November 2010
Guild Tidings
The official publication of
The International Songwriters Guild
Volume 15, No. 11
NEXT MEETING: 5:00pm Sunday, November 7th, 2010
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,
This is Matt; Russ is a little under the weather as of this writing, so I’m standing in for him.
I’m writing you from Lawton , Oklahoma where I’ve been sent on business. The landscape is quite lovely in this area, but yesterday I experienced the downside of southwest Oklahoma . The locals have been telling me that the weather can turn quickly. I was dressed in a light shirt and shorts, and went outside to my rent-a-car to go find some lunch. The temperature had dropped maybe 20 degrees in a half hour, and my sunny day had turned into a blustery storm. I think of myself as a lyricist, but my wife came up with the line: “ Oklahoma , where the wind comes sweeping down the plains”. Now I know what it really means.
We have to start talking about our Christmas party; where does the time go? At our upcoming November meeting, we’ll need to discuss how we’re going to celebrate Christmas as a group this year. The past several years, we’ve held our party in place of our usual ISG meeting, at the Union Hall; I think it works well. Bring any fresh ideas you may have, ‘cause it’s your party. Cry if you want to. J
See you Sunday. I’m looking forward to hearing your latest creations.
Matt (for Russ)
Pack Rat
by Jeff Mason
There is show on A and E called “Hoarders”. It’s about people who can’t seem to throw any possession away. I suppose it’s an obsessive disorder. But because of their hoarding, their houses are a mess. Sometimes the house is also unsanitary and it ceases to be a viable living space. Not a good thing. The program focuses on helping the people clean up their clutter and overcoming the disorder. They are Pack Rats.
But for songwriters being a Pack Rat is good and helpful. I’ve been reading “Music Composition for Dummies”, and one piece of their advice is to develop a Pack Rat mentality. It doesn’t matter if you write with a pencil and paper or a sophisticated piece of computer software: keep everything you write. Keep every scrap of paper, tape, cassette, CD, or digital work. Keep a note of every idea you’ve had. Keep a list of song titles.
I’ve been playing and writing music for over thirty years and I’ve maintained a filing system for everything I’ve written. I’ve got old tape reels, cassettes, CD’s, and scraps of paper with song ideas. I have many shoeboxes in my house! Here is an important point: I can find old stuff, quickly. A good file management system is an essential tool for a songwriter. I just had a discussion with former songwriting partner about a song we wrote in 1995. I couldn’t recall how it went but in an hour I was playing and singing it, all because I have a hoard of easily retrievable material.
You never know if that song you shelved ten years ago is your next great composition. That depends on whether you can find it and rewrite it with a fresh perspective! We all suffer from writer’s block from time to time. Maybe that little snippet of guitar you saved on a cassette in 1990 will unwind your creative juices.
It is bewildering how rapidly technology has progressed. It’s now possible to put those old tapes on a computer. I’ve discovered that a good file management system on the computer is essential, too. I recently wrote a song, made a couple of recordings of it and a video, and before I knew it I had 20 files with the same title scattered all over the computer. I must now develop as good a file retrieving system on my computer as I have with my Rockport Shoeboxes!
ISG Bulletin Board
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
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
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 bass amp provided.
- Acoustic Open Mic Night hosted by Matthew “Sax” Campbell , Fridays 8pm-12am
Edna’s Place, 4076 S Goldenrod Rd , Orlando (north of the airport and Hoffner). 21 and up, no drum sets plz, small 1-spkr amps OK, all musical styles welcome, full PA 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
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!
October’s Top Songs—Results of monthly critique session
(1) I Don’t Want to Leave You by Will Campbell
(2) Stronger Together by Rebecca and Matthew Campbell
(3) Piercing Green by Joseph Allen White and Curtis Kloc
© 2010 ISG