<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
Inspirations For Songwriters is I F S
IFS aims to INSPIRE YOU into ACTION
2,579 songwriters, music publishers, artists, and music fans receive IFS
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DIFS/
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>

Please forward IFS to your songwriting friends

If you want receive IFS or
change your email address with IFS
send an EMPTY email to

difs-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Essentially you've got 6 days till 2003 is history and 2004 arrives. It's a
great time to look back on what you accomplished in 2003 and look ahead on
what you hope to make happen in 2004.

Infact if you'd like to share your 2003 accomplishments and your 2004 plans
with IFS readers,
please email them to me.

Looking BACK Look Ahead

send your email to
AndeRasmussen@...
in the subject field write
IFS 0304

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Soon I plan to run another Let The World Know (LTWK) Issue
If you want to know what LTWK is, drop by
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DIFS/message/575

If you want to read actual IFS LTWK blurbs drop by
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DIFS/message/576

Send me your blurb and I'll share it with the entire IFS list

You must email your blurb before
8:00 am Thu Jan 1 2004 to

AndeRasmussen@...

in the subject field write
IFS LTWK < ~ ~ ~ ~ this is important, it's how I sort emails

2,579 songwriters receive IFS
many are very talented
and maybe your blurb might help you connect
with who or what you're seeking

so ARE YOU GONNA LET THE WORLD KNOW?
send in your blurbs

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

If IFS has helped you make a connection
Let me know
I'd love to find out what happened
because of something we shared.

Let the world KNOW
and you might find what you seek.

Don't just share it here
share it on bulletin boards all over the web
and you'll increase your probability of SUCCESS

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

IFS readers I encourage you to ENTER the
2003 / 2004 Just Plain Folks Best Lyric Award
for more info DROP BY

http://www.justplainfolks.org/ubb/Forum59/HTML/000010.html

The entry window is NOW till December 31, 2003 :

This is the window to post your lyric. Each member can post 1 lyric in their
name. If it is co-written by multiple members, it will only count against 1
member. (the one posting it.) We will need full names given for each writer. We
will request full contact info for each nominee once they are announced. You
can enter any lyric you wish, except for lyrics entered in 2002.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Congratulations to IFS member Sheila Marshall

Sheila ended up being one of Austin's two Nashville Star Finalists (176 tried
out)
She goes to Dallas to compete in the regionals on Jan 13th

http://www.kase101.com/jacor-common/globalphotos.html?eventID=21812

http://www.sheilamarshallband.com/

Way to go and good luck!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Congratulations to IFS reader Monte Warden, he cowrote "Desperately" with
Bruce Robison and it is scheduled to be George Strait's next SINGLE!
Cuts are hard to come by and singles are even tougher. WAY TO GO Monte! I
hope it hits big for you two. On October 30th Monte and his wife Brandi
welcomed their NEW BABY, Philip Brooks Warden 9 lbs 5 oz!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

You'll find a really EXCELLENT ARTICLE on how INDY Artist Zak Morgan
Received a 2003 Grammy Nomination at:

http://www.justplainfolks.org/ubb/Forum2/HTML/002583.html

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Here's a really excellent article about Julie Gold who wrote "From a Distance"
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Songwriterstipjar/message/101

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Chicken Soup for the Music Lover's Soul" is progressing beautifully and is
scheduled for a 2005 release. Please submit your heartwarming music stories to
our upcoming book,

We are currently still accepting stories and poems for this project! :)

We would love to include some stories about holiday music and it's magic!
Do you recall an amazing experience that relates to a seasonal song?
Holidays are celebrated in many ways throughout the world and music is a big
part of every culture. We hope to hear from you with some more amazing
stories! :)

MusicLoversSoul@....

Details about this book and the submission guidelines can be found at
http://www.MusicLoversSoul.com


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

the following update from john Arthur martinez arrived

Friends, Folks, & Fans,

What a year 2004 should be for everyone in my family--and that means those of
you in my fan club too!

The recording sessions at Emerald Studios surpassed all of my already high
expectations. My producer Matt Rollings most definitely has the ear and the
touch when it comes to capturing the essence of an artist. Keith Urban's first
album, produced by Matt, has just gone platinum.

