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The Muse's News |
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Issue 12.3 - June
2009
ISSN 1480-6975 This
issue sponsored by: 
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I n T h i s I s s u e :
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@-- Editor's Musings
@-- Music Reviews - Chip Withrow, Alex Jasperse & Don Sechelski
@-- 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 - The Swing Of Things - by Paula Carpenter
@-- 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 1998-2008 - Jodi Krangle.
For more contact information, see end of issue.
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FIND THE PERFECT GIFT FOR THE SONGWRITING IN YOUR LIFE!
All sorts of products and services especially for songwriters,
negotiated so that you get the best price possible. You'll find
means of promotion and distribution, songwriting aids,
educational products, musical instruments and their accessories,
and lots more. Find the perfect gift for the songwriter in your
life - even if it's you!
http://www.musesmuse.com/songwriting-store.html
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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!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LAST DAYS TO ENTER USA SONGWRITING COMPETITION
Win $50,000 Grand Prize worth of cash, cool music gear from Sony,
Ibanez Guitars, Audio-Techica, Cakewalk and more! Winning songs
will receive airplay on a nationally syndicated radio program.
Judges include A&R from Universal, Capitol Records, Warner and
SONY/BMG Music.
Hurry! Deadline is drawing near, enter now:
http://tinyurl.com/cddh5n
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E d i t o r ' s M u s i n g s :
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Welcome back to another issue of The Muse's News, folks! I don't
know if I say this enough, but thanks very much for subscribing.
Especially those who have stuck with me through the ebb and flow
of email communications over the years (I've been at this for
more than 10!). I know how hard it is to keep up with things and
how easy it is to get overwhelmed with the various emails that
probably flood your inbox. Thanks for reading. When there's so
many other demands on your time, I feel that needs to be said. :)
I hope I'm providing you with a good mixture of inspiration and
information to help you improve your craft. And if you're
interested in talking with other like-minded folks, there's a
bunch of fantastic people participating on the Muse's Muse
message boards at http://www.musesmuse.com/forums/index.php. Why
not register and get to know some of your fellow songwriters?
In the meantime, here are the raffle winners for this month.
Read on below to see how you could be one of them!
* Sarah Calvert, from Toronto, ON Canada, has won a copy of
Virtual Studio Systems' Lyricist software
(http://www.musesmuse.com/vss-review.html).
* Billy Newell, from Anniston, AL, has won a copy of
Indie-Music.com's Musician's Toolkit CD
(http://www.musicianstoolkit.com/muse/)
* Bill Hoover from Catonsville, MD, has won a copy of
Bronson Herrmuth's "100 Miles To A Record Deal"
(http://www.songrepair.com/bookforweb2.htm).
* Shelly Phelps from Edmond, OK has won a copy of the
book reviewed in last month's newsletter: The Jazz Theory Book By
Mark Levine (http://www.shermusic.com). The review can be seen
here: http://www.musesmuse.com/12.2-May09.html#bookreview
Interested in grabbing up one of these fantastic raffle prizes
for yourself? :) Feel free to write to me with your first two
choices for a raffle prize, include your contact information so I
know where to *send* it, and that's it! You're in! :) The
prizes are all listed at the top of
http://www.musesmuse.com/musenews.html .
In the meantime, have a wonderful June!
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 :
(Many thanks to the sponsors that help support this newsletter!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BRETT MANNING'S SINGING SUCCESS SYSTEMATIC VOCAL TRAINING SYSTEM:
It's the "secret weapon" used by some of the winners of the
world's most prestigious vocal awards, including the Doves, the
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Learn the one mistake even professional singers make, that drains
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vocal power. Find out about the 3 simple exercises that allow
even a "beginner" to make rapid increases in range (this also
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your break, so you'll never have to flip into falsetto again, but
you'll still sing as high as you want--in full voice - and LOTS
more.
The package includes 12 audio CDs (packed with 17 repeatable
lessons, including both technique--the simple, yet powerful
exercises, and style lessons for building vocal licks and
trills); a workbook for illustration; and a DVD for visual
reference and demonstration. It's a complete course - and it has
a money-back guarantee!
