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The Muse's News |
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Issue 11.1 - April 2008 ISSN 1480-6975
This issue sponsored by:
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I n T h i s I s s u e :
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@-- Editor's Musings
@-- Music Reviews - Chris Propfe, Alex Jasperse & Chip Withrow
@-- 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 - Quality Versus Quantity - by Mary Dawson
@-- 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
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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!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BRETT MANNING'S SINGING SUCCESS SYSTEMATIC VOCAL TRAINING SYSTEM:
It's the "secret weapon" used by some of the winners of the
world's most prestigious vocal awards, including the Doves, the
CMA Awards, and yes, the Grammies. Learn the one mistake even professional singers make, that drains
away 3 times more vocal energy and yields only half the needed
vocal power. Find out about the 3 simple exercises that allow
even a "beginner" to make rapid increases in range (this also
eliminates vocal strain). Learn Brett's secret for "dissolving"
your break, so you'll never have to flip into falsetto again, but
you'll still sing as high as you want--in full voice - and LOTS
more. The package includes 12 audio CDs (packed with 17 repeatable
lessons, including both technique--the simple, yet powerful
exercises, and style lessons for building vocal licks and
trills); a workbook for illustration; and a DVD for visual
reference and demonstration. It's a complete course - and it has
a money-back guarantee! Visit http://tinyurl.com/35t3lz for more details and start
yourself on the road to improving your vocal chops today! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
E d i t o r ' s M u s i n g s :
----------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to another month of songwriting tools and resources
delivered right to your in box. :) Those of you that are new,
I'm very glad to have you aboard. Those of you that have been
here a while, thanks for sticking around! I have some great news for you. If you were ever thinking of
attending the August Retreat, "How Songwriting Really Works", NOW
is the time! You can enter to win a $200 gift certificate for
the retreat! Simply send your name by email to
bryan@reorafting.com by May 15 with 'Muses Muse $200 Prize' in
the subject. Winners will be announced May 16, 2008. Last years
winner, Rick Hendriks (Netherlands) came all the way from Europe
to attend! Plus, if you're interested in attending either this
retreat or the songwriter's retreat listed directly below it
(they're the first two entries in the Musical Notes section),
anyone who books before April 15th will receive a $50 discount -
just by being a Muse's News subscriber. Pretty cool, huh? There's more though. I have *another* treat for you. (Yup, it
just keeps on coming. :) ) Gian Fiero has put together a great
report (an ebook in pdf format) all about how best to get
yourself commercial success. It's called The Fiero Files. So if
you were looking at that note on the front page of The Muse's
Muse and were wondering why you had to resubscribe to this
newsletter to get it - you don't. :) You can download it here:
http://www.musesmuse.com/Fiero_Files.pdf Enjoy! (Thanks again, Gian!) Please do spread the word about this newsletter if you enjoy
getting it every month. The more, the merrier! And now I'll get to the raffle winners because the sooner I do
that, the sooner you can get to the good stuff. :) So here they
are: * Dale Matthies, from Goderich ON, Canada, has won a copy of
Virtual Studio Systems' Lyricist software
(http://www.musesmuse.com/vss-review.html). * Rachelle Nones from New York, 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. * Stephen Bills from St. Marys, WV, has won a copy of
Bronson Herrmuth's "100 Miles To A Record Deal"
(http://www.songrepair.com/bookforweb2.htm). * Sue Cyr from Raymond NH, has won a copy of
Sean Farrington's "The Little Black Book of Band Profit Secrets"
(http://www.bandprofit.com/). * Yvette Ayers from Los Angeles, CA, has won a 6 month
subscription to the Onlinegigs (http://www.onlinegigs.com/)
service. This valuable service is a powerful tool for musicians,
agents, record companies and managers designed to virtually
automate the administration of booking and promoting a band or
bands. I'm always happy to place people in the raffle prize queue. The
only thing you need to do is write to me with your first and
second choice for a prize (they're all listed at the top of
http://www.musesmuse.com/musenews.html) and your mailing address
so that I can get the prize out to you. In the meantime, keep writing and keep happy!
