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The Muse's News |
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Issue 4.0 - March 2001 ISSN 1480-6975
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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
@-- Q&A with Nancy A. Reece from Carpe Diem Copyright Management
@-- Music Reviews - by Ben Ohmart
@-- Songwriting Book Review - by Jodi Krangle
@-- Featured Article - MP3.COM: A CASE STUDY FOR MUSICIANS ON THE
FENCE by David Nevue
@-- Musical Notes - Songwriting Contests & Market Info.
@-- Muse's Clues - by Irene Jackson
@-- Songwriter In Spotlight - Atlanta-born, LA-based
singer/songwriter, Deborah McColl
@-- 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 - 2001, Jodi Krangle. For more contact information, see end of issue.
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This ezine featured at EzineCenter.com - the Ezine Search
Engine(tm) - http://www.ezinecenter.com/
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S p o n s o r M e s s a g e :
(Please support the sponsors that support this newsletter! Thanks!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LYRICIST! THE SONGWRITER'S BEST FRIEND . . .
Virtual Studio Systems, Inc. is pleased to make available to Muse's
Muse members this on-line coupon worth $15 toward the purchase of
Lyricist, the first of its kind word processor designed for
Lyricists, musicians, songwriters, and poets. Includes rhyming
dictionary, spell checker, thesaurus, album categorization and
more. This coupon can be used for either the download or packaged
version. Call us toll-free in the U.S. at 888.732.1176 or outside
the U.S. at 603-726-4499 and mention this Muse's News Coupon to
receive this exclusive offer. (Offer expires March 31, 2001)
Happy Millennium from VSS! http://www.virtualstudiosystems.com/.
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E d i t o r ' s M u s i n g s :
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Hi again and welcome to the first Muse's News of its FOURTH YEAR!
I honestly can't believe I've been doing this that long... but the
Issue numbers do not lie. ;-) Thanks for being here!
Those of you that have been exploring the web site recently will
notice a slight change in the navigation. This is mostly due to a
suggestion by Shaman Sean and I hope it helps you all get where you
want to go just that much faster.
The Membership Drive is still on! It ends on March 21st and there
is still a chance for folks to win some great prizes. Some of these
include:
* 8 hours of studio time donated by VMG Studios in Atlanta, GA
(http://www.visionmusicgroup.com/),
* software packages donated by Virtual Studio Systems
(http://www.virtualstudiosystems.com/prodLYR.htm)
& Write Hit Songs
(http://www.writehitsongs.com/),
* books donated by StagePass.com
(http://www.stagepass.com/),
* memberships donated by SongScope.com
(http://www.songscope.com/)
* and Muse's Muse mugs & T-shirts too!
There will be a first, second and third place winner. To
participate, all you need to do is check out this url for more
information: http://www.musesmuse.com/membercontest.html .
Current results of the contests are also displayed there.
As per usual, there are lots of updates around the web site. I
hope you'll take some time to explore. I also want to thank you
all for your support on the day The Muse's Muse was Cool Site Of
The Day. That was very .... well... cool. :-)
Happy writing!
--Jodi
Back to Menu
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SHAMELESS PLUG:
Drop by http://www.musesmuse.com/musemerchandise.html today to pick
up your very own Muse's Muse shirt, mug or mousepad! And while
you're at it, think about starting your *own* store. It would be
pretty cool to sell your own band's logo or design on promo items,
wouldn't it? And starting up a store requires no investment of
money on your part at all. Details on how to do that are only a
click away...
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C o p y r i g h t & P u b l i s h i n g Q & A :
with Nancy A. Reece of Carpe Diem Copyright Management
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Q: Someone who is up and coming, is interested in some of my songs.
The manager called me tonight and told me they only way this artist
will consider doing my stuff is if they (singer and musicians) get
a writer's share. I realize that's pretty much industry standard
when your starting out, but I would like talk to someone who can
tell me just what the standard percentage is. Do I say I won't go
over 50% --33% and you guys can split it up how you want? Basically
I assume it's more their name on the song that they're looking for.
(If I had a publisher they would keep 50% so I imagine 33% is not
unfair.) Do I copyright my original version and the new
collaborated one separately so I can record my own original version
with no problems?
I realize that some personal sacrifice is in order. Money at this
point can't be whole issue. This is an important opportunity to
obtain some credibility. But, I don't want to be stupid either and
want to have a professional contract. I want to protect myself from
problems if I record my original versions of the songs. What do I
do now?
-- Bev
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A: Bev,
Congratulations on the opportunity you have created. First let me
state that it is NOT industry standard to share writing credit for
someone who did not write the song. This usually only happens when
you have a superstar situation and the writer and publisher are
clear on the benefits of such a sacrifice. It is more predictable
to share publishing (co-publishing).
