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The Muse's News |
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Issue 10.10 - January 2008
ISSN 1480-6975
[ Back to The Muse's News Index ] [ Home ]
This issue sponsored by:
Vocal Release
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I n T h i s I s s u e :
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@-- Editor's Musings
@-- Music Reviews - Reid Murray, Chip Withrow, Gian Fiero
Chris Propfe & Alex Jasperse
@-- New Artist Spotlight Additions
@-- Songwriting Book Review - by Ed Teja
@-- Musical Notes - Songwriting Contests & Market Info.
@-- Muse's Clues - Songwriting Web sites that inspire - brought
to you by singer/songwriter & teacher, Irene Jackson.
@-- Featured Article - 4 Square and 7 Songs Ago -
by David M. Taylor II
@-- On Site Featured Article - An article already online for your
viewing pleasure.
@-- Classifieds & Useful Services
@-- Contact information
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ISSN 1480-6975. Copyright 1998-2008 - Jodi Krangle.
For more contact information, see end of issue.
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FIND WHAT YOU NEED AT THE SONGWRITING STORE ON THE MUSE'S MUSE
All sorts of products and services especially for songwriters,
negotiated so that you get the best price possible. You'll find
means of promotion and distribution, songwriting aids,
educational products, musical instruments and their accessories,
and lots more. Find the perfect gift for that songwriter in your
life, too - even if it's you!
http://www.musesmuse.com/songwriting-store.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
S p o n s o r M e s s a g e :
(Many thanks to the sponsors that help support this newsletter!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
VOCAL RELEASE SINGING SECRETS OF THE STARS - THE BEST SINGING
INSTRUCTION AVAILABLE - ONLINE OR OFFLINE
Learn how you can repair a damaged singing voice and greatly
improve your range, or keep the voice you currently have from
becoming strained. Learn techniques that will enable you to sing
in a commercial voice that can be applied to Rock, Pop, Rap, R&B,
and Country Music. A classical and or choir approach to singing
will not develop a commercial voice! Vocal Release is
specifically aimed at learning how to sing commercially. Learn
how anyone, even if they've never sung before, can develop a star
quality voice. The key is knowing the proper training techniques
from the start. Protect your voice in the long term and improve
its quality and power. Order Your Vocal Release System Today!
http://www.vocalrelease.com/?musesmuse
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E d i t o r ' s M u s i n g s :
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Hi folks. I had a wonderful time in northern Alberta visiting
family members I haven't seen in a very VERY long time. I hope
you've all had a wonderful holiday (whatever it is you're
celebrating) too and that you have a fun New Year's celebration
planned. 2008 is rapidly approaching!
I hope (like me) that one of your resolutions for the new year is
to write more! Any writing can be good - even if it doesn't
start out (or even finish!) as a song. Getting those creative
ideas out in the open is really what matters.
I'll keep this musing short this time so that you can get to the
good stuff. :)
And in the meantime, here are the latest raffle winners (if you'd
like to have a chance to be one of them, write to me with your
contact info (so I can send you the raffle item!) and the item
you'd prefer so that we can talk about it. :) :
* Amy Price, from Belmont VIC, Australia, has won a copy of
Virtual Studio Systems' Lyricist software
(http://www.musesmuse.com/vss-review.html).
* Claudia Nentwich from Berlin, Germany, has won a copy of Sean
Farrington's "The Little Black Book of Band Profit Secrets"
(http://www.bandprofit.com/).
* Dave Waterbury from Valley Village, CA, has won a free 3 month
membership to SongU (http://www.songu.com/), an Internet-based
learning environment providing online coaching, co-writing and
pitching opportunities, in addition to over 70 multi-level
courses developed by award-winning songwriters.
* Janice Hoyle from Rockwell, NC, has won a copy of
Bronson Herrmuth's "100 Miles To A Record Deal"
(http://www.songrepair.com/bookforweb2.htm).
Have a very Happy New Year, everyone!
