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The Muse's News

Issue 12.6 - September 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 & 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 Five Key Steps to Songplugging
(Part 2)
- by Penny Dionne & Troy McConnell
@-- 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!)
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INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION (ISC) ACCEPTING ENTRIES NOW
DEADLINE APPROACHING SOON


Called "the songwriting competition to take note of" by the New
York Times, the International Songwriting Competition (ISC) gives
away over $150,000 in cash and prizes including a $25,000 cash
Grand Prize, the largest cash Grand Prize of any songwriting
competition in the world! ISC's prestigious judges include Kings
of Leon; Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20); Tom Waits; Adele; Wynonna;
Jeff Beck; Alejandro Sanz; Loretta Lynn; Snow Patrol; Steve
Winwood; McCoy Tyner; The Shins; Michael W. Smith; Robbie
Williams; Jeremy Camp; and many more. Judges also include
high-profile record label executives including Seymour Stein
(Chairman/CEO, Sire Records); Monte Lipman (President, Universal
Republic Records); Amanda Ghost (President, Epic Records); and
many more. Go to http://www.songwritingcompetition.com for more
info and an entry form.
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E d i t o r ' s M u s i n g s :

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Welcome again to another edition of The Muse's News. The summer
is still going full throttle here in southern Ontario. We're
starting to get some really steamy weather ... It TOOK long
enough! :) I'm hoping for a nicely warm, lazy fall. We'll see
what mother nature has in store for us though.

Before getting to the meat of the newsletter, I'd like to mention
that we have a new columnist here - especially for you guitar
players out there. Tom Hess is now providing guitar lessons in
article format. If you don't know Tom, you *should*. You can
find out more about him on his section here:
http://www.musesmuse.com/col-tomhess.html . I invite you to
check out his first article, which is about songwriting - of
course. :) Stay tuned for lots more though!

I also thought you'd want to know that the deadline for
performing singer/songwriters to enter the 2009 Mountain Stage
NewSong contest is fast approaching. That's September 1st,
folks! You can find out more info at
http://www.newsong-music.com/contest .

Beyond that, the raffle winners this month are:

* Kelly Simpson, from McHenry, IL, has won a copy of
Virtual Studio Systems' Lyricist software
(http://www.musesmuse.com/vss-review.html).

* Kim Williams from Cobourg, ON Canada, has won a free 3
month membership to SongU (http://www.SongU.com), an
Internet-based learning environment providing online coaching,
co-writing and pitching opportunities, in addition to over 70
multi-level courses developed by award-winning songwriters.

* Laura Welch from Kissimmee, FL has won a copy of
"100 Miles To A Record Deal" by author and publisher Bronson
Herrmuth. (http://www.songrepair.com/bookforweb2.htm)

* Anastasia Karalekas from Laval, Quebec Canada has won a copy of
the book reviewed in this month's newsletter: The Billboard Guide
to Writing and Producing Songs that Sell by Eric Beall
(http://www.watsonguptill.com).

If you'd like one of these prizes, 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 .

Thanks for tuning in!

Wishing you every inspiration,

--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!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WRITE BETTER SONGS WITH MASTERWRITER 2.0 - JUST RELEASED!
(Muse's News readers get a special discount!)

MasterWriter is one of the most remarkable software programs ever
developed for the songwriter. Its unique features together with
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struggle to find the right word or phrase when you can have all
the possibilities in an instant. In a world where good is rarely
good enough, MasterWriter will be an invaluable tool in helping
the songwriter consistently create the exceptional.

If you have a high speed connection, you can download a 30-Day
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Receive a special *$70* discount just by ordering through The
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Endorsed by: BMI, ASCAP, NSAI, PRS and Taxi.
And you can try before you buy!

http://www.musesmuse.com/masterwriter-songwriting-software.html

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M u s i c R e v i e w s : Chip Withrow & Don Sechelski

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NEW MUSIC REVIEWS SINCE LAST MONTH INCLUDE:

Chip Withrow:
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* Jason Paul Johnston
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-dionroy-gallery.html
* Dion Roy
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-dionroy-gallery.html


Don Sechelski:
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* Marcie Brown
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-marciebrown-butterflygirl.html
* Martha Ann Brooks
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-marthaannbrooks-lately.html
* Hurricane Chaser
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-hurricanechaser-themap.html

---------------

******

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

Back to Menu

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

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

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Priscilla Hernández - Genre: NEW AGE 

