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The Muse's News

Issue 8.4 - July 2005
ISSN 1480-6975

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This issue sponsored by:
International Songwriting Competition - Enter today!


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

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@-- Editor's Musings
@-- Music Reviews - by Gian Fiero & Steve Allat
@-- 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 - When Do You Know You Need A Producer? 
                       Part 2 - by Rod Clemmons
@-- 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 1998/99/00/01/02/03 - Jodi Krangle. 
For more contact information, see end of issue.
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MUSE'S MUSE T-SHIRTS, MUGS, MOUSEPADS AND MORE

You can pick up some attractive and useful Muse's Muse items like
mugs, mousepads, t-shirts in various colors and more by visiting
http://www.cafepress.com/musesmuse .  Get yourself some classy
merchandise to remind yourself of your commitment to better
songwriting and support The Muse's Muse all at the same time.
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S p o n s o r   M e s s a g e :
 
(Many thanks to the sponsors that help support this newsletter!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2005 INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION NOW ACCEPTING ENTRIES
$100,000 in cash and prizes.

Judges include: Monte Lipman (President, Universal Recs); Tom
Waits; Amy Ray (Indigo Girls); Peter Hook (New Order); LeAnn
Rimes; Mercy Me; Dan Storper (President, Putumayo World Music
Recs); Michael McDonald (President, ATO Recs); Thomas Brooman
(Co-Founder/Artistic Director, WOMAD); Chris Parr (VP Music
Programming & Talent Relations, CMT); Bruce Iglauer
(Founder/President, Alligator Recs); Cameron Strang (President,
New West Recs); Alexandra Patsavas (Music Supervisor, The
OC/Carnivale/Grey's Anatomy); Barbara Sedun (VP Creative, EMI
Music Publishing Canada); Leib Ostrow (CEO, Music for Little
People); and more.

Enter by July 15, 2005 for discount on multiple song entries.
http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/

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

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

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Hi folks!  First off, some updates about Radio Muse.

Things are moving right along.  The first twelve songs have been
chosen and James and I will be in the studio putting together the
commentary and such on July 6th.  From there, it's a short hop,
skip and jump to getting it uploaded and you should hear the
first show in streaming MP3 soon afterwards!  

There's been a steady influx of new music coming my way and I
love it.  Keep sending it!  Just remember that it needs to fit
into my small-sized P.O. box, so please do fold your material if
it needs to be folded to fit into a CD-sized envelope.  I don't
mind if it's folded.  I've asked for the information at
http://www.musesmuse.com/radiomuse.html to be in your package
because it needs to be there.  I want to *hear* what you've got.
I'm not after glossy photos or full-sized press kits with tons of
reviews.  Please *only* send me what I ask for on the Radio Muse
page, ok?  That should make it easier to fit into a CD-sized
envelope. 

Also, please keep in mind that when I ask for a 100 word bio,
that doesn't mean I'm asking you to send me a two page bio that I
can edit.  That means I'm really asking for 100 words or less.
If I edit, I may miss out some things you think are important.
So make sure you include that 100 word bio - and actually make it
100 words or less!  You'll be making my job TONS easier, and
making it easier for me to include you in the show.

Thanks once again for your interest!

Moving right along, here are the raffle winners for this month:

* Gary Dussiaume from Etobicoke, ON, Canada has won a copy of
VSS's songwriting organization product, Lyricist (for details and
information on a discount offered, see
http://www.musesmuse.com/vss-review.html)

* Melody Zimmer from New York, NY has won a copy of 
"100 Miles To A Record Deal" by Bronson Herrmuth
(http://www.songrepair.com/bookforweb2.htm) 

* Jelene Campbell from Bloomington, Indiana has won a copies of
"The Songwriter's Guide to Melodies" and "The Songwriter's Guide
to Chords and Progressions" by Joseph R. Lilore (reviewed
below!).

* Nikki Heyward from West Palm Beach, FL has won a copy of the
"Musician's Toolkit" (for details, see
http://www.musicianstoolkit.com/muse/) 

* Michael Ricard from Las Vegas, NV, has won a copy of "In The
Right Direction: A Beginners Guide to Starting a Record Label" by
Samuel D. Gilleylen.  You can read the review of this book at
http://www.musesmuse.com/6.1-April03.html#book.  For those of you
that want a copy for yourselves, it can be purchased at Borders
Books & Music and Barnes and Noble but Muse's News readers get a
$5.00 discount by purchasing through the book's website at
http://www.futuremix.biz/.  The book is now in its third
printing.