See you on the other side. ;)
Best wishes,
--Jodi
Back to Menu
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S p o n s o r M e s s a g e :
(Many thanks to the sponsors that help support this newsletter!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WRITE BETTER SONGS WITH MASTERWRITER AS YOUR SONGWRITING PARTNER
NOW WITH SPECIAL HOLIDAY PRICING!
"This remarkable piece of software turns your Mac or PC into a
valuable songwriter partner"
-- Richard Leiter, Keyboard Magazine
If you have a high speed connection, you can download a 30-Day
demo. If not, we will send you a copy for $9.95 which will be
deducted from the purchase price if you decide to buy.
Receive a special ** $70.00 ** discount off the $289.00 list
price when purchasing through the Muse's Muse!
Please use discount coupon # 3004.
Endorsed by: BMI, ASCAP, NSAI, PRS and Taxi.
Winner Best of Show Macworld 2003
http://www.musesmuse.com/masterwriter-songwriting-software.html
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M u s i c R e v i e w s : Reid Murray, Chip Withrow, Gian Fiero
Chris Propfe & Alex Jasperse
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NEW MUSIC REVIEWS SINCE LAST MONTH INCLUDE:
Reid Murray:
* Danan Healy
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-dananhealy-christmas.html
* Lawrence Blatt
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-lawrenceblatt-fibonaccisdream.html
* The Jason Martinko Review
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-jasonmartinko-damaged.html
Chris Propfe
* Campbell Todd
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-campbelltodd.html
Chip Withrow:
* Urban Horse Thieves
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-urbanhorsethieves-rubber.html
Gian Fiero:
* Gian's 2007 Muse's Muse Awards:
http://www.musesmuse.com/gian-2007Intro.html
* Dan Ferrari
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-danferrari-dontletitfall.html
* Voice
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-voice.html
* Pro.Found
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-profound-dickie.html
* Blake Lewis
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-blakelewis-audio.html
Alex Jasperse
* Chaos Theory
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-danferrari-dontletitfall.html
* Royston Vince
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-roystonvince-london.html
---------------
******
For bios on each of the reviewers, see
http://www.musesmuse.com/musicreviews.html . If you're considering
sending in your own CD for review, you can also view that page to
find out which reviewer reviews your genre. Thanks!
Back to Menu
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N e w A r t i s t S p o t l i g h t A d d i t i o n s :
Great music is only a click away!
Here are just some of the great CDs highlighted in the
Artist Spotlight section of The Muse's Muse at
http://www.musesmuse.com/artistspotlights.html
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Midnight Falling - Genre: ROCK
'Beautiful Pearl', penned and performed by 'Midnight', is a
powerful collection of songs exploring the light and dark sides
of life. Now evolved to the progressive rock band 'Midnight
Falling', they continue to invoke their little creative secret:
making their best music when they're wearing black, and most
often, after Midnight.
http://www.midnightfalling.com/
-----
Jesse Rubenfeld - Genre: ROCK
Jesse Rubenfeld is a New York based singer-songwriter-pianist.
Smacking of The Eagles, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and Billy
Joel, his debut EP "Let It Go" spans up-tempo action, epic
lyricism, slow-rocking intimacy, and ponders the eternal
question, are we in over our heads? Should we hang on and fight
or give up and move on?
http://www.jesserubenfeld.com/
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One World - Genre: LATIN
Latin music will never be the same now that One World is back on
the scene with their third album, "Share My Love". Led by
singer/songwriter Frank Unzueta, Share My Love is a cutting edge
mix of jazz, pop and rock, a passion for traditional Mexican
sounds and an deep, growing desire to bring these styles beyond
today and into a bright, thriving future.
http://www.myspace.com/oneworldband
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"Keyboard Cathy" Wiegand - Genre: POP
If you're looking for something different, check out "Keyboard
Cathy" Wiegand's "Sushi Lover" EP. The versatile
singer/songwriter had performed at live benefits for years but
one song, "So Long & Thanks for All the Fish" — and her lifelong
love of sushi—inspired "Keyboard Cathy" to record her uniquely
original music.