Matt used an interesting combination of session musicians to create a unique
chemistry which is not always present on typical Nashville recordings. Matt
chose Eddie Bayers on drums, Victor Krause on upright bass, Brent Mason on
electric and Spanish guitar, Biff Watson & john Arthur martinez on acoustic
guitars, Dan Dugmore on steel, Joel Guzman on accordion, Larry Franklin on
fiddle,
and of course Matt Rollings on piano and B3 organ. John Randle and Ray Herndon
handled the background vocal duties.

We recorded "Home Made of Stone," which will definitely be the first single,
"Amarillo by Morning," a bilingual version, and two versions of a new song
called, "Tonight at Fiesta." The remainder of the album will be recorded in
January. The guys in my band will have a chance to play on the record, but the
ultimate decision on what makes the final cut will be guided by Matt Rollings.

Look for January mentions in Austin Monthly and CMT. I'll keep you posted on
release dates. Thanks to all of you who are keeping the buzz going on the
message boards. Thanks Bette for keeping the fan ship sailing and thanks
Cynthia
for a first class website!

God Bless Ya'll and Merry Christmas,

from Mariah, Falon, Aubrie, Ryan, Yvonna & john Arthur

sign up to receive jAm fan announcements
send an email to
jamfans@...

~ ~ ~

and jAm now has a message board on CMT.com
http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/martinez_john_arthur/message_board.jhtml

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lately I've been busy helping coordinate this WORKSHOP

Saturday January 17, 2004
Hit ASCAP song writers Steve Seskin and Allen Shamblin
are doing an ASG Song Writing Workshop at the THE ROUSE HOUSE

http://www.steveseskin.com/

http://allenshamblin.com/

Place: the Rouse House
(directions below)

Time: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
9:45 check in

Tentative Schedule:
(we plan to gear this workshop towards what attendees want)
(so we may adjust the schedule to cover the topics you want)

10:00 - 12:00 Steve
Making Memorable Melodies

12:00 - 01:00 Pizza
Lunch at the Rouse House and a STUDENT CONCERT

01:00 - 02:00 Allen
My story, writing visual lyrics and meaningful songs

02:00 - 03:00 Steve
Curse of the Second Verse

03:00 - 04:00 Steve and Allen
Taking Care of Business
What you really need to do to get cuts with major label artists.

04:00 - 05:00 Steve and Allen
Taking your Next Step and
maybe even Verse / Chorus critiques

05:00 - 07:00 (you're on your own for a couple hours)

07:00 - ??? Rouse House Performance


Cost:
the cost for this workshop is $25
A FREE pizza lunch will be provided

ASG Scholarship Opportunities:
WE DON'T WANT YOU TO MISS THIS EVENT JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE BROKE, SO IF YOU
ARE,
PLEASE CONTACT Ande Rasmussen,
ASG plans to AWARD SEVERAL SCHOLARSHIPS for
ASG members to attend.
anders_rasmussen@...
in the subject field write
ASG SCH

Reserve your slot NOW:
this workshop has limited seating
If you'd like to attend, please
1) fill out the reservation form below and
2) Mail the form and a check made payable to
"Bruce Rouse" to
Bruce Rouse
10219 Willfield Dr.
Austin, TX, 78753


The workshop will be followed with Steve and Allen performing a Rouse House
concert,
which we HIGHLY encourage you attend.
performance times are:

Sat Jan 17 7:30 -

Sun Jan 18 2:00 -

doors open 30 minutes before the show
(More concert and workshop details below)

Steve Seskin and Allen Shamblin are outstanding professional songwriters;
they've done what many of us hope to do. They've written
the following songs

"Grown Men Don't Cry" Seskin
Tim Mc Graw

"Life's a Dance" Seskin / Shamblin
John Michael Montgomery

"Don't Laugh at Me" Seskin / Shamblin
Mark Wills / Peter Paul and Mary

"Flies on the Butter" Shamblin
Wynona

"Where the Blacktop Ends" Shamblin
Keith Urban

"He Walked On Water" Shamblin
Randy Travis

"I Can't Make You Love Me" Shamblin
Bonnie Raitt

Along with Many others

In this workshop they'll give us ideas on how to improve our songwriting
craft as well as ideas on how to get cuts.
Got Questions
call me
Ande Rasmussen
512-397-1892 day
512-217-2728 cell

QUESTION???
On Sunday would you be interested in doing a private 30 minute consultation
with Allen or Steve for $50 per 30 minute session? We haven't confirmed it with
them, but I'm mentioning it now to see if we
have any takers, Let me know

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

From: Rouse_House@...