Visit http://tinyurl.com/35t3lz for more details and start
yourself on the road to improving your vocal chops today!
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M u s i c R e v i e w s : Chip Withrow, Alex Jasperse
& Don Sechelski
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A slow month this time due to holidays and such. But we'll be
back to our usual productive selves by next month. :)
NEW MUSIC REVIEWS SINCE LAST MONTH INCLUDE:
Chip Withrow:
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* Autocondo
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-autocondo-autocondo.html
* Red Shepherd
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-redshepherd-blueskies.html
Alex Jasperse:
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* Autocondo
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-autocondo.html
* Pericardium
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-pericardium-salutary.html
Don Sechelski:
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* Ronley Teper
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-ronleyteper-lipliners.html
* Marsupial
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-marsupial-genusthylacinus.html
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******
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
----------------------------------------------------------------- Durojaiye Versatile - Genre: ELECTRONIC
A musical memoir or documentary that is mentally stimulating,
visual, tightly composed, artfully arranged and well produced.
Filled with electronic soundscapes, strokes of Hip-Hop, Late
night jazz-funk and soul. A CD that will attach itself to music
lovers of alternative electronica, Downtempo, Ambient and Jazz!
- Winner of Best Instrumental Album in Gian Fiero's Muse's Muse
Awards for 2008.
Read Gian's Review:
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-durojaiye-fermented.html
Visit Durojaiye's website:
http://virb.com/dorah
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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 Ed Teja
The "RealEasy" Ear Training Book
A Beginning/Intermediate Guide to Hearing the Chord Changes
By Roberta Radley
http://www.shermusic.com
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As a conscientious songwriter you probably spend a fair amount of
time studying songs that are hits, that are successful in your
genre, or do something interesting that you might borrow and
adapt. Listening is good. Transcribing is better. If you find
transcribing other people's songs, or even your own, a difficult
and tedious process, you aren't alone. One thing that can make it
easier to know what is going on in a song, even those that are
only inside your head, is ear training.
There seem to be a number of approaches to ear training, and I
can't claim to have evaluated them, but Radley's approach
certainly makes a great deal of sense. It starts with hearing
bass lines, then moves to triads and then into more complex
patterns, including inversions. Two CDs provide examples and
practice material that let you test yourself (the answers are in
an appendix). She provides ideas for real world practice and ways
to engage the musicians you work with, helping them as well as
you, improve your ear.
None of this is easy, much less "RealEasy," but it is not
complicated. You put in the time and the results follow. Having
said that, it does start out simply. I confess to having
selective hearing in that my brain has decided that some musical
intervals are easy and others hard. Thus, the discipline required
here is to do the easy exercises as thoroughly as the difficult
ones. One thing that helps me be thorough is the fact that Radley
has thrown in a couple of twists that she wants you (and me) to
learn. First is the Solfege system. When I played with bands in
Venezuela, I was confused because when I asked for the key of a
tune, I was told "do" or "fa." Welcome to the world of fixed
Solfege. In this case, "do" is the key of C and "fa" is F. This
is a world of notes and keys expressed according to the familiar
do, re, mi notation - I still had to count on my fingers for a
long time. Here, however, Radely uses movable Solfege, where "do"
is the root and moves with key changes, making "la," for
instance, the sixth note of the scale beginning on whatever "do"
is at the time. Don't worry if that sounds confusing, as she
explains it far more clearly and thoroughly. One reason for using
it becomes clear as you do the exercises — it gives a new
perspective on the notes. You don't fall back on the familiar,
and this accelerates the learning. And if you think that do, re,
mi is familiar, trust me, there is an additional vocabulary to
learn that lets you notate accidentals as well.
The second twist is that you also transcribe the music using the
note scale numbers. Again, this rounds out your perspective of
the notes. Both systems have a way of making you think of the
role the note plays as well as what the note is. This is
important in hearing changes and more complex textures. To move
you from recognizing single notes and triads, Radley introduces
horizontal and vertical approaches to taking musical dictation.
Vertical is, of course, hearing chord qualities, such as minor,
major, diminished and augmented. Horizontal focuses on notes
within the chord, and the third as a guide tone, for instance.
