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The Muse's News |
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Issue 6.3 - June 2003
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 and Stacey Board
@-- Songwriting Book Review - by James Linderman
@-- 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 - THE EMERGENCE OF VERSES - by Mary Dawson
@-- essage Forums In Spotlight - Here are some of the great
conversations going on right now.
@-- On Site Featured Article - An article (interview this month,
actually!) 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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WANT A PIECE OF THE MUSE'S MUSE? :)
Visit http://www.cafeshops.com/musesmuse for great Muse's Muse
products like mugs, mousepads, shirts, and even wall clocks!
Start your own store too - with no up front costs!
See http://tinyurl.com/cqij for more details.
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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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DEADLINE LOOMS for the 2003 USA SONGWRITING COMPETITION
Last Chance To Enter This Year! Enter 2003 USA Songwriting
Competition now! Winning songs receive radio airplay! Win Grand
prize of US$50,000 of cash, music gear and more! Judges include
A&R from SONY Music, Warner, Universal, EMI and more. Mega hit
songwriter - Carole Bayer Sager will also judge your songs. Past
winners include Sarah Lewis (of rock group - Jag Star), Barbara
Kessler, Steve Tannen, Jonathan Kingham, Jennifer Marks, Darryl
Zero, Adrianne, Joel Cage, Stefani Bennett, Lisa McCormick, Valerie
DelaCruz, Jan Andersen and more.
All entries must be postmarked by May 30, 2003 or earlier. Time is
running out! Don't miss this LAST CHANCE to enter this year,
HURRY TO:
http://www.songwriting.net/mm.html
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E d i t o r ' s M u s i n g s :
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Well, hopefully your spring is going really well. I have to say
that Toronto has been pretty hard hit by all the latest scares and
it's *really* unfortunate because this is a beautiful city. If any
of you are planning on taking a trip out here during the summer,
let me know, hmm? Maybe we can meet for coffee somewhere. :)
The raffle winners for this month are Tommy Johnson from Blackwood,
NJ, who has won a copy of "Chord Progressions for Songwriters" by
Richard Scott (reviewed below), Neal Klassen from Kelowna, BC who
has won a copy of IndieMusic.com's "Musician's Toolkit" (for
details on this package of useful indie musician-related tools, see
http://www.musicianstoolkit.com/muse/ ), and Wendy Collins from
St. Paul, MN, who has won a copy of VSS's helpful songwriting
organization product (for a review of Lyricist & information on a
discount offered, see http://www.musesmuse.com/vss-review.html ).
Keep writing and keep well,
--Jodi
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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!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TAKE ONLINE SONGWRITING CLASSES AT BERKLEEMUSIC.COM
Songwriters: sharpen your craft with Berkleemusic.com, the online
extension school of Berklee College of Music. Whether you're a
relative beginner or an experienced writer, our online courses will
help you generate more and better ideas, master the elements of
style and structure, and express yourself more effectively in words
and music.
Learn how to build great lyrical ideas into great songs. Discover
tips and techniques the most successful writers use in their music.
Master powerful programs like Finale and ProTools to notate your
songs and make great-sounding demos. These are just a few of the
skills you can develop this spring in our online school. Study
anytime, anywhere with Berklee's award-winning faculty. Work with
other serious writing students in a rich learning environment.
The next semester begins on June 16th!
Visit Berkleemusic.com to enroll: http://tinyurl.com/abtp
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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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TOPIC: DERIVATIVE WORKS AND PUBLIC DOMAIN
QUESTION:
I have a question for you. I have already read through roughly 15
of the Q&A articles on the Muse's Muse web site. They were very
informative. Thanks! In the article at
www.musesmuse.com/pub-september00.html you mention "You can not
release a derivative of the work without the permission of the
original copyright holder. You must send a copy of the work to the
publisher of the original work and request their permission."
However, I thought works from classical composers such as J.S. Bach
were part of the public domain? I'd like to use a partial bass line
from one of his pieces and expand it; out of 16 notes in my bass
line, 9 notes are his. Am I too concerned? -- Thanks, Craig.
