IN THIS IFS ISSUE
You'll find an EXCELLENT SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY
To attend Steve Seskin's
OLD Number 9 three day intensive songwriting workshop
Friday April 8th - Sunday April 10th.
Please submit your scholarship APPLICATION before the DEADLINE.

If you really want to attend this workshop and you can afford it,
just sign up and go! This workshop will be an incredible songwriting
experience.

Does anyone out there have any old number 9 stories you'd care to
share.

<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
Inspirations For Songwriters (I F S)
IFS aims to INSPIRE YOU into ACTION
over 2,400 songwriters, music publishers, artists, and
music fans receive IFS
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DID YOU KNOW THAT All IFS messages are archived on
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Once you're in the IFS archive, if you're looking for something in
Particular, you can do a key word search

Here's an easy way to find the IFS home page, type in:
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or
www.SongwritingBlog.com

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Dear IFS Readers,

I hope this email finds you well.

Thank you for all the compliments and thank you's you wrote me about
the last IFS issue. Since I don't make any money from doing IFS,
compliments and thank you's are one of the ways I get paid. I
appreciate it very much. Also again, I deeply thank Allen Shamblin
for allowing me to share his words with you. He's an inspiration to
us all.

Sunday I found out that a song I wrote with IFS reader Betsy Foster
called "We Ran Out of Time" that Denny Martin produced got forwarded
on songu.com latest Spin N' Pitch opportunity

This month our guest is a Broadway actor (currently appearing
in "Phantom Of The Opera" on Broadway). Coincidentally, Phantom is
in the theater right next to where Urban Cowboy had its run. Anyway,
this is a direct pitch-to-artist. He is going to be recording his
own album and is seeking the following types of songs:

"Josh Groban style pop (aka. legit adult contemporary pop). Songs
that are somewhat poppy, but really need a trained singer. Songs
should have a dramatic feel, that has the possibility to be
orchestrated. They can be inspirational songs as well."

You can submit up to 3 songs for this Spin N' Pitch opportunity.
Submit your songs prior to Tuesday, March 1st. More details are
available in the "My Pitching" section of the website.

Here's songu.com's email:

Dear Ande

Good news! Your song 'we ran out of time rough 030916' has been
forwarded by a SongU screener for the current Spin N' Pitch. Although
this does not ultimately guarantee success with your song, it does
represent an important step in the process -- it means that our
screener felt your song was a strong, competitive, commercially
viable song that deserves to be forwarded.

You will receive further email notification after your song has been
listened to by the special guest to let you know whether or not they
express an interest in your song.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our staff.
Keep up the good work!

Best wishes,
The Spin N' Pitch Staff
----------------------------------
www.SongU.com
Songwriting Courses Online
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enjoy this IFS issue,

Ande

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IFS is proud to let you know about the

Old No.9 Steve Seskin Songwriter Workshop SCHOLARSHIP Opportunity!

On Friday April 8 through Sunday, April 10, 2005 the
Old No.9 Road House is offering a
three day songwriting / music workshop for
20 students with
Steve Seskin in the beautiful Texas Hill Country near Waring, Texas.
which is about 40 miles northwest of San Antonio.

An Old No. 9 Road House workshop is an inspirational musical
experience full of fun, great food and fellowship!


IFS and the Old No.9 Corporation for the Arts are proud to provide:

+ One Grand Prize
a FULL Scholarship to the
Steve Seskin Old Number 9 workshop a $475.00 value.

+ One First Runner Up Scholarship of $200.00

+ One Second Runner Up Scholarship of $150.00

Ten applicants will receive free attendance to the
Saturday Concert starting at 6:30 pm and
Friends of the Old No.9 Campfire Jam

Thanks to Kricket at the Old No. 9 for cosponsoring this scholarship
with IFS.


A Few RULES

Please understand that the Grand Prize Scholarship of $475.00 covers
tuition, accommodations and meals. The recipients MUST provide their
own transportation to and from the event. This scholarship is only
good for the Steve Seskin workshop April 8 - 10. The grand
prizewinner can't give their scholarship to another. If the grand
prizewinner is unable to attend the grand prize scholarship will be
awarded to the runner up.

The Runner Up Prizes provide tuition credits toward the workshop
costs, which totals $475.00. The recipients must pay the balance
tuition to attend.
All winners must provide their own transportation.

