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Inspirations For Songwriters (I F S)
IFS aims to INSPIRE YOU into ACTION
over 2,600 songwriters, music publishers, artists, and music fans
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DID YOU KNOW THAT All IFS messages are archived on
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DIFS/messages

Once you're in the IFS archive, if you're looking for something in
particular, you can do a key word search

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Dear IFS READERS,

Lately I've been busy helping with the Austin Songwriters Group
Contest. We had our Award ceremony on Wednesday June, 2nd. I was
thrilled to see many friends, cowriters, and IFS readers do well.

That night I saw Joe Strouse, Charles Moster, Marilyn Rucker, Craig
Davis, Timothy Gangwer, Ten Speed - Joe Montgomery, Charles Roe,
Jackie Mack, Steve Johnson, Sheryl Crawford, Anita Ortiz, Vicky
Emerson, Slade Crabtree, Cheryl Murdock, Katy Belle, Kit Holmes,
Bruce Jones, Chelle Murrey, Karla Manzur, Lisa Rogers, Laura Harris,
Jeff Beller, Lauren Beller, Sean Michael O'Keefe, Aaron Rosetto,
H. Shupp Salas, Michael Gdovin, Charlotte Ryerson, and Lealean Peace.

The following weren't able to attend but they are friends who had
finalists songs in ASG's Contest:
Donna Aylor, Greg Valente, Leanne Timura, Mark Oates, Blake Hill, and
Brock Goodwin.

Lealean Peace and Dane Sterling's song "Too Much"
won ASG's Grand Prize in ASG's 2004 Austin Song Contest!

(by the way I had nothing to do with judging that category, so please
don't go thinking I slid my buddies into the grand prize slot, they
wrote and produced a really great song and our music industry
professional judges chose it. I was the first level judge in
the "Lyrics Only" category. Which means I read all the Lyrics Only
entries and choose 10% to move forward to the final category judge."
The way ASG designed the contest, the judges didn't know who
submitted particular songs."

Nanci Jay was taking photographs and at first she was handing out
certificates, I quickly volunteered to hand out the certificates so
she could concentrate on photos. If you see something that needs
done, dive in and do it.

First I want to thank everyone who entered, it takes courage to put
yourself out there. If you hope to achieve success that's what you
have to do every day.

Second every songwriting organization, has overworked underpaid (non
paid) volunteers busting their butts to create a community and cool
things for their members and friends. Take time to thank those who
volunteer and find a way where you can be a volunteer.

Wednesday night after the Award Ceremony,
Tucker Livingston and john Arthur martinez were two writers in the
round, john played two songs I wrote with him, "Lone Starry Night"
and "Karma" (Donna Aylor is a cowriter on Karma too) John said I
can't play this song sitting down, so he stood up and tore into it.

It was a magical night!


Did I tell you I attempted to become a Texas GRAMMY governor?
After I submitted my application I found out I was running against my
buddy Sandy Knox. Yesterday, the Texas director Wendy Morgan called
me and told me that Sandy won. Way to go Sandy you'll do a great
job! I may run again next year.


IFS readers, We create art.
I want YOU to be successful.
I want you to make money and gain recognition from your art.

Recently, I read an article about art marketing written by Roy H.
Williams that grabbed me by the eyeballs with two simple questions.

1) "Have you ever noticed that highly paid artists are often no more
talented than those struggling at the edges of the spotlight? (If you
said, "No, I've never noticed that," you are an art connoisseur. But
if your heart leapt in your chest and a voice within you
shouted "Yes!" then you, my friend, are a frustrated artist.)"

2) Q: Why do some artists make a wonderful living from their art,
while others – equally talented – spend their whole lives waiting to
be discovered?

A: Those fortunate enough to be skilled in a visual language rarely
have the word-skills to market what they have made. They expect their
art to "speak for itself." Ask them. They will tell you that they
don't want to "diminish their art" by having to explain it. Sadly,
the only people who can fully appreciate their art without the help
of words are usually other artists. The visual artists who succeed
are the ones who have an agent, a gallery owner or an art critic as a
surrogate voice. But it doesn't have to be that way. You can learn,
if you're willing, how to speak for yourself.

When you created that piece of art,
you were feeling something.
What was it?
Where were you?
Why did you do it?
How did you feel when it was done?
What does it now say to you, the artist?
Answers to questions like these will often move a person that
critical inch from
"I like your work" to "I'll take it."

Are too many people liking your work and too few of them taking it?

