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The Muse's News |
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Issue 4.10 - January 2002
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
@-- Copyright & Publishing Q&A with Nancy A. Reece from Carpe Diem
Copyright Management & attorney Duff Berschback
@-- Music Reviews - by Ben Ohmart & Eliot Popkin
@-- Songwriting Book Review - by James Linderman
@-- Featured Article - THE BUSINESS OF MUSIC:
Managers and Agents: What a Manager Does -
by Charles Katz
@-- 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 - VOCALLY SPEAKING...The Cutting Edge -
by Diana Yampolksy
@-- Songwriter In Spotlight - Chris Kennedy
@-- 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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S p o n s o r M e s s a g e :
(Please support the sponsors that support this newsletter! Thanks!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GET A RECORD DEAL!
Universal Music A&R Reps Are Waiting To Hear Your Demo -
Guaranteed! InsideSessions, an innovative new online program,
Teaches you how to Make it in the Music Industry And Guarantees
that an A&R Rep at Universal Will Listen to and Provide Written
Feedback on Your Demo. Click Here for Your Big Break!
http://www.insidesessions.com/promos/promomusic_ec.asp?rid=685
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
E d i t o r ' s M u s i n g s :
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Hi everyone. I hope you are all having a fantastic holiday season
spent with loved ones and good friends.
As always, there's lots going on here on The Muse's Muse. Hit
songwriter, Paula Carpenter, is the latest to join our columnist
crew. She has very graciously donated her time to talk with you
about how to get your songs noticed while not living in a major
city center. Her new column is called "Why Not Me?" and is located
at http://www.musesmuse.com/col-paulac.html . I hope you'll check
it out and make her feel welcome.
The message boards are hopping, as per usual. Over 900 members so
far and still on the rise. :) If you're looking for a way to
connect with other songwriters online, this is definitely the place
to look. You can reach the message boards at
http://www.musesmuse.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi .
And last but certainly not least, congratulations to Karen Jones of
Niagara Falls, ON (Canada) who has won a copy of Moses Avalon's new
book, "Secrets of Negotiating a Record Contract". Congratulations
also should go to Margrett Mastors of Colorado Springs, CO, who has
won a copy of the latest version of Lyricist. For more information
on this wonderfully useful product, have a read through the
detailed review at http://www.musesmuse.com/vss-review.html .
Have an AMAZING New Year's, and I'll see you all next month! :)
--Jodi
Back to Menu
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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 Licensing executive Nancy A. Reece & attorney Duff Berschback
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Q: A Reader Asks:
It was also my understanding that registered mail copyright doesn't
hold up in cases involving big money as well, but my sister who is
an entertainment lawyer indicated to me that in smaller court cases
whereby someone challenges ownership it is a piece of evidence to
add to studio logs and a body of consistent work to get a favorable
result. It is my understanding that this should not be considered
to be copyright in itself, but as a piece of evidence. Certainly as
I pointed out a more formal copyright is recommended as your
earning potential expands but I was of the understanding that
registering your songs with the US copyright office only secured
the title of your work on that date and not the content and that
this has previously been considered a useless formality. Is my
information inaccurate or worse still... outdated?
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A: A few thoughts on REGISTRATION FROM DUFF. (Limited to U.S.)
1. RE: the validity of the old "mail it to myself" trick.
a. "Big vs. small money" irrelevant
b. Does work, but immaterial re: actual copyright or
registration--is simply evidence of date of copyright.
c. Best technique is certified mail to self/other (unopened).
2. What you DON'T get if you don't register.
a. Can't bring infringement suit.
b. Can't collect compulsory license.
c. Can't recover attorney fees or get statutory damages.
d. Lose presumption that everything in your statement is correct
if don't register w/in 5 years.
3. Registration: There is conflicting legal opinion about whether
one can copyright a title. But it's not accurate that filing a
P.A. only copyrights the title. Registration is certainly not a
useless formality (see #2, above). I know equally respected
publishers who 1) wait till a song is cut before registering and 2)
register every song submitted.