These scholarships are non transferable,
If you are chosen and can't attend,
IFS will award your scholarship to the next runner up.

IFS and the Old No.9 Corp. for the Arts will select a panel of judges
to evaluate applications and applicants and to award the prizes.

I, Ande Rasmussen, will NOT be a judge of this scholarship and
will have nothing to do with judging.

FYI, in the past, very few people have applied for this amazing
opportunity.
Your odds dramatically increase when you enter.


To be eligible to apply you MUST:

1) Be able to attend all three days of the Workshop from
6:00 pm / suppertime on
Friday April 8 through early afternoon on Sunday, April 10, 2005.

2) Submit your application before the DEADLINE
Midnight CST March 20th, 2005


To apply for this Scholarship to the Old No.9 Steve Seskin Songwriter
Workshop:


1) Fill out an application which includes

Your name,

Your address,

Your phone numbers,

Your email address,

Your website (if you have one)

URLS to 3 songs or song clips you'd like the judges to hear
where the judges can hear your music online.
Let the judges know who the writers and performers are
(if you don't have a website you can quickly and easily set up a free
site and load 3 songs on www.songramp.com)

2) Answer the following questions and respond to the prompts

a) Tell us about yourself and your songwriting
1) What have you accomplished so far?
2) What do you hope to accomplish with your songwriting?

b) Why should IFS / Old No.9 Corp. judges select and send you to
attend the Old No 9 Songwriter Workshop with Steve Seskin?

c) What do you hope to gain from the experience?

3) Email your info and answers to
OldNo9Sch@yahoogroups.com

Put your responses in the body of the email
NO ATTACHMENTS
infact all attachments are discarded

In the subject field write
IFS Old No 9
Submit your app before the 03/20/05 DEADLINE


Judging Criteria:

IFS judges will select who they feel are the most deserving
individuals. In the past, the judges have considered the following
factors:

The applicants':
Essays,
Songs, songwriting and music,
Commitment and dedication to their music career,
Financial need, and
if the applicant has ever been to Old No.9 before?

IFS hopes to send three people who will greatly benefit from their
Old No.9 experience.


IMPORTANT DATES

Submission Deadline:
Sunday March 20th, 2005 midnight CST


Recipient Announcement Date:
Friday March 25th, 2005

IFS will announce the recipients and runners up.

The scholarships are:

+ One Grand Prize Scholarship of $475.00
+ One First Runner Up Scholarship of $200.00
+ One Second Runner Up Scholarship of $150.00

Old Number 9 is an incredible experience and an awesome opportunity!
We look forward to reading your submissions and hearing your music

About the Old No. 9
The Old No. 9 Road House is an educational facility for the arts
located near Comfort in the beautiful Texas Hill Country and within
walking distance of the Guadalupe River. Created as a place for art
related workshop/retreat, the Old No. 9 features classroom
facilities, a covered stage for performance and bunkhouse-style
accommodations for individuals or small groups. The Old No.9 Music
Series hosts Songwriter Workshops where education is offered during
intensive three-day retreats. These retreats are usually
highlighted by a Saturday night concert that the public is invited to
attend. For complete information visit our Songwriters Workshop page.


About Steve Seskin
Imagine taking a songwriting class from a songwriter who has made
it. You can! Steve Seskin has written seven number one songs,
including Grammy-nominated Grown Men Don't Cry, recorded by Tim
McGraw, and Don't Laugh at Me, winning NSAI Song of the Year and
Music Row Magazine Song of the Year in 1999 as recorded by Mark
Wills. Steve enjoys teaching; he is an insightful, helpful and
charismatic teacher.

Steve has been invited by Nashville Songwriters Association
International (NSAI) to lecture at NSAI teaching nights in Nashville
since 1995; he was invited as a guest lecturer at NSAI Spring
Symposium in 1997 and NSAI Songwriting Cruise in 1998 and 1999. Steve
has taught regional NSAI workshops in Los Angeles, CA, San Diego, CA,
Vancouver, BC, Banff, Boston, MA, Fresno, CA, Sacramento, CA,
Seattle, WA, Greenville, SC, Charlotte, NC, Washington, DC, Detroit,
MI, Columbus, OH, Kansas City, MO, and Nashville, TN. He has been
Staff Instructor at the Rocky Mountain Folk Festival for the past 7
years.

