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The Muse's News |
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Issue 3.10 - January 2001
ISSN 1480-6975
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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
@-- Q&A with Nancy A. Reece from Carpe Diem Copyright Management
@-- Music Reviews - by Ben Ohmart
@-- Featured Article - HINTS ON HOW TO SUBMIT MUSIC FOR REVIEW
by Jodi Krangle
@-- Musical Notes - Songwriting Contests & Market Info.
@-- Muse's Clues - by Irene Jackson
@-- Songwriter In Spotlight - David Wimble, publisher & creator of
The Indie Contact Bible
@-- 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 - 2001, Jodi Krangle. For more
contact information, see end of issue.
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If you enjoy The Muse's News, why not suggest it to friends?
http://recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=333678
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This ezine featured at EzineCenter.com - the Ezine Search
Engine(tm) - http://www.ezinecenter.com/
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S p o n s o r M e s s a g e :
(Please support the sponsors that support this newsletter! Thanks!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LYRICIST! THE SONGWRITER'S BEST FRIEND . . .
Virtual Studio Systems, Inc. is pleased to make available to
Muse's Muse members this on-line coupon worth $10 toward the
purchase of Lyricist, the first of its kind word processor designed
for Lyricists, musicians, songwriters, and poets. Includes rhyming
dictionary, spell checker, thesaurus, album categorization and
more. Call us toll-free in the U.S. at 888.732.1176 or outside the
U.S. at 603-726-4499 and mention this Muse's News Coupon to
receive this exclusive offer. (Offer expires January 31, 2001)
Happy Millenium from VSS! http://www.virtualstudiosystems.com/.
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E d i t o r ' s M u s i n g s :
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I hope your holidays were wonderful! I hope you all have an
equally wonderful new year - and yes, the OFFICIAL beginning of the
new millenium. Funny how it looks as if this new year is going
come in with an anti-climactic fizzle. Too bad, really. Or a
relief. I suppose it depends on how you look at it. ;-)
I have a couple of things to mention, first and foremost being the
beginning of The Muse's News Membership Drive. There are some
great prizes for the winners too! These include such things as 8
hours of studio time donated by VMG Studios in Atlanta
(http://www.visionmusicgroup.com/), software packages donated by
Virtual Studio Systems
(http://www.virtualstudiosystems.com/prodLYR.htm) & Write Hit Songs
(http://www.writehitsongs.com), books
donated by StagePass.com (http://www.stagepass.com/), memberships
donated by SongScope.com (http://www.songscope.com/) and Muse's
Muse mugs & T-shirts too! There will be a first, second and third
place winner. To participate, all you need to do is check out this
url for more information:
http://www.musesmuse.com/membercontest.html
Good luck to everyone.
Because I'm running short on time this month (who isn't!), I
haven't been able to do a book review. Therefore, Stapepass.com
has come to my rescue! These wonderful folks have donated a copy
of the 2001 Songwriter's Market and this month's winner is Ray
Bennett of Herrin, IL. Congratulations, Ray!
Stagepass.com has a complete resource section for songwriters
including books on writing better lyrics, tricks of the trade,
career development, contacts and much much more! Also: Sheet
Music, Midi, Software, Books and Videos can be found there. I
highly recommend you check them out at http://www.stagepass.com/ .
New Songwriter Spotlights on The Muse's Muse include Allie Fox at
http://www.musesmuse.com/samplesong-f.html#fox , Chanelle Dupre at
http://www.musesmuse.com/samplesong-d.html#dupre and Deborah McColl
at http://www.musesmuse.com/samplesong-m.html#mccoll . I highly
recommend that you check these talented ladies out!
And last but not least, I'd like to update my listing of
musician/songwriting chats across the net and I'm wondering if any
of you could help me with that. If you have a musician's chat going
on at your web page, or know of one, please do tell me about it! I
just need the url and the times the chat takes place. I'll add it
to the site at http://www.musesmuse.com/chatlist.html and we'll all
benefit from knowing about it. Thanks!
Have a wonderful New Year.