http://www.myspace.com/keyboardcathy
http://www.keyboardcathy.com/
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Cheryl B. Engelhardt - Genre: POP
Cheryl B. Engelhardt, the versatile, Harlem-based DIY
singer/songwriter/pianist, mixes heartfelt and hard-hitting piano
driven pop songs and her dynamic ambition to become one of NYC's
fastest rising stars. With her critically-acclaimed sophomore
album, "Craving The Second" in tote, Cheryl and her band continue
impressing audiences across the US and Europe.
http://www.cbemusic.com/
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Plunky & Oneness - Genre: R&B AND SOUL
Plunky plays the funkiest jazz sax on the planet and with his
group, Plunky & Oneness, it's like John Coltrane and George
Clinton playing with Kool & the Gang. On stage or on disc it’s
P-funk, hot licks, high-energy rhythms and soulful vocals -
Plunky Drops the Cold Heat!
http://www.plunkyone.com/
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S o n g w r i t i n g B o o k R e v i e w : by Ed Teja
A database of the music world - RecordXPress.net
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The music business is dynamic and constantly changing. The key
players can change rapidly. As a songwriter trying to get
material into the right hands, you face the constant question of
whose hands to get the music into. There are tip sheets that
provide some information, but I find that a typical issue yields
just a few places that match my needs. Granted, if they are the
right ones, then that is enough. But another reality of this
business is that things move glacially for the songwriter. You
can wait a year or more just to find out if there is any
interest. Meantime you have to keep plugging.
Enter recordxpress.net. This is an online service that offers a
huge database of key players. It is updated constantly, so
whenever you log in, the information is as fresh as they can make
it. It isn't just a service for songwriters, but for anyone in
the music business. And the service is therefore broken into
categories. There is the A&R registry, Film & TV Music Registry,
Publishers Registry, and the Music Attorney Registry. Each of
these categories affords you access to a different portion of the
database. The listings are sorted into a large number of
categories, including composer agents, record labels, A&R
contacts, music placement services, music supervisors, movie
trailer companies, music libraries and publishing companies. Some
of these might not be of any interest to you, which is why the
database is categorized.
Once you access a section of the database, a single click gives
you the company contact information for a firm within the list.
As of this writing, there are, for instance, 468 publishers. If
you are trying to track one down, click on the name and there is
the information. Typically one or more contacts within the
company are listed, and clicking on those names gives you their
personal contact information (if they have provided it). You can
click on the company url to go to their website or click on the
email address to contact them.
As an optional service, because dealing with 468 publishers
online in this fashion might not be what you are about, you can
download the whole section of the database (or a subset, if you
choose) to your computer for later use.
Of course information like this is valuable, and therefore the
service is a bit high end for an individual songwriter. The
monthly charge for one of the registries is in the $100 range,
and the export capability is another $29.95. But, if you are
managing a large catalog of songs, or willing to spend to plug
your music, this might be the most cost effective way of staying
in touch with what is otherwise an incredibly elusive
marketplace. The database is easy to use and it seems
comprehensive. In several categories, browsing randomly, I found
players I know to be significant.
There is no whiz bang with this. It isn't glamour—just the fact.
Recordxpress.net is a business to business service that literally
puts vital information under your fingertips.
******
ABOUT THE REVIEWER:
Ed Teja has been working on his own music and now his new CD --
"SOFT DREAMING BLUES" has been released released by Morrhythm
Records (http://www.outstandingmusic.com/). It's a collection of original
(written alone and with an international group of cowriters)
smooth jazz vocals and instrumentals. Ed has appeared at strange
venues in Hong Kong, Canada, St. Martin, Bequia, Venezuela,
Grenada and Trinidad, as well as the Silver City (New Mexico)
Blues festival and the Tucson (Arizona) Folk Festival.
You can hear some of Ed’s music at: http://www.myspace.com/edteja
If you'd like *your* book reviewed (as long as it has something
to do with songwriting, of course!), please do email us and let
us know!
Back to Menu
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S p o n s o r M e s s a g e :
(Many thanks to the sponsors that help support this newsletter!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE 9th EDITION OF THE INDIE BIBLE IS NOW AVAILABLE!