* Ulli Eisermann from Tewksbury, MA has won a 6 month
subscription to the Onlinegigs (http://www.onlinegigs.com/)
service.  This valuable service is a powerful tool for musicians,
agents, record companies and managers designed to virtually
automate the administration of booking and promoting a band or
bands. 

Enjoy your summer!  I hope you'll get out and do things that
inspire you. 

All the 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! :-) 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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, 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
http://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!

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M u s i c   R e v i e w s :  

by Gian Fiero, Brian Rutherford & Brett Thompson 

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NEW MUSIC REVIEWS SINCE LAST MONTH INCLUDE:

Gian Fiero:

* Natalise
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000931.html
* Stephanie Sante
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000933.html
* Juliet Lloyd
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000935.html


Reviews by Steve Allat:

* Arms of Kismet
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000920.html
* Mike Przygoda
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000934.html
* Robert Di Pietro
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000925.html
* A.J. Rosales
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000921.html
* Saliva
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000929.html
* Specimen 37
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000924.html
* Troy Sutton
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000927.html
* Gotye
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000928.html
* Unknown Component
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000919.html
* Sean Jackson
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000922.html
* Rosemary Loar
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000926.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 is the latest addition to the Artist Spotlight section of
The Muse's Muse at http://www.musesmuse.com/artistspotlights.html 

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Catman Cohen - Genre: SINGER/SONGWRITER

Dark, sexy, dreamy, haunting songs that send shivers down women's
spines and make grown men cry. HOW I WANT TO DIE presents a
smorgasbord of music styles and lead vocalists. Created by the
mysterious Catman Cohen, the CD is a mesmerizing dreamscape with
a message about the need for new heroes in society.

http://www.catmancohen.com/

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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 Songwriter's Guide to Melodies and 
The Songwriter's Guide to Chords and Progressions 
by Joseph R. Lilore ~ http://21stcenturychords.com/books.php
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This month we will be looking at two books in a series called
"The Songwriters Guide" by Joseph R. Lilore.

Joseph Lilore is an educator and the author of almost 30 music
books from the Warner Brothers and United Artists catalogues,
including books on The Rolling Stones, R*U*S*H, and Led Zeppelin. 

He is also the author of "Guitar Chords for the 21st Century"
which I will be reviewing in September's Muse's News.

In "The Songwriters Guide" series the author has taken a look at
2 elements of song craft, melodies and chord progressions, in a
very clinical and academic way.

"The Songwriters Guide to Melodies" begins with a simple analysis
of the 2 bar diatonic phrase showing the most usual placements of
the tonic note (C in the key of C) and the relations of the other
scale tones to the tonic.

Chapter 2 deals with intervals, which is the relationship between
any 2 notes. As you work through the examples, it is impressive
how comprehensive this book is and how musical the examples are.

Chapter 3 looks at the motif, which is a melodic phrase that
exemplifies a section of music and this is followed by chapters
dealing with the relation of melody to chords, melody to words,
major and minor key writing and modal writing. 

The book is filled with very good charts and some great examples
and should be helpful to anyone wanting to take a very analytical
look at melodic construction with a goal for creating new
melodies.

"The Songwriters Guide to Chords and Progressions" begins like a
theory primer, outlining all of the major and various minor
scales and illustrating how chords are developed from them.

There are amazing charts in this book as well and there are 58
chord outlines to exemplify some of the various principles
frequently used in popular harmonic writing.

This series would be ideal for anyone interested in learning how
to write in every key and how to write full key pieces with a
greater amount of connection between the elements of their work.

Get your own copies of "The Songwriter's Guide to Melodies" and 
"The Songwriter's Guide to Chords and Progressions" by Joseph
Lilore at http://21stcenturychords.com/books.php .

                           ******
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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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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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!

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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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THE INTERNATIONAL ORIGINAL CHRISTMAS SONG CONTEST

For entry form and rules contact: themusiclibrary.org under
"contests" Beginning June 7/05 to Oct.5/05, The International
Original Christmas Song Contest opens its doors to songwriters
around the world! We are searching for the next new Christmas
classics. We not only offer prizes, we offer what every
songwriter dreams of, the chance for their song to be recorded by
a legendary artist. Ali-Ollie Woodson (former driving force
behind the Temptations) will sing the grand prize winning song to
be released internationally on a Christmas record! All top 12
winning songs will also be released on the record. ADK
microphones, Makemusic.com, Daisy Guitars, Backbeat Books, Clarke
Tinwhistles, Songquarters, Hitquarters, and Singer and Musician
Magazine are proud sponsors of the contest, supplying prizes to
contestants. ALL CONTESTANTS who enter contest will win a 3 month
membership to Hitquarters with a 3 song artist page.

