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The Muse's News |
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Issue 5.1 - April 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
@-- Music Reviews - by Ben Ohmart & Eliot Popkin
@-- Songwriting Book Review - by James Linderman
@-- Featured Article - THE BUSINESS OF MUSIC: RECORDING:
Relationships Between Independent and Major
Labels: Types Of Deals - 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 - FINDING THE TIME TO WRITE By Steve Moss
@-- Columnist In Spotlight - Brian Marine's HOME RECORDING FOR
SONGWRITERS
@-- 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 - 2002, 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!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE USA SONGWRITING COMPETITION IS NOW OPEN:
Enter the 2002 USA Songwriting Competition now! 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!
Winning songs get radio airplay. Judges include record labels such
as Warner/Reprise Records, SONY Music, Epic Records, etc. EARLY
ENTRY BONUS: First 1,000 entries will receive a free gift.
Info: http://www.songwriting.net/mm.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
E d i t o r ' s M u s i n g s :
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Hello once again. I hope you all have a wonderful Passover/Easter
(or whatever else you might celebrate) with friends and family.
I'm going to begin this issue by mentioning that I've been thinking
about getting a bunch of us Muse's Muse folk together in one place.
I'm thinking of a weekend at a hotel somewhere here in Toronto (so
that I can actually attend) in July. This city is really gorgeous
in the summer. It would start on Friday and end on Sunday. We
just go. We come with our instruments. And we play together. :)
Maybe a few concerts, maybe a few panels, eventually, possibly some
guests (in future years)... but for the most part, just a FUN,
relaxing weekend for us to get together and stay up into the wee
hours of the morning jamming. No one is forced to write while we're
there. The inspiration happens as it happens.
Would people be interested in this? If so, write to me and let me
know what you think - what you might like to see at a weekend like
this - and if you might have some time to help put it together.
I'll look forward to hearing from you! --> musecon@musesmuse.com
In other news, we have a new columnist! Brian Marine will be
tackling the issues surrounding home recording for songwriters and
his column is explained in more details in the "Columnist In
Spotlight" section below. Please help me welcome him to our crew!
The Entertainment Cyberscope has also overgone a complete overhaul
and update. If you haven't seen this, you REALLY should take the
time to do so. If you have, you already know how wonderful it is.
Jerry Flattum has really outdone himself this time. The EC is at
http://www.musesmuse.com/ec.html and you can check out Jerry's new
article at http://www.musesmuse.com/col-jerryflattum.html .
I also wanted to mention that I've started a new announcement list
called the Muse's News Special Announcements E-list. The idea
behind this new newsletter is to have a place where I can make
those special, timely announcements that I typically included in
here as "newsflashes". This newsletter only comes out once per
month and often, things are brought to my attention that can't
wait. It will also tell you about various special offers and
discounts on helpful products and services that can help you in
your songwriting - and that are frequently only offered to Muse's
News subscribers. Each newsletter will be *really* short. You may
get one every two weeks. It may only be once a month. It'll
depend on what crosses my desk in any given month. I promise to
keep it as unobtrusive as possible. And hopefully, you'll find it
useful. To get more info or to sign up, see
http://www.musesmuse.com/musenews-specials.html
And lastly, I'd like to congratulate our newest winners in this
month's prize raffle. David Lynn O'Connor from Nashville, TN has
won himself a copy of BEHIND THE MUSE by Bill DeMain, which is also
reviewed later on in this newsletter. Darin Donovan from
San Mateo, CA has won himself a copy of VSS's fantastic Lyricist
product. For a review of Lyricist, see
http://www.musesmuse.com/vss-review.html
Have a wonderful month, everyone. I hope you enjoy this issue.
All the best,
--Jodi
Editor's note: It doesn't look like it's going to happen this
year, folks. The response was pretty limited. But that's ok.
I fully intend to make this a reality and maybe next year will
give me more time to plan... If you have suggestions, let me know!
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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
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Q: If one person owns the Record Company, the Publishing Company,
and the Recording Label, what is the best way to split the
Publishing monies correctly (percentages), between the business
side and the artist?