The Indie Bible shows you where to get your music reviewed, your
songs played, and your CDs sold. Now in its Seventh Edition, The
Indie Bible has 330 pages of valuable contacts and music-related
articles.
The 9th Edition of the Indie Bible contains:
4200 publications around the world that will REVIEW your CD!
3400 radio stations around the world that will PLAY your songs!
500 vendors and services that will help you to SELL your music!
200 sites where you can UPLOAD your band's MP3 files!
500 helpful resources and sites where you can PROMOTE your band!
52 articles that will help your career to MOVE forward rapidly!
Listings include web, e-mail and physical address, as well as
phone and fax numbers.
For details and to order online visit:
http://www.bigmeteor.com/muse
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M u s i c a l N o t e s : Songwriting Contests & Market Info.
In the interest of conserving space, I will only be including
changes to this listing in this newsletter. All other contests
and market information that have already been listed here, are
displayed at http://www.musesmuse.com/contests.html &
http://www.musesmuse.com/markets.html . Please check there
regularly for updates!
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2007 WINNERS ANNOUNCED, 2008 USA SONGWRITING COMPETITION BEGINS
Ari Gold, Singer-Songwriter from New York City won Overall Grand
Prize as well as the first prize in the Pop category with her
song "Where The Music Takes You" in the 12th Annual USA
Songwriting Competition. See the complete winners' list here:
http://www.songwriting.net/winners.html
Entries for the 2008 USA Songwriting Competition are currently
being accepted. Winning songs of the 2008 USA Songwriting
Competition will receive airplay on a nationally syndicated radio
program "Acoustic Café"; as well as XM Satellite Radio. Sponsors
include Keyboard Magazine, Sony, Ibanez Guitars and D'Addario
Strings. http://www.songwriting.net/
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2008 LYRIC WRITER AWARDS (ROUND 1)
The Lyric Writer Awards from We Are Listening is the ultimate
contest for writers seeking music publishing, co-writing and song
placement opportunities. If you long to work with professional
songwriters and dream of getting your songs cut by major label
artists, this could really be the chance of a lifetime!
Details: http://www.wearelistening.org/about_lwa.php
Deadline: March 31, 2008
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FREE MUSIC PROMOTIONS EBOOK!
The author of The Little Black Book Of Band Profit Secrets has
come thru again! He's just published: "Co-Op Synergy Power, Your
Fast-Track To Profit, Exposure And Free Advertising..." and
musesmuse.com fans can get it for free.
Click here> http://jodimuse.ssl4000.hop.clickbank.net/
And be sure to check out The Little Black Book Of Band Profit
Secrets while your there... It's worth the look.
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BREAKING THE BAND 2
We Are Listening have rounded up all of our resources for the
definitive opportunity and all-encompassing experience for
independent artists – Breaking the Band!
Imagine every song contest, licensing, press, booking, touring
and festival showcasing opportunity rolled into one. Now, imagine
playing a prime-time slot at a major US music festival, licensing
your songs to at least 3 major television networks, enjoying
extensive radio play, working 100 media outlets and receiving
months of booking and tour support.
This may be the big break you've been waiting for.
http://www.wearelistening.org/about_btb.php
Deadline: February 28, 2008
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STUDIOTRAXX.COM: BREAKING NEW GROUND - FOR YOU!
StudioTraxx.com provides an e-commerce platform that allows
artists/bands to purchase and book time with musicians,
engineers, producers, and other music professionals for online
studio collaboration purposes. They facilitate the entire music
production process from beginning to end — from finding and
booking the right talent to managing all resulting collaboration
activities.
StudioTraxx is actively building its talent network and is
encouraging both those who offer services and those who need
services to sign up and register. There are no costs to join the
site. Creating an account is FREE.
http://www.studiotraxx.com/?partner=837
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THE INDIE GUIDE IS ON SALE FOR $10.95 AND INCLUDES THE INDIE
CONTACT GUIDE!
For a limited time only, North Shore Records, Inc, in celebration
of tour season and music success has put The Indie Guide on sale
for $10.95 plus shipping. The normal cost is $25.95 plus
shipping. In addition to the 190-page book, The Indie Contact
Guide, which contains thousands of contact names, address, email
addresses, phone numbers and contact names will be included.