Jodi's perspective:
I've heard from Nancy Reece of Carpe Diem Copyright Management on
numerous occasions, that the "poor man's copyright" - or sending
your stuff to yourself in the mail and not opening it, will NOT
hold up in court! You should be aware of this. Now granted, she's
in the States, but frankly, if a song is stolen and makes a lot of
money (and why else would anyone sue?), let's be honest with
ourselves and admit that it'll have made all that money in the
States (usually). I would actually strongly encourage registering
things with the US Copyright Office (the url is on the first page
of The Muse's Muse). You can register an entire collection -
however many you can fit on a CD and give the CD a name (or a tape,
for that matter) - for $30 US. That's really not a lot of money,
all things considered. That will cover you where the problems are
likely to occur - in the States.
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Q: I am interested in starting a Musical Tribute Site, and have
questions concerning copyright laws and policies. The concept of
this site would be for fans to record and upload 1 minute snippets
of their favorite song by their favorite artists. Again, this is
a tribute site, and no revenues will be generated from the songs
themselves. My hope is to have fans submit their best and most
creative work in order to show the artists how much their music has
inspired and helped them.
My first question concerns the actual copyright law - would it be a
violation to remake a song by an artist, and post it at a tribute
site(where proper credit would be given) for other fans, and
perhaps the artists themselves, to enjoy? [entertainment only]
My second question concerns revenues generated indirectly of the
actual sound files in the form of placing advertisements on my page
to help offset the cost of providing the site. Would this come
under violation of any law or policy for generating profit/money on
copyrighted material?
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A: FROM NANCY:
You must secure permissions from both the underlying work (the
song) and the recording to use their property in this way. With
you not having all of the song available you may be able to
negotiate with the parties concerning the promotional value.
However, this is very sticky territory best handled by securing
legal counsel.
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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 OR
DUFF'S "THIS LAW GOES TO 11" COLUMN AT
http://www.musesmuse.com/songlaw.html .
Please note: These two 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 Q&A's online to see if your question
has already been asked before you send in a request. Thanks!
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*****
ABOUT NANCY A. REECE:
Carpe Diem Copyright Management'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). In addition to her work at Carpe
Diem Copyright Management, Reece works at a performing rights organization
in the United States and is an accomplished contemporary artist working in
abstract and multimedia on canvas and wood.
ABOUT DUFF BERSCHBACK:
Duff Berschback is an entertainment lawyer in Nashville, TN. He
represents singers, songwriters, publishers, and other assorted
industry types, with a particular focus on digital entertainment
and new media. He spends spare time hanging with his family,
playing with his Lab, reading, and, of course, listening to music.
A bit scattershot in his musical taste, at any given time he can be
found listening to Bach or Martina McBride, Wagner or Robert
Johnson, Muddy Waters or (old) U2, Dire Straits or Dwight Yoakum,
The Rolling Stones or Frank Sinatra, and (old) Van Halen or George
Winston, among others.
**If you would like to ask either of these two a question, you can
send your e-mail to Nancy at nreece@musesmuse.com or to Duff at
duffb@musesmail.com . They can't guarantee they'll get to all of
the questions, but they'll certainly try.**
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M u s i c R e v i e w s : by Ben Ohmart
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Why is this cd fully rigged? Quoting from Aly and Ale's description
of the opening tune, 'The Full Rigged Ship,' this dual-instrument
music portrays 'an old fiddler's description of a sailing ship on
the horizon, fully rigged.' The 2 instruments: fiddle, and mandola
(I believe), which is a mandolin with frets and octaves, giving
every song an old world flavor that is rather impossible to
replicate unless you have a supreme love for the style and the
post-century as these guys have.
That ship never fully sails. That is, it does not ever sail out of
sight. 'Da Day Dawn' is 7 minutes of 'one of the oldest tunes in
Shetland which was played to welcome in the New Year (Old Yule).
The melody comes from Shetland's Nordic heritage and has strong
similarities with the Scandinavian cattle herding music.' It's also
a swinging trad. tune once the fiddle fires up, and Ale passes on
from whatever instrument opens up the piece back to his plucky
mandola.
Ale's instruments include all the unusual windy instruments: cow's
horn, willow flutes, wooden whistles, plus harmonica. Born in
Malmo, Sweden, Ale has been an important part of Swedish folk music
for many a year, swinging with the best bands, like Frifot,
Filarfolket and The Nordan Project. He's now a professor at
Sibelius Academy of Music in Helsinki.
