|
The Muse's News |
|
Issue 9.9 - December 2006 ISSN 1480-6975
[ Back to The Muse's News Index ] [ Home ]
This issue sponsored by:
=================================================================
I n T h i s I s s u e :
-----------------------------------------------------------------
@-- Editor's Musings
@-- Music Reviews - Chip Withrow, Gian Fiero, Francesco Emmanuel
& Alex Jasperse
@-- New Artist Spotlight Additions
@-- Songwriting Book Review - by Ed Teja
@-- 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 - ATTITUDE by Lance Gallup
@-- 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
Remind yourself of your committment to songwriting every time you
use one of these special items. There are even black t-shirts!
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!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVE THE PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT TO THE SONGWRITER IN YOUR LIFE -
EVEN IF IT'S YOU!
"This remarkable piece of software turns your Mac or PC into a
valuable songwriter partner"
-- Richard Leiter, Keyboard Magazine
If you have a high speed connection, you can download a 30-Day
demo. If not, we will send you a copy for $9.95 which will be
deducted from the purchase price if you decide to buy.
Receive a special $90.00 holiday discount off the $289.00 list
price (making it only $199!) when purchasing through the Muse's
Muse! Please use discount coupon # 3004.
Endorsed by: BMI, ASCAP, NSAI, PRS and Taxi.
Winner Best of Show Macworld 2003
http://www.musesmuse.com/masterwriter-songwriting-software.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
E d i t o r ' s M u s i n g s :
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Well hello again for another month. :) I hope your October was
as fun and productive as mine was! I have a lot for you this
month - new articles, contest and market information listings, a
fantastic site to check out as recommended by Irene in her Muse's
Clues section, Ed Taja's new book review of This Business of
Songwriting by Jason Blume, and a whole bunch of new CD reviews.
Radio Muse show (#14) is now online, in case you've missed my
speaking about it before. You can have a listen to that at
http://www.musesmuse.com/radiomuse-14.html . Please do support
your fellow songwriters and check out their music. Each artist
featured has a picture of their CD cover, a 100 word bio, and a
link to their website so that you can learn more about them. And
while Radio Muse #15 is well underway, I'm still always looking
for more music to feature. I hope you'll have a look at
http://www.musesmuse.com/radiomuse.html for the details on how to
send in your music to the show. I'd love to hear it!
Now, without further ado, here are the raffle winners for this
month (and feel free to write to me if you'd like to be placed in
the queue for raffle prizes!):
* Kayla Eide from Lakeside, CA, has won a copy of
Virtual Studio Systems' Lyricist software
(http://www.musesmuse.com/vss-review.html).
* Mary Anne Lonergan from Newmarket, ON Canada has won a copy of
Jason Blume's "This Business of Songwriting" (reviewed below)
* Rochelle Kruger from Lynnwood, WA, 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.
I hope those of you in the US had a very happy Thanksgiving and I
wish you all an inspiring and happy holiday season.
Back to Menu
=================================================================
S p o n s o r M e s s a g e :
(Many thanks to the sponsors that help support this newsletter!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CUSTOMFLIX - SELL YOUR CDS ON AMAZON.COM
The CustomFlix CD on Demand service helps independent musicians
like you easily and affordably reach a worldwide audience by
making your audio CDs available to millions of Amazon.com
customers. The CustomFlix CD on Demand program is:
-- Easy to use
-- Affordable, with no start-up costs
-- Requires no inventory
More Info: http://www.customflix.com/musemuse
=================================================================
M u s i c R e v i e w s : Chip Withrow, Gian Fiero,
Francesco Emmanuel & Alex Jasperse
-----------------------------------------------------------------
NEW MUSIC REVIEWS SINCE LAST MONTH INCLUDE:
Alex Jasperse:
* Lee Barry
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001211.html
* Saints of Eden
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001220.html
Gian Fiero:
* Tony Vic
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001212.html
* J. Scott
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001213.html
* The Flying Club
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001214.html
* Brandon Hines
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001215.html
* Jake Stigers
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001216.html
* Coko
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001217.html
* Patrick Hall
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001222.html
* Slept On Fam
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001223.html
* Nita Hope
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001224.html
* Roxie Randle
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001226.html
* Famillite
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001227.html
Francesco Emmanuel:
* Marilyn Scott
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001210.html
* The Cranston Foundation
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001207.html
Chip Withrow:
* Tyler Burnett
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001219.html
* John Sonntag
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001221.html
* Oami
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001208.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
=================================================================
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
-----------------------------------------------------------------
TJ Martin - Genre: EASY LISTENING
From ancient battle movements on horseback, to a modern
equestrian ballet, this is "Music for Dressage". A completely
unique CD. Powerful, instrumental, acoustic music originally
written for Dressage freestyles. A very sophisticated sound that
is gathering worldwide attention. Works nice with a glass of
merlot and candlelight!