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A: Who wrote the song?
The songwriter owns the copyright to the composition until it is
assigned elsewhere. If the songwriter has her own publishing
company then she may tuck it safely in that pocket and will own
100%. If she assigns the copyright to another publisher, then that
deal may have several negotiated elements concerning percentage and
term.
The recording company is the studio? They are not players here
(unless you make them so by legal document). The Record Label must
secure a mechanical license to even place the composition on a
project. The publisher presents that agreement to them for the
current statutory rate or rate otherwise negotiated.
The artist has no ownership in the song unless they happen to also
be the songwriter.
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Q: Nearly a year ago, my songwriting partner and I submitted four
songs to a demo studio. This studio had previously demo'd two
songs of mine very well, for a reasonable price, so when it came
time for myself and my songwriting partner to record some of our
joint material, they seemed a natural choice.
Now, over a year later, I and my partner are $1,000 out of pocket,
and the demo service has done nothing. We have repeatedly phoned
and emailed them, as well as having a colleague from the Nashville
Musician's Union contact them on our behalf, and although they
vowed to our colleague from the Nashville Musician's Union that
they would repay us what's owing by mid-January 2002, they have not
done so.
It is our understanding that there is little that we can do with
regard to recompense from this demo service, aside from protracted
legal negotiations which would cost a great deal. However, if you
have any suggestions for actions that we might take, either now or
with regard to future contracts with demo studios, we would welcome
any relevant feedback and suggestions.
Kind regards,
--Virginia P. & Ian R., New Zealand
--------
A: When I was managing a producer, we had clients pay in thirds.
You paid one third at signing the agreement, another third when you
recorded and the final third upon delivery. You must ALWAYS have a
written agreement for any service being provided. Samples can be
found in many of the books recommended at Muse's Muse
(http://www.musesmuse.com/books.html), however, I always suggest
you have a competent music attorney draft, negotiate and execute
any agreement.
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Q: If you have lyrical work without music, who would you contact to
have it reviewed? Are there publishers who team up lyric writers
with musical writers? This is something I truly have a passion for
and was wondering if there was a career opportunity here. So my
question is, does this type of career exist? -- Michele
--------
A: Many publishers with staff writers will know first hand the
strengths of their workers. Some are better at melody, others at
language. Once you develop a relationship with a publisher, they
may point you toward people to collaborate with. Until that time,
the best thing you can do is to go directly to other writers and
begin working on ideas.
Keep in mind that an average American songwriter earns $5000 per
year.
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Q: I've always loved to write but for some reason could never
summon up the courage to really test my talent. My life has
recently had a strange turn of events, and sometimes that's the
motivation a writer needs to spring into action! I have recently
written a few songs that I think might have some potential. Where
do I begin having them looked at to see if they would be of
interest to a music company? If you could just give me a brief
outline of where to start, I'd really appreciate it!
-- Jennie Sue C.
--------
A: Start in your own back yard. Play the songs for family, they'll
always perk you up.
But also, go to any writing sessions or listening sessions with
other writers. If you can't find one, start one. The best way to
get better at a craft is to learn from those who have been at it
for a while.
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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: She receives 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.
**If you would like to ask Nancy a question, you can send your
e-mail to Nancy at 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 & Eliot Popkin
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Belinda Scroggins - Mystical Madness (by Eliot Popkin)
This 11 song CD from Cincinnatian (can I say that?) Belinda
Scroggins begins with the slow rocker "I Sleep With The Light On."
Probably the first thing that you feel something for is Belinda's
voice. It's a colorful, dark, bluesy, emotive vehicle for her
contemplative lyrics and songs. She reminds me of Sheryl Crow, but
a deeper voice, and a bit darker of a sound. While I feel Belinda's
voice is most at home rocking through great pop songs like the
opener, it doesn't stop her from bringing the tempo down in the
second song, delivering a haunting piano ballad called "The Wanting
Never Fades."Apparently, she has a few tricks up her sleeve.
I was surprised again at the quiet, simple "I Go To Extremes."