Aly's just as well known, especially for his music on the UK's TV
series Down Home, and his band, The Boys of the Lough, a spry bit
of folk music that's been searing up the world for the past 30
years. He was awarded the MBE in '94 and in '99 became a Doctor of
Music at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
This combination of doctoral know-how significantly challenges
traditional Nordic music while coming to terms with today, and the
highly desirable sounds of solid production and simple but perfect
mixing. The players explain:
'The old music of the Shetlands displays the islands' Nordic
lineage: settled by Norwegian farmers and the Vikings in the 9th
century, and owned by Norway until the late 1400s. While many
associate the Shetland and Orkney Islands with Scotland and Celtic
culture, the music of this project reveals the real depth of its
Norse heritage.’
The differing instrumentation and peaceful nature of the disc is
world reason enough to try it on for size. It'll fit.
http://www.noside.com/
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OTHER NEW MUSIC REVIEWS SINCE LAST MONTH INCLUDE:
James Horner - A Beautiful Life (soundtrack)- (by Ben Ohmart)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000106.html
DFA - (by Ben Ohmart)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000113.html
Sonic Residue From Vapourspace - (by Ben Ohmart)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000110.html
Stars of Afro-Pop - (by Ben Ohmart)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000109.html
Don Lanphere and New Stories - (by Ben Ohmart)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000108.html
My First Day At Preschool - (by Ben Ohmart)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000117.html
Judithstar - (by Eliot Popkin)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000119.html
Doug Folkins - (by Eliot Popkin)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000120.html
Billy Rawlett - (by Eliot Popkin)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000121.html
Mars Black - (by Eliot Popkin)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000122.html
Alton Rex - (by Eliot Popkin)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000123.html
Healing Sounds - (by Ben Ohmart)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000125.html
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******
Ben lives in Boalsburg, PA where greedy people want to put up
condos in place of a nature preserve. He spends his off hours
listening to radio comedy - especially British - loves reading and
watching horror, and hates trying to make ends meet. Send him money
and gifts. While waiting for bribes, he's currently writing the
official biographies of The Bickersons, Paul Frees and Daws Butler.
His latest bit of immortality? The text for bickersons.com.
Contact him at: ohmart@musesmuse.com.
Eliot is a Boston born singer/songwriter who saw his debut album
"Down Along This Road" have 3 songs find their way into movies,
radio airplay on more than 100 stations across the country as well
as countless wonderful reviews and feature stories. He currently is
writing songs for various major label and film projects, and is in
the studio working on his follow up album. He lives in Los Angeles,
enjoying a nice view of the Hollywood sign. To hear his music, drop
by his web site at http://www.mp3.com/eliotpopkin .
Contact him at: eliotpopkin@musesmail.com
If you're considering sending in your own CD for review, please
drop by http://www.musesmuse.com/musicreviews.html to find out
which reviewer reviews which genre. Thanks!
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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 James Linderman
Secrets of Negotiating a Record Contract : The Musician's Guide to
Understanding and Avoiding Sneaky Lawyer Tricks - by Moses Avalon
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/087930636X/themusesmuse
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If I were to ask you if you were ready to sign with a major label
today, you would probably say, "Yea, bring on the huge advance, the
monthly royalties, the platinum albums, the awards, the limo and
the... well, you get the picture. Very few of us would say, "Yea, I'm
ready to read the 50 page contract of legal mumbo-jumbo and
carefully scrutinize it for clauses that "double-dip" into my
advance, my recording budget, my royalties, my mechanicals, my
future advances and my lunch money."
Moses Avalon (a pseudonym for a top level record producer) has
written this amazing book as a response to decades of seeing
artists come through his studio, like so many sheep, seeing their
hard work and dreams dissolve into the pages of the one-sided and
misleading document known as "the thick" version of a recording
contract. A document that completely represents how you will
create, produce, display and sell your work in public.
Avalon's book takes you on a tour of some sample clauses of common
major label deal contracts and features a "side by side"
explanation of each clause in "street" English. His approach is
totally illuminating, extremely entertaining, often humorous and
very candid. Reading it is like knowing someone on the inside of
the industry and having a 20 hour chat with him or her about how
the star machine really works and how it intends to pay itself for
your work. It also offers up great advice on what you might do to
amend the contract in the hopes of make it fair, making a living,
and building a career.
