January 2003
Guild Tidings
The official Publication of
The International Songwriters Guild
Volume 8, No. 1
NEXT MEETING 5:00 PM Sunday, January 5th, 2002
The International Songwriter's Guild meets the first
Sunday of every month at the Central Florida
Musician's Union building at 3020 East Robinson (at
the extreme east end of Robinson less than a block
from Herndon Airport).
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.
Officers:
President/Treasurer
Russ Robinson (407) 851-5328
Vice President/Member Reception
Matthew Griffin (407) 903-1212
Secretary
Evelyn Nelson (863) 644-8699
Membership Coordinator
Susan Foster-Trewick (407) 679-4017
Web Consultant
Asli Walker (407) 359-0506
President's Letter
Dear Members,
Well, I guess by now everyone has settled down after the holidays. I hope old Santa took good care of you. They always say "Xmas is for kids" but don't believe it. If that is true, I guess I'm in the "old kid" group.
Those of you who attended the December 1st Guild party are still buzzing about the event. Matt, Art, and I were disappointed more members weren't there, but the 18 or 20 members that came plus guests made a big party. I mailed the December newsletters from the Boston area in plenty of time for you to receive them. I was shocked to learn the mail didn't get here until a day or two before the party. With the ice and snow I guess they take their time up there. Thus far no one has said they didn't come because of the late mail delivery, however.
Let's all let Art and Polly Cappuccio know how much we appreciate the great job of putting the party together, including sound system, piano, etc. Everyone brought great food, too.
I invited some new prospects interested in joining the ISG. Several are professional performers. Plus I had my honored guest Shawn Nielson, the president of our ISG chapter in Denmark, who did a great vocal on "Crying". He is returning soon to Denmark but I've talked him into staying longer to attend our meeting on Sunday, January 5th. I'll have Shawn tell about his recording experiences with Elvis Presley before moving to Europe.
I'm looking forward to our meeting. We have some catching up to do since December 1 didn't permit a business meeting. I'm expecting new members Sunday so let's all be attentive and let them know how we critique. Bring your latest original.
See you Sunday,
The Realities of Radioplay:
Essential Ingredients of Radio-Friendly Songs
By Mary Dawson, CQK Music
Hearing a song that you have written on the radio is definitely one of life's great "highs!" In fact, in the rich fantasy life of most aspiring songwriters, hearing your song on the radio ranks right up there with fantasies of winning the lottery or swinging from the chandelier with your favorite movie star - clad only in loin cloths!
As we have been learning, however, radioplay is a "reality-based" medium. Program directors are constantly trying to capture as many listeners as possible to drive up their ratings and consequently, their advertising income. So songwriters who have more than just fantasies about hearing their songs on the radio must learn to write from the listener's point of view (IWJ/October-November 2000) and to understand the listener's mind (IWJ/December 2000-January 2001). In this article we will examine some simple, but essential ingredients that will help you - the songwriter - to create such "listener-friendly" songs that radio decision-makers will select your songs for airplay.
� Radio Songs are Hook-Driven - The word - hook -- is an important one in the vocabulary of either a songwriter or a radio executive because it summarizes the goal of each. Radio and the songs it plays are all about hooking and keeping listeners' attention. To a songwriter the hook is the most memorable musical and lyrical element of a song. It is the thesis statement - that one-phrase summary of the whole creation - that line you want the listener to be singing long after the song is over. It is like the punchline of a joke - the payoff - the "Eureka Moment" when everything else in the song suddenly has meaning in the light of that one "diamond-on-velvet" line.
The hook is usually also the title and must be strategically placed at the beginning or ending of the chorus�..or at the first or last line of the A sections in an AAA or AABA song�.where the listener subconsciously expects the payoff line to appear. A well-written hook/title will be so clear and obvious that listeners will know it from the first hearing and will be able to request the song BY TITLE when they call the radio station to request it.
If a radio listener cannot accurately identify the title of a song after one hearing, it is clear that the songwriter has not mastered the effective use of the hook. It's time to go back to the "drawing board" and polish that all-essential skill before you can hope that your song will be attractive to radio - or to the listeners that are the heart and soul of both radio and hit songs. (For a more extensive examination of the concept of the hook/title, please see my article in the January 2000 IWJ - Build-A-Song III, From the Idea to the Hook)
� Radio Songs are Simple - We flaky right-brained songwriters love to hang out with other flaky right-brained songwriters. We love to compare chord progressions, and innovative melody lines. We pride ourselves on our creativity and poetic abstractions. But remember - we flaky right-brained songwriters are definitely a minority group. The vast numbers of radio listeners are NOT songwriters. They are ordinary people caught in rush-hour traffic who are trying to find something on the radio dial that will "touch them" emotionally and allow them to sing along. Don't believe me? Just take a few moments to look at the drivers in the lanes on both sides of you on your next commute. If they have found a song they like on the radio, they almost seem to be oblivious to the "audience" of other drivers on the highway. Watch them as they sing along with the radio�.playing air-guitars or beating out a rhythm on the steering wheel in their mobile "studio" as they sit in bumper-to-bumper gridlock. These are not music theory majors. They are ordinary people who purchase records, request songs and create "hits."