ANSWER:
There are several public domain works that are rearranged into
brand new copyrights every year. For example the song Danny Boy,
traditional, is in PD however there are over 4 pages of
arrangements of Danny Boy listed at the BMI website.
There are specific rules regarding sampling another copyrighted
work but as far as sampling a PD work? - it's all yours to make new
again. Check out this website as a good source: www.pdinfo.com .
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TOPIC: COLLABORATION
QUESTION:
I wrote a song for a group and know that they want to record it.
My question is, how do I give them the beat and still maintain
rights over the music so they don't use it without my permission?
Should I get the copyrights first or should I trust the group at
their word?
ANSWER:
I encourage you to read more about how copyrights exist as soon as
they are written down. If you are wanting to collaborate with this
band and maintain a co-writer relationship, talk about it all in
advance and get an agreement in writing with each other that all
the songs will be split a particular way. If you have written the
song in its entirety then you must issue a license for them to
record your original work. I encourage you to speak to a competent
entertainment lawyer to assist with any of this paper work.
-- READERS -
There is an entire chapter on Collaboration in the upcoming book
"REAL ANSWERS to REAL QUESTIONS a songwriter - publisher forum" -
Please write if you are interested in hearing from me when the book
is ready.
*****
ABOUT NANCY A. REECE:
Since 1998, Nancy Reece has been providing a question and answer
forum for Muse's Muse readers. Now all of the articles, forums and
Q&A's are being compiled into a book. Nancy is wanting to be sure
that you have the opportunity to receive a copy of the book as soon
as it is ready. If you are interested in getting an E-mail
notification to indicate that the book is ready for purchase,
please send your request to RealARealQ@musesmail.com .
How to Ask a Question:
If you have a question for Nancy about publishing or copyright
administration, you can e-mail her at nreece@musesmuse.com. Please
indicate in the subject of your e-mail that your submission is for
The Muse's Muse guest forum, Real Answers to Real Questions.
Thanks!
Back to Menu
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M u s i c R e v i e w s :
by Ben Ohmart and Stacey Board
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Mare Lennon – "Warhol Highway" (by Stacey Board)
Excellent songwriting to me means thoughtful lyrics, intriguing
melodies played with heart and strong technique. It's a fine
balance of art and science and trust me, I know that it is a
slippery, subjective thing. But may I please point to Mare
Lennon's excellent "Warhol Highway" as an example we will all
likely agree upon?
The evidence: Her silky voice and production of the CD are simply
gorgeous. And I mean simple... as in subtle and appropriate. Just
right. Gorgeous, as in beautiful, lush and rich.
One of my favorites is "Revolving Door," one of the more muscular
songs on the CD. It's got a great groove melodically and
rhythmically and a slightly darker intensity that works really well
with the subject matter. "Through this glass we dance and
circle/Around a love that's half alive/Just like eagles tend to
circle/In a speculating sky" sung while backup voices swirl around
like the imagery being suggested.
But they are all strong songs and performances. Her slower tempo
ballads ache with the grace of her words and voice.
Lennon and Ed Tree share production credits and the results are
stellar. There are many subtle touches that keep your ear focused
and intrigued while they expand the overall richness of the song.
She's got top-notch players backing her up all over every song on
the CD also. There's just nothing to not like here. Great
songwriting, great performances, great production touches and
quality.
If you don't fall in love with this CD, check your pulse to make
sure it's still there.
http://www.cdbaby.com/marelennon
http://members.aol.com/marelennon
marelennon@aol.com
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OTHER NEW MUSIC REVIEWS SINCE LAST MONTH INCLUDE:
John Balint (by Ben Ohmart)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000467.html
Ran Birkins (by Stacey Board)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000466.html
Shane Simpson (by Stacey Board)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000470.html
Sam Hensley (by Stacey Board)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000471.html
Andy & Denise (by Stacey Board)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000472.html
---------------
******
For bios on each of the reviewers, see
http://www.musesmuse.com/musicreviews.html . If you're considering
sending in your own CD for review, you can also view that page to
find out which reviewer reviews your genre. Thanks!