Again, your work is already copyrighted - it was as soon as you
placed it in a fixed format. You should register the song with you
having full lyric/melody writing credit. You wrote it, it is yours
until you assign it in writing elsewhere. Their arrangement of your
song is (more than likely) not a separate copyrightable work.
Understand, once you assign your copyright, if no reversion right
is built in, it remains that way for 35 years.
You may want to give them 25% of the publishing with a 12 or 24
month reversion right and retain exclusivity on administration. I
suggest that you contact an entertainment attorney to properly
represent the situation.
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TO VIEW OTHER QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES, SEE NANCY'S COPYRIGHT &
PUBLISHING Q&A ONLINE AT http://www.musesmuse.com/pubq-a.html .
Please note: Nancy received a *lot* of e-mail in a month. If you
sent in a question but have not heard a reply, it's very likely it
already *has* an answer online. It's always a good idea to
thoroughly look through the Copyright & Publishing Q&A online to
see if your question has already been asked before you send in a
request. Thanks!
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*****
Carpe Diem's owner and president, Nancy A. Reece has been
involved in the music business since 1983. She was the president
of an independent advertising agency for eight years as well as a
successful personal artist manager for nine years. She
represented the careers of several recording artists and
songwriters including those with EMI, Zomba and Liberty Records
as well as Benson, Starsong, WoodBridge, Temple Hall and N'Soul
Records. She also represented, for a number of years, a Grammy
and Dove nominated record producer. Reece has won awards of
excellence in print magazine advertising and has been named as
one of 2,000 Notable American Women (1995) as well as being
listed in the International Who's Who of Professional and
Business Women (1993). She was also named Cashbox Magazine's
Promoter of the Year (1989).
**If you would like to ask Nancy a copyright or publishing
question for our continuing Q&A section, please send your e-mail
to nreece@musesmuse.com. She can't guarantee she'll get to all of
the questions, but she'll certainly try.**
Back to Menu
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M u s i c R e v i e w s : by Ben Ohmart
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Katy Tessman - Fall
When a commercial for a new drug wants you to feel that the TV
people have benefited from it, they have the actors smiling and
tripping along a deserted beach or a deserted country field. Well,
Katy commercializes herself, as if she has the beach all to herself
thru 'Wash It Away' that comes on like a happy bit of afternoon,
with the waves clapping in, and some slight rhythm section coming
in from the nearest but unseen, mind you populated
coconut-groove grove.
However, for me, the cd really starts in that 'Bright Chair', a
quiet folk-based tune upon which the acoustic guitar is lovingly
held up high to the light of memories. 'Will he ever come back down
/ Share a beer and hang around / Walk and talk along with me / And
show me all the things I will see.' More beautiful than sad, thank
you.
The title song, 'Fall', is an aggressive acoustic guitar song with
a spot of electric sitting in. Katy does love her character-driven
songs, and has a lot of poetry to give out. 'Night kisses make her
patient / For the morning / As she sleeps in the arms of his jacket
/ He memorizes her space.' Some truly beautiful thoughts within
this 11 track debut album. The Tessman voice is high like a folk
festival road scholar, ever reaching for the notes on the wind,
honed by a years of coffeehouse performances.
Touring the cafes extensively in the Minnesota area, Katy has
actually been playing the circuit since 1993 with her eclectic
folk-rock band, Joe's Elevator. But since going solo in 1997, she's
sold a lot of cds, and has delighted in assembling this first of
probably many self-penned cds of obvious skill and refined
moods.
'Forty pound pack on my back / Never felt so good / The trail opens
to another piece of heaven / Again we dip, dip and swing.' Coming
with a slightly reggae beat, it musically gives rise to rock
beneath the feet and an uneven approach to mountain trail scaling.
'Dip, Dip and Swing' brings in a few bird and nature calls, proving
that the all natural is the best port of call. 'Supper has never
tasted so good.' One of the best on the disc.
Easy to see that this girl got her degree in Speech Communication.
She knows how to share her surroundings with the other folk folk.
Personal and home-spun grace, this is what Katy releases into the
wild, and never bothers to tag for keeping track.
www.rhythmelodic.com
katy@rhythmelodic.com
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OTHER NEW MUSIC REVIEWS SINCE LAST MONTH INCLUDE:
C Lanzbom - http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-lanzbom.html
Julia Brown - http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-brown.html
Cactus Highway - http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-cactushighway.html
Citrus Sun - http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-citrussun.html
Beverly Serra-Brooks - http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-bsb.html
Varttina - http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-varttina.html
Wayquay - http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-wayquay.html
Donna Wissinger/Jon Klibonoff -
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-wisklib.html
Karl Sky - http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-sky.html
Scott Morris - http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-morris.html
John Barnard - http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-barnard.html
Dorothy Wallace - http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-wallace.html
------------------
******
Ben Ohmart has had 100s of stories and poems in zines and
journals, and had 4 plays produced last year. His lyrics will be
on 2 CDs this year, 1 a gothic album, the other a rock album.
