May 2010
Guild Tidings
The official publication of
The International Songwriters Guild
Volume 15, No. 5
NEXT MEETING: 5:00pm Sunday, May 2nd, 2010
Officers:
President/Treasurer
Russ Robinson (407) 382-9942
Vice President/Member Reception/Newsletter
Matthew Griffin (407) 903-1212
Secretary
Jacquelyn Gould, campkittycat@gmail.com
Website
Carlos Colon (352) 326-4295
Membership
Gilda Corrales (407) 327-5494
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 .
**** Songwriters, we will have a presentation at our May meeting:
The Artist's Continuum is an online music school and community founded on the principle that real growth in creative endeavors happens through a combination of learning and doing in a community of like minded and supportive people. Co-Founder Sheryl Olguin will present the vision of the Artist's Continuum, which includes a staff of world class musicians as instructors, life coaching, online virtual open mic's, performance cruises, musical cultural exchanges to locations such as Ireland and Japan , and an Internet radio station that plays the music of Artist's Continuum members around the clock. She will provide handouts of a simple assessment tool used to identify what's important in your music career and how to track your growth.
President's Letter
Dear Members,
Hey, everyone. I have been contacted by the Orlando Sentinel; they’re interested in what we’re doing. I told them about our upcoming meeting. If you have something going on that you think is worth telling, let me know.
I just got an idea; well actually, I just thought of an old idea again! Why don’t we work on a song as a group, not seriously but just as a songwriting exercise? It’s a new way for us to share our talents. I think it could be fun, and I bet we all learn something new about the creative process. If you have an idea we could start with, bring it to the meeting.
Through the Musician’s Union , I’ve been hearing about new songwriters; I’m hoping to get some of them into our guild. If you are a songwriter and Union member and see this newsletter, please give Matt or myself a call! Our phone numbers are elsewhere in this newsletter.
ISG member Asli Goncer contacted us with an opportunity. Artist’s Continuum co-founder Sheryl Olguin will speak to us during May’s meeting. It should be interesting and perhaps educational; please come.
One more thing: we want to put on another show at Beardall this summer. Come to the May meeting prepared to talk about it. See you Sunday,
Russ
Too Angry to Write
By Matt Griffin
Ever feel too angry to write? Or maybe, too depressed or distraught or nervous or frustrated or confused? Big negative emotions can temporarily silence your gifts, or even change them permanently. Tonight I’m definitely too angry to write songs, and I’m angry at God. He has big shoulders, so I’m sure He will understand.
My wife and I are good friends with this couple; the man is my daughter’s piano teacher. They have a grown son who’s proudly serving in the military in the Middle East , been there more than once in fact. I just heard tonight that the young man wound up on the business end of an IED and is now lying in a hospital bed, in critical condition with severe burns.
I don’t know the injured soldier, but I know his parents very well. They are wonderful people who are always giving their time and aid to others. Certainly they’ve done nothing to deserve to have such a horrible thing happen to them. Of course no one deserves to see their child in such a condition, yet such things happen every day. I can rationalize it; we’re all going to die someday, right? But I’m still angry.
Oddly, I’m too angry to write music but not to write this article. We’ve all heard how writing is “good therapy”. And it often works for me; I hope you’ve experienced the relief that simple expression can bring. But it doesn’t seem to be working tonight, not yet anyway. I’m still angry. The young man and his parents have a lot of friends; I bet a lot of people are angry at God tonight.
I don’t know how to finish this article; there’s no news coming from the family this evening. And of course, there can be no happy ending in the short term. Even if the man survives, he and his family have a long and difficult road ahead of them. What was God thinking? How can He let things like this happen to good people, to people who think of life as a wonderful gift and live that way?
I’m pretty sure there is no one on the planet, no person of any faith, who can give me a satisfactory ending to that question. Not tonight.
ISG Bulletin Board
Matthew “Sax” Campbell open mics and gigs:
- Acoustic Open Mic Night hosted by Matthew, Fridays 8pm-12am
Edna’s Place, 4076 S Goldenrod Rd , Orlando (north of the airport and Hoffner)
- Acoustic Open Mic Night, 1st Thurs each month 9pm-12am
House of Beer, 13526 Village Park Dr, Suites 208 &210, Hunter’s Creek (Orlando)
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
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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.
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!
April’s Top Songs—Results of monthly critique session
(1) Drifting by Jeff Mason
(2) Connected by Matthew and Rebecca Campbell
(3) Elephant Repellant by Susan Foster-Trewick
© 2010 ISG