Priscilla is a singer/songwriter and illustrator from the canary
Islands, Spain. From ethereal haunting gothic sounds and dark
lyrics to celtic pop and new age landscapes, discover the
spellbinding side of fairytales with her bitter lullabies.

http://www.yidneth.com/

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Andy Michaels - Genre: EASY LISTENING

Andy Michaels is a Australian singer/songwriter and performer
with a passionate and heart felt voice who combines beautiful
music and melodies with lyrics in the genre of Bob Dylan and
Neil Young. He believes a song should be a whole story spelling
experience.

http://www.andymichaels.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 Ed Teja

The Billboard Guide to Writing and Producing Songs that Sell
by Eric Beall
http://www.watsonguptill.com
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Most of the books that I review for this column can be easily
classified as "how to" books. Despite the title, and some
songwriter exercises, this one strikes me as more of a "why to"
or even a "things you should know while you do what you do" book.
This is because Beall focuses on getting songwriters some
critical information on how the industry works and why it works
the way it does. Rather than telling you how to write hit songs,
this is a field guide through that minefield, filled with
thoughts on what to watch for and how to see opportunity amid the
chaos.

One of the most important things that this book offers is an
insightful look into "what they mean when they say...." We've all
heard that A&R people say they want something different, but then
turn up their noses at songs that are too different. What's with
that? We know they want edgy songs, but what the heck makes a
song edgy. Without offering precise definitions, Beal discusses
why these things are said, what they tend to indicate (you have
to do a little work). Not just these phrases, but many more ideas
and perspectives, which makes for an eye opening read.

There is good information on what happens when crossing genres,
and staying out of the cracks between them. Much of this was new
to me, in a sense, and happily points to another way of thinking
about the songs you write and the way you present them.

Being a songwriter, then an A&R person, Beall easily communicates
what a lot of other books on songwriting don’t even attempt, or
perhaps don't do as clearly—how to read between the lines when
you speak to people in the industry, how to get into the mindset
of the people on the other side of the fence, and what you to do
with all that networking you have been working hard to
accomplish.

Although the "how to" in this book tends to be more inspirational
and ideational than specific, if you have spent significant time
in the songwriting trenches, it should elicit more than a ton or
two of ideas that you can put to work immediately. One specific
that he does mention is the idea of remixing your own tunes. The
idea resonates because there are always songs you like that
haven’t caught on. And perhaps the problem lies in its production
rather than the song writing. I am digging up my old sessions
now.

Like a good song, the book flows well, and it keeps your
interest—it is a good read and reread, and probably worth a few
more choruses of that. If you are trying to place your songs in
this economy, be sure to read this book or risk going to market
with one hand tied behind your book. Not crippling, perhaps, but
it makes it difficult to play guitar.

******

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!)

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

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It's the "secret weapon" used by some of the winners of 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
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The package includes 12 audio CDs (packed with 17 repeatable
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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 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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11th ANNUAL GREAT AMERICAN SONG CONTEST NOW ACCEPTING ENTRIES!

The highly recommended Great American Song Contest is open to
amateur songwriters everywhere. This annual international event
features prestigious awards to 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. Songwriters,
lyricists and composers are invited. Sponsored by Songwriters
Resource Network, a trusted educational resource for songwriters
everywhere. Submission deadline is October 30, 2009. For details,
visit: For details, visit: http://www.GreatAmericanSong.com
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THE 6th ANNUAL IAMA (INTERNATIONAL ACOUSTIC MUSIC AWARDS) KICKS
OFF


The 6th Annual IAMA (International Acoustic Music Awards) is
currently accepting entries, this awards competition is judged
based on songwriting, performance & artistry. Win prizes in 8
different categories: Best Male Artist, Best Female Artist, Best
Group/Duo, Folk/Americana/Roots, AAA/Alternative, Instrumental,
Open, Bluegrass/Country. There will also be an Overall Grand
Prize winner awarded to the top winner worth US$11,000, which
includes radio promotion to over 250 radio stations in US and
Canada, featured on Acoustic Cafe, a syndicated radio program.
You may also obtain the entry form at: http://www.inacoustic.com
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SONGDOOR INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION

With the goal of helping songwriters everywhere to improve their
craft, SongDoor provides all entrants a free self-paced
songwriting course from SongU.com and free melody-writing
software. The Grand Award winner receives a private-session, full
band demo, produced on Music Row in Nashville, as well as a
single-song publishing deal, a one-year Platinum Membership to
SongU.com and many other great songwriters' tools. There are also
six Category Winners. The judges (industry producers, engineers,
artists and songwriters) have worked with the likes of Keith
Urban, Neil Young, *NSYNC, Tony Bennett, Justin Timberlake,
Britney Spears, Kenny Rogers and The Allman Brothers, to name
just a few. The competition is open to amateurs and professionals
worldwide. Competition opens: April 15. Entry deadline: November
15. Entry fee: $10.