Oscar Wilde once wrote that there are but two tragedies in life,
one is not getting what you want and the other is getting it. These
words will come back to haunt you as you read through this book and
realize that the contract most lawyers would have you sign (as you
finally get to where you have always wanted to be) is a complex
minefield of loopholes and altered definitions intended to have
your share of the money, from your recordings, sift through your
outstretched hands and fall conveniently back into theirs.
Avalon also finally explains in plain English how a Statutory Rate
really works and how to make it not so statutory in your contract
in a way that will make money and a great deal of sense. As well,
he covers the Controlled Compositions Clauses that pick the
writer's pocket as well as the artists. If you are both the writer
and the artist's, this is like inviting a thief back into your
house because he forgot the silver.
This book would be a great read for everyone who has a curiosity
about how things work in the "majors". It's also a great read if
you are like me, and want to sound like you know a thing or two
when un-musical folks say to me, " What do you know about the music
business anyway". If you are dreaming or planning to negotiate a
contract with any label (big or small) in the near future, this
book is mandatory reading and avoiding it might be very hazardous
to your future income.
You will not like or trust lawyers or record labels after reading
this book (as if you ever did) but for the first time and from that
point on…you won't have to.
******
James Linderman lives and works at theharmonyhouse, a music lesson,
songwriting and music pre-production facility in Newmarket,
Ontario, Canada. He has worked as a collaborating songwriter and
consultant for The Toronto Office of Catholic Youth and leads a
music workshop program for Life 100.3 Christian radio. James writes
songwriting articles for The Muse's News web magazine, Canadian
Musician Magazine and Professional Musician Magazine.
Contact James at: theharmonyhouse@rogers.com
Back to Menu
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F e a t u r e d A r t i c l e :
Charles will be providing us with a series of articles discussing
common problems performing songwriters might face within the music
business.
THE BUSINESS OF MUSIC: Managers and Agents: What a Manager Does
by Charles Katz
©2002, Charles Katz. All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission.
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"Lean on Me" Words and Music by Bill Withers was a classic hit in
the late 70's.
The repetitive lyric "Lean on me // when you're not strong // and
I'll be your friend" is repeated several times in the chorus and is
essentially what a manager has to be for a performing artist.
The manager has to be a friend, administrator, sales person,
employer, negotiator, and advisor.
A Professional Manager will not sign a performing artist until he
or she has achieved success in developing a fan base and sales of
CDs initially.
I had an artist from New York City call me and ask about
management.
I told him to send a Bio and Press kit for evaluation. He stated,
"That's what a manager does," and hung up.
WRONG!!
Most of the artist I work with are truly professional.
They have expensive and multi-colored Press Kits with CDs enclosed.
They already know their local market and need me to help out
nationally, advising them about record labels, promotion, retail
distribution and manufacturing.
Having said all this, the manager needs to use his best efforts to
perform the following services:
* Guidance and Advice.
* Engagement of Services.
* Negotiation and Execution of Agreements.
A manager will usually earn a commission for the following services
which can include but are not limited to:
* recording funds advanced by a record company
* money paid to make videos
* tour support
* booking agent fees
* expenses in connection with promotional and marketing activities
and independent promotion, marketing or publicity
* income from music publishing and songwriting
* income from any entertainment presentations which the manager
packages or presents and for which the manager receives a portion
of the ticket revenues for packaging or presenting the event
* income from recording studios, acting, other entertainment or
other artist's sources of revenue.
The Performing Artist normally pays all the necessary costs
incurred by the manager in the performance of his duties.
The result of a manager's efforts are not realized in days or
weeks. Both the artist and manager must be in for the long term
over a period of years.
Thus, in starting, many new performing artists must perform the
above mentioned tasks until some success has been achieved.
Stay tuned for next month's article:
RECORDING: Practical Realties of Securing A Record Label Agreement
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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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'RADIO MUSE' WEBCAST FOR INDEPENDENT SONGWRITERS - SEEKING MUSIC!
The Muse's Muse & Host, Jan Best of Independent Songwriter
Web-Magazine, are 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 2002 ANDELLE MUSIC SONG CONTEST
Return flights to a Worldwide Rock'n'Roll Capital, plus 7 nights
accomodation, $500, Fender Acoustic Guitar, Kramer Electric Guitar,
Trophy & Certificate for the Grand Prize Winner. Category Winners
receive $500 plus a Guitar & Trophy. Full details and an
application form can be found at www.andellemusic.com. The Contest
officially opens on 1st January 2002. Have fun and good luck!