Belinda softly sings "I can disappear without a trace, and go
dancing with the devil in hell." Her lyrics are a bit cryptic, and
I'm not really sure exactly what she is saying or perhaps who she
is talking about. That's part of the fun here; with each listen you
hear something different and learn something new about this woman
and her voice. As she sings "What does it mean, what does it mean,
when I go to extremes?" - the listener can wonder, and enjoy, and
follow her as she questions. It will be interesting to hear her
questions and answers the next time around. Perhaps the future of
her muse is found in her lyric from "Prophets" - "I'm speaking to
the prophets, that linger in my head, they give me bad advice, the
fear on which I fed." Overall, a truly original voice and one that
will only get deeper, sweeter and truer with time. A fine debut Ms.
Scroggins.
Contact: belindas@one.net
Website: http://www.belindascroggins.com
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OTHER NEW MUSIC REVIEWS SINCE LAST MONTH INCLUDE:
Jeffrey Michael - (by Ben Ohmart)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000159.html
Colonel Knowledge - (by Eliot Popkin)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000161.html
Garden of Dreams - (by Eliot Popkin)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000162.html
James Velvet - (by Eliot Popkin)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000163.html
Tiger Pop - (by Eliot Popkin)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000164.html
Hossam Ramzy – (by Ben Ohmart)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000165.html
Moz Taylor - (by Ben Ohmart)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000168.html
---------------
******
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
Behind The Muse - By Bill DeMain
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0967597323/themusesmuse
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Occasionally, I have this dream of hosting a terrific party with
the greatest songwriters of our time as the guests. We would sit
around at my country estate (since I'm dreaming, I figure I may as
well go all out) and I would chat with each one about what it is to
write great songs and they would be open and candid and friendly
and sincere; suddenly I wake up from this dream and I am in front
of my computer in my boxers inhaling a can of Pringles and picking
the crumbs out of my navel... all alone, no great songwriter
friends, no country estate...
Bill Demain, however, has interviewed over 300 of the worlds
greatest songwriters during his 10 years as a writer for the
magazine "Performing Songwriter" and has compiled some of these
interviews in his new book "Behind the muse" and it's the next best
thing to my dream coming true.
Behind The Muse hits on almost every pop sub-style of the last 40
years in the 40 interviews featured here. There are some "old
school" writers, some "no school" writers, many trend setters and
lots of "breakers of convention", many of whom are writing way
ahead of their time to this day. What you will discover between the
covers of "Behind The Muse" is that all songwriters share a lot of
common ground that can make details like style, age and era seem to
virtually disappear.
DeMain has a real ability to show writers as being real people and
then also showing the brilliance of their work. In this way he is
able to focus on the beauty of the human as an artist without all
the hype of the celebrity. In his book, success is often framed in
quality, not necessarily only in commercial success.
One of the memorable sections for me was when Burton Lane was
talking about Yip Harlbergs great title "When I'm Not Near The Girl
I Love, I Love the Girl I'm Near" making me wonder if this old
title inspired Steven Stills "Love The One You're With" which I
originally thought was quite unique. Disney songwriters Richard and
Robert Sherman also share their great motto "the harder you try,
the luckier you'll get".
I also left this book believing that Don McLean who wrote "Vincent"
and "American Pie" was even smarter and cooler than I had
originally thought, and I already held him in pretty high esteem.
Todd Rundgren was also very impressive.
DeMains knows to revere Neil Finn, and he knows that Finn's song
"Into Temptation" should be referred to as being "spine tingling"
which, if you have ever heard the song, would be considered a fact,
not an opinion. The underlying theme here seems to be that luck
comes and goes but genius, coupled with some elbow grease, is a
constant and reliable and enduring formula for a songwriting career
that bears some immortal features.
This book is so so so cool... did I mention how cool this book is?
You will want to pick up a copy of Bill Demain's "Behind The Muse"
if you want to relate to some of our greatest songwriters and have
their words resonate profoundly in your art and ultimately, in your
life.
******
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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S p o n s o r M e s s a g e :
(Please support the sponsors that support this newsletter! Thanks!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THINK YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO SIGN A MUSIC PUBLISHING DEAL?
