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The Muse's News |
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Issue 7.1 - April 2004
ISSN 1480-6975
[ Back to The Muse's News Index ] [ Home ]
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 - by James Grimes, Steve Allat, Gian Fiero
& Stacey Board
@-- New Artist Spotlight Additions
@-- Songwriting Book Review - by James Linderman
@-- Musical Notes - Songwriting Contests & Market Info.
@-- Muse's Clues - Songwriting Web sites that inspire - brought
to you by singer/songwriter & teacher, Irene Jackson.
@-- Featured Article - Performance, Musicians, and Demo Making
by Queenie Sataro
@-- On Site Featured Article - An article already online for your
viewing pleasure.
@-- Classifieds & Useful Services
@-- Contact information
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ISSN 1480-6975. Copyright 1998/99/00/01/02/03 - Jodi Krangle.
For more contact information, see end of issue.
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YELLOW MUSE'S MUSE T-SHIRTS? REALLY? YUP. YELLOW. :D
They're fun and sunny, to get you ready for a bright, inspiring
spring. And for other great Muse's Muse items like mugs,
mousepads, t-shirts and more, visit www.cafeshops.com/musesmuse .
Start your own store too - with no up front costs!
See http://tinyurl.com/cqij for more details.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
S p o n s o r M e s s a g e :
(Please support the sponsors that support this newsletter! Thanks!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ENTER THE 2004 USA SONGWRITING COMPETITION NOW!
Win a grand prize of over US$50,000 in cash, merchandise and
more. Winning songs get radio airplay. Judges include record
labels such as Universal, Warner/Reprise Records, Epic and SONY
Music. LAST DAYS FOR EARLY ENTRY BONUS: First 1,000 entries
postmarked by March 31 or earlier will each receive a FREE
subscription from Recording magazine! So, hurry! Enter today!
See entry form at: http://www.songwriting.net/mm.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
E d i t o r ' s M u s i n g s :
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Welcome to another issue of The Muse's News. It's almost spring!
I can hardly wait! Ok. So it's still snowing outside my window.
I have hope. :D And maybe the warmer spring weather will help
inspire us all! (Those of you who live in a warm climate all
year round, please don't rub it in. I beg you. ;) )
In other news, I thought I'd put your minds at ease in case some
of you were confused with recent newsletter happenings.
A number of you may have received a message about being
unsubscribed from the newsletter at some point. Let me assure
you that the newsletter you were being unsubscribed from was NOT
this main Muse's News newsletter. It was, in fact, the
Announcements list that I had going on Topica along WITH this
newsletter.
Topica has been changing offerings, forcing me to look elsewhere
for a way to publish this newsletter. So I deleted that list
entirely from their system. I have now moved to a great new
service (for a very reasonable amount of money. Have a look at
http://www.ezinedirector.com/ for more info if you're interested.
And if you think of it, mention that you heard about it here,
though you certainly are under no obligation to do so. :) ). In
fact, that's how you're receiving your newsletter today. This
means that in the somewhat near future, you will be receiving
messages from the main list at Topica saying you were
unsubscribed since I'll be deleting the list from that location
very soon.
Please DISREGARD THOSE MESSAGES. Let me assure you that the
subscriber list was transferred to Ezine Director with no fuss or
muss and you don't need to re-subscribe. If you received this
newsletter today, you'll be just fine and you don't need to do
anything at all.
I have removed the Announcement list entirely because frankly,
there were very few extra announcements I had to make. Every now
and again, something interesting may come my way that I'd like to
share with you in between the monthly newsletter times. I hope
you won't find such messages intrusive. I make sure that those
messages contain information it would be highly useful for you to
know about. There won't be more than one or two a month in any
case and most months you won't be sent any extra messages at all.
Thanks in advance for your understanding!
Here are the raffle winners this month:
* Rik Howard from West Hollywood, CA who has won a copy of the
book reviewed this issue, "Melody in Songwriting" by Jack
Perricone. (See below for the review)
* Mike Sizemore from Cincinnati Ohio and Patrick King of Spencer,
Massachusetts who have both won a copy of the Galaris Music
Directory (for details, have a look at
http://www.galaris.com/GMD.html?musesmuse)
* Nakia Thomas from Queens Village, NY who has won a copy of
VSS's songwriting organization product, Lyricist (for details and
information on a discount offered, see
http://www.musesmuse.com/vss-review.html)
* Kristin Strohecker from Towson, MD who has won a copy of the
"Musician's Toolkit"
(for details, see http://www.musicianstoolkit.com/muse/)
And since this is another packed issue, I'll just get right to
the meat. :) Enjoy, folks!