All the best, --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 : Chris Propfe, Alex Jasperse & Chip Withrow
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NEW MUSIC REVIEWS SINCE LAST MONTH INCLUDE:
Chris Propfe: * The Zou
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-thezou-pinebox.html
* The Polka Floyd Show
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-polkafloyd-pfshow.html Chip Withrow: * Patti Ecker
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-pattiecker-gypsy.html
* Ben Sures
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-bensures-fieldguide.html
* Lee Penn Sky
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-leepennsky-prelude.html Alex Jasperse: * Spekki Chris
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-spekkichris-isin.html
* M.
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-m-inabsentia.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
----------------------------------------------------------------- Terry Ray Thomas - Genre: COUNTRY The CD - Still Finding My Way - is American country music with a
touch of Gospel. Terry's sound may be described as "Modern
Country with an old school feel". However you want to describe
it; Terry Ray Thomas is worth a listen. http://www.terryraythomas.com/ =================================================================
S o n g w r i t i n g B o o k R e v i e w : by Ed Teja
THE GUIDE TO MIDI Orchestration by Paul Gilreath
http://www.musicworks-atlanta.com/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- If you've been pitching songs for very long you've undoubtedly run into the "demo" problem. In this competitive market, you don't often get away with what used to be the standard—a simple guitar or piano and vocal demo. Conventional wisdom now is that to be successful, your production must be nearly as good, if not as good, as the records that get released. Top songwriters often spend a great deal of money having demos produced. The other alternative is a top quality home studio and, often, MIDI instruments. Once you've got the equipment, the next problem is getting
realistic sounds, even from expensive software libraries. And
what are libraries anyway? This is where this book fits in the
songwriter's toolbox. If you want to be competitive, and you do
your own demos, you need to know the world of midi orchestration. In this third edition of the book, Gilreath has taken a very
comprehensive approach to filling that need. The book is well
written. He explains well, starting with the basics of
orchestration. Knowing when to use violins and when violas are
more appropriate may not sound like the stuff of songwriting, but
it certainly is the heart of song presentation. After dealing briefly with orchestration, the book moves on to
notation software (useful if you write your music out) and
sequencers. There are some amazingly useful tips on how to
overcome the limitations of MIDI instruments—how to make them
seem more realistic. Along the way you'll find important tidbits
on the differences in orchestrating for a symphony, a movie
score, or pop tune. Of course, once you have the appropriate instruments playing
correctly, you have to mix them, and Gilreath covers that with a
nice overview that includes the use of plug ins for equalization
and reverb to get the sound you want. Chapter 23, which I felt was somewhat out of sequence, covers
techniques for achieving specific moods with your orchestra. In
writing for pop music we often turn to orchestral instruments to
help create or reinforce a mood, and here are ideas on ways to
make sure the mood is right. There are sections on how to create
tension (great if you are writing for a film), develop an air of
the supernatural, or to build a forlorn mood, just to name a few.
Now these are summaries, and at times you'll have to go back to
the other sections to understand what he is talking about, or how
to implement the techniques. But that is just another wonderful
learning experience. Next comes a collection of interviews. For the budding demo
producer, the interviews with some top mastering engineers (Bob
Katz, Bob Ludwig and Patricia Sullivan Fourstar) provide some
fascinating insights into what they do and how they do it. The last section discusses various libraries that are available,
ranging from the low end to high end. These are mostly libraries
of pianos, strings, and other orchestral instruments, as that is
the book's focus. But understanding these can help you evaluate
more pop-oriented libraries as well. While this is not everything you need to know about MIDI, it
provides the basics and reveals tools for making your demos more
competitive. I certainly will keep my copy close at hand. Now
what was that part about complementing the solo flute?
******
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!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LEARN HOW TO PLAY GUITAR - QUICKLY AND EASILY!
You Can Play Guitar author and publisher Scott Morris now offers
7 Free email guitar lessons that include easy to learn guitar
tablature, a sound file and free guitar lesson videos of his easy
to learn Billboard top rated guitar method that includes learning
guitar scales and theory used by professional songwriters. The
Free Guitar Lesson Videos - teach samples of learning the names
of the notes, sharps and flats, easy to play guitar chords and
more great information for beginner to professional level
guitarist.
Click here to find out how you can improve your guitar playing today!
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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!