This is where you begin to really hear changes happen. These
sections can, I think, improve your songwriting immensely, as it
provides insight into how chords relate and can help teach us to
create strong progressions.
Along the way to improving your ear, you can't but help improve
your knowledge of music theory. After all, theory is just a
description of what it is you are hearing. In each chapter Radley
presents a short, clear summary of the basic theory that you will
be practicing hearing. Thus, in chapter nine, on seventh chords,
the introduction clarifies what makes up a major 7th sound and a
dominant 7th sound. Because the publisher of this book (Sher
Music) also publishes a series of books that help to teach the
jazz repertoire, Radely is able to tap into these and reference
many of the lessons to tunes in the first volume of the series.
You don't need the other book (What? You don't have it already?)
you can do without it. She also provides a discography that
includes examples from the lessons, and you wanted to listen to
classic music anyway, right?
Like so many good texts, this is not a book that you read and put
away — but spending the time will produce significant rewards.
Some time spent training your ear now means hours of time saved
later when you can "hear" that elusive chord or tonal texture and
know what it is without searching for it on your instrument. If
you want to take your songwriting to the next level, it might be
time to get your ear in training.
******
ABOUT THE REVIEWER:
Ed Teja writes a broad range of music. His songs and
instrumentals have appeared in television shows (Court TV and
Discover Channel) and in a variety of videos. He has had two CDs
released by Morrhythm Records (www.outstandingmusic.com) and is
currently cowriting songs with an exciting singer who is working
on her second CD. As a performer, Ed 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, Pickamania, and the Tucson (Arizona) Folk
Festival.
You can hear some of Ed's music at: http://www.myspace.com/edteja
If you'd like *your* book reviewed (as long as it has something
to do with songwriting, of course!), please do email us and let
us know!
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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!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WRITE BETTER SONGS WITH MASTERWRITER AS YOUR SONGWRITING PARTNER
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If you have a high speed connection, you can download a 30-Day
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Receive a special ** $70.00 ** discount off the $289.00 list
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Please use discount coupon # 3004.
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http://www.musesmuse.com/masterwriter-songwriting-software.html
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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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ENTRY FEE DISCOUNTED IN 6TH ANNUAL GREAT LAKES SONGWRITING
CONTEST
A regional favorite for years, this contest is now open to all
songwriters no matter where you live. The entry fee has been
reduced for the month of May. Eleven winners will be chosen in
2009, with an increased Grand Prize of $2,500 US cash, a chance
to headline the annual Winners' Concert, and more publicity and
goodies from the sponsors. All entrants receive a free SongU
course. Enter on-line through Sonicbids or by mail. All ages, all
styles, and winners keep all rights to their songs. Deadline is
Sept. 1, with a special extension until Sept. 15 for entering
through Sonicbids. Sponsored by Elderly Instruments,
Broadjam.com, Indie-Music.com, and SongU.com. Go to
http://www.GreatLakesSongs.com for everything you need.
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11th ANNUAL GREAT AMERICAN SONG CONTEST NOW ACCEPTING ENTRIES!
The Great American Song Contest features awards for 45 winners in
9 categories and provides $10,000 in Prizes. Music-industry
judges include prominent publishers, music producers and
recording artists. Entrants receive written evaluations of their
songs. Open to songwriters, lyricists and composers around the
world. Sponsored by Songwriters Resource Network, a trusted
educational resource for songwriters everywhere. Submission
deadline is October 30, 2009. For details, visit:
http://www.GreatAmericanSong.com
2008 GREAT AMERICAN SONG CONTEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED
Rachael Sage won top honors for her original song "Hunger In
John." First-Place category winners were David Myles for "When It
Comes My Turn" (Acoustic/Folk); Brett Perkins for "When You Gonna
Figure It Out?" (Pop); Joel Plaskett for "Face Of the Earth"
(Rock); Keith Hill for "When God Moves a Stone"
(Christian/Gospel); Lynn Case & Russ Case for "I Miss Her Too"
(Country); Lanny Sherwin for "A Cappella" (Special Category);
Giuliano Carmassi for "My Car Is Slow, But I Look At the Moon"
(Instrumental); J. Jolaine for "Nunya" (HipHop/R&B) and Lesley
Lile for "Right Where You Are" (Lyric Writing). You can hear
these winning songs at the Great American Song Hall Of Fame here:
http://www.GreatAmericanSong.com
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ARE YOUR SONGS BEING PLAYED ON THE RADIO? FIND OUT NOW!