Back to Menu
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S o n g w r i t i n g B o o k R e v i e w : by James Linderman
Chord Progressions for Songwriters - by Richard Scott
http://www.moneychords.com/
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As a full time guitar teacher, I serve 5 basic musical needs to
students based on missing elements in their skill base.
They come to my door saying...
1. I can't read music and I just discovered that it comes in
handy...
2. I can't strum my way out of a wet paper bag...
3. I wish I could solo like Jimi Hendrix, or Jimmy Page or Jeff
Beck or anybody else who's first name starts with J and is
awesome...
4. Man, I wish I knew more than 3 chords...
5. I understand how chords progress about as much as I understand
cold fusion...
Focusing on the last 2 of these concerns, there are lots of great
chord "dictionary style" books (my personal favourite is Mel Bay's
Complete Book of Guitar Chords, Scales, and Arpeggios).
There just are not many good books on how to use these chords once
you've found them, and fewer still that you do not have to be the
musical equivalent of a rocket scientist to understand.
Richard Scott has written Chord Progressions for Songwriters for
those of us who are not harmony's answer to Jimmy Neutron, and I
will walk you through the book a bit (like I usually do) to help
you determine if it's a book you would like to see in your book
shelf sometime soon.
First of all, it's as piano-friendly as it is good for the guitar
and off the top of my head I can think of a couple of bass players
who could make good use of it as well.
The first thing you will notice about this book is that the author
gets right into his topic, (even the introduction has topic
content), but it's very well paced and methodical.
In the first chapter Scott makes the connection between ascending
chord progressions and songs with uplifting lyric messages and then
convinces us of the worth of this method with several examples from
current hit songs, and from timeless classics.
Every chapter is uniformly proportioned with: explanations, brief
but thorough; examples, very plentiful and relevant; and no
conclusions, appropriately absent because in applied theory the
conclusions are "do it yourself". That is, your application of the
theory, by creating a new song with it, is the conclusion.
Some chapter titles are; Basic Progressions, Blues Progressions (a
big chapter), Classic Rock, Coltrane Changes (Jazzy stuff),
Descending Bass Lines, Endings, Folk Progressions, Pedal Point, and
Turnarounds (very handy).
As with many books, there's some great stuff in the appendix. Here
you will find the charts. A chord glossary, a chord substitution
chart, a modulation chart, a short 101 on transposing and more cool
resources.
Richard Scott certainly did his homework before writing this book,
his second publication on the topic. Each chapter stands alone as a
lesson unto itself but there is also a very logical flow to the
book as a whole. It's fun to flip through and really, really
illuminating when you actually try the examples.
Chord progressions for Songwriters does not attempt to be an
academic discourse on how chords could progress theoretically but
it certainly is the best resource I've ever seen for providing the
most recognizable and usable examples on how chords should
progress based on real practical use.
You can find a copy of Richard Scott's Chord Progressions for
Songwriters at http://www.moneychords.com/
******
ABOUT THE REVIEWER:
James Linderman lives and works at theharmonyhouse, a music lesson,
songwriting and music pre-production facility in Newmarket,
Ontario, Canada. He is the Songwriters Association of Canada
regional coordinator for Newmarket 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!)
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LYRICIST! VERSION 2.2 HAS ARRIVED-INCLUDES ON-LINE COPYRIGHT LINK
Virtual Studio Systems, Inc. is proud to announce Lyricist V2.2 -
The Songwriter's Best Friend: the first-of-its-kind word processor
designed for musicians, songwriters, and poets. The software
includes a rhyming dictionary, thesaurus, album categorization,
chord charting, chord generator, song arrangement, On-Line
Copyright Link, and much much more - all in a user-friendly
package. Check out the review at 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 + Free Priority Shipping in the USA if you order
in April or May.
For more information, visit the review url above or call us at
888.732.1176 inside the U.S.A. and Canada or 603.726-4499 outside
the U.S.A.