All the best,
--Jodi
Back to Menu
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S p o n s o r M e s s a g e :
(Please support the sponsors that support this newsletter! Thanks!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
STUDY ONLINE WITH BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC
Songwriters: sharpen your craft with Berkleemusic.com, the online
extension school of Berklee College of Music. Whether you're a
relative beginner or an experienced writer, our online
songwriting courses will help you generate more and better ideas,
master the elements of style and structure, and express yourself
more effectively in words and music. Berkleemusic also offer
instruction in a variety of other disciplines including Music
Production, Theory, Music Business, and Performance; all taught
by the world-renowned Berklee professors. Take your skills to a
new level.
Term 3 begins on April 5, and registration is open now! For more
information please visit: http://www.berkleemusic.com/?pid=547
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M u s i c R e v i e w s :
by Gian Fiero, Steve Allat, James Grimes & Stacey Board
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NEW MUSIC REVIEWS SINCE LAST MONTH INCLUDE:
Reviews by Steve Allat:
* Little Miss Messy
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000629.html
* Stone Marmot
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000630.html
* Soundproof
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000631.html
* Grayson Wray
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000633.html
* Blue Ixy
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000634.html
* Mike Germano
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000635.html
* Arms Of Kismet
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000636.html
* Stateside
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000637.html
* Grant Sparks
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000638.html
* Bill & the AntiDepressants
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000641.html
* Jon Tamayori
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000642.html
* Jana
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000644.html
* Nath Keo
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000645.html
* Norine Braun
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000646.html
* Courtney Love
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000647.html
(Both Norine Braun (Pop) and Courtney Love (Rock) are also
featured in the Artist Spotlights at
http://www.musesmuse.com/artistspotlights.html)
Reviews by James Grimes:
* Tony Denikos
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000640.html
Reviews by Gian Fiero:
* George Hrab
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000639.html
Reviews by Stacey Board:
* Missouri Jennings
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000648.html
* Ele_K
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000649.html
* Kevin Thompson
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000650.html
* Kitra
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000651.html
* The Majestic Twelve
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000652.html
---------------
******
For bios on each of the reviewers, see
http://www.musesmuse.com/musicreviews.html . If you're considering
sending in your own CD for review, you can also view that page to
find out which reviewer reviews your genre. Thanks!
Back to Menu
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N e w A r t i s t S p o t l i g h t A d d i t i o n s :
Great music is only a click away!
Here is the latest addition to the Artist Spotlight section of
The Muse's Muse at http://www.musesmuse.com/artistspotlights.html
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COURTNEY LOVE ~ Genre: ROCK
Courtney Love - the groundbreaking, trend-setting, and always
controversial rock star drops her explosive solo debut -
America's Sweetheart - in stores NOW! The first single "Mono" is
already gaining heat and hailed by critics and fans everywhere as
the return of real rock music. Preview Courtney's new album and
become her 'Love' slave NOW!
http://www2.fanscape.com/courtneylove/player.asp
http://www.courtneylove.com/
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URBAN TAPESTRY ~ Genre: FOLK
This award-winning Toronto-based folk trio has a musical style
running from traditional folk ballads to blues, pop and humor,
with a variety of vocal and acoustic instrumental arrangements.
If you'd enjoy a blend of Barenaked Ladies, They Might Be Giants
and the Indigo Girls, you'll love their unique and quirky sound.
http://www.urbantapestry.org/
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S o n g w r i t i n g B o o k R e v i e w : by James Linderman
Melody in Songwriting by Jack Perricone
http://tinyurl.com/3ckfe
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I have always wanted to write a review that started with, "Just
the other day I was talking with (Insert world renowned rock star
name), and we were talking about this cool book and..."
Well, that day has come.
Just the other day, I was talking with world-renowned rock star
Rik Emmett, former guitarist of the world-renowned rock group
Triumph, about Jack Perricone's book, Melody in Songwriting.
Cool!
Actually it was a couple of years ago... and Rik was telling me
about it, and was surprised that I had never heard of it,
considering that I had just spent about 20 minutes (and
considerable energy) trying to convince him that I was a leading
authority on the subject. Not so cool!
