January 2012
Guild Tidings
The official publication of
The International Songwriters Guild
Volume 17, No. 1
NEXT MEETING - 5:00pm Sunday, January 8th, 2012
(changed from the first Sunday, this month only!)
Officers:
Acting 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,
I’ve been trying all week to figure out how to write this letter. My wife and I attended Russ’s funeral three days ago. But somehow, despite his lengthy illness, I still can’t believe he’s gone. It’s his voice that seems to have stuck with me this week, I keep hearing his voice.
Russ seemed to have a million friends, didn’t he? He made friends so easily, striking up conversations with people wherever he happened to be. He was genuinely nice, and I think people just kind of felt like they could trust him. Russ is probably the nicest person I ever met. And for all of the deserved accolades, the list of accomplishments and all, I think the niceness is somehow more amazing. I think that’s what I’ll remember most.
The funeral was quiet and dignified, like the man himself. Everyone who spoke up talked about how kind a person he was (sometimes too kind!). Russ was a World War II veteran, and at the cemetery a military ceremony was performed; the flag that had covered his casket was presented to his cousin Bill. Did you notice the date Russ died? It was Pearl Harbor Day; which seemed totally appropriate to me.
Forgive me my ramblings, but we also have some business to attend to. Note that the meeting has been moved to Sunday January, 8th to avoid New Years Day. I hope you will all try to be there. I’m sure there will be lots of reminiscing about Russ, but we also have to discuss the ISG in the long-term sense. I realize we’ve been operating the guild without him for a while, but I don’t want to assume anything. If you have ideas about what you’d like our group to look like, our January meeting is the right time to bring them forward. Sometimes it’s hard for me, but I’ll try to be open-minded.
Matt
Funny How Time Slips Away
By Jeff Mason
In the first chapter of Sheila Davis’s book The Craft of Lyric Writing she urges her readers to strike a common chord. A song will succeed when other people feel a strong connection to its theme.
Christmas is a nostalgic time. It’s full of yearnings and memories of past traditions. The subject of time is one of our most enduring song themes. There are hundreds of songs about time and many creative ways of approaching the topic. There are songs about the passing of time and songs about “the good old days.” I found a website called timelessDVD which suggested songs to be used on DVD Photo Slideshows. It said songs about time passing and changes are excellent slide show choices.
There are songs about the days of the week and songs that mention the time of the day. Midnight seems to be a popular theme. Morning is popular too. The afternoon doesn’t seem to have as many songs written about it but there are still a couple of gems. Afternoon Delight and Sunny Afternoon showed up the most in my web searches but I know there are more. The Platters had a huge hit with Twilight Time and there is a vampire movie series called The Twilight Saga which is huge with the younger generation. There are always films about time travel and there are songs about time travelers. We wish we could travel back in time and correct mistakes or wrongs. If I Could Turn Back The Hands Of Time by Big Twist or another song with the same title by R. Kelly reflect this sentiment.
My favorite songs are those that creatively use the changing of the seasons. Songs like September Song composed by Kurt Weill, with lyrics by Maxwell Anderson or Autumn Leaves with English lyrics by Johnny Mercer are standards. Willie Nelson seems to have a penchant for these kinds of songs, having recorded both. He turned a colloquialism into a fine song called Funny How Time Slips Away. It’s a standard and has been recorded by people as diverse as Dave Matthews and Al Green.
Henry Clay Work wrote a song in 1876 called My Grandfather’s Clock. It was a huge hit in Japan in 2002 and is a staple on the bluegrass circuit. It covers the passage of a man’s life and is a well crafted story. I like In My Life by John Lennon and Cats In The Cradle by Harry Chapin.
If you are sitting around this holiday season feeling nostalgic keep your recorder handy because there’s gold to be found in those memories and you might write a standard.
Becoming a professional musician was a long shot for me. My parents weren’t very supportive. Looking back, I can understand their point of view but being headstrong is part of being young. The years slip away and you can’t change the past. It’s been a struggle but I’ve got no regrets. I auditioned for a role at Disney in 2001. I’d auditioned numerous times before and never got a call back. This time the phone rang and for a month I was in a dream world as I prepared for a trip to Tokyo Disney Sea . Russ Robinson was so excited for me and I’ll always be grateful to him. He was so supportive. I’m sure others will testify to his generosity. He was willing to share his talents with others and was genuinely pleased for another person’s success. I think Russ knew that it was possible for dreams to come true. That is what this songwriting business is about. Keep on dreaming and keep on writing. See you next year.
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 gigs and announcements:
- Having a Christmas Party or Holiday Party and want awesome entertainment? You can book Matthew to sing and play saxophone in the holiday style, or book Sly to DJ the greatest hits of the season... or... both at a discounted rate! For a free rate quote, email matthew_sax77@yahoo.com today!
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!
© 2012 ISG