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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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SUMMER 2003 CALL TO ARTS! EXPO SONG CONTEST & AWARDS
A very popular and highly visionary juried song contest that
involves songwriters and musical performers with compelling and
imaginative works, many that demonstrate a fresh creative vision
for the arts, humanity and culture. Songs juried on content and
message, rather than genre. Themed categories include: a)
Aesthetics and Harmony; b) Freedom, Adventure and Imagination; c)
Character and Integrity; d) Creative Vision and Social Improvement.
Simple contest guidelines at NEW Summer 2003 Call to Arts!
Expo web site: www.calltoarts.artistshelpingartists.org
Summer 2003 Call to Arts! Southern California Expo, Conference and
Festival takes place on August 16th from 9 am to 8 pm. Find details
at: http://www.calltoarts.artistshelpingartists.org/
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TONOS HITMAKER BYRON GALLIMORE LOOKING FOR SONGS FOR TIM MCGRAW!
Tonos hosts many songwriting contests and Industry Opportunities
specifically for songwriters every month. The newest contests
include:
* A Major label is looking for songs for its new R&B artist.
- The A&R manager is looking for urban upbeat songs for this 22
year old female who has a degree in music and a very adult sound.
She also plays the piano, but the songs do not necessarily have to
be piano driven. They are looking for songs similar to songs that
Patti LaBelle would perform, strong songs that tell a great story
for a very strong vocalist. So, if you have some upbeat songs that
tell a story, submit now!
* Rock Bands & Singer-Songwriters Wanted By L.A. Production
Company! - A Grammy-winning engineer/mixer, whose credits include
Carlos Santana, Guns N' Roses and Adam Cohen, is seeking new bands
and/or artists (a la Beth Orton and Jeff Buckley) for production
deals. He is only interested in artists and bands with strong
songs, a great work ethic and a strong self-identity. So submit
your best performance now!
* Major Recording Studio Guarantees Session For TONOS Member!
- A premier recording studio in the heart of Hollywood has
exclusively GUARANTEED one tonosPRO act the chance to record at
this legendary facility. This studio has an illustrious history
with a resume that reads like a who's who of music history,
including sessions with The Beatles, David Bowie, The Cult, Led
Zeppelin, Guns N' Roses, Limp Bizkit, Bruce Springsteen, Christine
Aguilera and Marilyn Manson. The chosen Tonos member will have at
least two songs produced, recorded and mixed by award-winning
producer/engineers who collectively have over 300 gold and platinum
records to their names. Yours could be next!
See http://tinyurl.com/cqin for details on these opportunities and
more!
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BERKLEEMUSIC.COM WEBSITE LAUNCHED
After nearly two years in development, Berklee College of Music has
launched its Berkleemusic.com web site. This ambitious new offering
provides songwriters opportunities to take online music writing
courses and explore new music career directions. Users can create a
personal or band web page containing bios, MP3s, images, reviews,
news, and links that are useful resources to potential employers,
collaborators, and students.
For more information visit: http://tinyurl.com/csrh
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ANNOUNCING THE GRAND OPENING OF CANADA'S ANR LOUNGE
This innovative online service has been created to help recording
artists maximize promotion of their new CDs to radio at no charge.
It will be the first of its kind in the world. Canadian recording
artists and their representatives will be able to create a virtual
promotional kit for their new CD release which will include bios,
sound clips and images. Once uploaded and accepted, the ANR Lounge
will automatically post the new release in the Lounge, to be
accessed by influential radio programmers from coast to coast to
coast.
The Lounge is open for business. To register, click on the ANR
Lounge logo found at http://www.mincanada.com/ .
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SUMMER INTENSIVE SONGWRITING CAMP IN VA
Paul Reisler announces his 2nd annual Summer Intensive Songwriting
Camp in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of VA. The six-day camp
will include classes in melody, rhythm, dramatic structure,
harmonic structure/chord changes, music theory, creativity, lyric
mastery, poetic technique, creative response, open tunings,
songwriting with kids, performance, and more. Registration limited
to 25 students to allow personalized, in-depth instruction and the
development of a community of songwriters.