--Jodi
Back to Menu
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SHAMELESS PLUG:
Drop by http://www.musesmuse.com/musemerchandise.html today to pick
up your very own Muse's Muse shirt, mug or mousepad! And while
you're at it, think about starting your *own* store. Details on
how to do that are only a click away...
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C o p y r i g h t & P u b l i s h i n g Q & A :
with Nancy A. Reece of Carpe Diem Copyright Management
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Q: I have a collection of songs I've written over the past 3 or 4
years, and am in the process of registering the copyrights on them.
Will you please give me some tips on how to get things started in
getting a publishing deal. I'm reading and listening to everything
I find on the subject, and am also taking vocal lessons and trying
to either form a band or hire the right players, but in the mean
time feel that my stuff is good enough to be recorded by someone
right away. I know there's no one set course to follow, but could
you point out some things I should expect to encounter, and perhaps
some books that you feel will be of help since many aren't too in
depth, I find.
I appreciate your column and look forward to your reply.
--Dan W.
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A: The best advice is to talk to others who have been in your same
situation. The Muses Muse is a great place to start. Also the
NSAI. Go to workshops if possible and learn from your fellow
troubadours!
Books:
Music, Money & Success - Brubec/Brubec
Everything You Need To Know About The Music Business - D. Passman
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Q: I am wondering how to go about releasing a remix of another
artist's song? The original is very popular, has appeared in
commercials, on CDs, tapes, radio, etc, and is by a well-known
artist in the pop industry. I think I need master recording
rights, or is it just recording rights? I plan to release this on
CD and wish to be able to allow radio stations to play it. What are
all the rights I need to secure beforehand? Also, do you know how I
would go about getting original vocal recordings for a song without
the instruments? It's very tedious to get the vocals stripped from
the original, if not impossible at times... -- BJ
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A: Wow - you are falling into a rat's nest of problems. You must
secure permission for both the copyright holder of the sound
recording (master) and the underlying composition (song) to make
any kind of remix for manufacturing. These rights are rarely
granted and if they are are, they will more than likely seize
ownership of the remix from you. They then may grant the right to
license it back for use.
The only way to go about stripping(sampling) material without
permission of the parties listed above is theft and you should not
do that at all ever.
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Q: Greetings! I wanted to know the difference and the pros and cons
to having a standard publishing agreement, a co-publishing deal, or
an administration deal.
I hope that you can at least tell me a site that would deal with
these types of questions. Both my boyfriend and I are starting to
get offers and we want to make sure we are clear on the different
deals being presented to us... Thanks, -- Erica S.
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A: One thing is consistent in publishing deals; each deal is
different. It is too wide a blanket to say that it is "always"
better if you control as much of the copyright as possible.
Sometimes it IS better to have someone else take care of the
composition. Always , always have a copyright attorney help you
with negotiations.
A few things to look for and discuss:
An Exclusive Agreement with a publisher-
Term, Reversion Rights, Advance Payments, Recoupables
A Single Song Agreement with a publisher-
Reversion Right
A Co-Pub Agreement with a publisher-
Term, Advance Payements, Recoupables, Administration Rights
Adminstration Agreement-
Term, Retainer Fee, Percentage Fee, Territory
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TO VIEW OTHER QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES, SEE NANCY'S COPYRIGHT &
PUBLISHING Q&A ONLINE AT http://www.musesmuse.com/pubq-a.html .
Please note: Nancy received a *lot* of e-mail in a month. If you
sent in a question but have not heard a reply, it's very likely it
already *has* an answer online. It's always a good idea to
thoroughly look through the Copyright & Publishing Q&A online to
see if your question has already been asked before you send in a
request. Thanks!