To Your Music Success! http://www.theindieguide.com/
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FREE SONGWRITING, FILM, TV, AND VIDEO GAME SUBMISSIONS AT
MUSICGORILLA.COM!
MusicGorilla.com works with Songwriters, Bands, Musicians, and
Artists to get their original material into the eyes and ears of
industry members who have the ability to take their careers to
the next level. We work with Reps from all facets of the Music
Industry. Our artists have the opportunity to submit their songs
to established artists looking for new material. In addition, our
clients get access to submissions for film, TV and video games,
all of our submissions are FREE. MG Artists are eligible for free
live label showcases, digital distribution with MSN and Loudeye
and more. We don't take any piece of any deals made on our site,
and have had many successes including placement, songwriting and
publishing deals.
Muse's Muse artists get 10% off of memberships!
Just enter the promotional code "muse" during registration.
http://www.musicgorilla.com/
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SONGWRITING CONSULTATION SPECIAL OFFER:
Pete & Pat Luboff will pay for the phone call for Muse's Muse
songwriters who use the Luboffs' songwriting consultation
service. The service provides detailed, constructive song
analysis, answers to all your creative and business questions and
references to contacts when appropriate. Visit
http://www.writesongs.com/consults.htm for more information.
Back to Menu
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M u s e ' s C l u e s : by Irene Jackson
©1998-2008 Moonstone Productions All Rights Reserved.
Used By Permission
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Welcome to the New Year! Who knows what the next ten years are
going to bring you, the songwriter? You can't be an artist or a
songwriter these days and not have to think about how the
industry model for music has changed drastically over the last
few years since the internet has come along.
There seem to be two minds when it comes to the music industry.
One says to try desperately to hang on to the old way of doing
things, and the other says that we should embrace this new
technology and find a way to use it. The original reaction from
the recording industry when people began to download songs was to
fight it. And, in some ways, logically, this makes sense. When
you are dependent on making a living, and then something comes
along that takes away your usual ability to do so, you fight it.
When you think about it, this happens to people all the time.
Companies, businesses and industries come and go, and usually
they take their employees with them. Lawsuits happen, people try
desperately to keep things as they were, or recover what they
have lost. But the days when people stayed at a job for 30 or 40
years is no more. And the music business is no different.
Recently I have begun to record some of my own songs again for
the first time in about 7 years, with the thought of putting out
one last CD. But now I am questioning how I should do it. In
these last seven years the internet has changed completely the
way we find and listen to and even buy, our music. So I am
exploring the myriad of websites out there, trying to decide if I
should even bother creating a "traditional" CD and even more
importantly, how I should distribute it.
A recent online issue of Wired.com has an interesting article
written by David Byrne, once the lead singer of the Talking
Heads, songwriter, and himself a previous owner of a record
label. He explains in a digestible manner, how the old record
label model has worked over the years and what has happened to
it. But even better, he gives 6 different distribution models
for emerging artists (and oldies like me!) and how each would be
of benefit:
http://tinyurl.com/yq7y64
For songwriters who don't perform, this is also of importance to
you. If your desire is to make a living from your songwriting,
and the traditional methods of distribution change in the next
few years, how are you going to make it work for you?
David Byrnes has always been an "on the edge" kind of guy.
Besides the article, you can listen to his recent online
"collaboration" with the Fiery Furnaces, and audio clips of
conversations he had with Brian Eno, Mac McCaughan from the
independent label Merge Records and a number of others involved
in the industry in various ways. And there are some practical
numbers in terms of how much an artist actually recoups from
varying distribution models...for instance, would you imagine
more of a return from selling a physical CD or selling one
digitally through iTunes?
As David points out, music used to simply be a "live" event.
Then someone invented a way to capture and replay it (the
phonograph), and then someone else came along and found a way to
broadcast it (radio). Every change brought with it some aches
and pains and a few protests from those who didn't like it.
Nowhere, however, did music itself (or songwriting for that
matter!) become threatened with extinction from these changes.