Instructors:
Paul Reisler and Julie Portman with special guest, Tom Paxton
Location: Blue Ridge School, Charlottesville VA
(www.blueridgeschool.com)
Dates: June 23-28, 2003
Cost: $475 ($450 by June 1) plus $215 for lodging/meals
To register: $100 deposit to PO Box 203, Washington VA 22747 or
call 1-800-258-8709
For more information, email sstephenson@frostburg.edu
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GREAT ARTICLES TO CHECK OUT COURTESY OF GALARIS INDEPENDENT MUSIC:
http://www.galaris.com/
* Income and Expenses for Developing Your Career
http://www.galaris.com/articles?id=227
* The True Teacher
http://www.galaris.com/articles?id=225
* Nurture Your Fans
http://www.galaris.com/articles?id=224
Visit http://www.galaris.com/ and Sign up for the Galaris
Independent Musicians Newsletter. Twice monthly you will receive
FREE, direct to your email box, articles containing: Promotion
tips, Career advice, Recording tips, Practicing tips, Legal advice,
Musician's health, Radio promotion, Songwriters tips and much more.
Back to Menu
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M u s e ' s C l u e s : by Irene Jackson
©1998-2003 Moonstone Productions All Rights Reserved. Used By
Permission
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Bob Shannon, a radio DJ at New York's oldies station WCBS-FM, wrote
an interesting book in 1986 called "Behind The Hits", presenting
some of the "stories behind some of pop music's biggest hits". To
promote the book, he has created a website where you can peruse
some of the stories behind older songs such as Elvis Presley's "All
Shook Up", the Beach Boys "Good Vibrations" and one of the most
fascinating stories, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". It's at
http://www.bobshannon.com/.
Hit the "Stories" link and read up on some of the stories, some
including quotes from the songwriters, how the song was recorded or
produced, and the path each one took to #1 on the charts. Good
Vibrations took Brian Wilson six months and 90 hours of studio tape
to record! This song also introduced an instrument called the
"theremin", that strange-sounding "ooo-weee-ooo-ooo-ooo" that was a
signature sound of the song, which I've actually had the pleasure
of trying to play. Believe me, it isn't easy!
The history behind "The Lions Sleeps Tonight", as I said, is a
fascinating one. Rian Malan, a South African author, did an even
more in-depth study of the song that was featured in Rolling Stone
in May 2000, which you can actually read online at:
http://www.3rdearmusic.com/forum/mbube2.html.
The songs you'll read about are all older hits, but it's
fascinating to read the process of how they got as far as they did,
often under unusual circumstances. And as a bonus on the website,
there are links to just about every band and artist from the 40's
and 50's to the 70's and 80's...a great collection of links!
******
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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F e a t u r e d A r t i c l e :
THE EMERGENCE OF VERSES - by Mary Dawson
© Mary Dawson, 2003 All Rights Reserved. Printed with Permission.
Effective verses immediately engage the listener's mind and clearly
"arrive" or "pay off" in the chorus. Join Mary as she explores some
ideas for creating verses that will spotlight and set up your Great
Hook.
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If you have been following the last six or seven articles here in
Mary's Musings, you know that we have been tracing the creation of
a song from its most basic elements, the Great Idea and the Hook,
through several stages of lyric and melody development. Our lyrical
cadence has become the beginnings of a chorus melody and we are
well on the way to finishing our next blockbuster hit!
Since most commercial songs today are written in the verse-chorus
song form, we will focus in this article on some ways to set up
that crucial Hook by strategic creation of the verses. As we
learned, the Great Idea and the Hook are the destination of the
song. The verses, then, must set up the Hook so that when it
appears in the chorus, it is the inevitable conclusion to the
information in the verses. The Hook should be like the punch line
of a joke -- the "Aha!" Moment for the listener.
One songwriter put it this way: The verses of the song are like
climbing up a mountain. The chorus is the view from the top. When
you get to the top, the view had better be worth the climb!
A verse can be defined as that section of the song in which the
melody and harmony repeat, but the lyric changes. Most commercial
verse-chorus songs today have two verses with at least two
(possibly three) repetitions of the chorus. It's time now to plan
what you want to say in both verses so that each of them inevitably
arrives at the chorus -- both musically and lyrically.