streamSerf.com is an independent, music-auditing technology
company founded to provide the music industry with even greater
power, flexibility and functionality to audit the airplay of
music through traditional radio stations, satellite radio
stations and Internet streams. And we're delivering over 150
million pages of free reports on current radio airplay.
We listen to the radio... lots and lots of radio. Then we take
all that data we get from listening and package it up into
meaningful reports... reports that you can use. Our
patent-pending technology allows us to listen to thousands and
thousands of radio stations at the same time... Satellite,
Internet and Terrestrial Broadcast stations! As a matter of fact,
we are currently listening to over 30 MILLION HOURS of radio per
year in 65 countries across the planet. If there's a song being
played on the radio, there's a good chance we hear it.
Check out http://www.streamserf.com now. We make music count!
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*THE 2009 SINGER/SONGWRITER AWARDS - ROUND 2*
The Singer/Songwriter Awards from We Are Listening is about the
hottest international songwriting contest in the world. It's no
surprise that participating artists have gone on to sign with top
management, license their music for film and television, as well
as collaborate with renowned producers and enjoy substantial
uplifts in independent record sales.
*Deadline: *1st May 2009*
Fee: *$30*
Details: *http://www.wearelistening.org/singer.php.
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*2009 LYRIC WRITER AWARDS – ROUND 2*
The Lyric Writer Awards from We Are Listening is the ultimate
contest for writers seeking music publishing, co-writing and song
placement opportunities. If you long to work with professional
songwriters and dream of getting your songs cut by major label
artists, this could really be the chance of a lifetime!
*Deadline: *30th June 2009*
Fee: *$20*
Details: *http://www.wearelistening.org/about_lwa.php.
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AFFORDABLE PRESS RELEASE DISTRIBUTION
My PR Music Wire offers press release writing and direct email
distribution to thousands of music journalists, radio stations,
and managers. You can also post your music press release for free
on our website by emailing it to freewire@myprmusicwire.com.
Receive 10% off your entire order when you enter the coupon code
muse10 at checkout!
http://www.myprmusicwire.com/
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STACK THE ODDS IN YOUR FAVOR WITH THE ULTIMATE PROMOTION AND FREE
CONSULTATIONS
Do you have a dream of having your music heard, being on the
radio, or writing songs for other artists? You're not alone. And
now, there's a faster and better way than ever before to get
there. Song Warrior Music will promote your music professionally,
to only publishers, producers, and record labels who specialize
in your style of music and are actively seeking new songs. From
the design and production of presentation materials to follow up
calls/letters/mailings, and unlimited consultation before,
during, and after the promotion, everything is custom designed to
fit your music and your specific goals. Song Warrior Music is
committed to putting the music first and giving you the absolute
best possible chance for achieving your dream, because it's not
just a career, it's your music. So, if you are ready to go for
that dream, to schedule your free consultation, just go to
http://www.songwarriormusic.com/musesmuse or call (573) 814-2169.
You can talk with the owner, Jason Cannata, directly, ask him any
questions you have, and find out more about The Song Warrior
Music Promotion. If you believe in yourself and your dreams, and
never give up, anything is possible, so contact Song Warrior
Music today and
Go For It!
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THE DELI: A MUSIC WEBSITE FOCUSING ON LOCAL MUSIC SCENES
The Deli is the website that every A&R person and local promoter
checks out on a weekly basis. Our publication and web sites focus
on local music scenes and emerging artists (from rock to folk to
experimental, with a little bit of hip hop as well). We currently
publish a printed magazine about the NYC music scene and have
daily updated , separate web pages tackling the new emerging
music in NYC, LA, SF and Nashville. Check it out here
www.thedelimagazine.com.
