January 2004
Guild Tidings
The official Publication of
The International Songwriters Guild
Volume 9, No. 1
NEXT MEETING 5:00pm. Sunday Jan 4th 2004
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/Newsletter
Matthew Griffin (407) 903-1212
Membership Coordinator/Website Coordinator
Susan Foster-Trewick (407) 760-2153
Archives
Barbara Ross (407) 862-2795
President's Letter
Dear Members,
Well, here we are in a brand new year!
After all the rush we seemingly go through starting in November with Thanksgiving, and then soon comes plans for Christmas. December, I believe, is hectic for most everyone but now that�s all behind us. So let�s think about ideas for a new song.
It will be good to see all of you at the next meeting. Perhaps some of you did think about writing over the busy holiday period and we�ll get to hear something new. Be sure to bring it along.
I�ve had lots of responses over the holidays from new people wanting to join the ISG. It�s always good to meet new writers. There is something about the holidays that makes you creative!
We look forward to seeing what January brings. Let�s make 2004 our best year ever!
Hey, see you next Sunday.
As ever,
Russ Robinson
A New Year of Songwriting
By Matt Griffin
Welcome, 2004! Yes, it�s yet another new year. If you�re like me, you�re looking back at 2003 and wondering what happened. Where did the time go? If you had songwriting goals for the year, perhaps you didn�t meet some of them, or any of them. It�s easy to get discouraged thinking about it.
Well, hope springs eternal! It�s a new year and a new chance. How about if we try to set some new songwriting goals for 2004? I think it�s fine to have a couple of pie-in-the-sky dreams to shoot for, so long as you know that�s what they are. But I like to try to have some smaller-scope, realistic goals too. Feel free to call them �resolutions� if you�d like; personally, I dislike that term. The point is, give yourself some achievable goals and you may actually achieve them.
Here are some examples. I�ve intentionally aimed these at a variety of skill levels, so some of them probably won�t apply to you:
� I want to make (or have made) a professional demo of my best song.
� I�m going to place a song in the ISG monthly Top Five (or top 2, or first).
� I hope to pitch my best song to a publisher.
� I�d like to make a connection with a compatible co-writer.
� (Female) I want to have Tim McGraw�s baby.
� (Male) I want to have Faith Hill�s baby.
� I hope to travel to Nashville and meet with people on Music Row.
� I�m going to read three songwriting books.
� I�ve got to find a killer vocalist to demo my song(s).
� I want to hear a song of mine on the radio.
� I�d like Matt to give me a positive critique.
� I�d like Matt to shut up.
� I want to write a little bit every day.
� I�m going to write the best song I�ve ever written.
� I want every song I write to be better than the last one.
� I hope to attend every ISG meeting this year.
� I want to be a better songwriter in January 2005 than I am now.
I�m sure you can add some of your own. Go ahead, write them down. And good luck!
ISG Bulletin Board
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.
(Thanks Art Cappuccio !!!)
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
Just wanted to let you know that the certificates are ready for distribution. Please see Susan at the next meeting to pick them up if you placed in any of the monthly evaluations.
Custom CD Cover Art - Full color paintings, black & white illustrations to computer-edited photos with half-tone for photocopying. Prices start at $25. Call John Martello at (407) 293-1739 or email: omegaltd158@juno.com.
Omega Ltd. Productions
3415 Silverwood Drive
Pine Hills, FL 32808-2847
SusieCool invites you to an open mike event! The open mike is held at Austin Coffee and Film, 929 West Fairbanks Avenue in Winter Park (phone 407-975-3364). The open mike is held every Tuesday night from 8pm till 11pm.
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 ).
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 .
NOTICE: Matt has a new internet service and that means the ISG has a new email address!
Please address all future Guild correspondence, including Guild Tidings article submissions, classified ads, etc., to isgorl@cfl.rr.com .
New members always welcome!!!
No critique session in December. Bring a great song for us to hear in January!
� 2003 ISG