Those of you who are younger will easily embrace them, the rest
of us have some adjusting to do!
In the meantime, have a great and prosperous and most of all,
creative, New Year!
******
Irene Jackson is a performing songwriter from Victoria, BC in
Canada. Aside from writing, recording and performing, she also
maintains a website for songwriters that includes tips, articles
and a songwriter's messageboard.
Songwriting Tips: http://www.irenejackson.com/tips.html
Homepage: http://www.irenejackson.com/
Songs: http://www.soundclick.com/irenejackson
Back to Menu
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F e a t u r e d A r t i c l e : By David M. Taylor II © 2008
4 Square and 7 Songs Ago - © December 2007
-----------------------------------------------------------------
So have you ever wondered, "Is there something missing in my
songwriting process?"
SQUARE 1 = YOU
SQUARE 2 = SOURCE MATERIAL
SQUARE 3 = SONG PLAN
SQUARE 4 = EXECUTION
BAM! I just saved you 20 years of struggle!
The four squares determine everything in songwriting; they mean,
both allegorically and literally, the steps involved in creating
what you want.
Understanding these steps before you start is not optional; it's
both foundational and essential. Without knowing this, your
efforts will always remained unfocused, your songs uncompleted,
your writing unrealized, and your income potential minimized,
because somewhere along the way you have simply skipped a step.
Let's dive in.
SQUARE 1: Is You.
"These are the ABC's of Me, Baby!" – Rod Tidwell, Jerry Maguire
You as a songwriter, on any level, always need to be able to
answer these questions:
* How well do you know yourself as a person?
Sleep patterns, diet, personality type, life philosophies,
belief systems, loves, hates
What environment(s) stimulate your muse the best
Have you accepted your natural workflow, whatever it is
What helps you tap into your passion the most-love, anger, fear,
time pressure
* What are your strengths and weaknesses as a songwriter?
Are you great with melodies, but not lyrics
Do words/lyrics come more naturally than melodies
Are you more intuitive, playing by ear, or are you more
cerebral, needing a score
* Do you have mentors?
Are you studying someone that has successfully done what you want
to do
Are you studying someone that has failed completely at what you
want to do
* How much time, energy, and money have you invested in
developing your craft?
Classes, books, formal education in songwriting
* Are you stronger on the creative/artistic side or the
business/entrepreneurial side?
Generating any level of income requires understanding both
* Have you learned to write it down?
You cannot trust your memory, or someone else's
That great song that I dreamed about last night, what happened to
it?
SQUARE 2: The Source Material
If you wanna end up with good cake, better check your eggs and
flour before you bake.
* What, exactly, are you trying to accomplish?
Jingles, pop tunes, library entries, country songs, blues, rock,
jazz
How many different genres/applications could you adapt your work
to
* What, exactly, do you have to work with?
What are your tools for writing, i.e., score sheets, software,
notepads
What is your skill level with those tools
What is the skill level of your collaborators if you have any
* How do you evaluate your source material?
Do you know the difference between a good melody and a great
melody
Do you know the difference between a good lyric and a great lyric
Do you have trusted others that help you evaluate your work
* How much time do you allot to develop your songs?
Are you used to working on deadlines or on when the mood hits you
How long does it take you to finish a song
SQUARE 3: The Song Plan
"All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today"
- Unknown
* There's Six areas to deal with in songwriting, and each song
needs to be submitted to this process.
Creation
--------
This is what Squares 1 & 2 are about; creating the work, &
getting it affixed in a tangible form, i.e., scores, demos
Protection
----------
Copyrights; are your copyrights registered with the Federal
Office of Copyrights
Publishing rights; do you have an attorney, are you part of an
organization, or can you administer your own publishing rights
Record Keeping
--------------
Do you have digital and hard copies of your song catalogue
Are your songs categorized by key, type, tempo, length, genre
How quickly can you access what you've written if necessary
Do you know which songs are registered under which copyrights
Distribution
------------
Who are your customers? Consumers, publishers, co-writers,
artists, music supervisors
How do you get your material to them
Who controls the distribution channels
Are you part of any songwriting organizations
Marketing
---------
How do you let your customers know when you have new material
Is there anything unique about your marketing approach
ROI
---
How much money do you spend in getting a song ready
What is your expected potential profit margin on each song
SQUARE 4: Execution
"The world is more malleable than you think and it's waiting for
you to hammer it into shape." - Bono
* After navigating Square 3, are you actually acting on those
plans?