Many hit songwriters actually outline the song at this point, just
as you would outline a term paper. Verse one should contain an
opening perspective to set the scene and engage the listener. It's
the first "snapshot" with your songwriter's camera. Verse two
should elaborate on the opening idea with another "snapshot" from a
slightly different viewpoint.
Consider the following as you continue to compose:
Length of Verses and Chorus:
----------------------------
Experienced songwriters usually determine the length of the song by
instinct. They will have an intuitive sense of timing because
almost all commercial songs should be 3-4 minutes long in order to
receive radioplay consideration. A lot depends on the tempo of the
song -- uptempo songs "go by" much faster than a slow ballad and
the length of verses and chorus must be adjusted accordingly. A
good "rule of thumb," however, is that a chorus should be identical
to, half as long or twice as long as the verses. Aim to make your
verses under one minute in length so as not to take too long to
arrive at the payoff chorus. Remember the famous songwriter's
couplet:
"If you don't move quickly to the chorus
Chances are your song will bore us"
Verse One:
----------
Next to the Hook and Hook Statement, the most strategic point of
the verse-chorus song is the first line of the first verse. That's
the first contact the listeners have with both the words and music
of the song, so that important first line should reach out and
literally "grab them by the ears." Remember, the listener's mind is
constantly being bombarded with incoming visual and audio data --
ambient sights and sounds of all kinds. The first line of your song
should be so strong, both musically and lyrically, that it
literally "cuts through" everything else that's going on and makes
the listener turn up the volume.
Strong first lines usually contain some kind of visual image that
stimulates the listener's imagination. Vague or esoteric messages
lose the listener before he/she ever arrives at that chorus you
have worked so hard to create. Here are some "killer" first lines:
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( This article is continued at http://tinyurl.com/cqlc )
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******
Mary Dawson is a prolific, published songwriter and president of
CQK Records and Music of Dallas, Texas (http://www.cqkmusic.com/).
She is also the host of the popular syndicated radio talk show, "I
Write the Songs," which has been designed to inspire and instruct
the millions of aspiring songwriters in the craft and business of
songwriting (and now has a new website all its own at
http://www.iwritethesongs.com/home/home.cfm). Mary's commitment to
discovering and mentoring talented new songwriters has made her a
popular seminar speaker at songwriting events around the country.
Back to Menu
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M e s s a g e F o r u m s I n S p o t l i g h t :
Here are some of the popular discussions going on right now on
The Muse's Muse Message Boards:
http://www.musesmuse.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi
Feel free to join in! Creating a profile is free and easy.
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* Kazaa, Grokster users under fire...
http://tinyurl.com/cqj7
* Fame
http://tinyurl.com/cqj4
* The "Get To Know You" Quiz
http://tinyurl.com/cqj9
* Four Word Game
http://tinyurl.com/cqjb
* to publish or be published?
http://tinyurl.com/cqjw
* Computer recording equipment advice
http://tinyurl.com/cqjxBack to Menu
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" O N S I T E " F E A T U R E D A R T I C L E :
Commonly Made Mistakes When Building An Artist Website
by Jodi Krangle
http://www.musesmuse.com/krangle-websitemistakes.html
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I was recently asked to be the guest speaker for the very first
Just Plain Folks (http://www.jpfolks.com/) Toronto Chapter meeting. I had
a *blast* and I'm very thankful and honored that I was asked to
participate (thanks Valleri!). I fully intend to participate in
further meetings and if you're anywhere near the Toronto area,
please do keep an eye out in the Muse's Muse Message Boards for
future announcements of meetings.
Since I was asked by a few people to put what I spoke about online
for others to read, I thought I'd put it together in article
format. This is the article that came of it.
I've seen a lot of website promotion techniques come and go (having
been promoting websites of all kinds since 1995), but there are
still common themes that remain throughout the years. When it comes
to artist websites, these techniques can get a little bit trickier
due to the unique goal those websites are hoping to accomplish.