----------------------------------------------------------------- 2ND ANNUAL HOW SONGWRITING REALLY WORKS RETREAT, Nahatlatch River, British Columbia (near Vancouver BC) August 10-15, 2008 with Wayne Chase, author of How Music Really Works & Nancy Bos How Songwriting Really Works: Techniques & Secrets of the World¹s
Greatest Songwriters is designed for songwriters committed to
writing songs that will stand the test of time. Retreat leader
Wayne Chase is the author of "How Music Really Works", a
comprehensive presentation of the music and lyrical techniques of
writing classic songs. This retreat will be unlike anything
else available anywhere in the world. Wayne is a music scholar
and has studied music and language for over 25 years from the
perspective of how our brain processes words and music and the
emotional value of words. Wayne holds 5 patents in connotative
analysis and is one of the worlds leading experts on the
emotional meaning in language. Wayne is also the creator of the
Gold Standard Song List, a compilation of 5,000 of the greatest
songs of all time in 11 genres. Details on Wayne¹s work at
http://www.howmusicreallyworks.com/Index.html. Nancy Bos,
Seattle's premier vocal and performance coach, will lead several
interactive sessions that will be very helpful for all singer
songwriters. The all-inclusive cost for the 6-day event including
15 meals, beverages, snack, full use of resort amenities,
adventure activity ($125 value) and all workshop sessions starts
at just $850 US per person (camping option) and $975 US (shared
cabin tent option). http://tinyurl.com/29aajd for more details.
Reservations: 800-736-7238 (9-5 PM PST); info@reorafting.com
Organizer: Bryan Fogelman bryan@reorafting.com -----------------------------------------------------------------
9th ANNUAL REO SONGWRITERS RETREAT, Nahatlatch River, British
Columbia (near Vancouver BC)
July 13-18, 2008 with Bonnie Hayes, Steve Seskin, Pat Pattison &
Jon Vezner
Enjoy one the world¹s most unique songwriters retreats in the
Canadian wilderness near Vancouver, BC July 13-18. Hosted at the
REO Rafting Resort, this riverfront adventure-style resort is an
incredible setting for songwriting. 2008 faculty include Bonnie
Hayes (³Have a Heart² recorded by Bonnie Raitt), hit songwriter
Steve Seskin, Berklee College of Music Professor and "Writing
Better Lyrics" author Pat Pattison, and Grammy-winning songwriter
Jon Vezner. A maximum of thirty-six international songwriters
from throughout the US, Canada, Western Europe, Australia and New
Zealand will gather for an intensive, focused week of master
classes, one-on-one sessions, group workshops, song critiques and
fantastic social events. The cost for the 6-day/5-night event
including 15 meals, beverages, snack, full use of resort
amenities and all workshop sessions starts at just $850 US per
person (camping option) and $975 US (shared cabin tent option).
Register and pay in full by May 15th and receive a free
whitewater rafting adventure on the Class 4 Nahatlatch River
($125 value). Spots are confirmed upon receipt of a
non-refundable $200 deposit.
http://www.reorafting.com/site/retreats/songwriter_retreat.html http://bluecrushmusic.com/site/reo--s_songwriters_retreat.html
Reservations: 800-736-7238 (9-5 PM PST); info@reorafting.com
Organizer: Bryan Fogelman bryan@reorafting.com
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BREAKING THE BAND 3
Breaking the Band from We Are Listening is every song contest,
licensing, press, booking, touring and festival showcasing
opportunity rolled into one. We've created an enormous
independent artist campaign with a major label budget. This may
be the single, largest investment in your career by an
independent music company.
Details: http://www.wearelistening.org/contests.php
Fee: $40
Deadline: June 30th 2008 -----------------------------------------------------------------
VIRAL SONG - PASS IT ON... SPREAD THE LOVE TO EVERYONE!
Did you hear about the Viral Song? Don't worry it's not a Virus!
It's an online song project supporting several great causes
such as: Helping the poor, feeding the hungry, healing the sick,
quenching the thirsty, stopping the wars, voting for peace,
and making global warming history for our children's sake.
Please visit the website, listen to the song, and pass it on...
Viral Song - Pass It On! http://www.viralsong.com/?muse
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BLACKDOG MEDIA GROUP LAUNCHES UPSTATE NY SONGWRITING CONTEST!
The Upstate New York Songwriting Contest is open to all musicians
of all music styles. Simply record a demo and submit either by
mail (CD or Cassette) or online (mp3) – entries will not be
judged by recording quality, but by the quality of the song.
Entries are due no later than June 7, 2008 and can be submitted
via the contest website or by mail. Contestants are eligible for
over $10,000 in prizes.
Visit http://www.songcontestny.com/Home.html for full details.
