News - Dec 2006

Ready or not......it's December!....well almost.

Due to the Holiday stuff, this will be a light month. First off, meeting next Sunday December 3rd - at my house from 1-4. We'll have some CD's for you to practice from.....drum tracks, meter, groove....all of that "modern stuff" that we fossils have trouble with. Plus I'm putting a bunch of current songs with grooves together on a CD as reference. We've talked about all of this stuff, I guess that it's time to use it........ We'll do song critiquing, and maybe some co-writing - time permitting.

We've been focusing on "writing better songs" and I know that it's been working. But with the Tahoe event looming, this is a good time to raise the bar another notch. Writing can be a great expression, and even a therapeutic release - which is all great. But the industry that is out there is only concerned with "Radio worthy, money making songs". It's that "money verses art" war that's been going on forever. I will never "Tell anyone what to write" that would be stupid at best. However, it would be just as stupid to ignore the powers at be, and what they're looking for. Marketable, radio worthy songs.....period.

Our guest lineup for Tahoe contains some very powerful people from the industry, people who could launch a career in songwriting for any one of us. But this is their ball, their field and their rules - as is the entire industry. If we want to be players - it's up to us to adapt. This event will do any one of us well, but the brass ring lies within their rule book. I just want to drive home that notion. Listen to the radio, pick an artist or two - or a favorite writer, and target that sound. I didn't say "copy" that sound, take the songs that you "want to write" and adapt them to the current trends and styles. It's not selling your souls, it's adapting to a marketplace. I'll get off from my soapbox now...or fall off.... :-)

Our next open mic will be on Tuesday December 12th from 7-10 at the Java Cafe' in Fair Oaks. At the corner of Fair Oaks and Madison. Last month was our best ever, except for some idiot falling behind the stage area......yeah, that would be me. Let's set the bar for as many new songs as is possible. And let's consider this our Christmas gathering - we've had a great year, let's celebrate it! Let's pack the house!!! Christmas songs anyone....?

The "Far-West" event was a big let down for us. It wasn't anyone's fault, just not what we expected. The event was aimed at performers trying to "sell their wares" and book future showcases, not people out to listen to songwriters doing their thing. Compared to what I've seen in Nashville, I'd give this event a "D-". It's just a different venue, aimed at a different element. If you like people wearing Kilts, people playing stand up basses, gothic performers and people who could tell you about any Renaissance Fair held nationally....then you missed a great event. Brad and I thought that it was more about songwriting.....our apologies. Okay, there were some high points too. Some great musicians, and some pretty good songs......just not right for me.

A fourth color?? I must be talking too much. This is important though!! Dan Hodges has agreed to come back! Dan's a publisher with Murrah Music in Nashville, and a great guy. He was here recently for a West Coast Songwriters song screening. I was tremendously impressed with him. He'll be back out in March or April for a full day workshop, talking about the business of publishing in Nashville, the "do's and don'ts" and mistakes to avoid. Followed by song screening, or "pitching to a publisher" as it's normally called. So this is your heads up! You've got 3-4 months to write and demo that song that will launch you into the big leagues. Dan is a big player on the front lines of what we're trying to do here.....let's step up to the plate!

I have no idea why I'm talking in sports metaphors today......weird....

In closing we want to say a heartfelt "Thank You" to everyone. Beckett and I have a lot of time and energy invested into this "volunteer job". We're coming up on three years of this stuff. We've had a great time and made some wonderful friends. To see the positive effects that it's had on so many of us is amazing, but the friendships are a bonus that I hadn't expected. This many people, with so few problems or issues in dealing with is pretty spectacular. This next year will be huge for this group, we hope to see you all along for the ride....wherever it takes us.


Keep writing......keep dreaming! With Thanks......

Larry & Beckett Singleton
8333 Shilling Court
Granite Bay, CA 95746

(916) 797-3767