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*****
Carpe Diem's owner and president, Nancy A. Reece has been
involved in the music business since 1983. She was the president
of an independent advertising agency for eight years as well as a
successful personal artist manager for nine years. She
represented the careers of several recording artists and
songwriters including those with EMI, Zomba and Liberty Records
as well as Benson, Starsong, WoodBridge, Temple Hall and N'Soul
Records. She also represented, for a number of years, a Grammy
and Dove nominated record producer. Reece has won awards of
excellence in print magazine advertising and has been named as
one of 2,000 Notable American Women (1995) as well as being
listed in the International Who's Who of Professional and
Business Women (1993). She was also named Cashbox Magazine's
Promoter of the Year (1989).
**If you would like to ask Nancy a copyright or publishing
question for our continuing Q&A section, please send your e-mail
to nreece@musesmuse.com. She can't guarantee she'll get to all of
the questions, but she'll certainly try.**
Back to Menu
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M u s i c R e v i e w s : by Ben Ohmart
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The Billy Dechand Band - Hocus Pocus
Really interesting, listening to this cd after reading the info on
Billy. See, he's had a couple compositions played by the Da Capo
Chamber Group, and his first piece was premiered by the Hudson
Valley Chamber Orchestra. Now, with that sort of lead in, I sure
didn't expect any pop so... varied, moody, low to the bone, like
'Under the Tree'. 'some time before, his face made sense to you /
an open door, voices speaking jokes to you / in every limb, shoots
grow black and tight / you laugh with him / as you describe the
sky.' Now, that's poetry. Poetry allows the reader to interpret. It
doesn't set everything out in full view, like your average love
song. Billy is quite dis-average, he with the quiet-time violin,
and the rhythms that come somewhere between rockability and
east-city beat, a la Bernstein flopping his hair back in full
flight.
You could describe it as the Beatles, around 68, if they'd finally
decided to kick Paul out. Check out the piano waltz 'Lazy', and
take a huge sip of acoustic art pop, this side of accessible.
'thanks very much, the offer's quite fair / the office is fine, big
window, soft chair / I would be a fool... maybe I'm a fool to you /
lady, lazy, lazing away / watching the children play'. People will
start studying these lyrics if the Band makes it big. And we could
do with more of the cerebral sort on the radio, like these.
http://www.mussmyhair.com/
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OTHER NEW MUSIC REVIEWS SINCE LAST MONTH INCLUDE:
Apologetix - http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-apologetix.html
BEMC2 - http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-bemc2.html
Bergers With Mayo - http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-bwm.html
Bluerock Harvest -
http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-bluerockharvest.html
Blush 66 - http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-blush66.html
Garageland - http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-garageland.html
Larry Kucharz - http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-kucharz.html
The Januaries - http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-thejanuaries.html
The Renovators - http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-renovators.html
Debe Welch - http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-welch.html
---------------
******
Ben Ohmart has had 100s of stories and poems in zines and
journals, and had 4 plays produced last year. His lyrics will be
on 2 CDs this year, 1 a gothic album, the other a rock album.
He's currently writing films, with hopes of having one done in
Malaysia soon, and is also trying to break into the prison of
television. He's white, 26, single and loves British comedy. He
lives in Boalsburg, PA, and enjoys watching rabbits eat his
garbage. Contact him at: ohmart@musesmuse.com .
**Ben has kindly consented to do music reviews for this
publication and also for The Muse's Muse itself. If you have an
independently released CD or tape that you'd like to get
reviewed, send it off to: Ben Ohmart, P O Box 750, Boalsburg, PA
16827 or drop by his Music Reviews web section at
http://www.musesmuse.com/musicreviews.html for more details.**
Back to Menu
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S p o n s o r M e s s a g e :
(Please support the sponsors that support this newsletter! Thanks!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UNLEASH THE FULL POTENTIAL OF THE INTERNET WITH SONGSCOPE.COM!
SongScope is a valuable tool enabling you to build an on-line song
catalog, accessible only by proven industry professionals. Receive
FREE email informing you every time record producers and industry
professionals make requests. Songs listings are only $19.95 per
year. An ecommerce enabled marketing/promotion page and tour
calendar are also available for performing songwriters to get
further artist exposure. See www.musesmuse.com/songscope.html for
details or contact: writerinfo@songscope.com ~ Tel: 770.754.4543
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F e a t u r e d A r t i c l e :
HINTS ON HOW TO SUBMIT MUSIC FOR REVIEW
by Jodi Krangle
©2000, Jodi Krangle. All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission
(First Printed in The Indie Contact Bible newsletter - see
http://www.bigmeteor.com/muse for details. Thanks for lighting a
fire under me, Dave! :-) - also see the interview conducted by Ben
Ohmart below!)
