October 2003
Guild Tidings
The official Publication of
The International Songwriters Guild
Volume 8, No. 10
NEXT MEETING 5:00 PM Sunday, October 5th, 2003
The International Songwriter's Guild meets the first
Sunday of every month at the Central Florida
Musician's Union building at 3020 East Robinson (at
the extreme east end of Robinson less than a block
from Herndon Airport).
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.
Officers:
President/Treasurer
Russ Robinson (407) 851-5328
Vice President/Member Reception/Newsletter
Matthew Griffin (407) 903-1212
Membership Coordinator/Website Coordinator
Susan Foster-Trewick (407) 760-2153
Archives
Barbara Ross (407) 862-2795
President's Letter
Dear Members,
It will be good seeing all of you after my absence from the last meeting. I experienced
an eventful trip; I'll relate a bit about it at Sunday's meeting. However, if I get carried away with my story, stop me. We're there to talk about songwriting and not my experiences.
I just had news from member Jim Dolan. He sent me a copy of a contract he asked me to review. It appears that country music star Lee Ann Rimes is going to record one of Jim's songs. She has been big on the charts for several years and this will be a big break for Jim. I hope he might be able to attend the meeting Sunday and tell us all about it. If he does make the meeting, we'll leave it up to him how much he wants to tell us about the contract. I never like to have a member feel they are being used.
Remember Danny Patterson with the great deep country voice? It seems he did quite well for himself in Nashville last month. Out of 11,000 songwriters in a contest that lasted several days, he finished second. Hopefully he will come to the meeting and tell us about his experiences. Several of you have been asking about Danny. We do miss him and other talented writers who have dropped out for one reason or another.
Hope this finds all of you well. Plan on coming to the meeting this Sunday. I missed all of you last month and I'm looking forward to seeing a good crowd.
Best ever,
Russ Robinson
Saved by the Song
By Matt Griffin
Your resident songwriting-philosopher has been working overtime of late. My latest musings have led me to this conclusion: my kids and my songs have saved me.
I think we're really lucky to be writers. It's a gift we shouldn't take lightly. Yes, it takes time and effort, but here's the thing: it gives something back, not just to the reader/listener but also to the author.
Writing, of course, is terrific therapy. Most psychotherapy going on in the world can be boiled down to this: find a way to express your feelings. Psychologists often have patients who've gone through some nasty breakup write an angry letter to their ex, then throw the letter away. Doesn't matter that no one read it; venting feelings is the fastest way to heal. We writers have a built-in escape valve for our feelings. The result doesn't even have to be good; bad writing works just as well!
I authored a Guild Tidings article a few months ago entitled "Why Write?" My answer then was that I have no choice, I have to write. But a new answer occurred to me a couple of days ago. Even if I didn't have to write, I'd do it anyway. I enjoy it, I want to write. I want to give birth (metaphorically, of course!) to original works of music.
The analogy is easily extended. As a parent, I have to give a lot of time and energy to my children; it's part of the job description, as you parents out there know. What I often forget is how much I get back from them, maybe more than I give. For example, I feel younger today than I did fourteen years ago, when I was fast becoming (in retrospect) a stubborn old habit-driven coot. I cannot imagine who I'd be without them; my kids literally saved me.
And so did my songs. I started writing regularly about the same time, when my wife was pregnant with our first child. It's hard for me to say which endeavor had the greatest effect on me. Now I'm a songwriter and a father, and I'm largely defined by those two roles. Before, I felt like I was no one.
I've given birth to a couple of hundred songs over the years, some pretty good and some not so impressive. And like a proud father, I have a message for all of them: thank you.
ISG Bulletin Board
Printing services for Guild Tidings are graciously provided by Printing USA, 4732 South Orange Blossom Trail (just south of Holden), Orlando. Phone: (407) 857-7468.
Just wanted to let you know that the certificates are ready for distribution. Please see Susan at the next meeting to pick them up if you placed in any of the monthly evaluations.
Custom CD Cover Art - Full color paintings, black & white illustrations to computer-edited photos with half-tone for photocopying. Prices start at $25. Call John Martello at (407) 293-1739 or email: omegaltd158@juno.com.
Omega Ltd. Productions
3415 Silverwood Drive
Pine Hills, FL 32808-2847
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 (griffinmc@netzero.net).
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 in the ISG. For more
information on display advertising and/or
classified advertising for non-members, please call
Russ or Matt or email: griffinmc@netzero.net
New members always welcome!!!
September TOP FOUR
Winners of last month�s evaluation session
(members only)
(1) The Last Encore Bill "V" Vontobel
(2) Real Love Bob Neace
(3) No Gain Bob Barker
(4) Jesus is Bigger Than That Debra Thompson and
Dale Cunningham
(c) 2003 ISG