February 2012
Guild Tidings
The official publication of
The International Songwriters Guild
Volume 17, No. 2
NEXT MEETING - 5:00pm Sunday, February 5th, 2012
Officers:
(Outgoing) President/Newsletter/Treasurer
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,
Well, it’s hello and good-bye! As you know, I’m stepping down as president of the ISG effective, well, right now. The timing is kind of bizarre, since I’ve only officially been president for what, 12 days? But the choice was to accept a job transfer or a layoff, and my wife and I decided the transfer didn’t sound too bad. Huntsville , Alabama is a pretty nice place by all accounts.
I joined the guild in June of 1991, the month my son turned 1-year-old (that’s how I remember my start date). Russ Robinson was the group’s ebullient president, and Mickey McBride was his vice president and the one who got me into the group. Mickey became less and less happy with how things were going though, and split to start his own small group maybe two years later. You may know that Mickey passed away a few years ago, I think in Nashville .
The group went through several other vice presidents that decade, two of whom ( Dan Jones and Art Cappuccio) served multiple years. In July 2000 (I keep old newsletters!), Susan and I became co-vice presidents, and in May of the following year Susan fell back to membership coordinator and I assumed the vice position by myself. It’s been quite a run. J
Our guild is somewhat different now than it was in 1991. Russ relished the role of splashy showman, and he always seemed to have something lined up—a speaker, a demonstration, a gimmicky contest—to get people to come. I have neither his showmanship nor his connections, so more and more we’ve become a writer’s group. But the goal remains the same: to give songwriters a comfortable place to get creative feedback for their craft.
Now it’s up to you. My friends, you can make this group anything you want it to be. I think I’ve been a little closed-minded over the years, and didn’t take many suggestions on how to run the group. If you’d like to see the ISG make a move in a different direction, now is the time to step forward. Talk it out, agree to disagree, whatever. But remember the objective. I suggest you keep it relatively simple, but…it’s your choice.
Best of luck to you all, in your songwriting and all of your endeavors.
Your friend always,
Matt
Perseverance Pays
By Jeff Mason
I was thinking about our last ISG meeting. We may be small in number, but our group of songwriters is individually facing some big musical challenges. Matthew Campbell is trying to write a rock opus and Matt Griffin is endeavoring to compose a complex piece of religious music. Both are to be commended for the quality of their work. I am struggling to write about the Christmas story, in a new way. Susie Cool is attempting to write a humorous song about Feng Shui and has met with some technical roadblocks in its creation.
I’ve been reading an interview with Charles Fox. You may not know his name, but you’ve certainly heard his music. Fox is the musical mind behind Killing Me Softly which was first recorded by Lori Lieberman and later became an international hit when Roberta Flack covered it. Fox scored other hits with his collaborator, lyricist Norman Gimble. They were I Got a Name featuring Jim Croce and Ready To Take A Chance Again recorded by Barry Manilow. It is in film and television where the largest body of Fox’s work can be found. Fox is the composer of the themes from “Love, American Style,” “Laverne And Shirley,” “Happy Day’s” and “The Love Boat.” Mr. Fox has written an autobiography titled Killing Me Softly: My Life In Music. He details both the highs and lows of his career. A man of humble beginnings, a window cleaner’s son from the Bronx , he has earned two Emmy Awards, a Grammy, multiple nominations for Oscars and Golden Globes, a New York Film Critics Award, and even a permanent exhibit in the Smithsonian!
Fox believes that the one thing we all have is perseverance and that it can help us achieve our dreams. It is a characteristic that I see in my fellow ISG members. We all wrestle with creative challenges and, at the same time, accommodate a commercial environment. I found many interesting and inspiring websites dealing with the subject of perseverance. There are several sites containing quotations about perseverance, and as I read through them I realized that they could be the source of good song ideas. There are hundreds of songs about perseverance. It is one of those universal themes that strikes the common chord.
David Ahrens is a hornist and high school music teacher in California . He has an excellent blog ("http://davidahrens.us/soundeducation"). Mr. Ahrens has written a fine series of articles titled Music Life Lesson. Part Two is about the importance of perseverance. The blog has an inspiring quotation from American poet Emily Dickinson which I’d like to leave you with. “Luck is not chance, it’s toil. Fortune’s expensive smile is earned.” 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.
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!
January’s Top Songs—Results of monthly critique session
(1) Love and Grace by Matt Griffin
(2) I Think We’re Gonna Need a Ring by Jeri Long-Simpson
(3) In Flight by Jeff Mason
(4) Searching by Matthew Campbell
(5) That’s Another Story by Susan and Kent Foster-Trewick
© 2012 ISG