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Getting the attention of music reviewers can be almost as difficult
as breaking into a bank - and let's face it - sometimes far less
profitable. But a good review is worth its weight in gold. So how
does one go about getting reviewers to give your particular package
the time of day? I receive quite a few of these packages myself so
while I'm no expert, I do have a few suggestions:
BE POLITE WHEN MAKING A FIRST CONTACT:
This may sound like it's too obvious to mention, but trust me - if
you contact a potential reviewer by demanding their submissions
address because you are simply the best thing that has happened to
music since the microphone and the reviewer would be out of his or
her mind to pass you up, you're likely to be disappointed at the
response you receive. Sure, every artist deserves a chance. But
you're biasing a reviewer against you right from the start if you
use that tactic. Reviewers despise being taken for granted. Never
assume you *deserve* a review - ASK for one.
Your initial contact should be polite and brief. A simple, "Hello,
my name is (so and so) and I'm interested in a possible review in
your (publication/web site). Would you be able to supply me with
the proper contact information so that I can send you my CD?" will
be kindly received. Even if it takes the reviewer a little while to
get back to you - whether it's by regular mail, e-mail or through
the feedback form of a web site - their reply will usually be
helpful.
One last word on the subject of "first contact": PLEASE don't send
an e-mail with your web site address and only a "Check this out!"
line for clarification. You don't want to know how much spam
e-mail I receive in a day and messages like that simply make me
feel as if I'm being asked to check out the latest in cheesy porn.
I delete such messages on sight and I honestly don't know many
reviewers who pay them any attention either.
LEAVE THE KITCHEN SINK AT HOME:
Your package should include an intro letter that addresses the
reviewer by name whenever possible, a bio that's hopefully no more
than a page long, a CD (CDs are the preferred medium these days.
I'm afraid you're kidding yourself if you think otherwise), no more
than three reviews in other publications and/or web sites, and
that's about IT. Pictures are nice but they don't really matter as
far as most publications are concerned. If a publication requires
further material, you'll be contacted for it. Frankly, for myself,
I'd rather give other reviews a complete miss. I rarely pay
attention to them. I prefer to make up my own mind rather than
read others' opinions before I've even had a chance to listen to
the music myself. But I think that's really dependent on the type
of publication you're sending your package to. Some publications
and/or web sites might feel that favorable reviews elsewhere lend
more credibility to the artist - which is one of the reasons you'd
be asking for another review in the first place, right? Just
because I disagree with that sentiment, doesn't mean that all
reviewers will feel as I do. However, keep in mind that if you
include too much, you run the risk of it all being ignored. After
all, it's the MUSIC that really counts.
That said, the presentation of the CD itself is probably the most
important element of your package. It's that CD that will give the
reviewer his/her opening impression of your music - and
(unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it)
your professionalism. That doesn't mean you have to have spent
thousands of dollars on your presentation, a huge CD insert, a
gorgeous color cover, etc. That just means that your "look" should
be consistent. Some of the packages that impress me the most are
the ones that have an actual design in mind carried through from
the CD to the stationery the cover letter is printed on and
further. If you're not getting a professional printing of
anything, a color inkjet printer creating your own letterhead along
with a similarly designed CD covering sticker, will work quite
nicely. Simplicity is often the best way to go. Above all, avoid
sending in a blank, recordable CD with black marker written on it.
Your contact information should be on both the CD and the insert
and/or cover. No matter *what* you do, make sure your contact
information is easy to find. The insert certainly doesn't need to
be in color but there should *be* one if at all possible. The
insert is the perfect place to put contact information, credits
(the reviewer is often fascinated by who did and wrote what, I
know *I* am!), anecdotal information, etc - the things that make
you special and different from the other folks the reviewer will be
listening to.