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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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WORLD OF MUSIC AWARDS
The World of Music Awards from We Are Listening is the first
international and multi-lingual contest for World music artists
and songwriters. Armed with an expert panel of judges and a prize
package that includes an all-inclusive trip to WOMEX in Spain, We
Are Listening delivers an unparalleled opportunity to be seen,
heard and signed!
Details: http://www.wearelistening.org/contests.php
Fee: $30
Deadline: Aug 15th 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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WORLD QUEST MUSIC SONGWRITING CONTEST: 2008 SEASON ONE
A new Canadian songwriting contest with over $4,500 in cash &
prizes. Everyone is eligible, any genre of music is welcome. The
contest runs for five months, entrants can enter up to five songs
in the Non-Professional grouping and up to ten songs in the
Professional grouping. Professional category March 17 through
July 26, the
Non-Professional March 26 through August 8. Fans vote for their
favorite entries online and there are "Wild Card" Celebrity
Judges.
Details: http://www.worldquestmusic.com/
Fee: Non-Professional entries Free; Professional entries $10.00
Deadline: Non-professional entrants August 8, 2008; Professional
entries July 26, 2008
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THE 2008 SINGER/SONGWRITER AWARDS (ROUND 2)
The Singer/Songwriter Awards from We Are Listening is about the
hottest international songwriting contest in the world. It's no
surprise that participating artists have gone on to sign with top
management, license their music for film and television, as well
as collaborate with renowned producers and enjoy substantial
uplifts in independent record sales.
Details: http://www.wearelistening.org/contests.php
Fee: $30
Deadline: May 1st 2008
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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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PHILADELPHIA SONGWRITERS PROJECT 2008 SONGWRITING CONTEST
Call For original Submissions to showcase up and coming
songwriters in the region at the prestigious Bethlehem Musik
Festival. 6 Winners of the contest earn a 20 min performance slot
at Bethlehem Musik Festival Summer 2008.
Details: http://www.phillysongwriters.com/.
Deadline: May 6, 2008.
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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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2008 LYRIC WRITER AWARDS (ROUND 2)
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
Fee: $20
Deadline: March 31, 2008
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THE INDIE VENUE BIBLE - A GROUNDBREAKING VENUE DIRECTORY FOR ANY
ARTIST PLANNING TO TOUR IN THE US OR CANADA!
26,000 live music venues of all sizes are featured including
clubs, bars, restaurants, lounges, coffee shops, theaters, halls,
churches, book stores, community centers, house concerts and open
mics. There are also 1,500 festivals listed as well as over
1,000 colleges for any artist that wants to plan a college tour.
Jumpstart your tour today!
Visit https://nt4.magma.ca/bigmeteor/ivbmuse_order.cfm
for more information!
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INDIE ARTISTS: JOIN MYBANDSMUSIC.COM & YOU COULD WIN $1000!
Come and join a new site called MyBandsMusic, dedicated to indie
artists where you can create a profile, upload tracks and videos,
start your own blog, open a storefront, post announcements and
events, get input from fans, and more. The best part is that it
is all free!
Currently we are running a contest until the end of March. The
artist that has the most fans sign up on their MyBandsMusic
account wins a check for $1000!! Visit MyBandsMusic.com for more
details.
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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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This month I'm bringing you three interviews that I came across
from a website called SongwriterUniverse
(http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/) which has a great collection
of interviews with songwriters of all genres and time periods (I
thought I'd mention time periods because it's going to be obvious
by a couple of the interviews I chose to talk about :-) .
One very famous "songwriter's songwriter" is Jimmy Webb.
Songwriters LOVE Jimmy Webb...my favourite song of his was
Wichita Lineman, which was a big hit for Glen Campbell back in
the 60's. Jimmy has written many, many hits over the years,
along with songs for Broadway musicals, and recently he has
released a new album from a tour he did in 2006 throughout the
UK, where he performed a lot of his hits along with some of his
newer songs. The interview with Jimmy is here:
http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/jimmywebb123.htm. And how did
he get started? He walked into Motown Records in Los Angeles one
afternoon with his bag of tapes, declaring "I have some songs and
here I am!". Fortunately, he had some good songs that backed up
his brash declaration! Some good stories in this interview.
