October 2010
Guild Tidings
The official publication of
The International Songwriters Guild
Volume 15, No. 10
NEXT MEETING: 5:00pm Sunday, October 3rd, 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
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 feeling under the weather, so I’m filling in for him this month.
For those of you who didn’t make it, we put on a good show at Beardall. Six of us performed: Patti Locke, myself, Susie Cool, Jeri Simpson , Asli Goncer , and Will Campbell. Patti has such a sweet voice, and charmed us with a new song. Susan, Jeri, and Asli basically performed together, taking turns doing lead and backup on both vocals and instrumentals; it was quite a treat. Then Will closed the show with his unique blend of old country standards and older jokes. And then, we all sang “Happy Trails” and said goodbye.
The show ran about an hour and 50 minutes, pretty close to my target of 1:45. Thanks so much to those who helped set up and pack up, and to those who supplied equipment and edibles. As I said, I thought it really went well. My only regret is that the audience was much smaller than last year; my theory is that September is not as good a month as August for this sort of thing. So maybe, August next year?
I hope to see you all at the October meeting, should be fun as usual. We have some new members with interesting material. Till then…
Matt (for Russ)
Tricks I Learned in English Class
By Matt Griffin
How well do you remember your high school and/or college English classes? Mine were quite a long time ago (no comments, please!), so I don’t remember a lot of details. But my favorite classes were those where we had to do a lot of reading and writing. I suppose that’s not so surprising, in retrospect. J
I can also recall studying specific features of literature including similes and metaphors, puns, parody, satire, and irony. Certainly any of these can work in a song lyric. Let’s look at these traditional literary constructs and see how they might work for a songwriter.
Similes and metaphors are common in song lyrics, and it’s easy to understand why. A lyric is best when it shows you something rather than tells you, and similes and metaphors fit that bill. A simile is a comparison to something easily understood, usually using “like” or “as”. Barbra Steisand’s song Evergreen (written with Paul Williams) begins with two similes: “Love, soft as an easy chair; love, fresh as the morning air.” Metaphors are similar except the comparison is direct, omitting the like/as qualifier. The chorus of a famous Paul Simon song says “I am a rock, I am an island”.
For my money, it’s hard to beat a well-framed pun. A pun is use of a word with multiple meanings, and humor is usually the intent. The better both meanings work in context, the better the pun. Jerry Reed wrote a memorable song with the title, “She Got the Gold Mine, I Got the Shaft”. Puns can work without humor too, as in the title of Billy Joel’s unforgettable “New York State of Mind”. Some people unfortunately don’t seem to get puns, and you know who you are. J
Parody is also used mostly for humor; it’s a skewed imitation of the original (song, story, movie, etc.). Anyone who’s ever watched Saturday Night Live understands parody. Song parodies have a long history; in fact, some performers (Weird Al Yankovic, Ray Stevens) have fashioned entire careers out of song parodies. If you choose to write a parody, make sure you get permission from the original author(s)!
Satire is much harder to pull off, especially in song. Satire is similar to parody but with a sharper edge; generally it provides some kind of social commentary, with or without humor. Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” has these well-known satirical lines: “They paved paradise, put up a parking lot.” Political songs are often satirical. Our own Kristen Bruno has written a number of them, like her hard-edged “Razzle Dazzle Man” satirizing the Bush presidency.
Irony is also tricky, but can work wonderfully if you can pull it off. Irony is sort of a natural incongruity or self-conflict, like when a firehouse burns down. I looked up “irony” in Wikipedia, and there’s a photo of a protester with a handmade sign that says “I can’t afford an actual sign”. Done right, irony can provide your song with a great ending. Rupert Holmes’ fun “Escape (The Pina Colada Song)” tells the story of a man in a committed relationship who answers a personal ad anyway, only to discover it was written by his girlfriend.
At the very least, it’s fun to try these literary features. At best, you may be surprised at how much flavor they can add to a lyric. J
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.
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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!
September’s Top Songs—Results of monthly critique session
(1) Take My Hand by Asli Goncer
(2) Whispering Gratitude by Matthew Campbell and Matt Griffin
© 2010 ISG