He's currently writing films, with hopes of having one done in
Malaysia soon, and is also trying to break into the prison of
television. He's white, 26, single and loves British comedy. He
lives in Boalsburg, PA, and enjoys watching rabbits eat his
garbage. Contact him at: ohmart@musesmuse.com .
**Ben has kindly consented to do music reviews for this
publication and also for The Muse's Muse itself. If you have an
independently released CD or tape that you'd like to get
reviewed, send it off to: Ben Ohmart, P O Box 750, Boalsburg, PA
16827 or drop by his Music Reviews web section at
http://www.musesmuse.com/musicreviews.html for more details.**
Back to Menu
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S p o n s o r M e s s a g e :
(Please support the sponsors that support this newsletter! Thanks!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UNLEASH THE FULL POTENTIAL OF THE INTERNET WITH SONGSCOPE.COM!
SongScope is a valuable tool enabling you to build an on-line song
catalog, accessible only by proven industry professionals. Receive
FREE email informing you every time record producers and industry
professionals make requests. Song listings are only $29.95 per
year. An ecommerce enabled marketing/promotion page and tour
calendar are also available for performing songwriters to get
further artist exposure. See www.musesmuse.com/songscope.html for
details or contact: writerinfo@songscope.com ~ Tel: 770.754.4543
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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 Jodi Krangle
ROCK TROUBADOURS:
Conversations On The Art And Craft Of Songwriting
by Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers
http://www.stringletter.com/
http://www.JeffreyPepperRodgers.com
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I love what I do. I get to review fantastic books like this one.
:-) Here they are - some of the songwriters I have most admired
throughout my lifetime, all talking about what makes them want to
write, how they write, where their writing comes from... It's
amazing stuff. Paul Simon, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Jerry
Garcia and David Grisman, the Indigo Girls, Chris Whitley, Dave
Matthews and Tim Reynolds, Ben Harper, the Barenaked Ladies and Ani
DiFranco. Hell - the first three alone would be worth the price of
the book.
Jeffrey's opening words to each interview are insightful
commentaries on where the songwriter has been and where they may be
heading. Though the interviews themselves may have happened
several years earlier, those commentaries bring the reader to the
present so that everything can be put into perspective. And his
questions get right to the meat of the matter. These are personal
interviews that dig into the why's and the wherefore's. What are
the differences between then and now? How has their songwriting
changed from the early years? How do they perceive the "industry"
as a whole? How do they arrive at their inspiration? How do their
instruments of choice influence their songwriting? That's only a
sample. These are the questions I would love to ask if I were in a
room with any of these wonderful artists - only I would be too
tongue tied. Thankfully, Jeffrey does the work for all of us.
In each interview, there is a section called "What They Play" where
the instruments the songwriters use are explained in detail - their
preferences, what they used in the past and what they use in the
studio compared to what they use in live performance. There is
also a selected discography for each songwriter.
I enjoyed every moment of reading this book. Not only did it
answer a lot of my own questions concerning these songwriters, but
it also inspired me. Deep down, these songwriters, legends though
they may be to me (yes, even the Barenaked Ladies - whom I adore
and who have a true knack for not taking themselves too seriously),
are still human beings with the same problems of time,
insecurities, and daily difficulties that I face myself. They have
managed to overcome them and create some of the very best music of
the 20th century and beyond. Reading about them gives me hope that
I can do the same. I highly recommend you pick this one up. It's
well worth the $15.
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F e a t u r e d A r t i c l e :
MP3.COM: A CASE STUDY FOR MUSICIANS ON THE FENCE
Commentary by David Nevue - The Music Biz Academy
http://www.musicbizacademy.com
©2001, David Nevue. All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission.
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MP3.COM: HYPE OR HOPE?
I'm no stranger to the internet. I've been promoting my music
successfully online for well over six years now. Up to this point
however, I've more or less avoided MP3.com. Why? Well, I've been
somewhat skeptical about my ability to compete with so many other
musicians all in one place. Could I - a simple pianist and composer
- really hope to make a dent on the MP3 charts? It seemed a rather
daunting task. However, a recent article about the financial MP3
success of fellow pianist Ernesto Cortezar spurned me to action! I
needed to get off my butt and get with the program. So, on January
1st of 2001, I began the new year as an MP3.com artist. This is the
story of my first month.