For complete details, go to: www.songdoor.com. You must be 18 or
older to enter.
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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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TAKIN' IT TO THE STREETS: FANS SUPPORT ARTISTS DIRECTLY WITH FEED
THE MUSE..ONE DOLLAR AT A TIME


Feed The Muse presents a simple model for creators and audiences
to join together and keep the arts flourishing and is a simple
yet effective vehicle for musicians to fund their creative
projects and connect to their audience in a meaningful way. It
provides a means for artists to ask their fans, families and
friends to contribute financially in the artists’ evolution.

If an artist has 5,000 MySpace "friends" and each contribute
even $2 that totes up to $10,000 for the next tour or recording
project. This process allows fans who are passionate about their
artists and want to see them continue creating, the opportunity
to do so without having to make a large contribution. Feed The
Muse runs on the concept of microdonations. Every dollar, every
donation no matter how small is a statement of faith in the
project and moves it closer to completion.

Visit www.feedthemuse.net to see how easy it can be to get the
support you need.
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SONGBIRD CONTEST

This is a monthly ongoing song competition with a cash prize and
podcast feature. One winner is chosen with two honorable
mentions. All genres accepted. Songs can be submitted directly
through the site ($1) or through Sonicbids ($2). All genres
accepted and Winners can enter more than once with different
songs. www.songbirdcontest.com
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IBANDBATTLE

This is a free online battle of the bands website sponsored by
Tunecore and SongU.com Bands can submit their songs for free and
each week the top artists appear on a countdown show. One artist
a month will receive free distro through Tunecore and a one month
subscription to SongU.com A grand prize will be given to top
artists of the year. All genres accepted. www.ibandbattle.com
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WORLDS BEST SONGS

An International Song Competition with prizes by Broadjam, Taxi
and more. There is a monthly contest with a cash prize. The
yearly contest will give one Grand Prize winner $1000 cash, $1000
CASH, Winner’s Announcement in American Songwriter Magazine, 1
Year Membership to Taxi, Broadjam and Sonicbids, 1000 digipack
cds of your music from Discmakers and $1000 in gift certificates
for Musician’s Friend. Entry fees vary with a discount for
multiple songs. www.worldsbestsongs.com
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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
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to only publishers, producers, and record labels who specialize
in your style of music and are actively seeking new songs. From
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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 was surprised recently to come across a website that had
songwriting tips for metal songs. I guess it never occurred to
me that someone might put some songwriting tips together for
particular genres, but of course, why not?

Since I have a number of songwriting tips on my website, I'm
curious to see what other's perspectives are when it comes to
their tips. There are some I don't agree with, as you might
expect! For instance, when someone says "always start with a
song title", well that's just baloney. There are many successful
songwriters who don't begin with a song title. I mean, it's one
way of getting started, but it's not the only way!

I am also suspect when a tip writer suggests a certain length, or
that there should ALWAYS be a particular form. All you have to
do is listen to a few songs on the radio (if people still do
that!) and you'll see that they are all different. So my advice
is, when you take a look at these websites, read them with a
grain of salt. They should really only be taken as suggestions,
nothing is written in stone. I love metaphors as you can plainly
see :-)

So to begin with I will point you to the metal songwriting tips
page I found. It is only one part of a website called
metalunderground.com. The songwriting tips section is found
here:
http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=46898

What makes metal songwriting different? Well, for one thing,
subject matter! It's okay to be blood and guts in metal
songwriting whereas country songs can't get away with that! And
of course, guitar and bass riffs are very distinctive in metal
songs. If you don't know a lot about metal, the popular band
Metallica is a good introduction to the genre. I enjoyed reading
these tips from metalunderground, they are intelligent and
thoughtful, and interestingly enough, many of the suggestions can
also apply to other styles of music. A good song is a good song!

Another website Suite101.com, has an article called "How To Write
a Hit Pop Song" by Yogesh Bakshi. It can be found here:
http://music-composition.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_write_a_
hit_pop_song
. I am always suspect of anyone suggesting that they
can teach you to write a hit when it's obvious that they never
have! However, there are also some good suggestions here...some
I have even expressed on my own tips page.

On Dummies.com, there is an article called "Writing Country Songs
Plain and Simple"
(http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/writing-country-songs-plai
n-and-simple.html
). There are a few tips, but this article does
more in terms of analyzing country music and its traditions.
Still a good read.