Brought to you by Universal Music Group, Songwriting and Publishing
is an instructional video that teaches you everything you need to
know to write a successful song and sign a lucrative publishing
deal. Purchase the video and we GUARANTEE a Universal A&R executive
will review your lyrics and send you WRITTEN FEEDBACK. We'll even
give you the chance to win a $1,000 publishing deal with Universal
Music Publishing Group.
http://www.insidesessions.com/products/songwriting/?rid=1051
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F e a t u r e d A r t i c l e :
This is the last in a series of articles Charles is providing us
discussing common problems performing songwriters might face within
the music business.
THE BUSINESS OF MUSIC: RECORDING: Relationships Between Independent
and Major Labels: Types Of Deals
©2002, Charles Katz. All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission.
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"One Moment in Time" - Words and Music by Albert Hammond and John
Bettis - was a classic hit in 1987
The lyrics "I want one moment in time // When I'm more than I
thought I could be//When all my dreams are a heart beat away//And
the answers are all up to me//"
Dream on and have I got a deal for you!!!!
This is what the Major Label is going to offer performing
artists with their own independent record label. Their dreams are a
heart beat away and the answers are up to the performing artist.
The type of deals to consider are:
PRESSING & DISTRIBUTION (P&D)
Here, the Indie Label (performing artist) produces the recordings
and the graphics and delivers the master to the Major Label.
At Windrift Music, this is exactly the deal we negotiated
with a popular performing artist who wanted to retain artistic
control.
Very important.
We will then press and arrange for distribution.
DISTRIBUTION ONLY
Here, the Indie Label presses the CDs and the Major Label is
responsible only for distribution.
FULFILLMENT
The Major Label will press the records and then arrange
distribution.
This is excellent for performing artists who spent all their cash
in the recording studio.
PRODUCTION
Here, a production company will find and sign talent and produce
records. Then they will deliver the results to a Major Label. This
kind of deal is offered a lot in A & R companies such as TAXI.
JOINT VENTURES
Here, the Major Label fronts all operating cost, and the Indie
artist and Major Label share the profits. Watch out for this one.
You may end up with accountants that used to work for Enron and
there are no profits!!
EQUITY
Here, the Major Label buys out the Indie. Nice deal if you can find
one.
LICENSING
Windrift Music has done a few deals in this area.
This is where the Indie Label will license the recordings of its
artists for a specific royalty.
Generally, as a manager/owner of a small record label, I prefer
P & D deals.
I will always request, before finalizing any deals, for the
following from the Indie Label - Performing Artist.
Sound Scan Reports
Retail Sales Self Generated
Where the Indie Label currently has distribution set up.
The dreams of a performing artist can come through but I recommend
a specialized music attorney to navigate those muddy waters.
******
Charles Katz owns a high-tech company, Printerm, established for 20
years, and manages a Record Label, Windrift Music Inc. He currently
has a CD "Night Driving Music" installed at Internet sites in the
US, UK, and Asia collecting royalties. Charles is presently working
on his second CD with a female recording artist and has established
a virtual band, Spencer K for that project. As a business leader,
musician, publisher, and promoter, he is now providing his
expertise for fellow artists. Contact: ckatz@windriftmusic.com
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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'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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BYRON GALLIMORE ACCEPTING SONGS FOR FAITH HILL !
Tonos hosts many songwriting contests and Industry Opportunities
specifically for songwriters every month. March contests include:
* Byron Gallimore Accepting Songs for Faith Hill - Byron is getting
ready to go into the studio again with Faith Hill and they are
looking for some fresh country/pop songs. Byron will listen to the
top submissions and see if they work for Faith's new project. So
submit your best original country/pop song now and it could end up
on Faith Hill's new album.
* Alternative Bands Submit Your Song to Depeche Mode - Submit your
best alternative song and the members of Depeche Mode and their
manager will personally listen to ten "alternative songs" from
talented tonosPRO members. Who knows if the band loves you and your
material, you could end up working with them or being picked up by
their manager.
