January 2011
Guild Tidings
The official publication of
The International Songwriters Guild
Volume 16, No. 1
NEXT MEETING 5:00pm Sunday, January 2nd, 2011
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,
Wow, here it is Christmas, and I’m sitting around like it’s Easter! My only activity is television. I can see people on TV, but they can’t see me (thank goodness). The only things I seem to remember these days are lyrics I wrote and played in the last 50 years. Many of them are really good lyrics! But I’m afraid I don’t get out much any more. It’s always good to hear from you. I’ve had several of you call and sing to me your latest songwriting attempts. Keep calling!
Hope you all are enjoying the Xmas season. I’m sorry I missed the Christmas party; I heard it was fun. I can’t recall ever missing one before. So, maybe next year. I always thought the Christmas party was the best part of our year; people kind of let their hair down and be themselves.
I always look forward to the next meeting, hope I can make it. I want to hear some of your new tunes. Keep in touch and let me know what you’re doing!
Best ever,
Russ
New Year’s Resolution
By Jeff Mason
I’ve made a New Year’s Resolution: I’ve decided to improve my songwriting craft next year. I feel like I’m on a vast plateau. I can write and I can play a musical instrument but I don’t think I’m getting any better as a writer.
I was talking about my frustrations with another musician. We agreed that there were a select group of American composers who were consummate craft workers. This group would consist of Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, George and Ira Gershwin, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Hoagy Carmichael, Frank Loesser, and Rogers and Hammerstein.
One thing they had in common was that they composed on a piano. Pianists are more knowledgeable than guitar players. They’ve been taught musical theory. They understand harmony and chord structure. So that is an area where I can improve.
Now I’m not saying that they were the only great composers. Lennon and McCartney will be considered the Mozarts of their time. They were, however, assisted by a skilled musician. I’m a talking about George Martin, their producer, an accomplished classical pianist in his own right.
Stephen Sondheim has written a new book, titled “Finishing the Hat”. The book is a compilation of his lyrics from 1954 to 1981 and his thoughts on the craft of songwriting. He is a recipient of 7 Tony awards, an Academy Award, 7 Grammys, and a Pulitzer Prize; and his 80th birthday was celebrated at the Lincoln Center this year. I think Mr. Sondheim may have something to teach me.
Sondheim speaks about the craft eloquently. He uses a 1936 Rhyming Dictionary and a 1946 Roget’s Thesaurus and for very specific reasons. The 1936 Dictionary was laid out in vertical columns and is easier to read, and the 1946 Thesaurus has just the right amount of cross referencing for him. Sondheim likens writing a song to baking a cake: you can have too many eggs and the mix is too rich, not enough eggs and the mix is too bland. He says, “If poetry is the art of saying a lot in a little, lyric writing is the art of finding the right balance of saying too much and not enough”.
Mr. Sondheim was an apprentice to Oscar Hammerstein at age 16. If you think of a lyric as a one act play, then a line is a scene and a word is a speech. Hammerstein taught him to examine every word with a laser-like focus. A rhyme draws the ear’s attention to the word, so don’t make the least important word the rhyme. A rhyme makes something that’s not too strong much stronger.
Well, I think that book will help me achieve my New Year’s Resolution. I’m just wishing for a Barnes and Noble gift card for Xmas.
Also, check out http://www.pbs.org/newshour/art/blog/2010/12/wednesdays-newshour-stephen-sondheim.html
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!
December’s Top Songs—Results of monthly critique session
(No critiques in December—check back next month!)
© 2011 ISG