Rouse House Concerts Presents

Steve Seskin & Allen Shamblin
Saturday January 17, 2004 (7:30 p.m.)
Sunday January 18, 2004 (2:00 p.m.)
(doors open 30 minutes before the show.)
at the home of Bruce and Liz Rouse
10219 Willfield Drive, Austin, Texas
(512) 837-2333

E-mail address: Rouse_House@...

For reservations,
please complete the reservation form
at the bottom of this page, and
return it by January 10, 2004
with the registration fee of $10.00 per person
(make checks payable to: "Bruce Rouse") to:
10219 Willfield Dr.
Austin, Texas, 78753

~ ~ ~ start of form ~ ~ ~

Seskin / Shamblin

Name ____________________________________

Address_____________________________________________________

Phone_____________

e-mail __________________________________

Number of reservations: Sat.____Sun. ____ @ $10.00 = $_________

Saturday Workshop ($25) _______________

Check one: Check___ Cash____ Money Order____ PayPal_____

~ ~ ~ end of form ~ ~ ~

Steve Seskin & Allen Shamblin at Rouse House!

This promises to be an amazing week-end of music. Steve Seskin and Allen
Shamblin together perform occasionally, but such appearances are rather rare.
These two have been writing together for a number of years and have, singly and
in
collaboration, written some absolutely amazing songs.

Steve began performing for spare change in the Bronx and by 1976 had made his
first independent album and decided to try his luck in the Bay area of
California. Although he had plenty of songs, the scene was filled with self
contained bands and producers who used the same pet writers and session players.
It
wasn't until 1986 that he tried Nashville.

Nothing materialized until 1988 when Alabama recorded "She Can". Two years
later he had his first chart-making single with Waylon Jenning's "Wrong". Now he
is getting a taste of the high-end writing for artists who sell millions
every time out of the box. These include songs such as
"Don't Laugh at Me" (Mark Willis),
"I Think About You" (Collin Raye),
"Grown Men Don't Cry" (Tim McGraw),
"For A Change (Neal McCoy),
"Life's A Dance" and
"If You've Got Love" (John Michael Montgomery).

"There was a very cool music community that I had never heard of anywhere
else. There are tons of artists who don't write at all. And they are looking for
10 songs every time they do a new album! I'm still a performer myself" Steve
says, "And I still love doing it. But I make more of my living from songwriting
now, and that makes performing more fun." On stage he is totally relaxed and
spontaneous engaging in a lot of good natured and often hilarious patter that
assures the audience of a good time to go with the good music. . Steve is an
outstanding songwriter and should be around for a long, long time. We are truly
pleased to be able to present this outstanding singer songwriter at our house
concerts series.

Allen's credentials are equally impressive having had more
than 100 songs recorded by such artists as Wynonna, Patty Loveless, Willie
Nelson, Kenny Rogers, Bette Midler, Dolly Parton, Ricky Van Shelton, Kathy Matea
and numerous others. In collaboration with Steve they have written

"Don't Laugh At Me"
(nominated for the 1999 CMA Song of the Year),
"Coffee Can Cactus".
"Bigger than Both of us",
"Life's a Dance",
"It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time",
"Love Is All That Matters",
"Dear David's Daddy"
along with numerous others.

If that were not enough he has written many, many more songs which deserve to
be heard, some of which are on his "Sunrise" CD. These include "Preacher's
Daughter", "8 Days in a Mexican Jail", "So Long Alice", "Rich Man's Battle"
along with numerous others.

This concert has already generated a lot of interest and we have a large
number of reservations already, but still have space available for both
concerts.
Please try to get your reservations in as early as possible to avoid
disappointment.