Everyone wins! Even the animal kingdom benefits! Portions of
every cd sold will be donated to The Pet Adoption Fund and
thekittenrescue.org.
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AUSTIN SONGWRITER'S GROUP ANNUAL SONG CONTEST ACCEPTING
SUBMISSIONS!

The Austin Songwriters Group is now accepting submissions for its
Annual Song Contest through September 15, 2005. Thirty one
winners in ten (10) categories, including a grand prize winner
will compete for prizes including studio time with top Austin
producers, like Mark Addison and Stephen Doster, mentor sessions
with acclaimed songwriters like Will Sexton, Monte Warden and
Kimmie Rhodes among others, acoustic guitar gig bags with ASG
embroidered logo, as well as free registration into this year's
ASG Songwriter Symposium in October. Submissions can be EITHER
fully-produced songs, or "bare bones" demo-style entries.  Ten
major genre categories including, Rock, Blues, Country, Jazz,
Pop, Gospel/Inspirational, Singer-Songwriter, Instrumental,
Lyrics Only and a General category for everything from children's
songs to comedy. Contest open to everyone, and you do not have to
be an ASG member to enter. The entry fees for Non-Members are $20
for the first song and $15 for each additional song entered. ASG
Members pay $15 for the first song entered and $10 for each
additional song. For complete details on the song contest and to
download the entry forms, please go to the Austin Songwriter
Group website at http://www.austinsongwritersgroup.com/.  
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INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION

ISC is an annual songwriting competition that provides
songwriters the opportunity to gain exposure in the international
arena. In addition to a total prize package of $100,000 in cash
and merchandise, ISC offers its entrants the unprecedented
opportunity to have their music heard by some of the most
prominent members of the music industry. Deadline for submission
is September 15, 2005. Please visit
http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/ for more information.

ISC past and present judges include:
Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20); Andy Summers (The Police); Sean "P.
Diddy" Combs; B.B. King; Clint Black; Pat Metheny; David Hidalgo
(Los Lobos); Aaron Lewis (Staind); Five For Fighting; Monte
Lipman (President, Universal Records); Arif Mardin (VP/GM,
Manhattan Records); Alan Meltzer (President, Wind-Up Records);
Michael McDonald (President, ATO Records); Tara Griggs-Magee
(Exec. VP, Gospel/Urban Music, Sony Music); Rose Noone (Sr. VP of
A&R, Epic Records); and many more.
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THE 22ND ANNUAL MID-ATLANTIC SONG CONTEST

