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The Muse's News

Issue 8.10 - January 2006
ISSN 1480-6975

[ Back to The Muse's News Index ] [ Home ]

This issue sponsored by:
Lyricist :The Songwriter's Best Friend


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I n   T h i s   I s s u e :

-----------------------------------------------------------------
@-- Editor's Musings
@-- Music Reviews - by Francesco Emmanuel, JJ Biener, 
                    Lennon Bone, Jane Eamon, Chip Withrow 
                    & Kevin Zarnett
@-- New Artist Spotlight Additions
@-- 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 - Song Dynamics: Is Your Song a Roller
                       Coaster or a Freight Train? 
                       - by Alex Forbes
@-- On Site Featured Article - An article already online for your
    viewing pleasure.
@-- Classifieds & Useful Services
@-- Contact information
=================================================================
ISSN 1480-6975. Copyright 1998-2006 - Jodi Krangle. 
For more contact information, see end of issue.
=================================================================
MUSE'S MUSE T-SHIRTS, MUGS, MOUSEPADS AND MORE
Black T-shirts are here and they look pretty darned cool. :)
See http://www.cafepress.com/musesmuse for details.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
S p o n s o r   M e s s a g e :
 
(Many thanks to the sponsors that help support this newsletter!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LYRICIST VERSION 3: THE SONGWRITER'S BEST FRIEND

Lyricist is the first-of-its-kind word processor designed
specifically for musicians, songwriters, and poets.  The software
includes a Rhyming Dictionary, Thesaurus, Album Categorization,
Chord Charting, Chord Generator, Song Arrangement, and On-Line
Copyright Link.  

The new version 3 release adds support for "Piano Style" chord
symbols, Nashville Number System, and Transposition features -
all in one easy-to-use package - and all for only $44.95! (That's
$5.00 off to all Muse's News readers who purchase from the review
link at www.musesmuse.com/vss-review.html!)

This tool will revolutionize the way you write and organize your
writing.  Be the best songwriter you can be and purchase Lyricist
today!     http://www.musesmuse.com/vss-review.html 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

E d i t o r ' s   M u s i n g s :

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Hi folks.  I hope you all enjoyed the holidays you observe at
this time of year and that you found your inspiration in being
surrounded by family and friends. :)

Just a few things to mention:

First of all, Radio Muse #12 is now online.  You can listen to it
at http://www.musesmuse.com/radiomuse-12.html .  If you'd be
interested in sponsoring one of the upcoming shows, feel free to
email me about that so that we can talk about it.  However, you
will find more information on what's included in such a
sponsorship at http://www.musesmuse.com/media.html (where all the
advertising options for the Muse's Muse are listed).  As always,
more music is needed for upcoming shows, so if you're interested
in sending in some songs for consideration, drop by
http://www.musesmuse.com/radiomuse.html for instructions, ok?

Secondly, we have a brand new music reviewer.  Please help me
welcome Jon Stewart to our fantastic team of reviewers here at
The Muse's Muse.  If your musical style is Rock, R & B, Dance,
Hip-hop, Country or Reggaeton, he'd love to listen to your CD.
All information on how to send in a package to him is located at
http://www.musesmuse.com/musicreviews.html .  There's also
information on what genres other reviewers listen to and
instructions on how to send all of them packages as well.  Just
about every genre should be represented, so I invite you to have
a look.

Besides another reviewer, one of our reviewers has gone above and
beyond the call of duty :) and has decided to write a column for
all of us as well.  JJ Biener's new column is called "The Shallow
End" - http://www.musesmuse.com/col-jjbiener.html .  He will
provide a hitch-hiker's guide through the vast ocean of Internet
resources available to the independent musician/songwriter. His
aim is to help you produce professional quality sound without
getting in over your head.

We also have another new columnist - and his was the featured
article in last month's Muse's News, in fact.  Guy Betar will
draw upon his unique background as a specialist IP and business
lawyer, and a composer and musician, to provide practical and
useful legal and commercial advice to composers and musicians.
You can find Guy's first article in his new column, The Legal
Score - http://www.musesmuse.com/col-guybetar.html .

Because of the holidays falling smack dab in the middle of when I
send out this newsletter, it's been pretty much impossible to get
a hold of raffle winners - so that will have to wait for next
month.  However, I did want to sincerely thank all those
wonderful folks who have provided raffle prizes to this
newsletter in the year that is just passing.  I'll list all of
them here so that you can check them out at your leisure:

*  Virtual Studio Systems
(http://www.musesmuse.com/vss-review.html), the creators of
Lyricist software, have donated a download licensed copy of their
software to one lucky subscriber per month.