This conversation took place at a Songwriters Association of
Canada annual meeting (Christian songwriter Paul Lowe is my
official reliable and sober witness) and Rik's enthusiasm for the
Perricone book was absolutely contagious.
Impressing a guitar legend is no simple feat (as I can obviously
attest!) so I was instantly curious about this allegedly
perfectly written book on melody.
I must also add that there is not the same market flood of melody
writing books as there is of, say...chord dictionaries, lyric
writing books and books about how easy it is to become a world
renowned rock star.
As usual, part of what makes this book great has a lot to do with
the credentials of the author. Jack Perricone is a co-founder of
Berklee College of Music's songwriting program and has been a
songwriter, composer and arranger himself, with a Billboard top 5
hit and lots of chart success in pop, county, and r&b.
The book, Melody in Songwriting, starts out with a very
convincing argument in the preface about the importance of
learning the mechanics of melody. Since the tune is the part of
the song that the listener will get stuck in their head and carry
to the record store (or your website), it's obvious that this
topic really warrants some consideration.
Chapter 1 deals with the transcription "rules of the road" and
how to properly set up your lead sheet so that the look of your
piece and the sound of your piece actually match.
Chapter 2 has a working musician's explanation of pitch relations
and measurement of note distances and also covers the theory and
practical use of stable and unstable tones in a phrase. It's
sort of a primer for melodic analysis.
Chapter 3 is all about Rhythm and really illustrates the
importance of being able to interpret the location and effect of
stress positions in your songs along with the gender of your
melodic resolutions. Yes, there are boy endings and girl
endings.
The chapters that follow deal with stuff like melodic symmetry,
working in minor keys, melodic shapes and about what all of this
will say to your listener. It also covers the melodic relation to
song form, of course.
There are some extraordinarily illuminating chapters on the
vertical relationship between the melodic note, its chord of the
moment and its bass note. There are also some great pages on the
analysis of blues/rock and the study of modes.
Each chapter has a breakthrough exercise to try out and a
relevant writing tip to ponder. There are tons of examples, often
from universally recognizable hit songs; so that you can really
"hear" the theories and know that they have been effective.
If you are like me and find that writing a universally likable
yet original sounding melody is about as easy as assembling a
swing set or a 3-burner barbecue, this might just be a handy book
to pick up.
I expected a book that could teach a wickedly great guitarist
like Rik Emmett something about melody writing could probably
teach me a thing or two as well. It has proven to be a book that
lives up to its reputation.
You can learn more about Rik Emmett at www.rikemmett.com and you
can get yourself a copy of Melody in Songwriting by Jack
Perricone at http://tinyurl.com/3ckfe.
******
ABOUT THE REVIEWER:
James Linderman lives and works at theharmonyhouse, a music lesson,
songwriting and music pre-production facility in Newmarket,
Ontario, Canada. He is the Songwriters Association of Canada
regional coordinator for Newmarket and leads a music workshop
program for Life 100.3 Christian radio. James writes songwriting
articles for The Muse's News web magazine, Canadian Musician
Magazine and Professional Musician Magazine.
Contact James at: theharmonyhouse@rogers.com
Back to Menu
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S p o n s o r M e s s a g e :
(Please support the sponsors that support this newsletter! Thanks!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SongoftheMonth.com : GET YOUR SONG OUT THERE - WIN CASH & PRIZES!
SongoftheMonth.com is a fun, online song contest supporting and
promoting the art of original songwriting by awarding cash and
prizes (and lots of website traffic) to three artists every
month! Features include low monthly competition, low $10 entry
fee, and the Winner's Circle where artist songs, lyrics, website
urls, and SOTM exclusive interviews are celebrated!
Drop by the Songwriters Lounge for advice and tips from previous
winners, and visit the Hall of Fame to hear and learn about all
of our past winners.
Hope to hear you soon! Enter Online or by Mail:
Visit http://www.songofthemonth.com/ for details!
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M u s i c a l N o t e s : Songwriting Contests & Market Info.
In the interest of conserving space, I will only be including
changes to this listing in this newsletter. All other contests
and market information that have already been listed here, are
displayed at http://www.musesmuse.com/contests.html &
http://www.musesmuse.com/markets.html . Please check there
regularly for updates!