The Songwriters’ Association of Washington presents the 22nd
Annual Mid-Atlantic Song Contest, one of the longest-running
contests in the U.S. The competition is designed to afford rising
songwriters from throughout the world and in a wide variety of
genres, the opportunity to receive awards and exposure in an
environment of peer competition. Amateur status required. The
contest categories are: Gospel/inspirational;
R&B/rap/hiphop/dance/urban/go-go; Folk/acoustic; Adult
contemporary/soft rock; Rock/alternative; Pop; Country/bluegrass;
Jazz/blues/instrumental; Children’s; Open (novelty, seasonal,
theater, world, latin, reggae, all others not listed above).
Submission deadline is August 15, 2005. Two winners in each of
ten categories will be awarded prizes, offered performance
opportunity at Awards Night Gala and inclusion on a Winners CD.
Grand prize is $1000. Sponsored by Songwriters’ Association of
Washington (SAW), in conjunction with BMI, Oasis CD
Manufacturing, Mary Cliff, Sonicbids, TAXI, Omega Recording
Studios and Songwriters Market. Go to (http://www.saw.org/) to
print out a brochure/entry form or request one by mail. Phone:
(301)654-8434. Email: masc@saw.org. Entries also being accepted
through Sonicbids @www.sonicbids.com/midatlanticsong.
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CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN SONGWRITING CONTEST - DEADLINE Sept. 1
The Contemporary Christian Music Network International is hosting
their annual songwriting contest. This contest is endorsed by
Twila Paris and Russ Lee. For complete details, go to
http://christiansongwriting.com/ .
Feel free to contact us through our website with any questions.
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THE 1ST ANNUAL TEXAS SONGWRITERS CRUISE
The cruise sails from Galveston, Texas on October 8, 2005. This
5-day event features teaching faculty Jason Blume, (cuts on 50
million albums sold) and John and Jo Ann Braheny, (Los Angeles
Songwriters Showcase). Participants also pitch their songs to
major publishers/industry pros in TV/film and various music
genres, including Norm DeVasure ("Keeper of The Stars", "Long
Slow Kisses"), Ted Lowe ("Kill Bill 2", "Punk'd"), Mike Geiger
("Adalida", "Hillbilly Shoes"), Monica Benson (Whitney Houston,
Diamond Rio, Faith Hill), David Hilker ("Law & Order", "King of
the Hill", "ER"), and more. Cruise with ports of call in Cozumel
and Playa del Carmen, with conference costs included from $494
per person!! http://www.txsongwriterscruise.com/ 
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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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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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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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TAKE YOUR SONGWRITING CAREER TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Ellen Silverstein Violette, Grammy-nominated Songwriter & CEO of
Create A Splash! e-marketing & writing strategies 4 success is
offering 15% discounts to Muse's Muse visitors on selected
services including all courses, web reviews, and some coaching
programs. Visit http://tinyurl.com/39yxa for 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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If you've been working at songwriting for any length of time, you
will probably have heard of NSAI at one time or another.
Recently I've come across comments or questions about them, so I
decided to surf over to the NSAI (Nashville Songwriters
Association International) website at
http://www.nashvillesongwriters.com/ to see what's new.

Even though they are based in Nashville, NSAI has more than 100
branches in the US and three other countries, so the chances are
that you aren't too far away from a branch if you're ever
interested in joining up.  Besides that, they offer regional
workshops, a song evaluation service and even Bluebird Cafe
auditions!  Their Nashville-based events include song camps,
retreats, classes, and Tin Pan South, a week-long festival
dedicated to songs and songwriters.  NSAI is also active in
pursuing legislative issues of concern to songwriters including
copyright and anti-piracy issues.

As far as their website, if you are a member you can get an
online song evaluation and participate in their chats, forums and
listen to their webcasts.  There is also a list of online
articles on the subject of songwriting here:

http://www.nashvillesongwriters.com/news.ez?viewLink=50

They include Ralph Murphy's infamous "Murphy's Law of
Songwriting" and a link to some articles by songwriting gurus
Danny Arena and Sara Light. 

Songwriters often bring up the subject of paying to get critiques
and I think NSAI is an excellent and less expensive way to get
much more than that.  They are a long-standing, well respected
organization with a lot to offer the burgeoning songwriter...go
and take a look! 

                         ******
						 
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 : 

When Do You Know You Need A Producer? Part 2 - by Rod Clemmons
© 2005 - All Rights Reserved

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In part 1 of this series, I explored several basic questions for
artists or groups to ask themselves which will help determine
their need for a producer. If after examining those questions the
answer is yes, now is a good time to explore each question
individually with the producer.

The first question was "What songs do I choose to put on my CD?"
This I think, is the fundamental question to ask because the
answer shapes the whole project. There are several answers to
this question based on some very specific circumstances that the
artist or group may bring to the table. 

Circumstance 1: Let's assume that the artist or group writes his
or her own songs. They have perhaps thirty or more songs already
written. In this scenario some good things to consider would be, 

1. What am I trying to say in general with my CD? 
2. What musical impression do I want to leave my audience with?
3. Which songs that I have written will best communicate this
musical impression? 
4. Which of these songs do I most speak with emotionally?  
5. Which songs stick in my brain? If they stick in your brain
chances are they will stick in the collective brain of your
audience 
6. What will the song order be based on a good variety of tempos
from song to song? 

Together with the objective ear and mind of the producer, these
issues can be resolved so that the artist or group can achieve
their desired musical expression. A good producer will not take
over the artist's expression and change it to fit the producer's
own agenda. Rather, he or she will listen carefully to the
performer to understand the main objective of the project, and
then go about setting everything in motion to enable the
performer achieve that objective. 

Circumstance 2: Let's say the artists or groups are excellent
performers, but they do not write their own songs. You will still
need to ask some of the same questions. If the performers do not
write their own material, it is important that these performers
are rooted and very confident in their own specific style so that
songs can be chosen according to that style.  In this case the
skill and expertise of a producer is even more necessary because
the producer can be very beneficial in helping to find songs that
enable the artist or group to speak with the music.