* David Foster Accepting Songs For Grammy Winner Yolanda Adams! -
Submit your best gospel/inspirational song (although in David's
words, these songs really need to be "great, not just good"). The
best submissions will be sent to David himself, who will listen to
those top picks and then send along any entries that he feels are
of the caliber that Yolanda is looking for.
http://www.qksrv.net/click-793658-4194776?url=http%3A%2F%2F www.tonos.com%2Fapp2%2Fopportunities%2Fjsp%2Findex.jsp
(It's a bit long, I know - but if it doesn't work as a clickable
link in your email, just copy and past the link into your browser.)
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AUSTIN SONGWRITERS GROUP (ASG) 2002 AUSTIN SONG CONTEST
Austin, Texas is "the live music capital of the world" and home to
SXSW. ASG is launching their yearly songwriting contest. (You don't
have to live in Austin to enter.) We're giving songwriters from all
over the world the opportunity to earn recognition and some
wonderful prizes. Deadline: April 20, 2002
Drop by http://www.austinsongwriter.org/ or
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASGInfo/message/6
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Country Songwriter Showcase deadline for entry : April 10th, 2002.
CLICK THE GMIA WEBSITE LINK < http://www.gmia.org/ > TO DOWNLOAD THE ENTRY
FORM via Adobe pdf.
GMIA's "Best of Country" Showcase, Thursday,April 25th , 2002 at
the "Swallow at the Hollow" Club in Roswell, Georgia, Moby of Kicks
101.5 FM Atlanta will emcee,the live performance of 15 Songwriter
finalists judged by Top Country Music Industry Executives.Accepting
GMIA's Award of Excellence that evening will be Buddie Buie and
J.R. Cobb, writers of songs such as "Stormy," "Spooky," and "Rock
Bottom".
GRAND PRIZE WINNER performs at the BlueBird Cafe in Nashville, gets
$500 Cash and wins 10 hours studio time at VisionMusicGroup Digital
RecordingStudio. 2nd & 3rd Place awarded prizes.Sponsors include :
ASCAP,BMI,SESAC,SGA,MARS Music, Vision Music Group,Kicks 105.5 FM
Atlanta,Lowery Music Group and many more.
GMIA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, dedicated to providing
avenues of networking in the music community and indust
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A NEW NEWSLETTER FOR SONGWRITERS
Chicago area songwriter Steve Moss has started Tunesmith Monthly:
The Nuts & Bolts Resource for Songwriters. Each 6-page issue is
full of interviews, exercises, how-to, and inspiration --
everything you need to write more and better songs. Check it out
online at http://www.tunesmithmonthly.com/
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PANTENE PRO-VOICE MUSIC COMPETITION:
Pantene Pro-V created Pro-Voice to get you heard, seen, signed and
rewarded with career-making prizes. It's a competition for 14 to 24
year-old females and female-fronted bands. You'll find everything
you need to enter right here on the site. Well, except star power;
you provide that.
WHY WE'RE DOING IT
Pantene Pro-Voice was established to celebrate what women have to
say and support them on their journey of self-discovery.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
Your entry should showcase your talent as a lyricist and performer.
The judges will be looking for lyrical composition, musical
composition and originality in your music.
THE JUDGING
20 semi-finalists ( will be selected by an independent panel of
judges. Then 3-5 finalists will be selected by the Pantene
Pro-Voice Entertainment Judges, and those finalists will come to
Toronto, Ontario to play at Harbourfront Centre on August 15th.
Based on that performance, the grand prize winner will be selected
by the entire judging panel.
See http://www.pro-voice.com/canada.php for details!
Deadline is May 31, 2002
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ATTENTION SONGWRITERS, VISUAL ARTISTS AND FINE CRAFTSMEN:
The 2002 MOVA Arts Festival - A Celebration of Creative Arts --
will be taking place September 20 - 22 in beautiful Lake
Guntersville, Alabama. Over $4,000 in cash awards for the
songwriters' competition and the juried visual arts marketplace.
Deadline for songwriters' submissions ($10 per song) is June 29,
2002. Deadline for visual and craft artists is July 15 (10 X 10 ft
space is $60 for the entire weekend).
