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Inspirations For Songwriters is I F S
IFS hopes to INSPIRE YOU to ACTION
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2,331 songwriters, artists, producers, and music fans receive IFS
Share IFS with your friends.

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~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Co-Write Down

A while back I wrote an article about writing up, which means to cowrite with
songwriters who are better, more successful, or more connected than you.
It is important and you should continue to do that. 

It's also important to write down, which means to cowrite with writers who
aren't quite as good, successful or connected as you.

Now I'm not trying to talk you into giving into a GERM.
And I'm not telling you to be a GERM.

Don't know what a GERM is? Read
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DIFS/message/563

I'm just suggesting for you to be open to possibilities.

here's a few reasons why

1) The writer may be an aspiring artist. 
Helen Darling told me she spends about 1/3 of her appointment time in
Nashville with writers and artists who have a shot at getting a deal.

2) The writer offered you an outstanding song idea.  When Karen Taylor Good
met with Burton Collins, she wasn't super thrilled but she showed up. In the
appointment he told her the story of "How Can I Help you Say Goodbye." They
wrote it, Patty Loveless cut it. It was nominated for a Grammy in 1996.

3) The writer might be a friend.

4) Someone helped you out when you were getting started, now it's your turn.

5) The writer hired you to help. You'd be amazed with who you can hire.

6) Younger writers aren't jaded yet.

7) The teacher is ready and the student appears.

8) The writer invites you in on an attractive project.

What else?

I just encourage you to be open to possibilities
and something new and wonderful may happen.

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Dear Friends,

I've been sick this past week, Stuck in bed for two days, nothing major, 
just a cold.
Feeling cruddy and frustrated.  I needed a little pick me up so I started
wandering the web and stumbled upon a diamond mine of inspiration
Commencement speeches to Berklee Graduates

enjoy

http://www.berklee.edu/commencement/default.html

2003 Steven Tyler
http://www.berklee.edu/commencement/2003/speech_tyler.html

2002 David Foster
http://www.berklee.edu/commencement/2002/foster.html

2001 Becker, Fagen
http://www.berklee.edu/commencement/2001/default.html

2000 Alpert, Austin, Sykes
http://www.berklee.edu/commencement/2000/default.html

1999 - David Bowie
http://www.berklee.edu/commencement/past/dbowie.html

1998 - Carly Simon
http://www.berklee.edu/commencement/past/1998.html

1997 - Chick Corea
http://www.berklee.edu/commencement/past/corea.html

1996 - Pat Metheny
http://www.berklee.edu/commencement/past/metheny.html

1995 - James Taylor
http://www.berklee.edu/commencement/past/jt.html

1994 - Sting
http://www.berklee.edu/commencement/past/sting.html

1993 - Billy Joel
http://www.berklee.edu/commencement/past/bjoel.html

1992 - Bonnie Raitt
http://www.berklee.edu/commencement/past/raitt.html

1991 - Ahmet Ertegun
http://www.berklee.edu/commencement/past/ertegun.html

1989 - George Martin
http://www.berklee.edu/commencement/past/gmartin.html

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Last week an IFS reader asked

What should I do to get more gigs?
What should I do to get better gigs?
What can I do to get more people to show up at my gigs?

john Arthur martinez was kind enough to reply
www.johnarthurmartinez.net

Sometimes, you create gigs where they did not exist prior to your creating
them. For example, in our community of Marble Falls I was a part of an effort to
hold monthly concerts at our city park, at first for tips then eventually for
City of Marble Falls dollars. It so important to have great instruments and
equipment; restaurant owners and talent buyers notice these things. I took out
a loan with a bank with who I had developed a relationship and purchased my
first Takamine and P.A. system which was simply a solid state acoustic guitar
amp with the capability to accept a microphone. I eventually upgraded to a used
Tapco, a used sun amp, with used Bullfrog monitors. If you remember that one
gig has the possibility to lead to another then you are way ahead of the game.
If the owner sees giving your best to the 7 patrons in the house it will lead
to more work with that owner, or one of those patrons might hire you for his
private party which has 200 people. One of those two hundred might own a chain
of clubs. Always give your best.

Vaya con Dios,

john Arthur martinez

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I also asked everyone
what should we write about in IFS?  