http://www.geocities.com/music4dressage/1.html
-------
Zoe Vandermeer - Genre: FOR KIDS
Will Zhong find the Golden Key so he can rescue Serafina from the
Cruel King?...Compared to 'Phantom of the Opera', and 'Secret
Garden', this family entertainment music/story CD has been
reviewed as 'shocking & exciting' (JPF) and by Get Fancy Magazine
- 'take flight into the mystical land of Zoe'. Singing,
narration, harps, piano, harpsichord, cello, electric guitar,
drums, flute, recorders, sound effects.
http://www.zoesmusicalfairytaleuponatime.com/
=================================================================
S o n g w r i t i n g B o o k R e v i e w : by Ed Teja
This Business of Songwriting by Jason Blume
http://www.wgpub.com/
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Most songwriters know of Jason Blume as a highly successful
practitioner of our art, who can thoughtfully articulate the
craft of songwriting. In this book, he focuses on the business of
songwriting. To that end, he lays out exactly how the music
business works. You learn about the income streams music
generates, the types of contracts and the details of the
songwriting business from licensing songs for theater
performances and video games to print licensing. This is a
business textbook, and it provides a thorough and clear snapshot
of the business of music from the songwriter perspective.
As a successful songwriter, the author has had to familiarize
himself with the ins and outs of the music business, learning
where money is made and how to keep some of it. Now he has
distilled his experience for us. So the early parts look at how
you approach the business in the first place. He tells you what
your demo CD, lyric sheet and cover letters should look like (and
what shouldn't be there). More important, he talks about the need
to have two different types of these sales tools, depending on
whether you are pitching a song to a publisher or to an artist.
Whether you've written one song or a thousand, this information
alone makes the book a keeper, as it shows you how to present a
professional image. And that is just the first verse.
A large amount of the text is spent explaining the clauses of
typical contracts for every aspect of the business. This isn't a
substitute for legal advice, but simply a way of helping us
understand those complex, ungainly documents. Although, as a
rational person, you would think the music business could manage
elegant, lyrical contracts, they are just as ugly and convoluted
as those in any other business. These blow-by-blow descriptions
don't make for fascinating reading, but they are helpful,
especially if you just got a contract in the mail and would like
to know if it insists on your first born now, or after high
school graduation.
The music business has as many niches and nooks and crannies as
the Grand Canyon, and just because you have learned the terrain
in one spot, it doesn't mean you know much about the next one.
The book covers that diversity. Want to be your own publisher and
keep all that money for yourself? Chapter five is for you. Got a
chance to be a staff writer? Read Chapter Three before you
negotiate. Want to hire a songplugger, or look for a copublisher
for that hit song you just placed? It is there.
I have located a handy space on my music bookshelf to keep this
book. I want to know where it is, since you never know when you
might have a chance to license that country song to the folks at
the university for a student film. Or the next time I plan to
have lunch with a major Nashville publisher (which will also be
the first time) I can reread that chapter. And when industry
changes make it out of date, we will just have to impose on Jason
to update it.