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2004 ASG SONG CONTEST
Austin Songwriters Group is launching its 2004 Song Contest,
which will spotlight some of Austin's best unsung (!) talent, and
features amazing prizes from both local and national sponsors,
like Stephen Doster and Tom Johnson, David Love, CDBaby, Dale
Kawashima, plus many, many more. Entry fee is just $15 per song
for ASG Members, $20 for non-members. For Entry Form and details,
visit http://www.austinsongwritersgroup.org/
Entry deadline: April 17, 2004
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2004 BOND SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION
3 Grand Prize winners will compete for title of Songwriter of the
Year 2004. Prizes include: Professional Demo, possible
publishing contract, professional copies of the demo, and
Superscope PSD 300! Entry deadline is September 30, 2004.
More information can be found at
http://www.bondmusicpublishing.com/ContestInfo.html.
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DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE COPYRIGHT KIT
Download Indie-Music.com's free and easy Copyright Kit. Print
Copyright forms, Copyright submission process, handy tips &
tricks, choosing the right form, and more.
http://www.indie-music.com/freemuse.php
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UK INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITERS SEMINAR April 24th & 25th 2004
Visit http://www.interntionalmusicseminars.com/ to find out more about
this unique and exciting event, which is being hosted by many top
UK and Nashville executives and writer/performers. Usual ticket
price for this weekend event is £225 but a discount of £75 is
available for Muse's Muse readers taking the cost down to £150
per delegate. In addition to the seminar itself, there are open
mic and showcase events in front of an industry only audience.
Simply fill in our enquiry form found at the registration link on
out site. Under "publications read" put Muse's Muse. We will then
contact you via email with registration details and further
information by return confirming this discount.
If you write AND want to get your work heard and/or covered then
this event is a must for you!
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TAKE "SUCCESFUL LYRIC WRITING" WITH SARA LIGHT ONLINE ONLY AT
SONGU.COM
Join Tony Award nominated lyricist and hit songwriter, Sara
Light, for this exciting online course beginning September 25th.
Also, as a member of SongU.com, you can take over 30 self-paced
courses that are available online 24 hours a day, 365 days a
year. No airfare, no hotel costs, no time constraints. Right
from your own home, you can get quality education and personal
attention from a faculty of active hit songwriters and successful
independent artists.
Back-To-School Special for Musesmuse members. Use redemption
code: MMU8303 when you enroll for one year at SongU and get an
additional 3 months free!
To take the campus tour, go to http://www.songu.com/?sa=3 .
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MASSACHUSETTS SONGWRITER ASSOCIATION MONTHLY MEETINGS
The Massachusetts Songwriter Association meets the 3rd Monday of
the month at the Falcetti Music Mall, Boston Rd, Springfield,MA
from 7-8pm.
No dues, No fees. Everyone with an interest in songwriting and
networking is encouraged to attend. Whether you want critiques,
need to find collaborators or need to find musicians or singers
for your demos or band, it is a great opportunity for meeting
others who are moving and shaking locally. Bring your own guitar,
cassette/CD and an open mind to hear what others are doing in the
business. All levels of interest are welcome.
The MSA was founded in the early 1980's by Dr Sparkie Allison.
You may contact her through her website:
www.valinet.com/~sparkie.
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MARS SOCIETY SEEKS SONGS TO CELEBRATE SPACE EXPLORATION
With our last contest winner just played as wake-up music for
NASA's "Opportunity" rover on Mars and featured prominently on
television, radio and in newspapers worldwide, the Mars Society
is proud to announce its Second Rouget de Lisle Award contest for
songs celebrating the cause of the human exploration and
settlement of space. We are asking for a tape or CD of songs, in
any style, to be submitted together with a hardcopy of the lyrics
by no later than April 30, 2004 to Mars Society, Box 273, Indian
Hills, CO 80454. More information at
http://www.marssociety.org/news/2004/0217.asp .
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TAKE YOUR MUSIC TO THE NEXT LEVEL WITH BERKLEEMUSIC.COM
Berklee College of Music has launched its Berkleemusic.com web
site after nearly two years in development. This ambitious
offering provides songwriters opportunities to take online music
writing courses and explore new music career directions. Users
can create a personal or band web page containing bios, MP3s,
images, reviews, news, and links that are useful resources to
potential employers, collaborators, and students.
