December 2010
Guild Tidings
The official publication of
The International Songwriters Guild
Volume 15, No. 12
NEXT MEETING CHRISTMAS PARTY! 5:00pm Sunday, December 5th, 2010
ISG Christmas Party!
When: Sunday, December 5th 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! Please 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. Even better, you can perform your song(s) against a tape or CD, or bring a guitar or instrument of your choice. Matthew Campbell is running the show!
Join us for a fun and musical evening; pass it on!
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,
Matt again. This time it’s on me; I’ve been out of town, and haven’t been able to hook up with Russ since I got back. Sorry, Russ!
Is December as hectic a time for you as it is for me? My calendar is already full of stuff, some fun and some obligatory. And I need to get started on my shopping soon. It’s always something of a challenge having the Christmas spirit when you’re worn to the bone. J
I hope you all are able to come to our Christmas party; the details are elsewhere in this newsletter. We always have fun, and the food is good. Come prepared to perform some of your originals, if you like; standards are fine too. Matthew Campbell is going to run the show for us, he has lots of experience at that sort of thing. Remember to bring some kind of covered dish, more if you’re bringing along friends and/or family members.
We have a terrific group, don’t you think? If you have the evening free, come join us to celebrate, well, ourselves. J
Matt (for Russ)
Thoughts on Inspiration
By Jeff Mason
There is a self help doctor, Wayne Dyer, who talks about the word inspiration and refers to it as “in-spirit”. I can see what he means. When we are inspired it does seem to come from a mysterious and divine place. He also refers to a Persian mystic and poet named Rumi who wrote this in a poem: “The morning wind has secrets to tell you, don’t go back to sleep.” Dr. Dyer asks his audience how many of them wake in the middle of the night and many hands go up. It’s interesting that so many people awake around 4 a.m. The world is at its most quiet at that time and we are at our most receptive.
I wonder how many of us have woken with a song idea only to lose it. It may be at lunch we recall it and by then the idea seems to have slipped away. We need to develop a “songwriter consciousness” according to John Braheny, author of “The Craft and Business of Song Writing.” That’s a book I highly recommend, by the way.
I’ve resolved to leave a digital recorder by my bed so I can capture those slippery and elusive ideas. We should keep a pencil and pad or a small recorder close at hand so we are able to record our inspiration. I think then with this new found consciousness we begin to find ideas everywhere. Snatches of overheard conversations can inspire us.
Keep a list of titles. Book and film titles are a source, as are pictures and photographs, newspaper and magazine articles, people’s lives, your family, your pet, current events, and your own life. We are all alike and what happens to you is (probably) something I can relate to. Here’s another idea: I used to turn down the volume on the TV and watch a movie. I’d then use my imagination to make up a story.
While I was researching this article I found a web page of Inspirational Quotes and realized they were a source for song ideas. The Internet is a tremendous resource. There are so many sites devoted to the aspiring songwriter. Let me share a couple with you:
The catcohen website has a really good feature called “Anatomy of a Hit” where he breaks down and critiques a hit song, which is a subject we’ve discussed in our last two meetings. I found it helpful to pull the song up on You Tube and analyze it this way.
If that old terror “Writer’s Block” should afflict you, maybe look out the window at the weather and see if that inspires you. Think of how many rainy day songs there are. If that fails, perhaps set your alarm for 4 a.m. and listen to the morning wind!
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.
- Thirdsday Acoustic Open Mic, 3rd Thurs each month 8:30pm-11:30pm, hosted by Matthew “Sax” Campbell, City Centre, 14 E. Dakin Ave, Kissimmee . All ages w/parental supervision, no drum sets plz, all musical styles welcome, no bad language plz, full PA and 6 string acoustic provided, weather permitting. If it looks like rain, we’ll be inside 3 Sisters having “Open Acoustic Guitar Night” with no mics or amps.
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
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!
November’s Top Songs—Results of monthly critique session
(1) Rose Colored Glasses by Matthew and Rebecca Campbell
(2) Across the River by Phil Pye and Matthew Campbell
(3) Gucci or Garbage Bag by Susan Foster-Trewick and Sheila Dixon
(4) Daydream by Matthew Campbell
© 2010 ISG