WHERE THE MONEY IS
Once signed up, my first act was to upload MP3 files of my best
songs. I then did a bit of research into the promotion
opportunities available at MP3.com. There are two primary means of
generating revenue. The first is via MP3's 'DAM' (Digital Automatic
Music) CD program. This very cool sales tool allows musicians to
mix-and-match uploaded songs into digital CD 'collections' - which
can then be sold to visitors to MP3.com. The artist receives 50% of
the retail price for every CD sold through the site. Even better,
once the customer orders MP3.com does all the work, burning the CD
and shipping it directly to the customer.
It took me only a few days however to realize that DAM CDs sales
are actually the least productive means of making money via
MP3.com. The real money is in the famed payback-for-playback
program. Every month MP3.com sets aside a $1 million dollar pot
exclusively for member artists. The more playback activity an
artist generates, the bigger portion of that pot the artist
receives. Some artists make literally thousands of dollars per
month using this program. See http://www.mp3.com/payback for
statistics on the highest paid artists. It's Pretty unbelievable.
But, to make significant money, one needs to generate *serious*
playback numbers. This is done via MP3.com radio stations, of which
there are literally thousands. Sorting through them all is a task,
but the more stations you can get to play your music, the more
money you make, which also results in higher ranking on the MP3
song charts. This in turn leads to more song exposure, placement on
more radio stations, more radio play, higher rankings, and on it
goes in a continuous circle of promotional bliss. Or at least,
that’s the theory.
MY FIRST MONTH @ MP3.COM
So, having discovered all this basic information, I dove right into
the world of MP3.com. After creating my own page
(http://www.mp3.com/davidnevue) and uploading my songs, I started
my own MP3 radio station and called it ‘Whisperings,’ a solo piano
radio station at http://www.mp3.com/stations/whisperings. On it I
featured my own solo piano compositions as well as songs from other
artists in the same genre. I then promoted this station via my
already existing web sites and mailing lists, while at the same
time pitching my songs individually to other MP3.com radio
stations.
It didn't take much time at all to see results. It was actually
quite easy. By the end of the first month, my station ‘Whisperings’
had reached (at its highest position) #3 on the classical station
charts, #10 on the Easy Listening station charts, and #5 on the
Jazz station charts. One of our songs made it to #2 in its
specific genre, and I ranked 4 different songs in the top 40. Wow,
that wasn't hard at all.
Using simple promotion strategies and some persistence, I made
nearly $100 at MP3.com in my first month. Here is a day by day
account of my earnings.
Activity Summary for January 2001
Date Plays Earnings
01/01 0 $0.00
01/02 5 $0.00
01/03 3 $0.00
01/04 9 $0.00
01/05 8 $0.00
01/06 14 $0.00
01/07 6 $0.00
01/08 25 $0.00
01/09 42 $2.29
01/10 40 $1.04
01/11 78 $2.23
01/12 53 $1.26
01/13 48 $1.29
01/14 38 $1.08
01/15 45 $1.54
01/16 68 $2.79
01/17 87 $3.11
01/18 167 $3.60
01/19 118 $3.66
01/20 89 $3.33
01/21 112 $4.98
01/22 130 $3.98
01/23 162 $4.27
01/24 109 $2.85
01/25 181 $5.34
01/26 190 $4.60
01/27 197 $7.07
01/28 175 $7.10
01/29 276 $8.23
01/30 303 $9.98
01/31 365 $9.85
Totals 3073 $95.47
Not a bad start at all, and based on the current earnings trend, my
total for February should exceed $300. And, while that isn't
exactly a treasure trove, it is a good beginning to what I hope is
long term growth. But now comes the really hard part - staying on
the charts. Whether or not I can maintain my current station and
song positionings remain to be seen.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED SO FAR
So, can musicians make money promoting music at MP3.com? You bet.
And with a little effort on your part, it's easier than you might
think. There really no secret to it, but there are a few key
elements certainly help. Here are some tips based on my experience
so far:
#1) Take advantage of past successes: I am very fortunate to
already have a very successful music-oriented web site targeted
directly to musicians and music lovers. This really helped get the
‘Whisperings’ station off the ground, generating airplay almost
immediately.
#2) Get your fans involved: I have a very loyal fan base. To
succeed at MP3.com, I strongly recommend you get your fans
involved. You would be surprised what difference a few dedicated
fans can do.
#3) Song titles matter: The only thing you have to draw attention
to your song in the charts is your song title. If you can come up
with a catchy or interesting song title, you're more likely to get
curious listeners. Look over your own song titles - if you had to
choose, what would YOU click on?