I know what you're thinking. "Why not just include that stuff on a
separate sheet of paper inside the package?" Well, for the same
reason that your contact information NEEDS to be on the disc
itself: the reviewer may not actually be taking all of your package
around with him/her (in fact, it's pretty unlikely!). The CD might
become separated from the rest of your package and for that reason,
you want it to be able to stand on its own as a professional piece
of work, whether it retains its case or not. You want the reviewer
to be able to contact you from that CD alone.
AS A RECAP:
Things to send in your package:
* A brief cover letter addressing the reviewer by name (a MUST)
* A bio (1 page!)
* A CD (tapes are a thing of the past, folks!) - preferably with an
insert of some kind.
* Up to 3 reviews if you really feel you need them (try to keep
this on one or two pages)
- Keep the "look" simple and professional. You don't have to spend
a lot of money to accomplish this!
- Make sure your contact information is on EVERYTHING.
Keep in mind that if your CD itself is a nice little package all on
its own including inserts, you may not need the bio or the reviews
and could probably get away with just sending in the CD and a cover
letter. If you have a web site and include the url to that site in
your cover letter, the reviewer can find out tons more information
on you should they wish to. As mentioned earlier, sometimes simple
is best.
BE PATIENT:
I don't mean to say that you shouldn't ever re-contact the
reviewer. Not at all. Remind the reviewer you're around! Just
don't do it every day. Wait a couple of weeks between contacts.
Reviewers have a lot of demands upon their time and are frequently
several weeks - or even *months*! - behind in their reviews
depending on the publication(s) they write for.
BE POLITE:
I mentioned that once before, didn't I? Probably because I
consider it to be very important. The way in which you treat
people will reflect upon your professionalism even more so than the
look of your CD. It takes years to build up a good reputation and
only a few minutes to completely destroy it. As with anything in
the music business, you never know when someone you were kind to
will be in a position to return that kindness. It's all about
relationships. Make sure you're the sort of person who fosters
good ones and it'll all come back to you.
How does this relate to tips about getting reviews? Above all, try
to be pleasant. It may not seem like much, but believe me - the
reviewer appreciates it a great deal. Don't demand to know why
your CD wasn't chosen for a review and/or spotlight if you are told
that it wasn't - not unless you actually want to hear what the
reviewer has to say. And if that reviewer *does* let you know why,
don't bad mouth him/her for telling you. You asked! I prefer not
to review CDs that haven't impressed me, for whatever reason. I
don't like the idea of putting up a lukewarm (or even BAD) review
on a web site where people can be referring to it forever. I don't
feel that's fair to the artist. In other words, if I'm not giving
you a review, don't consider it a rejection. Consider it a
kindness. Move on and keep in contact with the reviewer. It might
be that a future release of yours will be better received.
I hope these hints have helped. Meanwhile, good luck with your
music!
Back to Menu
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M u s i c a l N o t e s : Songwriting Contests & Market Info.
In the interest of conserving space, I will only be including
changes to this listing in this newsletter. All other contests
and market information that have already been listed here, are
displayed at http://www.musesmuse.com/contests.html &
http://www.musesmuse.com/markets.html . Please check there
regularly for updates!
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JUST PLAIN FOLKS MUSIC AWARDS REMINDER: DEADLINE EXTENDED!
Special Note: The 2001 JPFolks.com Music Awards deadline has been
extended to January 15th, 2001 to accomodate MusesNews readers.
Don't miss your chance to get involved in what might become the
largest music awards in history! All genres are welcome in the
music awards and entry is free! (As is membership to Just Plain
Folks itself). To enter, mail in your CD in any genre with ALL
contact info (including email address!) included on the CD Liner
Notes or the CD itself to:
Just Plain Folks Music Awards 2001
c/o Brian Austin Whitney
14076 Cyntheanne Rd.
Noblesville, IN 46060
USA
Press kits are welcome, but not required. Just Plain Folks does a
lot of additonal promotional support, including showcases, featured
web spots, radio shows etc.. throughout the year with the same
music submitted for the awards, so take advantage today, before the
deadline!