Another great interview (okay, these guys go way back too!) is
with the famous team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, who wrote for
artists like Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Four Tops, the
Miracles and Martha and the Vandellas. Don't recognize these
names? That's okay...the best part of the interview (which you
can find here: http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/hdh.htm) is the
process they went through in their writing and recording. These
were staff writers, so they had mysterious things called
deadlines, plus a great deal of pressure to come up with big
hits, one after the other. It certainly gives you a good idea of
what it was like to work in that type of pressure cooker, without
having much time to take any credit!
And for those of you who are thinking I'm old (well, age is
relative, isn't it?), here's an interview with a band called the
Plain White T's. They had a big hit just recently with a song
called Hey There Delilah. This particular interview doesn't
really go into as much detail about the story behind the
song...it was written about a real person, which is not exactly a
surprise. But the story goes that she was kind of embarrassed at
the song and wasn't enjoying the publicity all too much. And it
got the attention of a couple of talk show hosts. As it turned
out, the song was nominated for a Grammy, and by the time it was,
she had gotten over the whole thing and actually accompanied the
songwriter, Tom Higgenson, to the Grammys show. Now how's that
for a story? And it says a lot about writing about what you
know, or in this case, who you know :-) . Here's the full
interview: http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/plainwhitet%27s123.htm
.
There are a lot more interviews on the website here:
http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/magazine.html. It's certainly
worth a look through and I promise there will actually be some
names that you recognize too :-) .
******
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 Mary Dawson
Quality Versus Quantity (© March 2008)
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I once heard the word fanatic defined as follows:
A fanatic is someone who has lost sight of the objective, and has
re-doubled his efforts.
By that definition, I’m afraid that we songwriters can often
become a bit fanatic when it comes to our craft. Many of us are
not even aware that songwriting has any kind of objective at all.
We simply fall in love with the exhilarating process of
expressing our emotions through words and melody. This creative
high can become so addictive that we do, in fact, “re-double our
efforts,” going from one writing session to another convincing
ourselves, as we do, that we are gifted and prolific songwriters.
I would suggest, however, that unless we become aware of the
objective or goal behind our songwriting, we will consistently be
disappointed in the results. As someone has wisely said: If you
aim at nothing, you are sure to hit it!
Whether we realize it or not, all songwriting has some kind of
objective. Perhaps we pick up our guitar or sit down at the piano
just to let off a little steam at the end of a hard day—and
that’s the only goal. The song we write may never get further
than our living room, but if the process has helped us to unwind
and feel better, that particular songwriting objective has been
fulfilled. The song is a success!
If, however, we hope to write a hit song—a song that sells
millions of copies—there is another objective involved. The
objective of hit songs in any style is emotional communication.
What do I mean by that?
(Click here for the rest of the article:
http://www.musesmuse.com/mary-qvq.html Mary's Bio is there too!)
*****
Back to Menu
=================================================================
" 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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Buddy Miles - a Blue Collar Tribute - by Mick Polich
http://www.musesmuse.com/col-mickpolich-buddymiles.html
A brief tribute to an old-school soul/rocker, Mr. Buddy Miles!
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Songwriting Commercially - by Bronson Herrmuth
http://www.musesmuse.com/col-bronson-commsong.html
I wrote this article in 2003 just a month or so after my book
came out. Knowing most of you are songwriters, I thought you
might enjoy this read and good luck with your songwriting!
-----
"Hail, Hail, New Orleans!!"-A Short Blue Collar Appreciation
- by Mick Polich
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-neworeleans.html
New Orleans as the epicenter for the beginnings of rock and roll?
Mick explores some points to that statement in this
installment....
-----
"Respect" - by Bronson Herrmuth
http://www.musesmuse.com/col-bronson-respect.html
My definition of the word Respect.
-----
My interview with the legendary Steve Cropper
- by Bronson Herrmuth
http://www.musesmuse.com/col-bronson-stevecropper.html
If playing the fire out of a guitar for over 50 years isn't
enough for you, add recording artist, hit songwriter, award
winning producer, arranger, engineer, actor, label head, and you
start to get the picture of the many talents of Steve Cropper. =================================================================
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 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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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.
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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
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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 .
Back to Menu =================================================================
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
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All articles copyrighted by their authors.
Back issues and other information (how to subscribe and unsubscribe, etc.) will be available at:
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The Muse's News is part of The Muse's Muse, a web resource for
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For further information, send your e-mail to:
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on market information or sponsor
The Muse's News.
editor@musesmuse.com - To submit articles,reviews,ideas,etc.
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