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2001 USA SONGWRITING COMPETITION WINNERS ANNOUNCED
Singer-Songwriter Steve Tannen of New York City clinched the
coveted Overall Grand prize with his song "Picture of You". He
also won first prize in Pop category with "Picture of You" and an
honorable mention award with his song "Sing Me To Sleep". The
Overall 2nd Prize went to Shawn Eiferman of Las Vegas, NV with his
song "Gone". The Overall 3rd Prize went to Jen Chapin of Brooklyn,
NY with her song "Indispensable". Veteran songwriter Shirley Eihard
of Ontario, Canada won the first prize in the Jazz category with
her song "Tomorrow Is A Lonely Place". Shirley wrote the mega hit
"Something to Talk About" for Grammy winning artist, Bonnie Raitt.
For more information visit: http://www.songwriting.net/winners.html
2002 USA SONGWRITING COMPETITION BEGINS
Entries for the 2002 USA Songwriting Competition are currently
accepted. Winning songs of the 2002 USA Songwriting Competition
will receive radio airplay on a nationally syndicated radio program
in serving over 60 cities in North America and Canada. Entrants
stand to win a grand prize of over US$50,000 in cash and
merchandise and exposure, making this the largest prize package in
any annual songwriting competition. http://www.songwriting.net
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SPECIAL OFFER FROM THE MUSICIAN'S ATLAS
The Musician's Atlas is the a music industry resource created
exclusively for artists and the independent music community. This
368 page directory delivers over 15,000 key business contacts in
more than 25 industry categories.
Features include major & indie label A&R depts., commercial and
college radio program directors, club and festival talent buyers,
music journalists, publicists, publishers, managers, agents,
entertainment lawyers, producers, film & tv music supervisors, cd
manufacturers, merchandisers and much more.
We are pleased to offer Muse's Muse subscribers a 15% discount off
the already low retail price when you order your copies directly
from www.MusiciansAtlas.com. Or you can receive a free copy of the
2002 Atlas and still save 15% when you order a copy of the new and
improved Atlas CD-Rom.
Just log on to www.MusiciansAtlas.com and enter MUSESMUSE into the
purchase code key found on The Atlas order page.
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GET YOUR SONGS HEARD
Looking to snag a publishing deal or get signed to a label?
Musician's Access gives you the access that you need. Members can
submit original songs and get them heard by the A&R execs who
signed Elliot Smith, Beck, Built to Spill, and many more! If your
music has what it takes, Musician's Access will forward it along to
its network of label & publishing contacts. Musician's Access knows
all the right people because it was founded by industry power
players--if your music comes through Musician's Access, the
publishing companies & labels will listen. Membership to Musician's
Access is only $99 per year--for the price of 6 CDs, you can have
the chance to get your music in front of the people who can make it
happen!
Musician's Access ~ http://www.musician.com/redirect/672.
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MILD 2 WILD ENTERTAINMENT HOSTS "BEST SONG & LYRIC" CONTEST:
Entries will be accepted through May 23, 2002. The Cost is $5.00
per song or lyric entered. No limit to the number of entries.
Complete rules and entry form can be found on Mild 2 Wild's website
http://mild2wild.homestead.com/index.html or e-mail at
Dmild2wild@yahoo.com
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NSAI ANNOUNCES TIN PAN SOUTH 2002 SCHEDULE
Songwriters Festival Celebrates 10th Anniversary The Nashville
Songwriters Association International (NSAI) will present the 10th
Anniversary of "Tin Pan South: A Celebration of Songs and
Songwriters" Monday, April 1st- Saturday, April 6th, 2002 in
Nashville, TN. Highlights of this year's festival include: the
Legendary Songwriters Acoustic Concert, World's Largest Open Mic
competition, Tin Pan South Songwriters Golf Classic, Music Row 2002
Songwriters Symposium and four nights of club shows featuring
established songwriters performing at venues throughout Nashville.
Named in honor of the famous Tin Pan Alley in New York City, NSAI's
Tin Pan South is the nation's only annual weeklong festival
spotlighting the songwriter and the song.