To request entry forms, please contact the Mountain Valley Arts
Council: Phone: 256-582-1454; email: artscouncil@mindspring.com;
FAX: 256-582-1418 or send an SASE to MOVA Arts Festival, 300 Gunter
Avenue, Guntersville, AL 35976.
Please specify which application you wish to have sent to you.
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SONGWRITING UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL!!
Give your songwriting career the boost you have been wanting and
needing. Join 7 of the biggest current hitmakers in Nashville,
Cesar Lemos, Will Robinson, Jason Deere, Jim Photoglo, Wayne
Kirkpatrick, Angela Kaset and Greg Barnhill and a limited group of
20 participants for an intensive, one-of-a-kind workshop. The
Breckenridge Educational And Music Seminar (BEAMS) will be held
April 18-21 high in the Colorado Rockies. You can't afford to miss
this opportunity to work with these pros in a setting conducive to
creativity. For more information and reservations, contact:
June McHugh, CEO
Ash Street Publishing
25 Ash Street
Denver, CO 80220
(720)-364-3853
http://www.25northashstreet.com/
email: Jbugtom@aol.com or bgallup@aol.comBack 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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The music buisness. You've been writing songs for awhile and now
you're thinking maybe it's time to put some of them "out there" to
see if they can stand up to the rest. But how do you go about it?
There are lots of books on the subject, many places on the internet
where you can discuss your successes (or failures!) with other
songwriters, forums, newsgroups, and all the rest of it. But how
do you know if you really have what it takes?
Recently in the newsgroup rec.music.makers.songwriting, someone
posted a link to a site where you can take a simple test, to see if
you are really doing everything you can to get that first cut.
Even the name of the site is "yourfirstcut.com" :-) Jerry
Vandiver and Gracie Hollombe have written a book on that very
subject. But the most interesting part of their website, at least
to me, is this questionnaire:
http://www.yourfirstcut.com/questionnaire.php
Basically you answer the questionnaire and score points for each
question. At the end, there is an assessment of each level of
points. But beyond that, this is a really great "to do" list of
the steps you need to take to achieve the ultimate goal of getting
a major cut. It is an eye opener!
The authors have been very involved in the business of music,
having reached their own goals through their involvement with NSAI,
developing workshops and teaching sessions, along with building
their own careers as songwriters. Although the website is really
meant as a promotional tool for their book, there are some excerpts
from several chapters, and they have created a discussion forum and
newsletter for songwriters as well. And then there's the
questionnaire. If you are seriously persuing the business of
songwriting, this will definitely give you an idea of whether or
not you're on the right track.
I hope your score is high...good luck!
******
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 :
FINDING THE TIME TO WRITE By Steve Moss
© 2002 Steve Moss. All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission
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"I would write more songs if I could only find the time." How
often have you said that one? For every time saving device modern
technology invents for us, there are at least two new ways to waste
time: reality TV, the Internet, video games. Our society is
rushed, harried and running late. So how do you find the time to
write?
There are two keys to getting songs written in a limited amount of
time. The first key is focusing on specific songwriting tasks, one
at a time. The second is finding ways to reclaim a little of your
time each day.
Having concrete goals and specific tasks will help you use any time
you do have more efficiently. When you know what to work on, you
will be able to jump right into it. In addition, your mind will
often work subconsciously on your song while you are busy doing
other things.
Divide your songwriting project into parts according to the type of
song you are writing and the way you are used to working. If you
want to write a song with two verses, a chorus, and a bridge, you
might start with a title. Next you might build a chorus around your
title. Next you might start on a verse, and so on.
Whether you are just starting a song or you are in the middle of
one, determine exactly what you need to work on next. If you don't
have time to write right now, keep your goal in the back of your
mind.
As you go through your day, occasionally remind yourself that you
are working on this part of your song. For instance, tell yourself,
"the song is called 'She's Mine.' I have a chorus. Now I need a
first verse." When you do this sometimes ideas will come to you
effortlessly. If so, write them down or record them on a cassette
recorder. If nothing comes spontaneously be confident that
something will soon. When you do get time to work actively you are
more likely to have ideas if you have been incubating your song in
this fashion.