* Indie-Music.com (http://www.musicianstoolkit.com/muse/) have
donated a copy of their Musician's Toolkit CD to one subscriber
per month.

* Onlinegigs (http://tinyurl.com/d4e2s) has generously donated 6
full months (a $120 value!) of their service! One lucky raffle
winner per month will be awarded this powerful tool for
musicians, agents, record companies and managers designed to
virtually automate the administration of booking and promoting
your band or bands.

* "100 Miles To A Record Deal"
(http://www.songrepair.com/bookforweb2.htm) author and publisher
Bronson Herrmuth has donated a copy of his book to be given away
to one subscriber per month.

* And of course, the reviewed book within every issue is also
raffled away to a subscriber in the issue where its review
appears.  This month, it's the Indie Bible's 7th Edition.  You
can find out more information about this highly useful
publication at http://www.bigmeteor.com/muse . 

That's all for this month.  I wish you all a VERY happy New Year!  

All the very best,

--Jodi

Back to Menu
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S p o n s o r   M e s s a g e : 

(Purchasing this great product will help support both the
newsletter and the sponsor who helps keep this newsletter free!
Plus, you also get a great discount! :-) 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SPOTLIGHT YOUR MUSIC ON THE MUSE'S MUSE!

The Muse's Muse Songwriting Resource (online since 1995) now has
a section of Artist Spotlights at
http://www.musesmuse.com/artistspotlights.html where musicians
and songwriters of all genres can strut their stuff.  Newly
spotlighted artists are also mentioned in this newsletter (see
above). Check out http://www.musesmuse.com/spotlightinfo.html for
more details!

(Special Holiday Pricing for a Year Long Listing is in effect now
 - but only for a limited time!)

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M u s i c   R e v i e w s : by Francesco Emmanuel, JJ Biener,
                            Lennon Bone, Chip Withrow, Jane Eamon 
                            & Kevin Zarnett

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NEW MUSIC REVIEWS SINCE LAST MONTH INCLUDE:

JJ Biener:

* Joe Curry
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001029.html
* Steve Eulberg
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001026.html


Lennon Bone:

* Anthony W. Dillon
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001019.html
* The Silent Film
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001018.html
* Lynn Julian
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001025.html


Chip Withrow:

* CSB
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001024.html


Jane Eoman:

* Paul Winn
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001020.html
* Angela Harris
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001023.html


Kevin Zarnett:

* Robin Dean Salmon
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001030.html


Francesco Emmanuel:

* Richard Abel
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001021.html
---------------
                         ******

For bios on each of the reviewers, see
http://www.musesmuse.com/musicreviews.html . If you're considering
sending in your own CD for review, you can also view that page to
find out which reviewer reviews your genre. Thanks!

Back to Menu

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N e w   A r t i s t   S p o t l i g h t   A d d i t i o n s :  

Great music is only a click away!  
Here are just some of the great CDs highlighted in the 
Artist Spotlight section of The Muse's Muse at
http://www.musesmuse.com/artistspotlights.html 

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Dave Medlo - Genre: SINGER/SONGWRITER

"The Medlo's Sonic Pictures" is a Folk-Rock CD that's been
released by Singer Songwriter Dave Medlo. This CD combines Music,
Visual, and Lyrical Imagery that makes it an interesting buy!

http://www.medlosongs.com/

For more Singer/Songwriters, visit
http://www.musesmuse.com/artistspotlights-singer-songwriter.html

------

Catman Cohen - Genre: POP

An exciting Rock n' Roll Theater Experience that takes you on the
emotional roller-coaster ride of your life. Created by the
mysterious Catman Cohen, HOW I WANT TO LIVE is his second
chronicle and focuses upon the impending fresh water crisis
facing the nation.

http://catmancohen.com/

------

Lou Black - Genre: POP

"Sophisticated global pop."
--Americana UK

"With most of today's cookie-cutter pop the lyrics are
unremarkable; in Black's songs THE LYRICS STAND OUT - you can't
help but pay attention to the message."
--Indie-Music.com

http://www.loublackmusic.com/

For more Pop artists, visit
http://www.musesmuse.com/artistspotlights-pop.html

------

James Tormé - Genre: JAZZ

James Tormé is a recording artist who's as influenced by his
multi-Grammy Award winning father, Mel, as he is by the pop and
R&B he grew up with. By infusing his selections with the
influences of his own generation, James is making classic songs
newly relevant and bringing jazz to now.
 
