets plz, small 1-spkr amps OK, all musical styles welcome, clean language till 10pm (no exceptions), non-smoking inside, full PA and 6 string acoustic and bass amp provided.
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
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!
© 2011 ISG