You can submit your music via the web through our open blog pages
(here's the one for Nashville:
http://www.thedelimagazine.com/nashville/openblog/)
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FREE MUSIC PROMOTIONS EBOOK!
The author of The Little Black Book Of Band Profit Secrets has
come thru again! He's just published: "Co-Op Synergy Power, Your
Fast-Track To Profit, Exposure And Free Advertising..." and
musesmuse.com fans can get it for free.
Click here> http://jodimuse.ssl4000.hop.clickbank.net/
And be sure to check out The Little Black Book Of Band Profit
Secrets while your there... It's worth the look.
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STUDIOTRAXX.COM: BREAKING NEW GROUND - FOR YOU!
StudioTraxx.com provides an e-commerce platform that allows
artists/bands to purchase and book time with musicians,
engineers, producers, and other music professionals for online
studio collaboration purposes. They facilitate the entire music
production process from beginning to end — from finding and
booking the right talent to managing all resulting collaboration
activities.
StudioTraxx is actively building its talent network and is
encouraging both those who offer services and those who need
services to sign up and register. There are no costs to join the
site. Creating an account is FREE.
http://www.studiotraxx.com/?partner=837
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THE INDIE VENUE BIBLE - A GROUNDBREAKING VENUE DIRECTORY FOR ANY
ARTIST PLANNING TO TOUR IN THE US OR CANADA!
26,000 live music venues of all sizes are featured including
clubs, bars, restaurants, lounges, coffee shops, theaters, halls,
churches, book stores, community centers, house concerts and open
mics. There are also 1,500 festivals listed as well as over
1,000 colleges for any artist that wants to plan a college tour.
Jumpstart your tour today!
Visit https://nt4.magma.ca/bigmeteor/ivbmuse_order.cfm
for more information!
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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.
Back to Menu
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M u s e ' s C l u e s : by Irene Jackson
©1998-2009 Moonstone Productions All Rights Reserved.
Used By Permission
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I love some of the creative ideas people come up with for
websites! I stumbled upon this one while I was trying to come up
with a version of a Facebook tag that had been going around a
month or so ago. The idea was to create your own album cover by
finding a funky band name from one website, the name for the
album on another, and a picture to use for the album cover from
Flickr.
I thought it was pretty funny, so I tried to come up with a
version that would work for creating a song. As I was Googling,
I came across JamStudio.com (http://www.jamstudio.com), an
absolute gem of a site for songwriters, especially those who are
not great musicians, to come up with chord progressions or
different musical feels for their songs. It takes a few minutes
to get used to the interface, but essentially what you can do is
pick and choose the chord progressions, then the instruments,
including drums, guitars, bass, pianos, synths and organs to
create a bed track for your song! There are a number of styles
for each instrument to choose from and you can also fiddle with
the tempo and the time signature. At the end of it you can save
your creation or simply play it back. If you were clever enough,
all you would have to do would be to find a way to record the
result into your own computer so you'd have it to record your
vocal (or someone else's) afterwards.
Or you could send the resulting tracks to someone online and have
them do the rest of the recording or a new version, because
they'd have a good idea of how you want your song to sound. What
an excellent tool!
Some of the members on the website also create YouTube videos to
go with their creations, and JamStudio posts a "Featured Artist"
video for all to see. There are help videos for those of you who
need a bit of a primer as to how to use the interface, and lots
of examples of other's works.
These parts of JamStudio are free, but they are a company and
obviously trying to make a little money from their site, so they
have some "try it free" aspects, like their JamRecorder, which is
a recorder/mixer with up to 8 tracks, which you eventually have
to pay for.
But the whole purpose of the website is summed up in their
introduction which talks about creating a "musical sandbox" for
anyone to use, not only for learning to play an instrument, but
also for writing songs.
So go ahead and play in the sand!
******
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 : By Paula Carpenter
The Swing Of Things © 2009
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HELLO AGAIN... to all my songwriting friends and hopefully
SOON-TO-BE friends, as well as my terrific (and talented!)
consulting clients. It has been awhile, hasn't it? Our kind
web-mistress Jodi gave me a couple of years for 'time off' to
complete a move (back to a city I love!), take care of some
precious family –- which is ongoing -- and to re-charge.