Keeping your current objective clear in your mind will help you
make productive use of even very brief periods of free time. Many
of your ideas for lines, rhymes, melody, etc. will come to you when
you are not actively working on your song.
You will need time, however, to organize and polish your ideas and
to try them out with your voice and instrument. Here are some ways
of recapturing a little time from even the busiest schedule.
** Get up earlier or stay up later.
I know. Easier said than done. Of the two choices I am a great
believer in the former. Getting up earlier in the morning is hard
to do at first, but I urge you to try it. Your mind is
considerably less cluttered and more focused when you wake up in
the morning. When your conscious mind is just waking up your
subconscious mind has a chance to make itself heard. All of my
best ideas have come in the morning. I find I can get much more
done in the same amount of time as I could if I waited for the rest
of my family to go to sleep.
Normal waking life can be full of stress, distractions, and
hassles. There's always some jerk who cut you off in traffic,
something your boss said after the meeting that troubled you, and
that stop at the convenience store you have to remember on your way
home. I have found that if I stay up late, all the baggage I have
collected during the day stays up with me. In the morning,
however, these things tend to fade. They are now part of yesterday
and therefore less pressing. I get work done before a new batch of
problems crops up.
Even an extra half-hour every day will make a difference. You have
to work up to that though. Try getting up five minutes earlier for
a few days. Then, try ten minutes earlier for a few days, and so
on. Sure, you'll be a little tired some times. But I bet you'll
feel better about yourself because you're writing more songs.
** Carve ten or twenty minute chunks out of your daily routine.
Most people have at least a little discretionary time during the
day that they can use for writing. Examples include coffee breaks
and lunch periods at work. If you commute, try working in your car
for a short time before driving home. At home you might write
while the kids are happy watching a little TV. A ten or twenty
minute writing session, once or twice a day, is really a great way
to work. Again, your subconscious mind stays on the song even when
you are consciously focusing your attention on something else.
I'm not suggesting that you haul your guitar everywhere or ask your
boss to set up a piano in the cafeteria. You can get loads of
creative work done away from your instrument. You can hum under
your breath or in your head. You can think up lines of lyric and
jot them down. Keep paper and pen or a tape recorder handy
whenever you can. Then when you do get time with your instrument,
you will have lots of ideas to try out.
** Use your "mindless chore" time for creative work.
We all have opportunities to do repetitive chores that occupy our
bodies, but only a small fraction of our minds. Dishwashing, lawn
mowing, folding laundry, and aerobic exercise are great examples.
While your body works through these tasks, give your mind a task as
well. Go over any parts of your song you may have written so far.
Then remind yourself of what you need to work on next. Go about
your chores while keeping your objective in your mind. Don't force
anything. Just remain aware that you are working on a song and
keep your mind free of clutter. When the body is in motion and the
mind is aware but calm you can often be at your most creative.
And, your family will start wondering why you have volunteered to
do all the laundry.
** Turn off the TV.
I was once a confirmed TV junkie. I never missed an episode of Star
Trek, and there were two different series running at the time, plus
reruns of a third. I think Jean-Luc Picard's life meant more to me
than my own. I watched PBS non-stop. I told myself that it was
okay. It was educational. Then there were the Cubs, White Sox,
Bulls, and Bears. Oh My!
But, once I got rolling with my writing, I started watching less
TV. Before I knew it, I was hardly watching it at all. Now I
rarely turn the TV on and I don't miss it one bit. I feel a little
lost when everyone is talking about a commercial I haven't seen,
but I know I have more time for my family and for myself. So, turn
that thing off. If you're starved for entertainment, pop a CD into
the player. Better yet, make some music of your own. Once you
live through the withdrawal pains, you'll feel fine. I promise!
As you learn to keep your mind focused on your goals and reserve
small but usable windows of time for creative work, you may begin
to feel, as I often do, that the songs are writing themselves and
your job is merely to capture them on paper or audio. You will be
surprised at how many songs you can write even when you have a
million other things to do.