http://www.jamestorme.com/

------

Naz B - Genre: RAP & HIP HOP

This Zurich-based Rapper talks about the real streets and real
stories, about real people - stories from all over the world,
anthems for a global Hip Hop generation, not some diamonds and
cars fantasy world. Naz B brings together a creative crew around
him from all over the world, mixing different flavours together
in a cultural melting pot.

http://www.nazb.com/

For other Rap & Hip Hop artists, visit
http://www.musesmuse.com/artistspotlights-raphiphop.html
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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

The Indie Bible - 7th Edition by David Wimble
http://www.bigmeteor.com/muse
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I spend a lot of time hanging around studios... waiting. 

Whether I'm waiting for the drummer and bass players to finish up
so I can run my guitar tracks or I'm waiting for a singer who
still can't decide what key the next song should be recorded
in... or waiting for headphones... or waiting to get paid... it's
a lot of waiting.

Almost everywhere I go, I am guaranteed that there will be a
stack of decade old recording magazines to thumb through while I
do all this waiting but I also always seem to find a reasonably
current copy of The Indie Bible lying around... and I'm always
glad to see it there.

The Indie Bible is a musician's resource in a pretty flooded
market of musician's resource books.  The thing that sets it
apart is its unwavering focus on the indie scene from a
consistently global perspective.

The other feature of The Indie Bible that I appreciate is the way
it's formatted. It is a resource book edited with almost military
precision and with well thought out sections and subsections.
It's absolutely the easiest book of its kind to navigate through.

David Wimble also provides a helpful guide a couple of pages
beyond the table of contents to help you work through the book
along with a couple of tips on how to most effectively use the
resources once you find them.

Section One lists reviewers of indie music with the subsections
in alphabetical order according to style of music.  These
subsections are then listed by global regions.  If you know me at
all, you already know how I feel about lists and having things in
a sensible order.

Section Two focuses on local publications and resources and is
very handy for indie artists wanting to grow their quest for
world domination from their hometown outward.  It's also great
for artists traveling into a region and wanting to get some
targeted media attention while they are gigging there.

There are sections listing indie radio, promotional services, and
internet specific and general purpose resources for musicians and
songwriters. Very cool!

The Indie Bible closes off with a large archive of helpful
articles on everything from how to submit your music for review
by our own Muse's Muse proprietress, Jodi Krangle, to CD Baby's
Derek Sivers' take on Music Marketing Strategies.

There are a fair number of ads but the author has been very
careful to only include ads that relate very specifically to the
indie scene and so they tend to blend really effectively into the
content. 

The Indie Bible would be a valuable acquisition for performing
songwriters without a major label deal, which includes me... and
I'm assuming a few of you out there as well. Named appropriately,
it literally is the bible of the indie music world.

You can get yourself a copy of The Indie Bible by David Wimble at
http://www.bigmeteor.com/muse . 

                           ******
ABOUT THE REVIEWER:
James Linderman lives and works at theharmonyhouse, a music
lesson, songwriting and recording pre-production facility in
Newmarket, Ontario.  James writes songwriting articles and music
book reviews for The Muse's News, Canadian Musician Magazine,
Songwriters Magazine, and Professional Musician Magazine. His
writing is also featured in the James Linderman Wing of the
library at www.songu.com.  James has a Canadian University and
American College education in music theory and composition and is
also pretty good at making up songs and playing the guitar. 

Contact James at: theharmonyhouse@rogers.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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SONGWRITER OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM

Your songs could be heard globally and earning royalties. We are
currently receiving submissions for the SW Songs and Publishing
Songwriter Opportunity Program. The first winner will be
announced on 15 February 2006 and each fortnight thereafter until
6 December 2006. You can submit your songs as many times as you
like. For full details and submission form please visit
www.myspace.com/swsongs and click on "view more".
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MUSE'S NEWS READERS -- TAKE a FREE SongU.com COURSE!