And last but certainly not least, I found a well-written article
on ultimateGuitar.com simply called "How To Write Rock"
(http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/columns/music_theory/how_to_write
_rock.html
) . There are a number of good tips here, and a few
different perspectives on what distinguishes a rock song compared
to other styles.

As I said earlier, a good song is a good song, and you'll find
that there are certain repeated themes in these articles. One is
that you need to really listen to songs in that genre, not just
older songs but newer ones to see what works, and then compare
them with your own. You'll also see that telling a good story is
a repeated theme, as is doing a lot of re-writing. Even if you
have been writing for some time, you may find that some of the
tips in the websites I mentioned will give you a different
perspective, a fresh idea (a new bridge, perhaps?) and may help
you to start or to finish your own song.

******

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 Penny Dionne & Troy McConnell

The Five Key Steps to Songplugging - (Part 2) © 2009
http://www.songpluggerbook.com/

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Making the Pitch: This usually involves getting your songs to the
artist or someone in the artist's camp by email, uploaded link,
drop-off or face-to-face meeting.

Just as songplugging itself has five basic steps, there are also
five basic steps to making the pitch:
1. Choosing the Song and Making the Comp
2. Setting Up the Meeting or Drop-off
3. Making the Drop-off or Having the Meeting
4. Following Up on the Pitch
5. Creating the Pitch Report

Choosing the right song for a pitch isn't always as straight
forward as you might think. As I mentioned earlier, tip sheets
sometimes include the type of songs the artist is looking for,
but if they've already found that type of song, sometimes by the
time you make your pitch they may be looking for something else
entirely. So use your contacts to make sure your pitch is still
on target. The other aspect to choosing the right song for an
artist is to research what they've cut in the past. Learn their
vocal range and the topics they tend to sing about. If they've
just gotten married, maybe pitching a breakup song wouldn't be
such a great idea.

Making the comp is pretty straight forward. Once you've made your
song selection, burn a CD and make sure your contact information
is printed on the label. Having a company logo isn't required,
but it does make you look more professional.

Your ability to set up a meeting or drop-off has everything to do
with the strength of your reputation, and your relationships. As
you make your phone calls, if you represent well known writers or
catalogs, then it will probably be easier to get a face-to-face
meeting. If you haven't established a good reputation, and you're
working with an unproven catalog, you may have to start with
drop-offs, and through the quality of your songs, earn the right
to meet in person. Just remember that when you make the call,
speak in a confident and professional manor. And don't take it
personal if you are asked to drop something off.

If you are dropping something off, it's best to do so quickly.
Walk in and say, "I'm dropping this off for so-and-so." Say thank
you, and then make your exit. Be sure to smile and be friendly,
but don't initially strike up a conversation unless the person
initiates it. Treat everyone like they are somebody, because they
are, and because the person at the front desk today, could be in
A&R a couple years down the road. So be courteous and
professional.

If you are having a face-to-face meeting, be on time, and be
prepared. Research both the person you're meeting with and the
artist you're pitching for. Dress appropriately and act
professionally. If it's a new contact, make the first meeting
about one thing, and one thing only: getting a second meeting
which means focusing on them - not you. Don't approach it like,
"Are you going to cut my songs are not?" That initial meeting
should always be about forming a lasting relationship - be it
personal or simply professional. If it's an established
relationship, be mindful of their pitching preferences. If they
like a little small talk up front, take the time to chat. If they
like to just get down to business, say your hellos and hand them
the CD.

When you follow up on drop-offs, give them a week or so to listen
to the CD. If they really like a song, they will call you. When
you're following up on a "hold" and you're wanting to see if the
artist has heard it yet or to make sure it's still in the
running; two weeks is generally the acceptable follow-up time for
holds, just make sure you do follow up.

As a plugger you will of course want to let your employer or
client know how things are going. The in-house plugger will enter
in the status of pitches into the company computer. The indie
plugger will need to present their clients with a pitch report.
This report basically shows what songs were pitched, who they
were pitched to, for which artists, and the status of the pitch;
whether they're on hold, have been kept, or were passed on. This
keeps your client in-the-loop, and lets them know you're working
hard to get their songs cut.

Getting Paid: If you are an in-house plugger, you are already on
salary, but you may also receive a bonus for the songs you get
cut. As an independent plugger, you will probably be working on a
monthly retainer with some sort of bonus structure on the back
end, or some other individualized business agreement.