******
Steve Moss is the Editor of Tunesmith Monthly: The Nuts & Bolts
Resource for Songwriters. He writes songs and performs with his
wife Jenny. Based just outside Chicago, Illinois, the two have
appeared all over the upper Midwest. Their first CD of original
songs, One Foot on the Train, was released in June of 2000. A
recent review in Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine praised Steve's
"particularly nice lyrical gift."
When not writing or making music, Steve works as a technician for
the World's largest maker of pedal harps. Visit him on the World
Wide Web at http://www.tunesmithmonthly.com/Back to Menu
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C o l u m n i s t I n S p o t l i g h t :
Home Recording For Songwriters - by Brian Marine
http://www.musesmuse.com/col-brianmarine.html
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ABOUT THE COLUMN:
Brian Marine's column will offer tips and information to
songwriters who want to record demos (or final product that they
intend to sell on CD or online) in their home or project studio
using the many inexpensive, yet high quality, digital audio
hardware & software recording products now available. He will also
offer suggestions on how to better use the gear you already have,
and answer questions to those who are perplexed at the sometimes
complex array of product choices and the inevitable technical
issues that arise.
ABOUT THE COLUMNIST:
Brian Marine is the owner of Digital Pro Audio
(http://www.digitalproaudio.com/), an online retailer specializing
in computer-based hardware & software and pro audio equipment for
musicians and studios. A long-time songwriter and home recording
enthusiast, he also has a varied career in the music industry. In
the 80's, Brian was a recording engineer at two NYC recording
studios, and worked with artists like Aretha Franklin, KISS and
Stephen Bishop. In the late 80's he worked in the Music Department
of the ad agency McCann-Erickson as a music producer. Then in 1995
he started VisionWorks, a web site development company focusing
mainly on music-related sites for independent record labels and pro
audio retailers. In 1998, seeing the lack of decent online pro
audio/music instrument web sites that catered to the home recording
studio market, he started Digital Pro Audio, which has grown to the
point that it is now his main business.
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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 :
WRITE OUT LOUD by Danny McBride
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000166.html
Just like the title says. How to go about writing a song so it
sounds good out loud, which is (duh!) the way most of us hear or
perform music - unless you're Beethoven - in which case skip this
and go on to something else - like a wig fitting.
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C l a s s i f i e d s & U s e f u l S e r v i c e s :
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LYRICIST! VERSION 2.1 HAS ARRIVED - INCLUDES CHORD CHARTING/WIZARD.
Virtual Studio Systems, Inc. is proud to announce Lyricist V2.1 -
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designed for musicians, songwriters, and poets. The software
includes a rhyming dictionary, spell checker, thesaurus, album
categorization, chord charting, chord generator, song arrangement
and much much more - all in a user-friendly package. Check out the
review at http://www.musesmuse.com/vss-review.html . Muse's Muse
visitors can take home the product for $5.00 off the regular
selling price just for purchasing through the form provided off of
the review!
For more information, visit the review url above or call us at
888.732.1176 inside the U.S.A. or 603.726-4499 outside the U.S.A.
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WINDRIFT MUSIC SONGWRITING COMPETITION 2002
Windrift Music and Sonic Foundry(Sound Forge/ACID),
are sponsoring the 2002 Songwriting Competition.
Fabulous Prizes * $1000 in cash * Sound Forge 5.0. * ACID PRO 3.0 *
Vegas Video 3.0 * Five loop libraries * 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, 2002. $10 entry fee.
Contest details are located on the Windrift Music web site:
http://windriftmusic.com/contest_2002.html
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SPECIAL OFFER FROM THE MUSICIAN'S ATLAS
The Musician's Atlas is a music industry resource created
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368 page directory delivers over 15,000 key business contacts in
more than 25 industry categories. 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 http://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
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Check it out - http://www.cdstreet.com/
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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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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
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...
http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/storeref.aspx?refby=musesmuse
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ADVERTISING RATES: For Classifieds: US$25 Max. 8 lines, where
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contracts must be prepaid. Write to: editor@musesmuse.com
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
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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:
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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
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Back issues of the newsletter can be read at the National Library of Canada ecollection:
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