SongU.com is pleased to make this special offer of a free
SongU.com course available to all Muse's News Readers (a $40
value).  Come see for yourself why ASCAP says that the courses
offered by SongU.com "will undoubtedly help prepare songwriters
for any market no matter their place of residence" and NSAI says
we're the "next important evolution for serious songwriters."
To take your FREE SONGWRITING COURSE, simply go to the following
link:  http://www.songu.com/suSponsor/musesmuse/ .  

You can learn more about SongU.com courses, co-writing hookups,
industry connections and pitching by going to
http://www.songu.com/?sa=3 .  
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2006 TIPPERARY INTERNATIONAL SONG OF PEACE

Entires are now invited for the 2006 Tipperary International Song
of Peace Contest which will take place in Tipperary Town,
Ireland. Entries must be submitted on a compact disc or cassette
tape with one copy of the type-written lyric. The entry fee is
€25 (euro) and the closing date for entries is February 1st,
2006. Songs submitted must have a theme of peace and can be about
people, places or things; in fact anything that one feels
constitutes a 'sense of peace'. 10 songs will be chosen to
compete 'live' in the Grand Final of the Contest in Tipperary
Town, Ireland on Saturday April 22nd, 2006. The winning song will
receive a cash prize of €1,500 (euro) and a specially
commissioned Crystal Trophy. Entry forms are available from
Martin Quinn at the following address: martinquinns@eircom.net
Telephone inquiries to Ireland (062)33990
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PEOPLES MUSIC NETWORK WEEKEND

The People's Music Network for songs of freedom and struggle will
hold its winter gathering at Amherst College in Amherst, MA on
the weekend of January 27-29, 2006. The Friday night concert
features Roy Brown, Emma's Revolution, Kim & Reggie Harris, Jay
Mankita, Ethan Miller & Kate Boverman, & Tom Neilson. Progressive
singer/songwriters lead anti-oppression workshops;
Counter-recruitment & globalization themes; Fight oppression
through music;
Info & Registration at http://www.peoplesmusic.org/ or contact Diane
Crowe at diacrowe@yahoo.com 413-548-9394
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DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE COPYRIGHT KIT

Download Indie-Music.com's free and easy Copyright Kit. Print
Copyright forms, Copyright submission process, handy tips &
tricks, choosing the right form, and more.

http://www.indie-music.com/freemuse.php 
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FREE SUBMISSIONS FOR FILM, TV AND VIDEO GAMES AT
MUSICGORILLA.COM!

Music Gorilla works with Bands, Musicians, Artists and
Songwriters to get their original material into the eyes and ears
of industry members who have the ability to take their careers to
the next level. We work with Reps from Major Labels, Indie Labels
and Film Studios. Our artists get access to free submissions for
film, TV and video games, they are eligible for free live label
showcases, digital distribution with MSN and Loudeye and more. We
don’t take any piece of any deals made on our site, and have had
many successes including placement, songwriting and publishing
deals.

Muse's Muse artists get 10% off of memberships!
Just enter the promotional code "muse" during registration.
http://www.musicgorilla.com/
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2006 SIX POINTS MUSIC FESTIVAL NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS

The 3rd Annual Six Points Music Festival will take place April 6
through 8, 2006, showcasing live music at venues throughout the
Washington, D.C. Metro area, including DC9, IOTA Club and Café,
Jammin' Java, Rock N Roll Hotel, Staccato Lounge, The State
Theatre, Strathmore, Velvet Lounge, Whitlow's On Wilson and other
to-be-announced venues. Artists can submit materials to be
considered for the festival through January 15, 2006.
More information is available at :
http://www.sixpointsmusicfestival.com.
You can find the festival on MySpace.com
at:http://www.myspace.com/sixpointsmusicfestival 
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THE HOME MADE HIT SHOW, PLAYING SONGS BY HOME RECORDING ARTISTS

Tony Butterworth, a home musician and advocate for home based
music, has released his new internet based program, The Home Made
Hit Show, featuring exciting and original rock, acoustic, blues
and pop music made by home based artists. The Home Made Hit Show
strives to deliver top quality, original, home based rock, pop,
blues and acoustic music to its listeners. "After years of being
disillusioned with popular music, I was ready for a change", said
Butterworth, "After taking up guitar and making a few of my own
songs, I discovered a huge online community of amateur musicians,
many of them producing songs of a quality that simply astounded
me."
Please listen in and http://www.homemadehitshow.com/ and send songs and
comments to homemadehitshow@gmail.com 
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SONGWRITING COURSE IN NORTHERN FRANCE 2006