******
ABOUT THE REVIEWER:
Ed Teja lives in New Mexico, USA, writing songs and
instrumentals, and trying to find them loving homes. Performing
since the early 60s, he has appeared at strange venues in Hong
Kong, Canada, St. Martin, Bequia, Venezuela, Grenada and
Trinidad, as well as the Silver City (New Mexico) Blues festival
in 2003, and the Tucson (Arizona) Folk Festival in 2006. Working
as a magazine editor and freelance writer, his articles appeared
in magazines ranging from Pro Sound News, BYTE magazine, to
Import/Export, and with book reviews in THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING
POST, and The Midwest Review of Books.
Find out more about Ed at: http://www.geocities.com/edteja Back to Menu
=================================================================
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
=================================================================
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!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
GREAT AMERICAN SONG CONTEST Deadline Is Coming Soon!
Submissions to the 8th Annual Great American Song Contest will be
accepted through December 8 (the deadline has been extended!).
Songs, lyrics and instrumental compositions are welcome. This
year's event features awards for 45 winners in 9 categories and
provides over $10,000 in prizes. Music-industry judges include
prominent publishers, recording artists, producers and
Grammy-nominated songwriters. Entrants receive written
evaluations of their songs from the contest judges. This annual
International event is sponsored by Songwriters Resource Network,
a trusted news and education resource for songwriters everywhere.
For details, visit:
http://www.greatamericansong.com/ or e-mail info@GreatAmericanSong.comm
-----------------------------------------------------------------
2007 NEW MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS (Round 1)
The NMVA is your audio-visual exposure opportunity of a lifetime!
Celebrating exceptional music videos by new artists - signed or
unsigned - the creators of the event, We Are Listening, will
provide a cash advance and global digital distribution to the
winning submissions, determined by a public vote.
More details on: http://www.wearelistening.org/about_nmva.php Deadline: 22nd January 2007
-----------------------------------------------------------------
THE JOHN LENNON SONGWRITING CONTEST - Deadline December 15, 2006!
This is your last chance to enter the 2006 John Lennon
Songwriting Contest. Get your songs in by December 15th for your
chance to win $5,000 worth of gear from Roland/Edirol, iGuitar
and Audio-Technica, a $5,000 advance from EMI Music Publishing,
gift certificates to www.musiciansfriend.com, an Apple Computer
with Cinema Display, Logic Pro Software and $20,000 from Maxell.
Go to http://www.jlsc.com/ to enter.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
UNIVERSITY RESEARCHER WANTS TO HELP YOU.
The Queensland University of Technology
[http://creativeindustries.qut.edu.au/] has been working in
partnership with Muses News, Just Plain Folks, CDBaby, The Future
of Music Coalition, the Worldwide Independent Network and an
array of other musician-based organizations to design a survey
that will give independent musicians, performers and songwriters
a chance to learn how to improve their chances of a fulfilling
career in music. New technologies have created complex challenges
as well as many new opportunities for musicians, yet concrete
examples of how these can help independent artists are few and
far between.
Now's the time to make your voice heard and gain help with your
music as a result. We invite you to take about 15 minutes of your
time to share your opinions and experiences through this
important survey. Visit
[http://polling.nationalforum.com.au/index.php?sid=4 before
December 31, 2006 to participate. Or for more information,
contact Hugh Brown at h8.brown@student.qut.edu.au.
Further, you are encouraged to forward this invitation to every
independent musician, performer and songwriter you know and
encourage them to participate. Your contribution will have a
valuable impact, as the findings from this survey will be given
back to those who supply the information along with a network of
resources aimed at helping independent musicians. Don’t miss this
great opportunity to speak up on behalf of artists!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
RECRUITING INTERNATIONAL, HIP-HOP, R & B SONGWRITER-PRODUCERS
The Songs of Love Foundation is currently recruiting
International, Hip-Hop, R & B, songwriter-producers. We are a
non-profit organization that creates personalized and fully
produced songs for children who are seriously ill. The songs are
done free of charge and in any language or style the child
desires. Compensation provided.
http://www.songsoflove.org/
-----------------------------------------------------------------
COME TO HAWAII IN FEBRUARY FOR A SONGWRITING and MUSIC RECORDING
WORKSHOP - Feb. 16-18, 2007 on the lush tropical Island of Kauai.