How in-house pluggers get paid is pretty straight forward. They
get a steady paycheck and a bonus on the songs they get cut. But
there seems to be a good deal of mystery with regard to exactly
how indie songpluggers earn their money. This is probably due to
the fact that no two songplugger agreements are the same. There
is no set standard or governing body, but the same could be said
of publishing contracts and companies. On top of that, pitching
agreement, or contracts, can be very simple or extremely complex,
depending on what level you are at. But there are certain
elements that are common to all are agreements. For brevities
sake, I will only elaborate on two: the retainer and the back-end
bonus.

Indie songplugger usually work on some form of retainer; which is
basically a monthly allowance toward expenses. The amount of
retainer depends on certain factors, like how well the plugger is
established, and their track record for songs they've gotten cut.
Once a song has been release on a commercial project, the indie
plugger then receives a back-end bonus based on various factors,
which include whether the song is released as a single, how high
it goes on the charts, length of time on the charts, and the
number of units sold.

There are other types of agreements by which a songplugger can
earn income, such as partial publishing compensation,
co-publishing agreements and some even do single song agreements
by switching over to a publisher role. But the monthly retainer
and back-end bonus are by far the most widely used.

A Final Word
There are nuances to pitching songs that go beyond the scope of
this article, and though each of the steps mentioned are
conceptually simple there are subtleties to making them work in
the real world that would take much longer to explain. Consider
this a primer on a much more interesting and complex subject.

*****

ABOUT PENNY DIONNE:
Penny Dionne is the owner of Little Vixen Music Publishing, and
she is a high-profile Pro Songplugger currently representing mega
hit songwriter, Chris Wallin (Don't Blink/ Kenny Chesney,
Something To Be Proud Of/ Montgomery Gentry) and the successful
Corlew Music Group with catalog & writers via a co-venture with
Windswept/BUG whose successes include: Settling/Sugarland, Some
People Change/Montgomery Gentry and many others) Dionne has been
profiled in the publisher edition of Music Row magazine's "Row
File," co-authored a book with Troy McConnell called
"Songplugger: The Cuts and the Bruises," which garnered coverage
in Country Weekly Magazine May 2009; and co-wrote & recorded The
Successful Songwriter Motivation & Meditation" audio program. She
is the Vice President for the Woman's Music Business Association
(WMBA) here in Nashville.
For more info on Penny, the book or audio, please visit website
www.LittleVixenMusic.com

ABOUT TROY MCCONNELL:
Troy McConnell is a 22 year Nashville veteran and has seen
success as a songwriter and producer, as well as running a
successful multimedia company. As a staff writer, he has written
with such luminary Nashville writers as Craig Wiseman, Tommy Lee
James and Chuck Cannon. Among Troy's producing credits was an
artist development project that landed the young artist a major
recording contract. Troy continues to write and produce, but his
talents have taken him beyond the country music scene and into
the world of multimedia, having written a national jingle for
Bridgestone/Firestone tires and winning a video award for his
work with the corporation that owns Denny's restaurants with his
song; "What Color Am I." McConnell has also co-authored a book
with Penny Dionne; "Songplugger: The Cuts and the Bruises," which
garnered coverage in Country Weekly Magazine, and also with
Penny, co-wrote and produced "The Successful Songwriter
Motivation & Meditation" audio program.

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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 - Part 1 - by Tom Hess
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Learn how and why it is important to have more than one method
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-----

Music Life 11 - Creating The Perfect Songwriting Studio
by Brian Donovan
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I've developed the most professional, yet minimalistic list of
gear for an amazing (and amazingly simple) songwriting/demo
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Recording is recording is recording... - by Mick Polich
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This month, and ol' Blue Collar primer on home studio recording
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are good microphones important, and why you need to 'get over
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-----

Schlock Rock And Schlitz Part Two! - by Mick Polich
http://www.musesmuse.com/col-mickpolich-schlockrock2.html

Kind of a 'mop up' article here to finish a few thoughts that
were presented a few installments back. We take a wrap-up look at
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But not only that - his lessons are currently $60 off their
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Join the thousands of other singers who own Jeannie Deva's
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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!
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500 vendors and services that will help you to SELL your music!
200 sites where you can UPLOAD your band's MP3 files!
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52 articles that will help your career to MOVE forward rapidly!

Listings include web, e-mail and physical address, as well as
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For details and to order online visit:
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Inspired by the songwriter's journey, and through understanding
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The new version 3 release adds support for "Piano Style" chord
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This tool will revolutionize the way you write and organize your
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http://www.indie-music.com/
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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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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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