December 2008
Guild Tidings
The official publication of
The International Songwriters Guild
Volume 13, No. 12
NEXT MEETING CHRISTMAS PARTY! 5:00pm Sunday, December 7th, 2008
ISG Christmas Party!
When: Sunday, December 7th at 5:00 PM (in place of our regular meeting)
Where: at the Union Hall, 3020 E. Robinson St .
Who: ISG members and their friends and family
What to bring: food and drink! Bring a covered dish, dessert, or some other food item. Remember to bring an amount proportional to the size of your party.
What else to bring: music! Bring tapes or CDs of original songs, especially Xmas music; standards are OK too. You can also perform your song(s) against a tape or CD, if you wish. Or bring a guitar or instrument of your choice. It’s your party, you can cry if you want to!
Pass it on, and join us for a fun and musical evening!
Officers:
President/Treasurer
Russ Robinson (407) 851-5328
Vice President/Member Reception/Newsletter
Matthew Griffin (407) 903-1212
Secretary
Jacquelyn Gould, crosstyes1@yahoo.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,
Wow, can you believe it’s just weeks before Christmas? I’m not fussing because during the holidays, even though I live alone, I turn myself into a kid again. I’ve always loved Christmas. Thanksgiving is great too. I’m looking forward to out-of-town guests coming to visit. I always like to have guests, I’m not a loner. I have been reminiscing on the Christmas holidays; I’d really like to see some snow. When you live up north, you just take it for granted. Wouldn’t it be neat to have a bit of snow here?
I’ve had several calls wanting to know if any of our members might want to perform an original song for a group function. We can talk about that at the Christmas party, if anyone’s interested.
If you have an unusual Christmas song, I’ll send it to Lou Heffernan of American Songwriters Magazine. The magazine publishes lyrics every issue (it’s bi-monthly). Lou helped us celebrate our 25th anniversary in 2001. It’s hard to realize our guild is 32 years old.
Instead of our usual meeting, we’re having a Christmas party; I’m looking forward to it. Details are elsewhere in the newsletter. Practice up a bit and sing something for us. And bring some food!
Russ
What Moves You Musically?
By Matt Griffin
One of the things that make life interesting is that we all have differing perspectives. Learning and appreciating someone else’s take on things enriches both them and us. It’s one of the reasons why travel is so rewarding, at least usually. J
Of course, we all have different tastes in music too. And if you sit down and think about it, you’ll realize there are dozens of genres and hundreds of styles. Add to that numerous methods of performing, hundreds of different musical instruments, and human voices of all pitches and timbres. There are so many ways to make and hear music; it’s amazing and perhaps a little intimidating.
So what moves you musically? My tastes are rather on the eclectic side; I enjoy music of most every style, if it’s well-done. My daughter plays in her high school marching band, and my wife and I have been chaperoning the band on football Fridays. The inevitable result? I’m hearing marching band music in my sleep! I have to admit, the music gets me charged up; I’d just rather it wasn’t at 3 AM. J
Okay, I’m getting old; my mainstream musical tastes are firmly grounded in 70’s pop. But I listen to modern pop from time to time, and some of it is quite good. I’ve noticed that a lot of old standards are finding new life on the radio. Country music has changed a lot over the years; just ask Will Campbell! But it’s still worth a listen. Rap is harder for me; I need a melody to float my boat. But jazz works for me, if it’s not too abstract. You don’t need to see my whole list (it’s long!), you need to write your own.
I think it’s a good thing for all of us to stretch a bit, and listen to something new or different. I think it ends up enriching our original compositions, even if we don’t recognize a connection. It’s like the old saying, “You are what you eat!” I think we write what we hear.
So if you listen to great music…
ISG Bulletin Board
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
Jeff Mason’s gig schedule:
Appearing At O'Keefe's Irish Pub, Fridays from 5pm, musicians welcome!
115 S. Rockingham Tavares, FL, 352-343-2157
Appearing at Tijuana Flats on the Patio (weather permitting), Thursdays and Saturdays at 6pm
444 S. Hunt Club Blvd , Apopka , FL 407 774 0402
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.
The services of Park Ave. CDs are available to local songwriters who want to sell their CDs. I have used their services for my 1st CD—Starling. This past week I left 5 copies of my second CD— Blue Star Highway (lyrics by Ester Starling, music by Mike Kondol).
There is no charge to you. They earn a modest commission from you on any sold. Location is 2916 Corrine Dr. , Winter Park , FL , phone 407-282-1616, web www.parkavecds.com. They are friendly and helpful; visit or call for details. Posted by ISG member Ester Starling.
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!
November’s Top Songs—Results of monthly critique session
(1) Sweet Screams by Bob Witmer
(2) Utopia Revisited by Susan Foster-Trewick and Lisa Firestone
(3) The Joy is in the Journey by Matt Griffin
(4) When All is Sad and Done by Bob Witmer
(5) Close the Door Gently as You Leave by Jeff Mason
© 2008 ISG