Calling songwriters and recording musicians at any stage in your
career: discover inspiration and learn the newest techniques this
coming February at our Kauai songwriting and recording workshop.
Award-winning industry professionals Kathy Mattea, Pat Pattison,
Stephen Webber and Jon Vezner show you how to translate your
musical visions into songs that work, then turn those songs into
top-quality recordings that showcase you at your best. And while
it's cold back home, enjoy the mix of business and pleasure as
you explore Kauai, with its unlimited opportunities to swim,
surf, snorkel, sail, hike, adventure and just plain relax.
http://www.steelgrass.org/ for information and registration.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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/
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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
=================================================================
M u s e ' s C l u e s : by Irene Jackson
©1998-2006 Moonstone Productions All Rights Reserved.
Used By Permission
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I know that I have probably, somewhere in the past, referred to
the BBC website on songwriting. This month, I'd like to revisit
it because it has grown and changed rather dramatically...I'm not
even sure it has the same name as it used to. These days it is
called "Sold On Song" (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/).
It is such an interesting website for songwriters and fans of
music to explore, complete with articles on songwriting itself,
interviews with artists young and old, and articles on popular
songs themselves, including audio clips and a forum where you can
add your two cents.
On the main website as of this writing, you'll find an article on
a series of songwriting festivals in the UK called On Song
Festival, a link to a Pet Shop Boys concert performed live on the
BBC, and if you look on the left-hand side of the main page,
you'll see a list of links that are worth checking out. You can
search an inventory of what the website considers to be the "Top
100" songs of all time in the UK, and find clips of each one with
a write up and any relevant info on it.
Another interesting aspect of the website is their Songwriting
Guides section. There's a comprehensive guide on writing a song
by Steve Hiller, which pretty much covers every aspect from genre
to hooks, ideas, and the middle eight.
There's also a section called "Working With Others", including
articles on how to find a songwriting partner, rights and
royalties and how to split 'em. And that's not all! There's a
Performing section, a discussion of how publishers work, an area
exploring the recording studio and what to look for in a manager.
I also found a songwriting "game" but for some reason I was
unable to install the plugin to actually try it out. Maybe
you'll have better luck!
This is such a fascinating website to hang out in. Even if
you've seen it before, they are constantly updating articles,
interviews and song studies and clips, so you'll certainly find
something new to soak up. Good on the BBC for putting the time
and effort into building a very fascinating website for
songwriters!
******
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
=================================================================
F e a t u r e d A r t i c l e : by Lance Gallup - © 2006
ATTITUDE
-----------------------------------------------------------------
While I'm primarily addressing musicians and other creative types
in these little rants, many principles are common to all humanity
and apply as well to engineers and bus drivers as they do to
musicians and artists. One such principle, much maligned and
overlooked is the principle of maintaining a positive attitude.
It's been said that man is the only creature born to the world in
a natural state of disorientation. While other animals are
immediately controlled by instinct, unaware of the possibilities
and unable to question their inner drive, human beings have an
awareness of themselves and their environment and a godlike
ability to create and to find meaning in that creativity. Show an
M.C. Escher print to a person and they'll likely look at it and
try to ascribe to it some interpretation or meaning. Same with a
piece of Stravinsky's music. Love it or hate it, you're still
aware that there's something more there beyond mere sound. Show
the Escher print or play the Stravinsky for a horse or a
chimpanzee and you'll get a far different reaction.
It's this awareness and this creative potential that sets us
apart from the other animals on this planet. You have no choice
but to be creative - like it or not, you exercise this ability
every moment of every day, in every action of your life. Each
action is a choice, a decision, each decision defines a pattern -
the pattern that eventually becomes your world and the space in
which you live your life. For many people, this process is more
or less an unconscious game of follow-the-leader in which large
numbers of people copy each other - social customs, styles and
clothing, politics, religion, music, culture and so on. A very
small minority ever stop to deeply consider what it is they're
doing and why they're doing it, never mind buck the trends or try
things a different way. Ironically, it's many of those rebels who
become the visionaries, the creative leaders that the masses
eventually end up following.