Mary Beth Stone the NSAI regional workshop coordinator from NYC wrote:

hey ande,

You've posted a number of notices about very young singers looking for
material, plus these kinds of opportunities do occasionally cross my desk from
other
sources.  the advantages to supplying songs to these singers are obvious to
me--the person could get a deal and use your song and, at the very worst,
provide exposure to you in performance and in the search for a deal--and maybe
if
the singer is selling independently let's say 1,000 units, there would actually
be a couple of dollars in mechanicals.

i'm wondering, though,
if there is a downside--specifically i have a concern about continuing to
exploit my songs--if i have an opportunity with an established artist, where do
my songs that are being used by one of these unsigned singers stand? 
naturally, i know that if my agreement with the unsigned singer is such that
i require the ability to continue exploitation of the song, i will be able to
continue to do so.  my concern is, however, that an established artist might
in some way find the song "tainted" (for lack of a better word), that is, in
some way less appealing than one that had never been recorded. 
Do you feel there is there any validity to this concern?
i think a discussion of the issues raised above would be of interest not just
to me but to your other readers as well.

thanks, ande--you're doing a great job!

btw, have just finished recording a song co-written with someone i met
through IFS (thank you, thank you!) He actually drove to nyc from ohio for the
session--and, here's the cool thing, nashville star finalist Jamey Garner sang
the
vox and did the harp part on the song--it is a kickin' demo!

all the best,
mary beth stone
nyc

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Dear Mary Beth,

first congratualtions on making your cowriter connection through IFS. Please
let me hear the demo.

On your first question, I don't think there's a need for concern over
allowing an indy artist to record one of your songs.  Here's my thought process:

1) the indy artist may become a major label artist,

2) a major label artist usually won't care if a little artist cut a song
Every cut is difficult to get and a miracle.

3) It's better to have someone performing your song than no one.

4) You might make a little money.

5) If the artists recording ends up better than the demo you might have a
free demo to pitch your song.

IFS readers can you think of any down sides to allowing indy artists to
record one of your songs?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Please share your IFS success stories?
What has IFS done for you?
hit reply and let me know


~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Just because you're a famous songwriter / artist and cowrite with a famous
artist doesn't guarantee you're gonna get a cut. The songs have to fit and stand
up against the competition.

On http://www.writingsongs.com
I read that:

Reba McEntire Passes On Songs She Co-Wrote With Carole King

Reba McEntire will begin work on a new studio album this summer in Nashville.
The superstar recently wrote a few songs with Carole King with the new album
in mind, however the fruits of their collaborations didn't make the grade,
according to McEntire. "We got together--Carole King and I did--to write some
songs, and the songs that I heard, I'm gonna pass on," McEntire says. "I'm the
type of person [that] I don't care who writes it, who produces it, where it
comes from. I'm lookin' for the best songs for the new CD, and so,
unfortunately,
that didn't make the cut." McEntire had also hoped to record a duet with King
for the new project, but those plans have been put on hold. "Carole and I have
not talked anymore about doin' a duet together, but hopefully someday we'll
get to work on a project together cause I'm a huge fan of hers and we're great
friends and she's a wonderful lady."

The singer spent part of last week in a photo session in Los Angeles for the
new album, which is slated to hit stores on November 18.McEntire is scheduled
to head into the studio to begin recording the project later this month.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I enjoyed Sara Light's story about her hit "Home to You"
http://www.craftofsongwriting.com/writeroom.htm

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Today at Walmart my daughter, wife and I bought
NOW 12,
Buddy Jewell's CD and
Annie Lenox's new CD
what have you bought lately?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Is there no STOPPING FILE SWAPPING?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

What would you like IFS to write about?
send suggestions to me

Write on!

Ande Rasmussen
Editor and Publisher of I F S, Inspirations For Songwriters

AndeRasmussen@... 

My Bio
http://hometown.aol.com/anderasmussen/myhomepage/profile.html

If you'd like to hear some of the songs I've cowritten drop by

http://www.tonos.com/ande
or
http://www.mp3.com/ande

If you want receive IFS or
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Forward IFS to your music friends and members of songwriting
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IFS home page is
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All of our messages are archived on
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DIFS/messages

once you're in our archive
you can do a key word search
if you're looking for something in particular

I F S stands for Inspirations for Songwriters
I F S is a brief email for songwriters
filled with inspirational and
practical information about the
art, craft, and business of songwriting.

We want to help you be a more successful songwriter.

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
The entire text of
"Inspirations for Songwriters"
© 2003 Anders Rasmussen


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