For more a daily events schedule and more information, please visit
http://www.nashvillesongwriters.com
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CALL FOR ENTRIES:
NATIONAL "INDIE BAND SEARCH 2002" NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS
ModMusic Records is proud to announce the Indie Band Search 2002.
The Indie Band Search is a national contest that gives independent
musicians, artists, songwriters, and bands a chance to be heard by
entertainment industry professionals and compete for prizes worth
over $10,000. ModMusic will be accepting submissions from
independent bands of all musical genres, from October 29, 2001
through February 14, 2002. For entry forms, submission guidelines,
and rules, visit the website at www.indiebandsearch.com or call the
hotline at (212)479-8418.
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MUSIC ROW 2002 SONGWRITERS SYMPOSIUM APRIL 5TH & 6TH
Meet With Publishers at their Music Row Offices! The Nashville
Songwriters Association International (NSAI) will present the Music
Row 2002 Songwriters Symposium (MR-2002) April 5th & 6th, 2002 at
the historic Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, TN. The two-day event
is designed to educate and empower songwriters who wish to advance
their careers in the music industry. MR-2002 will feature song
evaluation sessions with Music Row publishers, panel discussions
and workshops led by industry professionals, special guest
performances and an "in the round" open mic for attendees hosted by
Barbara Morrison.
To obtain a registration form or for more information about Music
Row 2002, please visit http://www.nashvillesongwriters.com or
contact David Thomas at the NSAI office by phone: (800) 321-6008 or
email: davidthomas@nashvillesongwriters.com.
Back to Menu
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M u s e ' s C l u e s : by Irene Jackson
©1998-2002 Moonstone Productions All Rights Reserved. Used By
Permission
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Well, you can't begin calling yourself a songwriter without first
knowing this guy. Okay, maybe if you're only 13 years old, you may
not have heard of him. But even if you haven't, it's quite likely
that the music you listen to has, somewhere down the chain of
influences, been affected by him.
Do you know who I'm talking about? Of course you do. Bob Dylan.
Love him or hate him, you can't deny that this guy has had a
profound effect on a lot of songwriters. Paul Zollo, best known
for his book "Songwriters On Songwriting", has interviewed a lot of
them. In "Bob Dylan: The Song Talk Interview"
(http://www.interferenza.net/bcs/interw/1991zollo.htm), Paul gets
to meet "the man", and ask him some of the questions only a
songwriter would be interested in. Like his favorite keys to
write in, his thoughts about other songwriters, whether or not
rhyming is "fun", and whether or not he finishes songs that he
decides aren't "keepers".
I can't say that this interview helps you to know Bob Dylan any
better as a person, but there are some excellent questions by Paul
Zollo that get to the heart of Dylan's songwriting. There are
examples and studies of some of Dylan's lyrics, where he gets his
inspiration from, and a little insight into his songwriting
methods. Does Bob Dylan sit down to write everyday, like a job?
So get a little insight into arguably one of the most influential
songwriters of our time. And if you enjoy Paul Zollo's style of
writing, you might want to check out his excellent book, a
collection of interviews with many great songwriters called
"Songwriters On Songwriting". In fact, you can order it through
the Muse's Muse...you'll find that book and many others here:
http://www.musesmuse.com/books.html
******
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
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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!)
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=================================================================
F e a t u r e d A r t i c l e :
VOCALLY SPEAKING...The Cutting Edge - by Diana Yampolksy
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In this column, I would like to talk about something that every
singer who aspires to greatness must have: a cutting edge. This
term is actually the title of an obscure movie about figure skating
that I enjoyed very much and, more importantly, perfectly
encapsulates exactly what I want to say in this article. In the
movie, a figure skating duo from the United States is aiming to
win the gold medal at the Olympics. During their practices their
coach tries to find something that will give them an advantage over
the competition. The turning point in their quest is when he asks
them why they think they have a chance of winning? They couldn't
come up with an adequate answer and he goes on to tell them that
they need a cutting edge; something extraordinary that will ensure
they become Olympic champions. He informs them that their
competition will be doing essentially the same jumps and routines
they are and, therefore, it really comes down to who has a better
day instead of who the greatest skaters are. The coach then goes on
to tell them about a very dangerous jump called the Deadly Spiral.