#4) Focus your energy: Pick one song - any song with an interesting
title that's well crafted - and promote the snot out of it.
#5) Create multiple stations: Why only have one station? The most
successful artists on MP3.com are creating multiple stations and
using stylistic variations to populate the station charts. Once you
get your first station established, start working on another, and
use your successful station to promote your new station to your
repeat visitors.
#6) Make your stations GOOD stations: You MUST gain station fans
and repeat listeners. Without them your station, even if it gets a
good start, will begin dying a slow death. If the music is lousy,
why would anyone come back? MP3.com artists play a lot of 'put me
on your station and I'll put you on mine' games. Avoid this
mentality and don't include bad music on your station just because
the artist guarantees they'll play your station. If you like the
song, fine, include them, but if it's mediocre at best, then your
station will be mediocre. Your station is only as good as your
worst song.
#7) Pitch your best songs to new stations every day. Start the
morning by checking your genre charts to see if any new
up-and-coming stations are on the rise. If so, check them out, see
if your music will fit in the format and if so email the station
creator. If you do well, 1 in 5 stations will play your music. The
more stations you're on, the more song plays you'll get. Do realize
that some of these stations are 'play for listing' stations - and
will demand you listen to them a few times a week to participate.
If the station is a HOT station, that might be fine to commit to.
However, if the station is doing mediocre in the charts, don't
bother. If you do well promoting your music on MP3.com, you won't
have time to listen to every station that agrees to play your music
- so pick and choose wisely.
#8) Encourage your station participants to listen to your own
station - but don't be dogmatic about it. There's nothing wrong
with *asking* your station participants to help out by listening
whenever they can. And, if your station is successful, they'll WANT
to help. Everyone wants to be on a HOT station, so if you become
fortunate enough to make the top 10 or 20, enjoy it, and get your
participants involved.
#9) Develop working relationships with your station participants:
This also goes toward #8 above. If your station does well, the
artists on your station will be grateful, and will have a definite
incentive to help you succeed.
So there you have it. After my first month on MP3.com, I'm a
believer. So, if you, like me have been riding the fence about
MP3.com, take my lead - and jump on in.
******
David Nevue is the founder of RainMusic.com and the The Music
Biz Academy (http://www.musicbizacademy.htm). He is also a
professional pianist, recording artist, and author of the book,
"How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet." You can
find his MP3.com station at http://www.mp3.com/davidnevue .
Back to Menu
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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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NEW FOLK CONCERTS AT THE KERRVILLE FOLK FESTIVAL:
For the 30th year the KERRVILLE FOLK FESTIVAL hosts the NEW FOLK
CONCERTS, where during the Kerrville Folk Festival on Saturday and
Sunday, May 26 & 27, thirty-two writer-performers will be invited
to share their original songs. Then, a week later, on Sunday, June
3, six AWARD WINNERS will return to perform 20 minutes of their
original songs and receive a $150 Award from the Festival, plus
$100 each from the Mary Jane Tellez Memorial Fund and $150 from the
Heyman Mailing Service Fund. They will also win a year’s
subscription or renewal to Performing Songwriter Magazine. All of
these concerts will be staged at the Outdoor Theater at Quiet
Valley Ranch on Highway 16 South of Kerrville. Established at the
suggestion of Peter Yarrow in 1972, these annual concerts are one
of the high points of the year for songwriters from all across the
country. The judges selecting the six Award Winners for 2001 are
Gail Davies (Nashville, TN), Rex Benson (Santa Anna, CA), and Anni
Clark (Old Orchard Beach, ME)
All tapes must be accompanied by a $16 entry fee payable to the
Kerrville Folk Festival, Inc. If sending by U.S. Mail, send to
P.O.Box 291466, Kerrville, TX 78029. If using another shipping
service (UPS, FedEx, etc.), send to New Folk, 5600 Medina Hwy.,
Kerrville, TX 78028. Only the first 600 entries received between
January 1, 2001 and midnight, April 1, 2001, will be accepted. All
others will be refused. See
http://www.kerrville-music.com/newfolk.htm for further details.
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CANADIAN MUSIC WEEK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT CALENDAR EVENT ON
CANADA'S MUSIC SCENE
There's a three-day Executive industry conference for the
international heavy hitters the theme this year is Wild Wireless
World. There are three days of showcases in some 20 different
downtown Toronto clubs, featuring anywhere between three and five
bands or artists in each venue each night. There's a three day Home
Entertainment & Trade Show, and the event ends April 1 with the
first Canadian Independent Music Awards. It all centres around the
West Harbour Castle Hotel in Toronto March 29-April 1.
