May 2011
Guild Tidings
The official publication of
The International Songwriters Guild
Volume 16, No. 5
NEXT MEETING 5:00pm Sunday, May 1st, 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,
Matt again. I talked to Jenny, and I’m sorry to say that Russ is still not doing well. I’m going to visit him tomorrow, and if there’s anything new to report, I’ll of course pass it along. Russ has been such a big part of what we do and for so long, it’s strange not having him at the meetings, isn’t it? If you’re reading this, Russ, we miss you.
I forwarded an email to you all about the USA Songwriting Competition. Have you ever tried submitting a song to one of those contests? There are a number of well-known contests and this is one of them. It’s not necessarily the best way to get a song out there, and you probably cannot use it to kick-start a songwriting career or anything. But it’s an option and worth trying.
Our friend and ISG member Susie Cool is going to give a brief presentation at the May meeting, the third and final of the Songwriting Goals series she’s been presenting over the last year or so. You can read her article elsewhere in this newsletter, excerpted from the book “Songwriting for Dummies”.
I will be out of town for the May meeting, so it will again be capably led by ISG member and all-around good guy Matthew Campbell. Maybe that will encourage more of you to come. J
Happy writing…
Matt (for Russ)
Creating Goals and Meeting Deadlines (part 3)
Excerpt from Songwriting for Dummies
By Jim Peterik, Dave Austin, and Mary Ellen Bickford
Wiley Publising, Inc. © 2002
(Editor’s note: this is the third in a series, first in October 2009 and second in February 2010. Our own SusieCool will be giving a short presentation on these ideas at our May meeting. So read and get ready!)
Jennifer Songsmith’s Songwriting Goals: Heavyweight level
Finding artists to work with: I will make a list of all the artists that are due to start a record and scan my catalog to see if I have any material that is suited for them, or see if my publisher or I can establish a co-writing situation with them.
Learning about artists' needs: I will listen to the most recent release of these artists as well as thrir biggest hits to see where they are, where they've been, and where they may be going.
Getting a song cut: I will set my sights on getting at least one of my songs cut by a major or up-and-coming artist.
Cataloging my songs: I will, once and for all, categorize my song catalog as to song style, tempo, and lyrical theme (all positive love songs in one file, all up-tempo anthems in another, all death metal in yet another) complete with notes and the details of the song's creation, writers' splits and so on.
Contacting the film industry:
Promoting my song in advertising:
Contacting other writers: I will make a wish list of writers whom I'm dying to collaborate with and contact them personally, through either my publisher or theirs.
Choosing how many songs to write: I will set a quota of songs that I'd like to write per month and attempt to meet that quota.
Choosing how many songs to sell:
Spending my royalties: I will start pricing real estate in Cancun and find local builders who are well-versed in recording-studio construction. I'll also continue my research on swimming with dolphins.
ISG Bulletin Board
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.
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
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) Fire by Matthew Campbell
(2) Runaway Slave by Susan Foster-Trewick and Kent Trewick
(3) She Sang a Song by Phil Pye
(4) Great Day Today by Matthew and Rebecca Campbell
© 2011 ISG