In both cases, once the songs are chosen for the CD, the artist
or group can go about the business of performing and emoting the
songs, and the producer can assume his or her responsibilities of
developing arrangements and instrumentation for each song,
recording sites, selecting necessary musicians and background
vocalists, and being the overall musical guide for the entire
project.

In the next article we will discuss how to select a producer,
which is a critical decision involving mutual trust in
musicality, performance, and the artistic direction of a project.

*****

Rod Clemmons' company, Verdict Entertainment
(http://www.verdictentertainment.com/), is a music production company,
producing demos, EP's, albums, and new music for independent
artists and labels. Verdict is also an independent record label
becoming a visible force in the pop music industry. We have
adopted the slogan "Verdict…Music That Speaks" to create an
environment where music that has integrity of lyric content and
style can compete in the current climate of instability that now
defines the music industry. With more than 16 years of experience
producing Demos, EP's and Albums for up and coming artists and
independent labels veteran producer Rod Clemmons specializes in
shaping your music to create a distinct sound individual to each
artist. 

Back to Menu

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

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Sharing Our Creative Work With Others 
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000930.html

This article offers my own musings about a particularly dangerous
self-sabotage pattern that many creative artists fall prey to;
subconsciously seeking feedback from sources that we know will
criticize us negatively, validating our own sometimes-low opinion
of our work and ourselves. 

-----
Are You Helping or Hindering Your Voice? 
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000918.html

What kinds of thoughts do you have about singing? Do you think
you have to reach up to sing high? Do you think you have to push
or squeeze to sing loudly? Do you have any negative thoughts
about yourself or your voice that spontaneously pop up when you
sing? The voice is emotion and thought-sensitive. If you have any
uncertainty about your singing, or what to do to get certain
notes, you could be creating problems. Let's explore this and see
what can be done about it.
================================================================= 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 : ----------------------------------------------------------------- BE THE BEST SONGWRITER YOU CAN BE: LYRICIST V3 Pop Quiz: You have 5 minutes to complete: Locate every song's lead sheet you ever wrote, its genre, and album. What's the fingering for a G#sus4 chord at the ninth fret? Transpose your most current song from the key of G to F# and then into a Nashville Number Chart. Ooops, also transpose the chart from guitar style chords to piano. Now copyright the 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, On-Line Copyright, and more. 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 $49.95 USD selling price. This tool will revolutionize the way you write and organize your writing. Be the best songwriter you can be and purchase Lyricist today! ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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 6th 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 Sixth Edition, The Indie Bible has 316 pages of valuable contacts and music-related articles. The 6th Edition of the Indie Bible contains: 4200 publications from around the world that will REVIEW your CD! 3400 radio stations from around the world will PLAY your songs! 600 vendors and services that will help you to SELL your music! 330 sites where you can UPLOAD your band's MP3 files! 500 helpful resources and sites where you can PROMOTE your band! 51 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/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR TO YOU? You wanted to become a musician/songwriter and earn a living from music because it's CREATIVE and EXCITING. Yet here you are struggling with your CD burner, hunting through A&R directories, searching for stamps, etc ... Wouldn't life be easier if you could spend your precious creative time writing music rather than envelopes ?! Let The Music Broker Network take care of pitching & promoting your songs to Labels, Publishers, Film & TV: via both post & email. We leave you to what you do best: be creative. 10% DISCOUNT to Muse's Muse members: simply enter a discount code of MUSE when you checkout: http://tinyurl.com/3ctsn ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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 HALF PRICE! Visit http://www.musesmuse.com/realarealq.html to learn more! ----------------------------------------------------------------- REACH NEW FANS ON MEDIAFEAST Looking to reach new fans? MediaFeast is an online independent music retailer dedicated to helping independent artists bring new music to fans and helping listeners find great new music. Create a free account and then have the opportunity to add albums for sale on MediaFeast.com. In addition to prepackaged albums such as those sold at traditional retailers, MediaFeast offers the sale of one-off albums that are produced to order using a master artist disc and associated artwork. Artists set the selling prices for all of their albums and receive all profits above the base cost. Sign up through this ad and receive four free Pure Profit sales, where you will keep 100% of the selling price! Visit http://tinyurl.com/2me2f for details. ================================================================= 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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