Upcoming Concerts

March 13 and 14, 2004 Small Potatoes
(Other concerts are pending but are awaiting finalization.)

"House Rules"
* No alcoholic beverages.
* No smoking in the house.
* No children under 12 years of age.
* We require pre-registration to minimize "no shows".
Doors open 1/2 hour before the show. There will be two sets
of approximately 45-50 minutes each, with a break of 25-30 minutes. We serve
light refreshments, coffee and soft drinks during the break.

Songwriter Circle
There is always an informal picking and singing session after the Saturday
night concert. All singers, songwriters, musicians are welcome to join in and
share their music. Pickers who wish to come after 10:30 are welcome (at no
charge) to drop in and join us.


Directions
Exit 241 from I. H. 35 North.
East on Rundberg Lane past Dobie Middle School on left.
Left on Aberdeen just past school yard fence.
Go all the way to the end of Aberdeen.
It will dead-end on Childress.
Right on Childress and an immediate left on to Faylin.
Along Faylin to second intersection with Willfield.
Willfield forms a loop with both ends terminating on Faylin.
We are on the North-east corner of Willfield and Faylin.
10219 Willfield

Web site: http://www.pge.utexas.edu/~brouse/welcome.html
e-mail address: rouse_house@...
telephone: 512-837-2333

Bruce and Liz Rouse
Rouse House Concerts
10219 Willfield Dr.,
Austin, Texas, 78753

Rouse House Gift Certificates
Christmas is literally right around the corner!
If you are looking for a different gift for that
hard-to-buy-for person you might want to consider a gift certificate for
Rouse House Concerts. These also
make great stocking stuffers.

1. Pay now for as many concerts as you wish at $10.00 per concert.

2. Tell us the name(s) of the recipient(s) and be sure that we have their
e-mail address for our list. This will insure that they get copies of the
concert
announcements.

3. Give the recipient(s) a certificate of your making. Tell them all they
need to do is e-mail us, when they get the announcement, telling us they will be
attending that concert. We will keep a list and deduct concerts as they are
used.

Web site: http://www.pge.utexas.edu/~brouse/welcome.html
e-mail address: rouse_house@...
telephone: 512-837-2333

Bruce and Liz Rouse
Rouse House Concerts
10219 Willfield Dr
Austin, Texas, 78753

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

To JOIN or Renew your ASG membership
Please Fill in ASG's membership form
And email it to
info@...
then print your responses, mail it and a check for $40 made out to
Austin Songwriters Group, to
Austin Songwriters Group
PO Box
Austin TX 787

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ beginning of form ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Austin Songwriters Group Membership Form
Austin Songwriters group SUPPORTS and CELEBRATES Austin Area
Songwriters

Month
Year:
Name:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
Email:
Website/s:
H Phone:
W Phone:
Birthday:
Spouse / Significant other / Muse:
Day job:
Company:
Would you be interested in volunteering for ASG?
Is it OK if we announce you joined ASG?
What Iformation would you like ASG to provide about you to our other
members to help you net

(circle or fill in which apply)
I'm: Renewing? Just joining?

My P.R.O. is: ASCAP / BMI / Sesac / What is a P.R.O.? / other (write it in)

My Music Publishing company is / are:

I am a: Lyricist / Composer / Melody writer / Artist / Producer /
Music Fan/

ASG Supporter / ?

Are you interested in collaborating? Yes / No / NA

Please write your answer, you can fill up more than one line.
What instrument(s) do you play?

What style(s) of music do you write?

Tell us about you and your songwriting:

What do you hope to GAIN from being an ASG member?

What are your songwriting goals?

Anything else you'd like us to know?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ end of form ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Email your info to ASG at info@... then
Snail mail your check and info to ASG at

Austin Songwriters Group
PO Box 2578
Austin, TX 78768

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Write on!

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

my contact info is

AndeRasmussen@...

Ande Rasmussen
835 Martindale Falls
Martindale, TX 78655

512-217-2728 cell

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
www.soundclick.com/anders

If you want receive IFS or
change your email address with IFS
send an email to

difs-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Forward IFS to your songwriting friends

IFS home page is
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DIFS

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


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]