This listing of commonly made mistakes is meant to help you
understand what to avoid when you're creating your own professional
musical resume on the web. It might also help you decide what could
use some changing on your current site, if you've already created
one.
Incidentally, if this is a subject that interests you, I *highly*
recommend you have a look at "How To Build A Music Website That
Sells" - http://tinyurl.com/cqk0 - A copy of the Indie Bible is
included with your purchase for free! Not bad, huh?
=================================================================
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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ENTER THE WINDRIFT MUSIC SONGWRITING COMPETITION 2003 NOW!
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Enter online or by mail. For more info: www.windriftmusic.com/2003
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HEY SONGWRITERS! POP QUIZ. GIVE ME THREE RHYMES FOR "HEARTBREAK"...
Locate every song's lead sheet you ever wrote, their genre, and
album. What's the fingering for a G#sus4 chord at the ninth fret?
Now copyright a song from where you're sitting without removing
your hands from your mouse or keyboard. Your time is up! You know
what you need? LYRICIST! It's the songwriter's best friend.
Includes Rhyming Dictionary, Album Categorization, Chord Charting,
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home the product for $5.00 off the regular selling price just for
purchasing through the form provided off of the review + Free
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For more information, visit the review url above or call Virtual
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603.726.4499 everywhere else.
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NEED TO BOOK GIGS & ADVANCE YOUR CAREER? ORDER THIS UNIQUE CD-ROM!
It is packed with essential tools to save you time and money, and
give you a competitive advantage in the music business. Compiled by
Suzanne Glass, author, speaker, and founder of Indie-Music.com, the
ToolKit comes with nearly 50 articles, printable copyright forms,
templates for common music items like flyers, music fonts, musician
papers, software, and much more for only $19.95.
http://www.musicianstoolkit.com/muse/
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THE 4th EDITION OF THE INDIE BIBLE IS NOW AVAILABLE!
The Indie Bible shows you where to get your music reviewed, your
songs played, and your CDs sold. Now in its fourth edition, The
Indie Bible has 310 pages of valuable contacts and music-related
articles.
The 4th Edition of the Indie Bible contains:
3500 publications from around the world that will REVIEW your CD!
2900 radio stations from around the world will PLAY your songs!
350 vendors and services that will help you to SELL your music!
400 helpful resources and sites where you can PROMOTE your band!
500 sites where you can UPLOAD your band's MP3 files!
39 articles that will help your career to MOVE forward rapidly!
For details and to order online visit:
http://www.bigmeteor.com/muse/
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MUSIC BOOKS PLUS
The Songwriter's One Stop Resource for Books, Instructional Videos,
CD-ROMs and DVDs. We feature over 5,000+ titles at
www.musicbooksplus.com - areas covered include: International Music
Directories, Music Business, Song & Lyric Writing, Music
Publishing, Rhyming Dictionaries, Theory & Arranging , Instrument &
Vocal Technique, Recording, Internet ... and so much more. Free
electronic newsletter, monthly & customer specials, new titles
added weekly. Come check us out!
http://www.musicbooksplus.com/affiliate/mark.cgi?id=jodimuse
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THE GALARIS MUSICIANS DIRECTORY - 2003 EDITION
If you are serious about pushing your music career to the
next level, getting your music into the right hands, promoting
yourself to others and creating a buzz, YOU NEED THE GMD!
Visit us to check out the demo, and see what industry
professionals say about the GMD.
Receive a 10% discount if you place your order through The Muse's
Muse: http://www.galaris.com/GMD.html?musesmuse
=================================================================
ADVERTISING RATES: For Classifieds: US$50 Max. 8 lines, where
a line = 65 characters including spaces and punctuation. All
contracts must be prepaid. Write to: editor@musesmuse.com
For Newsletter Sponsorship rates and other advertising
opportunities, please see http://www.musesmuse.com/media.html .
Back to Menu
=================================================================
C o n t a c t I n f o & C r e d i t s :
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Jodi Krangle ............................................. EDITOR
Kathryn Obenshain ...........................GRACIOUS PROOFREADER
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The Muse's News is a free monthly newsletter for and about
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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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