Speakers will include Lou Pearlman, Hurricane Carter, Barry Weiss
and dozens more; hosts of various events include Leslie Neilson,
Jann Arden and Mike Bullard. Check the Canadian Music Week website
for details: www.cmw.net .
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NEW 'RADIO MUSE' WEBCAST FOR INDEPENDENT SONGWRITERS
- NOW SEEKING MUSIC!
The Muse's Muse & Host, Jan Best of Independent Songwriter
Web-Magazine, will be putting together a series of shows, one every
month, featuring the songs of independent songwriters just like
you! See http://www.musesmuse.com/radiomuse.html for details on how
you can send in your own music for consideration.
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THE BEST WEEK TO VISIT NASHVILLE: TIN PAN SOUTH 2001!
Mark your calendars, Tin Pan South week is April 2nd - 7th. There's
no better time of year to plan your trip to Nashville, from a great
open-mic opportunity to fantastic shows featuring the country's
best songwriters, to an information-packed songwriters symposium
where you will meet with publishers in their offices for song
evaluations! In fact, the December 2000 Performing Songwriter
Magazine said, "Tin Pan South is a terrific way to get a taste of
Nashville and the opportunities Music City has to offer" in their
Top Networking Opportunities in 2001 article. Plan your trip for
Nashville during Tin Pan in April!
Contact David Thomas at the NSAI office by phone
1-800-321-6008 (ext. 26) or by email
davidthomas@nashvillesongwriters.com. Visit
www.nashvillesongwriters.com to learn more about the conference and
the entire Tin Pan South week.
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HOT SUMMER SONGWRITING WORKSHOP OPPORTUNITY WITH PAT & PETE LUBOFF:
Spring is almost springing in Nashville and Summer cannot be far
behind. Last Summer we drove from California to Nashville in our
motor home and did a workshop (or two) in every state we passed
along the way. This Summer, we're thinking of another tour, this
time in the states east of the Mississippi. (You know who you are!)
So if you are an enthusiastic songwriter or a representative of a
songwriting group who would like a fun, inspirational, educational
experience in songwriting, please contact us now. We'll figure out
the details and the route when we have all the locales gathered.
We can do these in your living room, your studio, your local club,
your school - no venue is too large or too small. But we do need
to hear from you now so we can start organizing the logistics.
For more information about us, visit our site
http://www.writesongs.com
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The GREAT AMERICAN SONG CONTEST is sponsored annually by
Songwriters Resource Network, a free online news and education
resource for songwriters everywhere. This songwriting contest
features multiple awards & prizes in all categories, top industry
judges and low entry fees. All participating songwriters receive
critiques of their work.
This year's contest is open until November 7, 200l.
Information is available at www.GreatAmericanSong.com or by
visiting Songwriters Resource Network at
www.SongwritersResourceNetwork.com
Contest brochures are also available by email at:
info@SongwritersResourceNetwork.com
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MUSIC DIRECTORY CANADA, EIGHTH EDITION NOW AVAILABLE!
The Eighth Edition of this essential guide to the Canadian Music
Industry has been completely updated and revised, featuring more
than 60 categories, in over 650 pages. Each listing includes:
Company, Contact, Address, Phone, FAX, E-mail, Web Address and
Description. Plus special sections: Artist Contacts, Award Winners,
Canadian Chart Toppers, Schedule of Events, Internet Music
Resources and much more! If you need to contact anyone in the
Canadian Music Industry, get this book!
For a preview of all categories in Music Directory Canada,
distributors throughout Canada, or to order online from anywhere in
the world, visit www.musicdirectorycanada.com.
You can also order by phone, toll free at 1-800-265-8481.
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MUSICDISH BANDWARS BATTLE ROYALE
MusicDish, the premier industry e-journal, has launched the
ULTIMATE band competition: BandWars Battle Royale!!! A 3 week
competition between all previous champions of BandWars - 16 bands
all together. Over $3,500 in band prizes!!! Listen to the
track...Vote for the best band!
http://www.musicdish.com/bandwars/vote/
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AMERICAN SONGWRITER MAGAZINE'S LYRIC WRITING CONTEST IS ON NOW!
Established 1984. 6 contests per year.
Requirements:
Send lyrics only. Lyrics must be typed and a check for $10 (per
entry) must be enclosed. 3 entries maximum per contest. Include an
entry form with each lyric sheet submitted. Call for required
official form (615-321-6096) or print it from our website.
http://www.americansongwriter.com ~ Lyrics only, no cassettes.
Awards: A Martin guitar with case and certificate to each contest
winner. Top 5 winning lyrics for each contest reprinted in American
Songwriter Magazine. One overall winner per year receives airfare
to Nashville and a demo session.
