January/February 2005
Guild Tidings
The official publication of
The International Songwriters Guild
Volume 11, Nos. 1 & 2
NEXT MEETING: 5:00pm Sunday, February 5th, 2006
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 .
Officers:
President/Treasurer
Russ Robinson (407) 851-5328
Vice President/Member Reception/Newsletter
Matthew Griffin (407) 903-1212
Secretary
Jacquelyn Fain, crosstyes1@yahoo.com
Membership
Susan Foster-Trewick (407) 760-2153
Website
Carlos Colon (352) 326-4295
Archives
Barbara Ross (407) 862-2795
President's Letter
Dear Members,
Once again, after a long absence, it’s time to concentrate on our songwriting again. If you’re like me, you’re always writing in your head even if you’re not putting it on paper. I find myself composing no matter what I’m doing. At the close of the day, I try to remember my thoughts and see what I’ve come up with. It doesn’t always turn out to be a great song, but I do sometimes find some pretty good ideas. Try it; you may find it helpful.
Last Friday (the 20th), several of our members attended ISG member Liza Minelli’s concert in Melbourne . I had plans to be there, but the medication I’m taking kept me from making the trip. Member Glenn Moses called to say he went, and raved about the show. I was supposed to write an arrangement of one of my songs, “Butterfly”, but didn’t get it ready in time for her to include it. The older I get, the more I neglect important things like that. Too bad her appearance couldn’t have been on the weekend of our ISG meeting!
In this issue, please read Matt’s article. We’re looking for new ideas for 2006 and beyond, and we also need some volunteers for simple support tasks. We’re always open for new suggestions; show up to this month’s meeting and offer your ideas.
I hope to see all of you Sunday, and hear your latest musical endeavors. Till Sunday, best ever,
Russ
Where Are We Going?
By Matt Griffin
Here’s a hard question for ISG members: where are we going? By that I mean both, where are we going as writers and where are we going as a group.
As writers, it’s helpful to periodically take stock of our efforts and plan new ones. The New Year seems an appropriate and natural time to do just that. What would you like to achieve in 2006? Maybe you’d like to find a great co-writer, or link up with a publisher. Or maybe you’re just aching to write the best song you’ve ever written.
But I’m also thinking about us as a group. The International Songwriter’s Guild is a terrific organization, in my mind. I love what we do every month; I really enjoy hearing original songs, and (as you know) I even enjoy critiquing them. But our membership has been down, and the meetings have been drawing fewer folks (maybe an average of 8 or 9 people over the last year, down from our previous 15-20). So again…where are we going?
Maybe the question is, where would you like us to go? What would you like to see us do in 2006? I’m always a little gun-shy about asking those sorts of questions; too often I get answers like, “I’d like you to get my song recorded”. If I could snap my fingers and make it happen, I would…for myself too! But it really takes a lot of work (and luck), and I can’t do it for you. Please keep in mind that Russ and I are basically unpaid volunteers; our modest dues cover basic expenses and that’s all. In fact, Russ has dipped into his own pocket for the ISG many times.
So let me rephrase the question: what could we do to make our guild better? I’d like to do different things at the meetings occasionally. Example: Russ or I could do a one-hour seminar on some topic at the start of some meetings, perhaps every other one. We’ve had a few guest speakers in the past; maybe something like that could be arranged. Is there something I could add to the newsletter to make it more useful? Is there something we could do to help folks find co-writers? By all means, bring your clever ideas to the February meeting.
I think 2006 could be a watershed year for us. But we need your help to make it happen; the more help we get, the more we can do. In addition to your fresh ideas, Russ and I could also use a couple of volunteers. Membership has been largely neglected since Susan dropped out two years ago; it’s not a hard job, and would probably take someone only a couple of hours a month. Russ would dearly love to have someone help him address newsletters; again, that only requires a couple of hours each month. We don’t want to take a lot of anyone’s time, but a few reliable, well-placed hours of assistance will slay a lot of dragons. We also need a new group secretary; anyone interested?
Like any small organization, the ISG is only what its members make it. What would you like it to be?
Matt
ISG Bulletin Board
Lead Sheet preparation by Carlos Colon. A simple lead sheet contains the melody, lyrics and chord symbols. For more information, visit my website at www.cecoriginals.com and click on “Services” at the top of the page. Website design also available. Use your website address in advertising. Newspapers, business cards, fliers, to name a few and let’s not forget the use of email. Send your link to potential clients. For more information, visit a few of my clients sites at http://www.websandresumes.com/clients.htm.
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! Call or email us for more info!
© 2006 ISG