Questions? See http://www.jpfolks.com/ for details or email Brian
Austin Whitney at jpfolkspro@aol.com. Don't procrastinate! It's
free!
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BECOME REMARKABLE W/ HARRIET SCHOCK'S SONGWRITING CORRESPONDENCE
COURSE
Harriet Schock emphasizes in her book, BECOMING REMARKABLE, that
the two key elements to create emotional impact in your songs are
1) truth (not to be confused with fact) and 2) craft (not to be
confused with formula). Her 10-week course is a step-by-step
method of enabling a songwriter to become remarkable at
songwriting...not just for one song, but for every song thereafter.
It isolates and strengthens each muscle of songwriting so that a
writer develops a usable system for writing any song he wants to
write in the future. The usual problems of illogic or
inconsistency, flat melody or chord progression, lack of pictures,
cliches, etc. simply fall away with this system. It's not a tearing
down of what's wrong, but a building from what's right. For more
information, go to this address:
http://www.harrietschock.com/school/school1.htm or email Harriet
at harriet@harrietschock.com or call her at (323) 934-5691.
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2001 USA SONGWRITING COMPETITION,
the world's leading international songwriting competition is
currently accepting entries. Win a $50,000 Grand Prize worth of
cash, merchandise and exposure (largest prize package in any annual
songwriting competition). Also, winners' songs will be featured on
a nationally syndicated radio program serving over 60 cities in the
US and Canada! Judges include record labels such as Warner/Reprise
Records, SONY Music, Epic Records, Mars Music Records and Peer
Music.
For more information on this event's rules, regulations and entry
forms visit the competition website at: http://www.songwriting.net/
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SHOWCASE SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED FOR NEMO MUSIC
SHOWCASE & CONFERENCE: Deadline is January 12, 2001
Visit our website at http://www.nemoboston.com/ (click on the
showcases/artists button on the left) to print out a showcase
application.
NEMO Music Showcase & Conference returns for its fifth year on
April19-21, 2001 to Boston, one of the most important music markets
in thecountry for breaking new artists.
Nemo showcases more than 200 of the hottest major label, indie
label, and unsigned new bands and solo artists from all over the
world in a wide variety of genres, including rock, folk, pop,
blues, rap, country, hip-hop, funk, jazz, and r&b. Over the years
some of the artists who have participated at NEMO include Aerosmith
(at a club for 500!), De La Soul, Goody Mob, Fishbone, Face To
Face, Kristin Hersh, Big Wreck, Duncan Sheik, Jude, Ellis Paul,
Guster, Staind, Push Stars, , Martin Sexton, Amazing Crowns and
Godsmack (NEMO 2000).
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THE GATE: ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE (www.go.to/theGATE)
is continually on a quest for new music and we’re crossing any
distance to offer a unique environment. Our latest project, Pause
Off, is part of that plan.
With a finely tuned comb and magnifying glass The GATE has begun a
hunt for artists, bands, DJs, and kazoo players (who have a website
and MP3s or streaming audio) who want to show off their talents to
the world. Everyone who plays music should send in their info,
whether they’re signed or unsigned, solo or in an orchestra,
playing bluegrass or ambient-techno… no medium will be left
unturned.
Anyone looking for more information should contact us via email at
wapowell@thegate.ca. Musicians should include any pertinent
information (i.e. websites, contact info, type of music).
Information and an application form is also available on The GATE @
www.go.to/theGATE.
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NEW INTERNATIONAL RADIO MUSIC SHOW FOR INDIES
A new internationally syndicated radio music program, co-hosted and
produced by Kenny Love, is slated to begin airing in March, 2001.
The hour-long program, which will exclusively feature the music of
independent recording artists, will be made available to
traditional offline radio stations, as well as Internet radio
stations, in order to bring more exposure to little-known artists.