Current Deadlines Are:
March 23, 2001, May 18, 2001, July 20, 2001, September 21,2001 &
November 16, 2001
Back to Menu
=================================================================
M u s e ' s C l u e s : by Irene Jackson
©1998-2001 Moonstone Productions All Rights Reserved. Used By
Permission
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A site which I've certainly come across before but haven't explored
much in past, is Tonos.com (http://www.tonos.com).
You may have heard about this site a few months ago when they had a
contest to write music to Carol Bayer Sager's lyrics. I didn't
follow through on who was the winner or what happened with that
contest, but recently while I was doing some surfing, I came across
the site again and thought I'd give it a closer look.
Basically, the idea of the site is to provide a collaborative
meeting place for songwriters, musicians and producers. After
registering with the website, you can search for a list of musical
projects that require parts, or you can post your own unfinished
project and find just the people and parts you need to complete it.
If you want to participate in this way, you can download a free
30-day trial version of a software program called the TC8 (you can
purchase it for US$29.95), which is essentially a digital 8-track
program that is used by others on the site to record and/or add
parts to a song.
But aside from the interactive collaboration, there are lots of
useful articles and interviews with artists and well-known
songwriters, including Diane Warren, a discussion board, industry
advice, and you can even ask questions of some guest songwriters
and producers like Carol Bayer Sager. You can join their Demo
Derby, pay for some guitar or piano lessons and shop for
instruments too.
One of the best articles/interviews I found was
songwriter/guitarist Jonatha Brooke
http://www.tonos.com/app1/studio/articles/jsp/jonatha_brooke_steady
_pull_of_unique_tunings.jsp
who gives some insight as to how she uses open tunings on her
guitar to write songs. You can view the video, just listen to
audio, or read the interview! There are tons of little tidbits
like this scattered around the site, it'll take you a few hours to
see them all!
Even if you don't want to register, you can still view the articles
and participate to a certain extent...Tonos.com is definitely worth
a visit!
******
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 more links of interest. Her eagerly anticipated CD "Catnip" is
finally here, and her earlier recordings have had attention
everywhere from Japan to South America.
Songwriting Tips: http://www.irenejackson.com/tips.html
Homepage: http://www.irenejackson.com/
Songs on MP3:
http://www.mp3.com/artists/20/irene_jackson.html
Back to Menu
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P U B L I S H E R I N S P O T L I G H T :
Atlanta-born, LA-based singer/songwriter, Deborah McColl
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Q: How did you get involved in music to begin with? Was your
family musical? And did you start writing songs at the very
beginning or did that come later?
---------------------------------------------
A: My mother and father were both musical though neither pursued
music professionally. Mama was an excellent classical pianist and
had a natural, beautiful voice, and Daddy played the violin and
sang tenor; his voice was thin, but he had a great ear for harmony.
I remember singing "Sentimental Journey" in two-part harmony with
him while riding up to the lake in the summertime in his 1961 Ford
Falcon.
I started writing silly songs when I was a child; songs about my
dog's bad breath and stuff like that. I could always pick out
melodies on the piano. When adolescence hit amidst a lot of
family insanity and instability, I began writing poetry. I
actually started playing guitar when I was thirteen and in the
hospital recovering from extensive spinal surgery to correct my
scoliosis. I was in this awful torso cast that kept my arm
stretched up on a sort of shelf - in the perfect position to hold a
guitar. I started out learning songs done by Joan Baez and Bob
Dylan, but soon began shaping my poetry into lyrics and writing
songs. Music really saved my life during this period.
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Q: You mention that you started out writing poetry. What do you
think the differences are between poetry and song lyrics? And do
your strengths in writing poetry help or hinder you with writing
your songs? In what way?
---------------------------------------------
A: I so admire the poetic lyrics of the obvious greats - Bob Dylan,
Leonard Cohen, and Joni Mitchell, and newer artists like Beck. The
lyrics of my own that I like best are less linear and literal and
more "poetic" than my other songs. That's why I'm especially happy
with the lyrics to my song, "Naked In the Garden"; I think it
achieves the necessary balance of clarity and poetic ambiguity.
Leonard Bernstein said (I'm paraphrasing) that ambiguity is an
inherent part of art - it is the space offered which the receiver
must "fill in" with their own spontaneous response. Artistic
ambiguity, according to Bernstein, is what separates art from
craft. Now, this is obviously not an excuse for murky vagueness
that doesn't communicate on any level.
So, I think that the little bit of "poet" in me is my greatest
asset as a songwriter, and I try to develop that part of me through
free-associative writing, etc. I'm naturally a pretty literal,
linear writer and so I have to work to open up that other side of
me.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Q: How do you come up with song ideas? What sorts of things
inspire you and how do you find that inspiration? Is it something
that just comes to you out of the ether or do you actively seek it
somehow?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For the remainder of this interview, see
http://www.musesmuse.com/int-mccoll.html#newsletter .