Part of my saga is that a few years ago, my husband and I had a
big life - change when we decided to buy and move to a GORGEOUS
ranch in Texas and become a part of the ranching industry, which
we loved! Managing the ranch was a big job that required both
our focus. (What does it say about me that it was reeeally hard
to focus on running the marketing of a cattle ranch AND at the
same time on writing/co-writing/pitching/consulting with
clients/writing columns/speaking at songwriter meetings? Whatever
it says... it is what it is!) So...we decided to make ANOTHER big
change and move back to the city (she says with a definite touch
of longing for the country in her voice) ...to focus on getting
back into the swing of things.
Now to re-start this songwriting conversation...
WOW! Speaking of how things are swinging/have swung: Has the
music industry changed or WHAT over the last ten years!?
Technology of course has made all the difference. What
fascinated us in the beginning 10 - 12 years ago about the
internet, with all the heretofore UNHEARD-OF opportunities for
marketing ourselves -- proved to be a big catalyst for the
merging/downsizing of the big, high-falutin' (high-falutin' – a
carryover from my ranch/cowboy days), untouchable, old-school
music industry. Not to mention it provided EVERYONE on the planet
with the tools to download/ burn/steal the work of millions of
hard-working songwriters and artists.
And yet, re: those opportunities I mentioned, all the while this
technology began to provide us with AMAZING tools to use to pitch
our songs, our projects, our gigs, and ourselves! (Aka,
Facebook, Twitter, Songcloud, CDBaby, MusesMuse, and so much
more.)
So here's the deal: there is basically NO EXCUSE ON THE PLANET
anymore for people NOT to know who you are, what you write, HOW
you write, who's cut your songs; or if you're an artist - how
you sound, what's your style, where you'll be playing next. Just
no excuses AT ALL. Well... that is, unless you don't have access
to technology. But then if you didn't, you wouldn't be reading
this, so it's a moot point. Back to what I was saying: NO
EXCUSES.
So... first off, if you haven't already, go out there and find
yourself some software/a website that allows you to either
download or purchase software to build your own website (I highly
recommend this over the pay-someone-else-to-do-it; you can update
it much more often if you do it yourself)… and let's get
cracking!
Then... get yourself on Facebook / My Space, Twitter, and the
like.
I'm guessing most of you have already done this... if not, well
time's a-wasting.
And if you haven't already, as you look around the landscape of
the music industry and the MANY forms it takes now – independent
artists now known all over the world, artists with old-school
'big-time' record deals, independent / self-published songwriters
succeeding and getting cuts, songwriters WITH publishing deals...
as you see ALL forms that success can now take... now is the best
time EVER to ask yourself, as I did years ago:
WHY NOT ME???
Tune in soon for MORE encouragement... and while you're on the site,
be sure to take a look BACK at my previous columns.
It's great to be back in the SWING OF THINGS!
Visit Paula's column at http://www.musesmuse.com/col-paulac.html
*****
Paula Carpenter is a multi-genre songwriter, with cuts in pop
(Jessica Simpson), country (Michael Peterson's DRINK SWEAR STEAL
& LIE) and contemporary Christian music (4Him, Susan Ashton &
others). Having made her mark as an exclusive staff writer for
several large Nashville publishers, she is familiar with "making
it happen when you don't live in a major music center"! Founder
and President of StarBright Music
(http://www.starbrightmusic.com/), a Texas company which produces
Music Business Seminars, she spends her time songwriting,
speaking, consulting, & most recently, in recording the FIRST of
several STARBRIGHT MUSIC instrumental projects, PATRIOT'S DREAM,
due out in February. With a publishing co. in the wings, she has
17 years of expertise to share!
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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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Songwriting - It's a Piece of Cake! - by Paula Carpenter
http://www.musesmuse.com/col-paulac-cake.html
What? You thought songwriting was hard?? And here Paula is
telling us it's a 'PIECE OF CAKE' ?? Don't let this title fool
you! Songwriting is ANYTHING but easy, and Paula's latest article
will give you a very BASIC 'recipe' on how to cook up a song that
your listeners will enjoy, savor, and remember!