Independent musicians interested in having their music considered
for airing on the show, can receive more information regarding the
program's requirements by requesting it via email at
radioshow@getresponse.com. All commercially viable music genres
will be considered.
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WHITEFEATHER'S SONG CONTEST PLUS:
permanently connects to your website, puts your song on our
compilation CD and pays cash awards of $500, $200 and $100 for
every 80 song entries, so your songs are not lost by competing
against thousands of other songs. Gloria Loring,
singer-songwriter-actress from "Days of Our Lives" fame is our
judge.
Send your labeled CD or cassette along with the $25 entry fee to:
SongRider Studios,
1587 E. Prince Road
Tucson, Arizona 85719
For other details regarding copyright, the methods of selection,
recording contracts, the lists of entries and winners, click onto
our website at
http://www.angelfire.com/biz2/songwritingcontest/index.html
For any questions, e-mail us at SongRider8@webtv.net
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Back to Menu
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M u s e ' s C l u e s : by Irene Jackson
©1998-2001 Moonstone Productions All Rights Reserved. Used By
Permission
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A question I get from guitar students and songwriters all the time
is "can you teach me to sing?" The fact is that just because
somebody can sing, doesn't mean they can teach it! If you are a
songwriter with an eye on eventually performing your songs at an
open mic, you might want to consider taking a few tips on vocal
technique, or even taking some voice lessons.
Perusing the internet lately, I've come across a website that
doesn't just try to sell you voice lessons, it also has some great
articles on all different aspects of singing. The site is The
Singer's Workshop where you'll find lots of articles on singing
(http://www.thesingersworkshop.com/articles.html) and it is put
together by Lis Lewis, who has been training singers for the music
profession for many years. From "background singing" to "session
singing" and what she calls "The Charisma Factor", Lis has a lot of
tips for the aspiring singer. One article is called "Breath
Control"...you wouldn't believe how many singers don't breathe
properly! This can lead to all sorts of problems when it comes to
performing your songs. Lis also includes articles on preparing for
the stage and on finding the right voice teacher for you!
But it doesn't stop there...you'll also find links to a few other
articles by the likes of Tim Sweeney (the author of the book "The
Complete Guide to Internet Promotion for Artists, Musicians &
Songwriters"), and others on CD cover art and getting a record
deal. You can't beat that! This website will be well worth your
visit :-)
******
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 more links of interest. Her eagerly anticipated CD "Catnip" is
finally here, and her earlier recordings have had attention
everywhere from Japan to South America.
Songwriting Tips: http://www.irenejackson.com/tips.html
Homepage: http://www.irenejackson.com/
Songs on MP3:
http://www.mp3.com/artists/20/irene_jackson.html
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P U B L I S H E R I N S P O T L I G H T :
David Wimble, Publisher and Creator of The Indie Contact Bible
Conducted by Ben Ohmart
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q: You're a singer/songwriter yourself. What do you write, how
often do you gig?
---------------------------------------------
A: I write mostly poppy folk tunes and ballads. I make it a point
to write about positive things.
I haven't played live in over a year. I have been absolutely buried
in the creation of The Indie Contact Bible. I am dying to get out
and play again. When I do, it's going to be like starting over
again. I know that I'll get over the initial nerves quickly and
enjoy myself tremendously. I'll be playing solo this time around,
so it's going to be kind of fun to just play a song that seems to
fit a certain moment. It's also nice to not have to depend on
someone else in order to succeed. I know that "people need people",
but there is a time and a place for that. I depended on others when
I was recording and forming the band "Big Meteor", and they let me
down in a big way. After my very "expensive" experience with that,
it's only natural that I'm going to be skeptical about depending on
others. I like the freedom of going out to play solo.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Going right to the heart of the matter: how has your book helped
YOU? Getting ahead, getting heard, that sort of thing?