It is so difficult and life-threatening that nobody else would ever
dare to try it. If the duo could master this jump then they would
be absolutely guaranteed the gold medal. At first they are
apprehensive but he convinces them that they have the technical
skills necessary to safely nail it. Much of the rest of this movie
is about them practicing the move, nearly killing each other and
then finally succeeding in their task - becoming Olympic champions.
The Deadly Spiral was obviously their "cutting edge" over the other
skaters.
Similarly, I have a lot of CD's in my collection with good music,
decent songs and even adequate vocals, but the majority are missing
their own "cutting edge". Take a moment to ask yourself: as a
singer, what makes you different? I think you would agree with me
that a singer who sounds just like everyone else is pretty boring.
(Nobody ever sold a million records while performing in a tribute
band!) Every singer that has become a legend (Elvis, The Beatles,
Celine Dion) had something original and unique that set him or her
apart from every previous singer. Their voices were unique and
original, but they also had other intangible qualities as well.
Now you are probably asking yourself what you can do to gain your
own cutting edge. There are essentially two ways to do it.
The first way is to do it is as the aforementioned skaters did.
Find or create something that will give you a leg up on the
competition. It may be a particularly difficult or beautiful song
that you learn how to sing exceptionally well. (Sort of like your
own Deadly Spiral.) Or it could be the way you carry yourself on
stage, what most people call stage presence. It can even be a
unique look as long as it relates well to the style of music you
are performing. Most people wouldn't classify the members of KISS
as being extraordinary singers and songwriters but they achieved a
perfect balance between style of music, songs, vocals, image and
performance.
The second way is to develop it from within your self. It is
important to understand that you already possess your own unique
quality that separates you from every other person on the planet:
your spirit. If you wish, you can take this to mean that I am
talking about your soul. At the very least you have to admit that
your DNA differs in some way from every other human being.
Furthermore, your experiences are not completely like those of any
other person. Either way, what you have to learn how to do is to
unleash your own individuality and channel it into your vocal
performances. Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty is a prime example of a
singer whose cutting edge is his own inner energy, which is
incredibly high and "orgasmic" and that transfers directly to the
audience.
As I outlined in my book, Vocal Science - Flight to the Universe,
singers can only invest their performances with their own
individual spirit when they are grounded in flawless technique,
which will also prevent them from damaging their main commodity,
ie. their voice. Whenever a new student starts instruction with me
we first concentrate solely on the technical aspects of singing. As
the student progresses and develops to the point that the technique
becomes second nature to him, his individuality naturally starts to
come out in his vocal performances. This is very exciting to
witness and is one of the things I love most about my job. I
vividly remember a student who once called me after a performance
because he was very excited about what people were saying with
regard to his new way of singing in light of the work we had done
together. As is the case with many amateur bands, many of the same
people (friends, family) usually come to all of their performances.
This time, several had told him not only had his pitch and
projection improved immensely but he sounded more original and
totally different. They told him that whereas before he had sounded
like Bono of U2 and Michael Hutchence of INXS, now they couldn't
really compare him to anyone else. He had developed his own cutting
edge and was exhibiting something that was unique to him.
When a singer develops his own cutting edge it is truly a joyous
experience. It's like witnessing the singer being reborn. Until
next time, keep working at developing your own unique style and be
sure to stay tuned for future excerpts from my new book, Vocal
Science II - Flight from the Virtual Music to Reality, in upcoming
issues.
******
Diana Yampolsky is a Toronto-based Vocal Coach/Consultant. She is
the creator of the Vocal Science Program, which has been designed
to achieve Accelerated Vocal Development and guarantees to turn a
beginner into a professional singer in a matter of hours. This
technique focuses on the idea that the voice is an expression of
the emotional, physical and spiritual state of the person singing
and Diana therefore works not just on the voice but on the
performer as a whole. The Royans School for the Musical Performing
Arts (http://www.vocalscience.com/) specializes in Accelerated Artist
Development, including Vocal Coaching/Consulting, In Studio Vocal
Production Expertise, Style Identification & Differentiation, Voice
Repair and Psychology of Performance.