Procrastination is our most familiar and comfortable enemy
* Do you have a regular schedule?
Time for songwriting, rewriting
Time for networking
Time for record keeping
* How faithful are you with follow up?
Do you incorporate the feedback you've received into your
rewrites, or ignore it
Do you maintain your songwriting relationships year 'round
* Do you believe in your material or are you waiting on someone
to validate it?
Sometimes the answer is, "Don't Change your Music,
Change Your Audience"
If you can't find a vehicle for your songs, do you consider
creating your own vehicles
* How many potential outlets/income sources have you developed
for your songs?
Pitching to artists, film and TV placement, Podcasts, Sample
Libraries, Jingle writing, Local College Radio, Local College
Projects
These steps have become a part of my regular songwriting routine,
and following them has saved me countless hours of headache, from
worrying about copyright dates, to keeping track of demo CD's, to
seeing how many songs I had in a particular genre.
Time to get writin'!!
DT
*****
David Taylor is a graduate of many places; the University of
Illinois in Champaign, with a degree in Business Administration,
Trinity International University in Deerfield, with a degree in
Music/Music Theory, & Music Industry Workshop of Chicago, with
certificates in Record Producing and Music Business. DT is the
Founder of Parkland Gospel Ensemble, the first multi-cultural
band at Parkland Community College in Urbana, Shades of the
Cross, another multi-cultural band, as well as a soloist on the
TIU Gospel Choir's trip to Japan, and a member of TIU's Vocal
Honors Ensemble. He is a singer/songwriter, has done commercial
work for McDonald's & Disney, a Producer & Internet Radio DJ,
WGTR Internet Radio Station, Writer & Producer – Sunday Morning
Intergenerational Celebration, Quarterly Worship Arts Showcase,
North Suburban Church, Deerfield, Author of the A.C.E. Musical
Building Program, and father of two. Check out DT's website at
www.houseofdt.com.
DT's latest projects include being the musical accompanist for
the Steppenwolf production of "Harriet Jacobs," mounting in
February 2008, and musical co-composer of the smash hit play "Eye
of the Storm," a Civil Rights play about Bayard Rustin, a
founding member of the 1960's movement whose name and
contributions have been largely ignored, but are now coming to
light. Check out the website at
www.myspace.com/bayardrustineyeofthestorm
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" O N S I T E " F E A T U R E D A R T I C L E :
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Gian's 2007 Muse's Muse Awards:
http://www.musesmuse.com/gian-2007Intro.html
It just keeps on getting better. Here are Gian's picks for this
year - and for the "half decade" he's been contributing his
reviews to The Muse's Muse. Categories this time around include:
Best CD Projects, Best Songs, Miscellaneous, Half Decade Awards
- Top Twenty, and Half Decade Awards - Best Songs.
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Power to the Poet: Rhymes - by Bud Tower
http://www.musesmuse.com/art-budtower-rhymes1.html
We all think we know what rhymes are and what rhymes. But, the
devil is in the details and the more we really know about what
rhymes and why, the better and more efficiently we as writers can
express ourselves.
-----
Taking The Next Step: Moving your songs from the livingroom to
the world - by Andrea Stolpe
www.musesmuse.com/col-andreastolpe-marketingstrategies.html
Marketing your songs can take many approaches. How do you get
your songs out there once you're ready to play them for the
world? Here are some creative suggestions.
-----
Blue Collar Tone!! - by Mick Polich
http://www.musesmuse.com/col-mickpolich-tone.html
What is tone? Can we possibly discuss the implementation of it in
one article? Oh, heavens, no, kids, but we'll have fun tryin'!!