---------------------------------------------
A: I've hardly used any of the connections I've made to promote my
own music. Again, there hasn't been time. Often someone will ask me
to send my music and I usually tell them that I'm concentrating
solely on the book at this time. I made a decision 18 months ago
that I was going to throw everything I have into creating this
book. At the time, my musical plans were falling like rocks because
the band I was attempting to form broke up, and I was back to
square one. All those months of practice were down the tubes. I had
to make a decision on whether to pursue the music, or to continue
with this idea I had of a musician's resource book. I ran the idea
by a few people whose opinions I trusted, and they thought it was a
great idea to create a resource book! When I thought about it,
there was no doubt that the most practical path was that of the
resource book - mainly because the resource book was unique, and
would be a popular item that someone would want to buy since there
was nothing else like it. My music, as much as I love it, is only a
very small drop in a very large bucket.
If I were to ever get enough finances together to create another
CD, I would have hundreds of contacts that I could call on for
help....to get radio airplay, reviews, exposure etc. It would be
interesting to see what would happen. I'd like to record at least
one more CD, because I have a lot of songs that I think people
would really like.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What one thing have you learned in compiling this book that
surprised the pants off you?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For the remainder of this interview, see
http://www.musesmuse.com/int-bigmeteorpub.html#newsletter .
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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 :
Using New Technologies For Promotion
by Caesar Pink
http://www.musesmuse.com/art-caesarpink.html
Considering the majority of content in this month's newsletter has
to do with how musicians can promote themselves, I thought you
might want to know about this gem currently on The Muse's Muse for
your perusal.
Caesar Pink of the band The Imperial Orgy takes us through the
various steps he and his band have gone through to get themselves
promoted on a shoestring budget. A whole host of great ideas in
this one!
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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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ATTENTION JAZZ MUSIC FANS:
JazzReview.com is your connection to reviews of the hottest
new jazz releases. We have many great features such as
jazz artist interviews, jazz photography, charts, concert /
festival reviews, Monthly CD giveaways and "YOUR" guest reviews.
Come check out: http://www.jazzreview.com/
-----------------------------------------------------------------
WRITE HIT SONGS: COMPUTER ANIMATED SONGWRITING TEACHING AID
'Write Hit Songs' is an innovative product that's the first of its
kind for teaching songwriters what makes one song stand apart from
the rest. Now you can use these techniques to make your songs the
best they can be. Click on this link to get $20 OFF this fantastic
songwriting product as we introduce it to the world:
http://www.writehitsongs.com/ .
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GET YOUR COPY OF THE INDIE CONTACT BIBLE & START MAKING WAVES!
This is an absolutely priceless resource for indie musicians. If
you want your music reviewed, on the radio, *heard*, THIS is the
resource you need to have. It's not going to tell you "how" but it
will *certainly* tell you "who". I highly recommend you pick it up
in order to compliment your other music marketing techniques. Have
a look at this url and read through a few sample pages to see what
I mean: http://www.bigmeteor.com/muse
(Full review at http://www.musesmuse.com/3.4-July00.html#book)
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GO GLOBAL WITH CDSTREET.COM
CDstreet.com is your secure source for credit card music ordering
in your own website. As a member of the CDstreet network, you will
have access to the most cost-effective, secure transaction
processing for global music merchandise distribution. Plus, no
setup fee and no sales equals no cost!
Check it out - http://www.cdstreet.com/
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THE SONGWRITING EDUCATION RESOURCE
Stop by the educational songwriting website run by professional
songwriters Danny Arena & Sara Light. Features include, numerous
songwriting articles, songwriting courses, discussion board, free
classifieds, email and much more. Coming soon: our web classroom
where you'll be able to take our songwriting courses over the
Internet! - http://www.craftofsongwriting.com/
-----------------------------------------------------------------
DISCOVER SHAREWARE MUSIC MACHINE and explore the world of software
which will help make writing and recording your songs a breeze!
Featuring over 2100 software titles to freely download as well as
more than 2000 discussion forums, Shareware Music Machine has
software for musicians of all kinds. For MIDI sequencers to guitar
effects to hard disc recording to the latest sound players, head to
http://www.hitsquad.com/smm/?muse
=================================================================
ADVERTISING RATES: For Classifieds: US$25 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 :
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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
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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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