International award winning singer/songwriter and workshop
specialist Stan Graham will once again be running his popular one
week songwriting workshop in France from the 30th July to the 5th
August 2006. The course will be held in the Mayenne Area of
Northern France at "La Jeusseliniere" the home of well known
English singer Martyn Wyndham-Read. This inspirational and
dynamic songwriting week has been running for four years now and
the limited number of places are always at a premium.
For more information about this and other music courses log on to
http://www.lajeuss.org/ or http://www.stangraham.co.uk/.
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SONGWRITING CONSULTATION SPECIAL OFFER: 

Pete & Pat Luboff will pay for the phone call for Muse's Muse
songwriters who use the Luboffs' songwriting consultation
service. The service provides detailed, constructive song
analysis, answers to all your creative and business questions and
references to contacts when appropriate. Visit
http://www.writesongs.com/consults.htm for more information.
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INTRODUCING A SPECIAL WEBSITE PROMOTION PACKAGE ESPECIALLY FOR
MUSICIANS/SONGWRITERS

It's important for your website to be found once it's created. We
all know this. But who can afford the promotion a website needs
to truly make its mark on the web? Now YOU can. This package is
offered exclusively to Muse's Muse visitors only - and now
includes an Artist Spotlight listing! Do you have a website that
no one knows about? Do you want it to stand out from the crowd?
Now you can get it promoted for a fraction of the price most
search engine optimization packages would cost you.  Visit
http://www.internet-marketing-mm.com/musicianpackage.html
for more details.

Back to Menu
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M u s e ' s    C l u e s :  by Irene Jackson

©1998-2005 Moonstone Productions All Rights Reserved. Used By
Permission

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A Happy New Year to all of you regular readers of the Muse's
News!  If you find yourself in the middle of a happy, smooching
crowd at midnight on New Year's Eve, are you going to be able to
sing the entire version of Auld Lang Syne?  I'll bet you can't!
Okay, those of you who even know the second verse, raise your
hands.  Yep, just as I thought...you sing the first line or two
and then you all start humming   I know there are other New
Year's Songs out there (one called "Another Auld Lang Syne" by
Dan Fogelberg comes to mind), but the only one we find ourselves
singing when the clock strikes twelve is the one made famous by
Guy Lombardo, with that somber, sentimental saxophone reminding
us that time is moving on.  Now how many of you actually know who
wrote it?  A-hah!  Again I see only a hand or two.  Maybe it's
time that you learned ALL of the words (and what they mean!), and
got a little history lesson.  And this year you can impress all
of your party-hopping friends by singing it all the way through!
Here's the story behind the song:

http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/123199/cy2_124-4983.shtml

And just as an extra treat, the L.A. Times online has created a
lovely Flash interview series on some of the more famous
songwriters, from Dylan to Jack White.  The series is hosted by
the Times pop music critic, Robert Hilburn, and created from
in-person interviews with the songwriters, including clips of
some of their songs and a nice photo slide show to boot.  Ain't
technology grand?  You do require a Flash player in order to
really experience this web page, but if you don't have that, you
can also read interviews with each of the songwriters, including
Joni Mitchell, Merle Haggard and U2.  Check them all out here:

http://tinyurl.com/dcjvz

So "tak a cup o' kindness yet" (no, don't get out your
spellchecker, that's the way it's written!) and sit back and
enjoy the beginning of a brand new year.

                         ******
						 
Irene Jackson is a performing songwriter from Victoria, BC in
Canada. Aside from writing, recording and performing, she also
maintains a website for songwriters that includes tips, articles
and a songwriter's messageboard.

Songwriting Tips: http://www.irenejackson.com/tips.html
Homepage:         http://www.irenejackson.com/
Songs:            http://www.soundclick.com/irenejackson
Back to Menu
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F e a t u r e d   A r t i c l e : 

Song Dynamics: Is Your Song a Roller Coaster or a Freight
Train? - © 2005 by Alex Forbes / CreativeSongwriter.com
All Rights Reserved.  Used By Permission

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Part I: Creating Lyrical Dynamics

In my 20 years as a professional songwriter, I've noticed that
it's usually the most dynamic, manipulative, thrill-ride-type
songs, - mine and other's - that become the most successful. Why?
Because listeners who've "heard it all before" respond most
strongly to well crafted lead-ups and payoffs, highs and lows,
and unexpected twists and turns. Sure, a little bit of
predictability is fine - in fact it's rather comforting - but to
be effective a great song has to deliver some real punch, too.