-----
Zawinul - a tribute - by Mick Polich
http://www.musesmuse.com/mickpolick-zawinul.html
Jazz great Joe Zawinul passed away on September 11 of this
year,2007. Mick takes a time out to pay a brief tribute to the
genius of jazz, fusion, and world music....
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C l a s s i f i e d s & U s e f u l S e r v i c e s :
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THE SUCCESSFUL SONGWRITER MOTIVATION & MEDITATION AUDIO
Inspired by the songwriter's journey, and through understanding
the principles talked about in "THE SECRET", this audio program
is specifically created for the songwriter based on those
findings. Through Power of Thought and Understanding the Law of
Attraction, you will have the tools, knowledge & ability to
create the thoughts, experiences, and circumstances to be a
phenomenally Successful Songwriter. Included is a guided
meditation that is as passionate as it is empowering!
Muse's Muse Visitors - Enter Promo Code: 42567 for Discount.
http://www.songwritermeditation.com/
Limited Introductory Offer of $12.95 for Digital Download
Discounts for CD, and CD/Digital Download Combo shown on ordering
page.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
LYRICIST VERSION 3: THE SONGWRITER'S BEST FRIEND
Lyricist is the first-of-its-kind word processor designed
specifically for musicians, songwriters, and poets. The software
includes a Rhyming Dictionary, Thesaurus, Album Categorization,
Chord Charting, Chord Generator, Song Arrangement, and On-Line
Copyright Link.
The new version 3 release adds support for "Piano Style" chord
symbols, Nashville Number System, and Transposition features -
all in one easy-to-use package - and all for only $44.95! (That's
$5.00 off to all Muse's News readers who purchase from the review
link at www.musesmuse.com/vss-review.html!)
This tool will revolutionize the way you write and organize your
writing. Be the best songwriter you can be and purchase Lyricist
today! http://www.musesmuse.com/vss-review.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------
REAL ANSWERS TO REAL QUESTIONS,
An eBook About Copyright & Publishing
If you want to know how to protect yourself as a songwriter in
this digital age, you need this book - EXCLUSIVELY offered
through The Muse's Muse. And it's now on sale for half price!
Visit http://www.musesmuse.com/realarealq.html to learn more!
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INDIE-MUSIC.COM - WHERE SERIOUS MUSICIANS SURF
One of the most respected and imitated indie music sites on the
web, Indie-Music.com has been serving the Independent Music
Community since 1996 with streaming audio, monthly CD Reviews,
huge industry search directory, success-building resources,
classifieds, and much-needed recognition. The site offers a
wealth of information to artists trying to survive & thrive in
today's competitive music industry.
http://www.indie-music.com/
=================================================================
ADVERTISING RATES: For Classifieds: US$50 Max. 8 lines, where
a line = 65 characters including spaces and punctuation. All
contracts must be prepaid. Write to: editor@musesmuse.com
For Newsletter Sponsorship rates and other advertising
opportunities, please see http://www.musesmuse.com/media.html .
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C o n t a c t I n f o & C r e d i t s :
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Jodi Krangle ............................................. EDITOR
Kathryn Obenshain ...........................GRACIOUS PROOFREADER
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The Muse's News is a free monthly newsletter for and about
songwriters. Subscribers are welcome to recirculate or reprint
The Muse's News for nonprofit use as long as the appropriate
credit is given and the ENTIRE text of the newsletter is
included (including credits and information at the end of each
issue). Others should contact me at editor@musesmuse.com.
All articles copyrighted by their authors.
Back issues and other information (how to subscribe and
unsubscribe, etc.) will be available at:
http://www.musesmuse.com/musenews.html
The Muse's News is part of The Muse's Muse, a web resource for
songwriters: http://www.musesmuse.com/
For further information, send your e-mail to:
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adinfo@musesmuse.com - How to place a classified ad, pass
on market information or sponsor
The Muse's News.
editor@musesmuse.com - To submit articles,reviews,ideas,etc.
SNAILMAIL: Please contact me first at editor@musesmuse.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back issues of the newsletter can be read at the National
Library of Canada ecollection:
http://collection.nlc-bnc.ca/100/201/300/muses_news/index.html
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