-----
Music Life: 9 - MUSICAL PRODUCTIVITY! - Part 4 - Record Final
Performances - by Brian Donovan
http://www.musesmuse.com/col-briandonovan-musiclife9.html
The final chapter in a saga of information about going from
inspiration to final recording...
-----
The Rearview Mirror - by Mick Polich
http://www.musesmuse.com/col-mickpolich-rearview.html
We're always leaving something behind in life.....or are we? Some
musicians keep on keepin' on with the same hits from yesteryore.
Mick looks at the 'rearview mirror' concept with a nod to rock
and roll pioneer Chuck Berry.....
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C l a s s i f i e d s & U s e f u l S e r v i c e s :
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LEARN HOW TO PLAY GUITAR - QUICKLY AND EASILY!
You Can Play Guitar author and publisher Scott Morris now offers
7 Free email guitar lessons that include easy to learn guitar
tablature, a sound file and free guitar lesson videos of his easy
to learn Billboard top rated guitar method that includes learning
guitar scales and theory used by professional songwriters. The
Free Guitar Lesson Videos - teach samples of learning the names
of the notes, sharps and flats, easy to play guitar chords and
more great information for beginner to professional level
guitarist.
http://tinyurl.com/6o27j7
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VOCAL RANGE & CONTROL - YOUR UNIQUE VOICE
Expand your vocal range and improve your tone with The Deva
Method®. For less than the price of one voice lesson, you can
study with celebrity vocal coach Jeannie Deva through the
acclaimed "Contemporary Vocalist Vol. 1" book and 4 CD set. With
easy to understand and use exercises you can develop effortless
breath support and control of your voice.
Impressive Results
I'm a professional male rock singer with 20 years experience. I
studied with two highly acclaimed vocal instructors while living
in Los Angeles... I started "The Deva Method" while driving to
gigs about a month ago and I'm very impressed with the results...
My bandmates and I are stunned at the increase in my range and
stamina. I've tried other "off the shelf" warm up CDs, but think
this one is by far the best. --- Amazon.com review by K. Andrews
(Roseland, FL)
Join the thousands of other singers who own Jeannie Deva's
materials and become the singer you always dreamed you could be.
Visit http://www.clickXchange.com/er.phtml?act=2019983.2 today.
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THE 9th 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 9th 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
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THE SUCCESSFUL SONGWRITER MOTIVATION & MEDITATION AUDIO
Inspired by the songwriter's journey, and through understanding
the principles talked about in "THE SECRET", this audio program
is specifically created for the songwriter based on those
findings. Through Power of Thought and Understanding the Law of
Attraction, you will have the tools, knowledge & ability to
create the thoughts, experiences, and circumstances to be a
phenomenally Successful Songwriter. Included is a guided
meditation that is as passionate as it is empowering!
Muse's Muse Visitors - Enter Promo Code: 42567 for Discount.
http://www.songwritermeditation.com/
Limited Introductory Offer of $12.95 for Digital Download
Discounts for CD, and CD/Digital Download Combo shown on ordering
page.
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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
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INDIE-MUSIC.COM - WHERE SERIOUS MUSICIANS SURF
One of the most respected and imitated indie music sites on the
web, Indie-Music.com has been serving the Independent Music
Community since 1996 with streaming audio, monthly CD Reviews,
huge industry search directory, success-building resources,
classifieds, and much-needed recognition. The site offers a
wealth of information to artists trying to survive & thrive in
today's competitive music industry.
http://www.indie-music.com/
=================================================================
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 .
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C o n t a c t I n f o & C r e d i t s :
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Jodi Krangle ............................................. EDITOR
Kathryn Obenshain ...........................GRACIOUS PROOFREADER
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The Muse's News is a free monthly newsletter for and about
songwriters. Subscribers are welcome to recirculate or reprint
The Muse's News for nonprofit use as long as the appropriate
credit is given and the ENTIRE text of the newsletter is
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All articles copyrighted by their authors.
Back issues and other information (how to subscribe and
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For further information, send your e-mail to:
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