Before you say, "Sorry, but you just don't understand the art
business," I'll let you in on a secret: Seventeen years ago – when
Pennie and I were first launching our company – I kept the wolf away
from the door by selling the art of a young friend who had never had
an art lesson or sold a single piece of art. Over the next few years
I made a few hundred thousand dollars for myself and twice as much
for him; and art galleries and museums were among our paying
customers. So go back and read again what I told you. I've been
there. Done that. Got the T-shirt. Paid the taxes.

Art is created when inspiration germinates, grows and finds an
outlet. And like every other infant, it sometimes needs its mother or
its father to speak on its behalf. Gustave Flaubert may have had
visual artists in mind when he said, "The art of writing is the art
of discovering what you believe."

I know this was painful for all you visual artists to hear. But I did
it only because I care about your success."

(taken from Roy H Williams Monday Morning Memo)
http://www.wizardacademy.com/showmemo.asp?id=139

The point is if you create wonderful art (songs) you may be able to
sell more, if you have interesting stories about what inspired each
song and if you tell them well.
Todd Snider is brilliant at this. Steve Seskin is too.
When you do
you may discover people in your audience
moving that critical inch, where they
buy your CD's,
go to see you perform, or
hire you for a private performance.

stop struggling at the edge of the spotlight
stop waiting to be discovered

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Prince Caused Sound Scan to change their rules.

Everyone who buys a ticket to Prince's 2004 Musicology tour, will
also receive his new "Musicology" CD. Other artists started doing
this too then SoundScan said NO, CD's sold as part of a Ticket
purchase won't count in our totals.

This kind of reminds me of when the Harry Potter Books domininated
the New York Times Best Seller list to the point that the list
EXCLUDED childrens books which pulled the Harry Potter Books out of
their list, though I'm sure Harry Potter books continue to outsell
many best sellers.

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This is CLEVER, In the June 2004 Country Line Magazine I read

"Grassroots organizing at its finest. Texas songstresses Trish
Murphy, Ginger Leigh and Patrice Pike recently auctioned off a
private concert on eBay to offset the cost of their completely
independently organized European tour. No agents, no labels, no
corporate sponsors, just a bidding war on the Internet auction site.
Sorry folks, we're a monthly publication, so the concert's already
sold!"

http://www.countrylinemagazine.com/kathleen.html

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Austin Songwriters Group's 2004 Austin Song Contest Results

The finalists and winners are:


Instrumental:
1st place - Angela's Theme - Craig Davis
2nd place - Django Like - Brian Todd McRae
3rd place - Driving in Rain - Timothy Gangwer

Finalist:
Ten Speed - Joe Montgomery


Lyrics:
1st place - The Loneliest Lonely - Mike Hyden
2nd place - Cryin Cowboy - Kim McDaniel
3rd place - Hill Country Christmas eve - Charles Roe

Finalists:
Cassandra - Marilyn Rucker
Feminine Wiles - Charles Moster
Man Of The Finest Cloth – Jackie Mack


Other:
1st place. What a Day - Steve Johnson
2nd place. We are the Squirrels - Craig Davis
3rd place. A Friend - Craig Davis

Finalists:
After the Storm - Sheryl Crawford
Ahavat Olam - Joe Strouse and Jaime Shpall
Happy Whatever You're Having - Marilyn Rucker
Losing My Chances - Anita Ortiz
Nordstrom Medley - Vicky Emerson and David Schendel
Yellow Bicycle - Billy Byron


POP
1st place - Finally Found Love - Slade Crabtree and Cheryl Murdock
2nd place - I'll Hold On - Lealean Peace
3rd place - Always You - Brian Torres, John Elkins and Gordon Pagoda

Finalists:
How Deep It Was - Slade Crabtree and Cheryl Murdock
Shampoo On My Pillow - Katy Belle
Take Me Back - Kit Holmes
Through The Years - Charles Moster


Rock/Blues
1st place - Redemption - Grace Falcon Vasquez, Aaron Vasquez and
Brandon
Piscorik
2nd place - Fight Like a Girl - Bruce Jones
3rd place - Revolution Road- Craig Davis

Finalists:
Catty, Simple-Minded Thing - Athala King
Feminine Wiles - Charles Moster
Homeland Security - Bruce Jones
King of a Small Town - Foscoe Jones
Sunny Days Ahead - Craig Davis
The Day We Lit the Fuse - David Kiesel
Uh-Uh Man - Timothy Gangwer


Singer/Songwriter
1st place - One Last Time - Charlotte Ryerson
2nd place - Oh, oh, oh - Foscoe Jones
3rd place - Everyone's Got Philosophy - Chelle Murrey