Ephesians 5:15 admonishes "see that you walk circumspectly." The
word translated circumspectly here in the original language can
also be translated as the word "accurately." Socrates said the
unexamined life is not worth living. Life is often compared to
navigating a boat ("picture yourself in a boat on a river...")
Assuming your desire is to reach a spot on the opposite bank, a
certain amount of planning and effort are required. If you
simply push off from shore, lie down for a nap and let the
current handle things, it's unlikely you will ever reach your
destination. The unfortunate navigator, upon waking from his
slumber to discover his craft being pulled by strong currents
toward rocks and white water, may suddenly grab an oar and start
paddling for all he's worth, but by then it may be too late. The
gentle stream has become a boiling current and has taken control
of the journey, for better or worse.
Better instead to cultivate an attitude of thoughtfulness - to
"live life like you mean it", to walk circumspectly, mindful that
each decision in cause and effect fashion pours into an overall
trend. Yes, it's easier to start each day in neutral and just
react to the events and circumstances around us. The problem with
that approach is that everybody else is doing it too and entropy
becomes the order of the day. As any homeowner knows, growing a
beautiful lawn takes a lot of effort. Left to natural forces, a
golf course quickly becomes a weed field.
The best place to start is with a positive attitude. There's
something very powerful about attitudes, either good or bad. For
example, have you ever noticed when you get a new car, suddenly
you start seeing the same model or color everywhere you go? Do
you suppose that, coincidentally, half the people in your area
went out the same week and bought a red Jeep Grand Cherokee just
like you? Of course not - you've just become more aware of that
model, and your mind, amazing and mysterious biological computer
that it is, sees your newfound interest and faithfully points out
all the other Jeeps on the road. It works the same way with other
things. Start your day with a sour "my life sucks" attitude and
your mind will begin collecting data to support that premise.
Things go wrong, your attitude gets worse and the process feeds
on itself until pretty soon your life does suck. You've created
a self-fulfilling prophecy. Why not put a little conscious
effort into going the other way instead? When something goes
wrong, let it go, or look for the good in it. In this way you
begin to build positive momentum. Your mind will start looking
for data to support that attitude and pretty soon you'll find
you're becoming "lucky" - when really, luck is just when
preparedness meets opportunity, and opportunity is always present
if you know where to look for it.
To sum it all up, I can't say it better than the master
motivator, the late Earl Nightingale. In his program about
attitude called "The Magic Word" he says this:
"Success or failure as a human being is not a matter of luck, or
circumstance, or fate, or the breaks, or who you know - or any of
the other tiresome, old myths and cliches by which the ignorant
tend to excuse themselves. It's a matter of following a
commonsense paradigm of rules - guidelines anyone can follow."
*****
According to his business card, Lance Gallup is a "singer,
songwriter, guitarist and all around nice guy." Lance lives in
the Berkshires of western Massachusetts with his wife and a
chocolate lab retriever named Jackson Brown. In additions to
songwriting, Lance's creative pursuits include poetry and other
short form essays and word paintings. He's currently recording
his first CD of original music which will be available early in
2007. Visit http://www.lancegallup.com/ to download samples, read
more of his writing and find out what else he admits to doing.
Back to Menu
=================================================================
" O N S I T E " F E A T U R E D A R T I C L E :
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ebb and flow of songwriting - by Jeff Oxenford
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001218.html
Over the past year, my songwriting productivity has been all over
the board. For a few months I was writing two to three songs per
week. Last month I managed to complete only one song.
-------
Pirates of Microsoft: Curse of the Black MP3 - by Jerry Flattum
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00001209.html
Something is radically wrong with this movie, you know, the movie
the music industry made about mostly young pirates ripping off
the music industry. We are caught in the age old paradox when it
comes to illegal activity of any kind: the paradox of supply and
demand. Is the drug dealer to blame or the user? Did kids and
pirates of all ages build the ships that made piracy possible?
Well, yeah...if they worked for Microsoft. =================================================================
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 :
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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
=================================================================
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 Library of Canada ecollection:
http://collection.nlc-bnc.ca/100/201/300/muses_news/index.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back to Menu
[ Back to The Muse's News Index ] [ Home ]
|