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S o n g w r i t e r I n S p o t l i g h t : Chris Kennedy
by Terri Ann Palumbo
Take a guy whose band logo once featured a straitjacket, who sings
along with Marlene Dietrich, and is playing nearly every facet of
the music business, and what do you get? Chris Kennedy. The former
AND current songwriter and front-man of RuthRuth is reinventing
himself yet again -- writing new songs, re-working old songs and
finally doing it (as one of his favorite icons once sang) HIS way.
Think you've heard it all about the agonies and ecstasies of
songwriting? Kennedy can change your mind, in more ways than one.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
As the songwriter, lead singer and creator of the successful
alternative band RuthRuth, Chris Kennedy cracked the code of the
"other" market years ago. Still in his early thirties, he's
reinvented himself more times than most songwriters twice his age
-- and he's not finished yet.
He wrote his first song at the age of 13. "Brian Wilson and the
Beach Boys made me do it", he says. "I was sitting in my bedroom
with my guitar and wrote this creepy ballad called 'The Haunted
Surfer', about a surfer who drowned and tempted his girlfriend into
following him one night -- not exactly 'Surfer Girl', but Wilson
was definitely a huge influence on me."
Why Brian Wilson? "He had great hair, wrote great pop songs and did
a beautiful job producing the Beach Boys' records. He was just
about the first rock performer to both write and produce his own
records. He had creative control -- The Beatles had George Martin,
The Beach Boys had Brian."
While he may have focused largely on the alternative market in the
past (which is not to imply that he's finished with it), he still
harkens back to the music he listened to while growing up in a
northern New Jersey suburb. "My family listened to all kinds of
music -- Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra, John Denver, Tony Bennett,
Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. They had such great production,
great songwriting. Those pop music songs have integrity that will
last forever."
An avid nostalgia buff, his inspirations come from listening to new
music recommended by friends, old music he collects (his studio is
lined with shelf after shelf of 45s, LPs and CDs of genres ranging
from World War II era songs to forgotten lounge-lizard opuses to
hot-off-the-press undiscovered artists). His somewhat anachronistic
interests include old movies, military memorabilia and classic
comics. However, this is not just some trend-following guy in
search of a hit; well-educated and omnivorously well-read, Chris is
intensely thoughtful. A conversation with Kennedy is peppered with
provocative concepts that are often unique, often surprising but
never completely off the wall. This is a songwriter who clearly
feels deeply and possesses seemingly limitless energy for
exploration and experimentation.
He speaks in calm and mellow tones, while delivering answers with
the whiplash-inducing wit and ride-the-edge thought processes that
are both characteristic of his songs.
******
For the rest of this interview, please visit
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000118.html
******
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Terri Ann Palumbo is an Emmy Award-winning television writer and
producer whose work has appeared on shows as diverse as "America's
Most Wanted" and "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous". Her current
activities include work on a non-fiction book, as well as articles
on subjects ranging from celebrity profiles to investigative
pieces. She's also recently started designing websites (the first
being www.donciccone.com), but she still hits the field to produce
television programming for a variety of clients, and has three
separate independent television projects in the works. In her spare
time, Terri wonders what "spare time" means, and prays that she
won't find an answer to the question for a long, long time.
To keep up to date on her latest interviews, drop by her new
column, "Songwriter's Speak" at:
http://www.musesmuse.com/col-terriann.htmlBack to Menu
=================================================================
" O N S I T E " F E A T U R E D A R T I C L E :
Muse Me While I Kiss This Guy - by Danny McBride
http://www.musesmuse.com/museme.html
Danny talks about collaboration as a social art form.
=================================================================
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 :
-----------------------------------------------------------------
LYRICIST! VERSION 2 HAS ARRIVED - NOW WITH CHORD CHARTING.
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- all in a user-friendly package. We have now begun shipping so
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For more information, visit the review url above or call us at
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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
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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
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INTERESTED IN YOUR VERY OWN MUSE'S MUSE SHIRT, MUG OR MOUSEPAD?
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SELL YOUR OWN MERCHANDISE?
Drop by http://www.musesmuse.com/musemerchandise.html today!
And while you're at it, think about starting your *own* store. It
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http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/storeref.aspx?refby=musesmuse
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For Newsletter Sponsorship rates and other advertising
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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
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Muse's News is a free monthly newsletter for and about
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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
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All articles copyrighted by their authors.
Back issues and other information 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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