Since 1988, Steve has taught beginning and advanced classes for the
West Coast Songwriters Association. He continues to teach about all
aspects of writing lyrics and music, including critique classes.
Steve has also been a guest lecturer at Berklee College of Music and
on the faculty at San Francisco State University. These are just some
of his songwriting workshop and song school management experiences.

As one of Steve's students says so well, I have benefited from
Steve's encyclopedic knowledge of songcraft at several song schools.
He not only writes hit country songs on a regular basis, but is an
amazingly enthusiastic, entertaining, concise and effective
songwriting teacher. Long may he teach! Steve's songwriting courses
include; Intro to Lyric Writing, Melody, Rhyming and Metaphor, Point
of View, Writing/Rewriting, Inspiration, Music Business, and
Collaboration.


SONGWRITER WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

Friday, April 8
04:00 - 06:00 pm Students check in
06:30 - 07:30 pm Welcome & Dinner
08:00 - until ?? Around the campfire get to know you, trading
stories, singin' and pickin' with Steve

Sat., April 9
08:00 - 08:45 am Breakfast
09:00 - 11:45 am Workshop Sessions
12:00 - 01:00 pm Lunch
01:30 - 04:30 pm Workshop Sessions
04:30 - 05:30 pm Free time, writing & jamming
05:30 - 06:15 pm Dinner
06:30 - 07:45 pm Student Openers for the Concert
08:00 pm Steve Seskin in Concert at the Old No.9 Road House,
Rex Foster Opening
10:30 pm - until ?? Friends of the Old No.9 Campfire Jam

Sunday, April 10
Free time until 9 am Sleep in.
09:30 am -10:15 am Brunch
10:30am - 02:30 pm Live Student Concert with Steve recorded
for commemorative CD
02:30 pm - until ?? Farewells and departures (you won't want to leave)

Scheduled times are approximate.
Steve Seskin will conduct sessions in creative inspiration in
songwriting, music creativity, instrument technique and performance.
They will provide information and answer questions regarding the
business of publishing and producing in the music industry.


WORKSHOP FEES

$25.00 Non-refundable Reservation Fee must accompany Registration Form

$475.00 Total including Reservation Fee, Tuition, Room & Board
(includes workshop tuition, lodging, meals, snacks, Student/CD, Steve
Seskin
CD, and Old No.9 t-shirt)

This event is limited to 20 students. If you really want to attend
IFS suggests you contact OLD NO 9 and SIGN UP before the workshop
fills up
soon they may have to turn people away

Thanks again to Kricket and The Old No. 9 for partnering with IFS.

For more information call
830-995-4413 office
508-314-4762 cell

email
kricketmri@...
or drop by
http://www.oldno9.org/

got questions about the scholarship?
send them to
OldNo9Sch@yahoogroups.com
in the subject field write
QUESTION

Good luck
Send in your APP

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Remember the Pitch to a Christian Producer opportunity?

I received this feedback from the producer
He wrote:

Just put this word out. "Real"
I want real, honest stuff,
almost stuff that you'd be scared of saying in church,
but is what you really feel about life, God, and
how a Christian deals with the world.

He also added
Ande, take a listen to Nichole Nordeman's album
"This Mystery". You might consider buying it.
I consider her to be the premier Christian songwriter.

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Hey ande,

That's so strange about Idgy's backup vocalists.

I spent my freshman year in college at McLennon Community College in
Waco with a girl who was just beginning and trying her wings as a
singer/songwriter. I attended her very first recital, where she was
so nervous she almost didn't go out on stage.

Ruthie Foster was her name. And from what I hear, she's gotten a bit
more confidence since then. Was incredible back then.
:)

Steve Johnson
Steve_S_Johnson@...

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I thought you guys would get a kick out of this, I know I did.
It's a bit of history concerning the origins of "Tin Pan Alley"
that I knew not...

http://www.answers.com/topic/tin-pan-alley

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My friend and cowriter Jen Rathbun,
put up a couple videos of her performing songs that
I wrote with her. You can see them on
http://www.JenRathbun.com/Video.html
The two I wrote with her are
Penchant for Pleasure and Red Stilletto Mood.

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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@a...

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

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

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

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"
(c) 2005 Anders Rasmussen