So how can you increase your song "thrill factor"? In this
article, we'll address many ways to enhance the lyrical dynamics
of your song. For the sake of brevity, let's assume you're
writing a song in the classic Verse/Chorus form, though many of
these guidelines apply to AAA and AABA songs too. 

A skilled lyricist has dozens of tools available to magnify a
song's dynamic flow. Starting with the first few lines of Verse
1, your purpose is to "suck 'em in" and "build 'em up." I liken
this to the part of the roller coaster ride where the car pulls
away from the platform and starts inching up the first steep
incline. This is where you set the scene, establishing who, what,
when, where and why.  How can you make your listeners sit up,
fasten their seat belts and hold onto their hats? Consider these
elements:
 
*	The speaker/listener relationship. 
Who's speaking to whom? Am "I" addressing "you,"  are "we"
addressing a larger "you," or is the singer speaking in the third
person about "them"?  Make the strongest possible choice.

* 	The tone and mood. 
Is the song's tone formal, slangy, conversational, arty? Is the
mood you create edgy, soothing, romantic, anthemic... or
something else entirely?

*	The speaker's point of view or perspective. 
Is he or she angry, euphoric, mournful, yearning, wise? A strong
point of view is much more compelling than a wishy-washy one.

*	The song's organizing principle. 
Is it a story song, a "laundry list" song, a novelty song, a
"state of being" song? Do your first few lines clarify your song'
s essential nature? Does each successive line add momentum and
pique listeners' curiosity?

* 	Your use of literary devices. 
Have you used repetition, imagery, alliteration, metaphor,
onomatopoeia, symbols, humor and more to enhance and amplify your
meaning?

*	Rhythm, rhyme and meter. 
Have you made the most of the language, using sounds, accents and
metric patterns to enhance your meaning? Are your lines short or
long, wordy or sparse? Does your rhyme scheme feel strikingly
fresh, or boxy and predictable?
	
By less than a minute into your song, listeners should know where
the singer stands, what's going on, and why they should care.
Ideally, they are invested in the outcome, sitting on the edge of
their proverbial seats, yearning for the "pay 'em off" crescendo
of the Chorus. 

A great Chorus delivers a breathtaking thrill of intense
gratification. After the lead-up of a well-written Verse, the
Chorus feels inevitable, yet not predictable. Check out these
elements of your Chorus: 

*	The song's hook. 
Have you condensed the essence of your song into a diamond-like
nugget of lyrical truth? Does it effectively provoke thought,
emotion, laughter, or spiritual uplift?

*	The level of "stickiness." 
Is your Chorus like gum on your shoe? Is its lyric singable and
simple, pithy without being ponderous? Ask yourself, "Does my
chorus, and especially my hook, contain enough substance to bear
repeating?" Because a killer chorus will be repeated endlessly
through the ages!

*	Amount of contrast with the Verse. 
Bend over backwards to amplify the contrast between sections,
using different rhythms and rhyme schemes, lyrical densities and
line lengths, declarative rather than descriptive lines, new
patterns and styles of repetition, etc. 

*	Clarity of your song's message. 
By the chorus, your moment of truth has arrived! Work to discover
the strongest possible way to convey your song's deepest
conviction.

After this peak moment, your dynamic flow will generally ease up
somewhat in Verse 2. But keep your song's momentum going strong
by advancing the story or deepening the insight into the
situation you're exploring. Verse 2 is equivalent to the part of
the roller coaster ride after that first big drop when you catch
your breath and pick up speed for the next hill. Give your
listeners lots of reasons to keep listening! Then your successive
Choruses can continue to provide more and bigger thrills and
spills.

                              *****

Hit songwriter Alex Forbes, founder of CreativeSongwriter.com
(http://creativesongwriter.com/), coaches groups and individuals
in the art and craft of songwriting via songwriting classes,
one-on-one coaching and song critiques. Her new Ebook, "The
Songwriter's PlayBook: 10 Weeks to Better Songs" is now available
to download at http://creativesongwriter.com/register-info.htm .

Alex has taught at the Gotham Writers Workshop and the
Songwriters Hall of Fame, and has spoken on panels at ASCAP, BMI,
The Recording Academy, The Connecticut Songwriters Association,
Add Joy To Learning, and The Austin Songwriters Group.