For more information visit:
http://www.berkleemusic.com/school/?affiliate_promotion_id=338
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GREAT ARTICLES TO CHECK OUT AT GALARIS INDEPENDENT MUSIC:
http://www.galaris.com/
* If you target sharp enough, you will own your niche - By Derek
Sivers - http://www.galaris.com/articles?id=307
* Prepare the proper promotional meterials and know when to use
them - By Bobby Borg - http://www.galaris.com/articles?id=308
* Build career awarness by expending your internet presence - by
Bobby Borg - http://www.galaris.com/articles?id=290
Visit http://www.galaris.com/ and Sign up for the Galaris
Independent Musicians Newsletter. Twice monthly you will receive
FREE, direct to your email box, articles containing: Promotion
tips, Career advice, Recording tips, Practicing tips, Legal
advice, Musician's health, Radio promotion, Songwriters tips and
much more.
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INTRODUCING A SPECIAL WEBSITE PROMOTION PACKAGE ESPECIALLY FOR
MUSICIANS/SONGWRITERS
It's important for your website to be found once it's created. We
all know this. But who can afford the promotion a website needs
to truly make its mark on the web? Now YOU can. This package is
offered exclusively to Muse's Muse visitors only. Do you have a
website that no one knows about? Do you want it to stand out from
the crowd? Now you can get it promoted for a fraction of the
price most search engine optimization packages would cost you.
Visit http://www.internet-marketing-mm.com/musicianpackage.html
for more details.
Back to Menu
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M u s e ' s C l u e s : by Irene Jackson
©1998-2004 Moonstone Productions All Rights Reserved. Used By
Permission
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You'll always get a bit of an argument when it comes to the
difference between poetry and lyrics. Some lyricists such as
Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan were able to bridge the gap somewhat
by turning their poetry into songs, but these days more often
than not you'll hear the argument "these aren't lyrics, they're
poetry" as a reason for a song being unacceptable. Well, what the
heck is the difference then?
This month I'm featuring a few websites dedicated to poetry. The
first one, Famous Poets
(http://www.galeon.com/mlz/famouspoets.html), features selected
poems from Frost to Keats, Tennyson to Wordsworth. Many of these
poets came from earlier generations, and the language of their
poetry reflects another era. But even if you find the work
stifling, sift through a few and give yourself a chance to absorb
the words...occasionally you'll come across a line or phrase that
is so well-executed that you have to respect the talent and craft
behind it. Some of the poems have rhymes and couplets and even
refrains just as we use in lyrics...so what makes them different
from lyrics? I leave that one up to you :-)
Next is a list of poetic terms
http://www.english.upenn.edu/~afilreis/88/poetic-terms.html which
at first glance seems rather short. But each definition of terms
is actually a study in itself, giving examples, and again you'll
find terms also used in songwriting such as "couplet" and
"meter".
And if you thought that only songwriters have open mics, then
you've never been to a poetry slam :-)
http://www.poetryslam.com/index.htm . Very similar rules apply
to the participants of slams, who compete by reading their
original work in front of audiences and sometimes judges as well.
In fact, if you're in the US you can find a poetry slam near
where you live by using their searchable database.
Lastly, a very thorough website on the art and craft of poetry is
from the UK. Poetry Magic http://www.poetrymagic.co.uk/ is a
great resource as well, and among other things, deals with how to
write a poem from a beginners' to an advanced level. Again,
you'll find a similarity to lyric writing in some of the articles
presented, such as "Finding a Theme", "Imagery and Metaphor" and
"Originality". The second article titled "Poetry for Pleasure"
gives some pointers for beginners at the end, including the first
suggestion:
"1. Join a local poetry writing group or literature circle.
Writing is a lonely enough activity, and moral support and shared
aims will help you through the barren stretches."
Sound familiar? By doing a simple Google search for "poetry",
you'll find many more websites dedicated to the art and craft of
poetry. Maybe you'll come to some kind of conclusion as to the
difference between poetry and lyrics, and maybe not. But more
importantly, you might just find some inspiration for your own
lyrics. Er, poetry. Er...good luck!
******
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
Back to Menu
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F e a t u r e d A r t i c l e :
Performance, Musicians, and Demo Making
- By Queenie Sataro © 2004
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In my previous articles on Being Your Own One-Person Indie Team,
I mentioned that creating a self-produced album was a lengthy but
achievable process for the self-motivated musician. Here is a
brief outline of the process of getting and promoting an album:
I. Song creation--a song is born!
A. Song creation and song choice
B. Time management
C. Performance, musicians, and demo making
II. Recording the songs
A. Laying down tracks and vocals
B. Mixing and mastering
C. CD design and duplication
III. Promotion
A. Offering a CD for sale online
B. Creation of an artist website
C. Free web promotion and beyond
In this part of the series, I will discuss Part IC, Performance,
Musicians, and Demo Making. Each are integral to the album
process, even if the only performer or musician is yourself and
the only demo is created with a tinny tape recorder. In this
article you will learn about the art of the trial run from
practice to perfection.