Finalists:
Carnival - Karla Manzur
Fair Weather Friend - Laura Harris
Four Little Words - Lisa Rogers
How Deep It Was - Slade Crabtree and Cheryl Murdock
I Wouldn't Want To Be In Texas Without You - Jeff Beller and Lauren
Beller
Steady As She Goes - Joe Strouse and Robert Skiles
The Arms Of The Big Uneasy - Sean Michael O'Keefe
To Thine Own Self Be True - Laura Harris


Barebones:
1st place - Silver Train - Charlotte Ryerson
2nd place - So Long Perfection - Aaron Rosetto
3rd place - Tulsa - Joe Montgomery

Finalists:
Fair Weather Friend - Laura Harris
I Wish You Here - Lealean Peace
No Secrets - Slade Crabtree and Cheryl Murdock
Square One - Laura Harris
Stained Glass - Danny Schmidt
Stolen Moments - Helen Faye, Aaron See, James Allan, Tim Shewmake,
Christopher Wagner and DeAwna Edwards
The Stories In My Mind - Dennis Livingston
You hold Me Still - H. Shupp Salas


Country:
1st place - Too Much - Lealean Peace and Dane Sterling
2nd place - I Love You For Leaving - Donna Aylor, Mark Oates and
Blake Hill
3rd place - How Deep It Was - Slade Crabtree and Cheryl Murdock

Finalists:
2 Step Process - Kurt Orning
Blink Of An Eye - Greg Whitefield
How A Moment Becomes A Memory - Donna Aylor, Blake Hill and Brock
Goodwin
I Wouldn't Want To Be In Texas Without You - Jeff Beller and Lauren
Beller
Leaving Side Of Me - Charles C. Richard
Lying Next To Me - Michael Gdovin
With Your Eyes - Greg Valente and Billy Dalton
Your Confusion - Leanne Timura and Kent Gray

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ASG's 2004 Grand Prize Winning Song is

"Too Much"
written by
Lealean Peace and Dane Sterling

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Congratulations to all finalists and winners!

Contest winners were announced at ASG's Wed June 2nd
ASG 2004 Austin Song Contest Award Ceremony / Monthly Meeting

Austin Songwriters Group thanks the 2004 Austin Song Contest sponsors


MEDIA Sponsors

KUT 90.5 FM Radio,
News 8 Austin,
Inspirations for Songwriters (IFS) ezine,
MusesMuse.com , and the
Austin Music Network.


ASG sends much love to this year's
Contest Prize Sponsors:
· Lovemonkey Studios
· Alta Vista Recording
· Steven Doster
· Gabe Rhodes
· Mark Addison
· MusicMakers
· CDBaby.com
· Hostbaby.com
· Cutting Edge Music Studio
· Blue World Music
· Denny Martin
· Dale Kawashima
· IndieBible.com
· Humbletime Radio
· SellarDoorStudios
· SongU.com
· WG Publications
· Jason Blume
· Allworth Publishing
· Masterwriter Software
· Uchi Restaurant
· Nancy Jay
· Kim Copeland
· Indie-music.com
· Robb McKenzie
· Music Labs of Austin
· KUT 90.5 FM Radio

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you can sell professional quality Audio and Data CDs with no
inventory or setup costs. With CafePress.com,

http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/sell/cds.aspx

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The Belle of the Ball

IFS reader Charlotte Ryerson from Texarcana, Texas won the
singer songwriter category and the
barebones category in the Austin Songwriters Group 2004 Contest.
I listened to her winning songs and I'm a fan. I absolutely love her
voice and writing. Though she hasn't been writing long, she's has a
keen sense of melody, makes interesting lyrical choices, and she
shines through her understated piano vocal recordings.

To listen to Charlotte and her winning songs,
drop by:

www.broadjam.com
do a search for
"ryerson"
"Silver Train" Bare Bones Winner
and
"One Last Time" Singer Songwriter Winner

Way to go Charlotte, on Wednesday June 2nd, 2004 at the Saxon Pub in
Austin, Texas, you were the the belle of the ball. I look forward to
hearing your future songs and watching you have more song success.

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Write on!

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

Contact info is:

Ande Rasmussen
835 Martindale Falls
Martindale, TX 78655
AndeRasmussen@...

You can read my Bio at:
http://www.andersrasmussen.com/


You can hear a few of my tunes at:
http://songramp.com/ande
http://www.soundclick.com/anders

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I F S stands for Inspirations for Songwriters, I F S is an ezine for
songwriters filled with inspirational and practical information about
the art, craft, and business of songwriting. We want to help YOU
become a more successful songwriter.

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
The entire text of
"Inspirations for Songwriters"
© 2004 Anders Rasmussen

Does anyone EVER read IFS to the very end?