Next time you are channel surfing, analyze the most popular of the songs you hear. I can almost "gar-awn-tee" that the melodies and the lyrics will be SIMPLE! Why? Because ordinary people can "get" simple songs - they remember them because they can sing them!
Now, let me hasten to say that simple does not been simplistic or predictable and it certainly cannot mean boring! Songs must be fresh and interesting to listen to. But remember - songs have four main elements: melody, lyrics, harmony and rhythm. If the melody and lyrics are simple, singable and memorable - added interest and freshness can be added in the harmonies and rhythm used to arrange the song.
� Radio Songs Are Time-Conscious - Nowhere is the clock more a part of the action than in radio and television. Programs are timed to the second and within a certain segment, a specific number of time slots must be allotted for the advertisers. This simply means that you as the songwriter must also be very time-conscious if you hope to hear your song on the radio. While there is no hard and fast rule for song length, most radio-friendly songs run from 3 to 3� minutes. If the song goes over 4� minutes, it is usually too long.
Think about the clock as you write and record your songs and be a ruthless editor of your work. You may have to shorten or even eliminate that killer instrumental bridge that goes on for a solid minute. You will have to watch the intro length of your song as well - both because of the total time consideration as well as the fact that long intros often lose listener interest.
Even jazz numbers that contain lots of improv sections and instrumental solos usually will need a "radio edition" if they are to be considered for airplay. Remember�..less is usually more when it comes to radio songs.
� Radio Songs Are Genre-Specific - Most radio listeners realize that mainstream stations today are very genre-specific - that is, they play ONLY songs that are consistent with the musical style they represent. While it is true that "a good song is a good song" no matter the style, it is the wise songwriter who thinks before he/she writes (and records) about which stations might play this particular style of song. If your song is recorded with a jazz/pop arrangement, for example, it probably will not be considered for a country station. Sometimes it is possible to "straddle the fence" and arrange the music so that it is acceptable to two different formats, but this requires very savvy production skills by someone "in-the-know" about radio and about song production. It is always wise to consider these factors before you begin approaching radio stations with your next creation.
� Radio Songs are Discreet - While we as American songwriters are protected by the First Amendment and have the right to say almost anything we want in our creative works, it is usually not that smart to send your most uncensored song to radio. If your song contains offensive lyrics or profanity�..if the subject matter is too controversial or politically charged�if it is too far to the Right or to the Left, you will probably find it difficult to get airplay. It is wise to gain radio's attention - not by being controversial, but by being absolutely excellent at what you do.
Songwriters and Radio live in a symbiotic relationship - in other words, we need each other! Songwriters need Radio to bring their songs to the world and Radio needs great songs to attract the all-important listeners. As in any relationship that is mutually beneficial, each partner must consider the other's needs and interests. If we as songwriters are conscious of what is important to Radio, Radio will usually be open and interested in what we are writing.
As Pam Shane of Shane Media Radio Consultants has written:
� the individual song has become the key to (radio) success�.you can't have a great year without lots of great songs.
Songwriters��.Start your engines!
� 2002 CQK Music. All rights reserved, used by permission.
ISG Bulletin Board
Place your classified ad or gig announcement here! Free to ISG members as always!
Printing services for Guild Tidings are graciously provided by
Printing USA, 4732 South Orange Blossom Trail (just south of
Holden), Orlando. Phone: (407) 857-7468.
SusieCool will be hosting an open mic at Yalaha Bakery on Sunday Jan 25th, 1 to 4 PM. Food, drinks, beer, and coffee will be available. The event is free and outdoors. Featuring: Lisa Firestone, Serina Jung, Asli Walker, Vick DeGiorgio, Monica Rabino, Emily Stine, Linda Nunez, Kristen Hart, Tara and Friends, Jeri Simpson, Amy Mullings, Connie Blackwood. Yalaha Bakery, 8210 County Road 48, Yalaha, FL 34797, (352) 324-3366. See the website susiecoolsongs.com
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 you can email him at
griffinmc@netzero.net.
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 in the ISG. For more
information on display advertising and/or
classified advertising for non-members, please call
Russ or Matt or email: griffinmc@netzero.net
S.T.A.R.R.S. is having another showcase January 29-February 2, 2003, Sheraton Safari Hotel 12205 Apopka-Vineland Rd. Lake Buena Vista, FL, (407)239-0444 (800)423-3297. See the website for more details: starrsshowcase.com
We're always looking for new faces and new music. Come to a meeting and check us out!
� 2003 ISG