PERFORMANCE, MUSICIANS, AND DEMOS IN THE MAKING OF A DEBUT ALBUM
Use the clicking box
Keep your goal in sight: you want a debut album. It is not a
problem for you to practice and refine your 12-14 songs, but here
is the catch . . . you really should use a metronome. Yes, that
evil clicking box that in the old days used to have an upside
down pendulum on it to better hypnotize you with, my dear, the
metronome. The reason to use it: tempo problems can ruin the
greatest of songs. Most musicians, when left to their natural
devices, will wander all over the beat and obscure any
opportunity for a listener to tap his foot along with the music.
What you want is the rock solid underbelly of a good beat, later
provided by a click track (modern term for "metronome") that is
either included in your digital recording device or in your
sequencer. Confused whether your song is in 2/4, 3/4, or 4/4?
Ninety percent of songs in this modern era are in 2/4 or 4/4, but
if you are still confused, please email me from my site at
http://www.queeniemusic.com/ and I'll do my best to assist.
Learn to use the power of MIDI
Not a drummer or virtuoso pianist? I understand. You can still
create your debut album as long as you can create a simple MIDI
file on a keyboard workstation or digital sequencer. The MIDI
file is not just a rough draft for your music, it is a virtual
method of communication! MIDI is explained a thousand places on
the net, so I will not go into it here. I suggest you think of
MIDI as the dippy Casio version of your songs that will help you
to go on to bigger and better things. For instance, as rhythm
tracks will be the first thing you record, try to write the drum
and bass first on a sequencer or as MIDI files. I guarantee that
you will hate the sound of the cheesy keyboard "drums" or the
even worse MIDI "bass", but there is a method to the madness. You
will get an approximation of what you want which you can change,
tweak, and refine. You can give the MIDI recording to a future
drummer or bass player you hire and say, "duplicate this on your
drums." If you have a drum machine or a nice sound module, that
MIDI file will get transformed into some pretty decent sounds.
Lastly, there is a way of printing sheet music from existing MIDI
files. It is a free program called Finale Notepad available at
http://www.codamusic.com/. I love this free program and have
bought more robust versions of the software.
Get something done
Personally, I sequence entire songs minus vocals on my keyboard
workstation before I record the rhythm tracks (drum and bass) or
anything else, for that matter. That way I have all the MIDI
files I could ever want and I can solo whatever track I need.
This approach works for me. If you are in a band, it is probably
not an option to pre-sequence all your parts beforehand like I
do. Instead, try to record a demo on a tape recorder or analog
4-track and then have the crew listen to it and critique it for
every aspect except the physical recording itself. Are the songs
complete and ready? Is there a steady beat?
Decide the instruments you can and cannot perform
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This article is continued at:
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000643.html
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******
Queenie is an indie singer-songwriter who has produced a wildly
successful 12 song CD album, QUEENIE, 2 chart-topping internet
song collaborations, and designed her own artist website from
scratch to promote her own music and positive message.
Classically trained in a Chicago conservatory, Queenie's
beautiful original works are part medieval melody and part
pop-song. Her voice is a Midwestern original that owes nothing to
the typical Chicagoan sound, but instead gently whispers where
others shout. Queenie's entirely self-produced and recorded
album, QUEENIE, has constantly topped charts on sites all over
the globe since its release in October 2001. You can learn more
about Queenie and her music by visiting:
http://www.queeniemusic.com/ .
Back to Menu
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" O N S I T E " F E A T U R E D A R T I C L E :
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Where's My Orchestra? By Michael Askounes
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000632.html
We all have songs in our heads, and they visit us from time to
time, sometimes when we're near an instrument sometimes when
we're in our cars. To all of us, the music sounds great; but
sometimes, transferring from brain to guitar or from idea to
reality can be a frustrating experience...
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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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==========
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SPOTLIGHT YOUR MUSIC ON THE MUSE'S MUSE!
The Muse's Muse Songwriting Resource (online since 1995) now has
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Check out http://www.musesmuse.com/spotlightinfo.html for more
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=================================================================
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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
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Back issues and other information will be available at:
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