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Back to Menu
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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 :
Evans To Heaven
by Danny McBride
http://www.musesmuse.com/dm-evans.html
Danny writes a gentle tribute to undisputed "Queen of the West",
Dale Evans.
Back to Menu =================================================================
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 SONGWRITER'S GUIDE TO DEMO SUBMISSION...
Everything you need to know to get your songs heard! Updated for
2001, our guide can give you an edge over the thousands of other
songwriters trying desperately to get their songs listened to.
You'll learn how to package your demos like a pro, discover where
to send your demos, learn how to market your songs online, locate
songwriter organizations and more! http://www.music-song-lyric.com
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ATTENTION SONGWRITERS! YOUR SONG MAY BE THE SOUND OF SUCCESS!
The Billboard Song Contest has some new and exciting changes taking
place this year. For the first time ever, we are offering the
"Excellence in Songwriting Award" for our first place winners. The
Billboard Song Contest is open to both amateur and semi-
professional songwriters. Entry forms can be obtained by calling
us toll free at 888-989-0351, at www.billboard.com/songcontest, or
email at bbsc@jimhalsey.com.
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WINDRIFT SONGWRITING COMPETITION
Windrift Music, a new music label in Toronto is sponsoring a free
songwriting competition. THERE IS NO ENTRY CHARGE:
Grand Prize * $500 in cash * Make Your own demo CD * 50 CDs
courtesy of Windrift Music * Web Hosting of Your Song on Windrift
Music Site * Artist Home Page with download of music * 1000
promotional Flyers of CD * Free promotion of artist CD to major
labels. The deadline is June 30th, 2001. Contest details are
located on the Windrift web site:
http://www.windriftmusic.com/contest.html
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MUST HAVE MUSIC GOES ON-LINE!
If you or someone you know has an interest in a career in the music
business, Must Have Music ( http://www.musthavemusic.net )
can help. If you're an original singer/artist looking for great
songs for your next recording project, this is music you can't live
without! Our website is for singers, artists, songwriters &
seasoned professionals. We've been working professionally in
Songwriting & Music Publishing in California since the mid-1990s.
Come by and find out how to take your career in the music business
to the next level!
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USA INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION
Songwriters! Enter to win a grand prize of over US$50,000 in cash,
merchandise and more! This the largest prize package in any annual
songwriting competition. Also, winners' songs will be featured on a
nationally syndicated radio program serving over 60 cities in the
US and Canada. Judges include A&R Managers from Major Record labels
and publishers.
BONUS: Early bird entrants receive a FREE gift.
Hurry, visit: http://www.songwriting.net/mm.html
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GET YOUR COPY OF THE INDIE CONTACT BIBLE & START MAKING WAVES!
This is an absolutely priceless resource for indie musicians. If
you want your music reviewed, on the radio, *heard*, THIS is the
resource you need to have. It's not going to tell you "how" but it
will *certainly* tell you "who". I highly recommend you pick it up
in order to compliment your other music marketing techniques. Have
a look at this url and read through a few sample pages to see what
I mean: http://www.bigmeteor.com/muse
(Full review at http://www.musesmuse.com/3.4-July00.html#book)
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INDIE-MUSIC.COM ~ SAVE TIME & PROMOTE YOUR MUSIC FREE!
1000's of contacts for musicians, no cost, no hassles. Download a
free College Radio E-Guide or subscribe to our free Indie News
newsletter to receive free tips to advance your music career.
http://Indie-Music.com - The Best Place For Musicians Online
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GO GLOBAL WITH CDSTREET.COM
CDstreet.com is your secure source for credit card music ordering
in your own website. As a member of the CDstreet network, you will
have access to the most cost-effective, secure transaction
processing for global music merchandise distribution. Plus, no
setup fee and no sales equals no cost!
Check it out - http://www.cdstreet.com
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DISCOVER SHAREWARE MUSIC MACHINE and explore the world of software
which will help make writing and recording your songs a breeze!
Featuring over 2100 software titles to freely download as well as
more than 2000 discussion forums, Shareware Music Machine has
software for musicians of all kinds. For MIDI sequencers to guitar
effects to hard disc recording to the latest sound players, head to
http://www.hitsquad.com/smm/?muse
=================================================================
ADVERTISING RATES: For Classifieds: US$25 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
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 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:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
adinfo@musesmuse.com - How to place a classified ad, pass
on market information or sponsor
The Muse's News.
info@musesmuse.com - How to subscribe, unsubscribe, etc.
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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