As a songwriter, Alex has had over 65 songs released, as well as
numerous placements in feature films and TV. Her hit singles in
the U.S. include "Don't Rush Me" (Taylor Dayne, #2 Pop, ASCAP Pop
Award), "Nothin' My Love Can't Fix" (Joey Lawrence #19 Pop), "Too
Turned On" (Alisha, #6 Dance) and "In a Dream" (Rockell, #72
Pop). Alex's most recent major release is "You Are Water" on the
U.S. debut of Hayley Westenra, whose first album sold over 2
million copies. Numerous others were hits in the US, Europe, Asia
and Australia. Alex co-wrote with Cyndi Lauper for her film,
"Off and Running," and co-produced songs of hers recorded by
Martha Wash and Joey Lawrence.

Alex received a Creative Writing degree from Stanford University,
and was mentored in the art and craft of pop songwriting by the
legendary Doc Pomus ("This Magic Moment," "Save The Last Dance
For Me").

Back to Menu

=================================================================

    " O N   S I T E "   F E A T U R E D   A R T I C L E :

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Are You Helping or Hindering Your Voice? -- Part Two
© 2005 - By Jeannie Deva
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001031.html

In part one of this article, we took a look at how your thoughts
can cause your body to react and cause a variety of difficulties
when singing. Let's take a closer look now at what some of these
problems are and begin exploring their solutions!
================================================================= 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 : ----------------------------------------------------------------- BUILD A BUZZ AT INDIE-MUSIC.COM FOR ONLY $5/MONTH Artists: Why join Indie-Music.com? I-M has been spotlighting the best in independent music since 1996, featuring Articles, Interviews, Reviews, Charts, & Streaming Audio in all musical styles. Member Artists receive generous promotion on the I-M website (2.5 million+ hits per month) plus access to our famous original DIY resources, which have helped numerous musicians book thousands of dollars worth of work over the years. For a limited time, new annual Members receive free Lyricist and TrackNotes software value $69.95). There's never been a better time to join I-M! http://www.indie-music.com/join2.php ----------------------------------------------------------------- THE 7th EDITION OF THE INDIE BIBLE IS NOW AVAILABLE! The Indie Bible shows you where to get your music reviewed, your songs played, and your CDs sold. Now in its Seventh Edition, The Indie Bible has 330 pages of valuable contacts and music-related articles. The 7th Edition of the Indie Bible contains: 4200 publications around the world that will REVIEW your CD! 3400 radio stations around the world that will PLAY your songs! 500 vendors and services that will help you to SELL your music! 200 sites where you can UPLOAD your band's MP3 files! 500 helpful resources and sites where you can PROMOTE your band! 52 articles that will help your career to MOVE forward rapidly! Listings include web, e-mail and physical address, as well as phone and fax numbers. For details and to order online visit: http://www.bigmeteor.com/muse ----------------------------------------------------------------- REAL ANSWERS TO REAL QUESTIONS, An eBook About Copyright & Publishing If you want to know how to protect yourself as a songwriter in this digital age, you need this book - EXCLUSIVELY offered through The Muse's Muse. And it's now on sale for half price! Visit http://www.musesmuse.com/realarealq.html to learn more! ================================================================= 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 : ----------------------------------------------------------------- Jodi Krangle ............................................. EDITOR Kathryn Obenshain ...........................GRACIOUS PROOFREADER ----------------------------------------------------------------- The Muse's News is a free monthly newsletter for and about songwriters. Subscribers are welcome to recirculate or reprint The Muse's News for nonprofit use as long as the appropriate credit is given and the ENTIRE text of the newsletter is included (including credits and information at the end of each issue). Others should contact me at editor@musesmuse.com. All articles copyrighted by their authors. Back issues and other information will be available at: http://www.musesmuse.com/musenews.html The Muse's News is part of The Muse's Muse, a web resource for songwriters: http://www.musesmuse.com/ For further information, send your e-mail to: ----------------------------------------------------------------- adinfo@musesmuse.com - How to place a classified ad, pass on market information or sponsor The Muse's News. info@musesmuse.com - How to subscribe, unsubscribe, etc. editor@musesmuse.com - To submit articles,reviews,ideas,etc. SNAILMAIL: Please contact me first at editor@musesmuse.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Back issues of the newsletter can be read at the National
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