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Inspirations For Songwriters (I F S)
IFS aims to INSPIRE YOU into ACTION
over 3,600 songwriters, music publishers, artists, and
music fans receive IFS
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DIFS/

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Please FORWARD IFS to your SONGWRITING friends

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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:
www.SongwriterBlog.com or www.SongwritingBlog.com

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dear IFS Readers,

Yesterday May 21 was my birthday and I turned 42.

Folks didn't seem to care if IFS was long or short they mainly wrote
JUST KEEP SENDING IT.

My latest cut came out:
Tue May 17 Austin artist Abi Tapia released her latest CD "One Foot
Out the Door" I cowrote "Hand Over Your Heart" which is the 9th track
on the CD. She wrote all the other songs on the CD by herself. Austin
Producer Chris Gage who used to be Roy Clark's band leader produced
the CD. Paul Pearcy played drums and Glen Fukanaga was on Bass, Paul
and Glen played on the Dixie Chicks latest studio CD.

http://cdbaby.com/cd/abitapia2

there's some really great stuff in this IFS so I'll get right to it.

ande

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Recently an artist asked to record a few of my songs and he asked to
use the tracks without vocals.

So first I sent Denny Martin, the demo producer,
the following email

~ ~ ~

hi denny,

hope you're doing well

today an artist let me know he liked Guards at the Gate of my heart
and requested the backing track which you produced back in 1999

If he wants to use the track you made on his recording project

what are your terms?
being listed as a producer and cost?
if it is a for sale CD
if it is a not for sale CD

Personally I prefer the artist and producer to creating a new track

take care and let me know

Ande

~ ~ ~

his response was

From: dennymartinmusic@...

Hi Ande,
This is a gray area as you know. If I recall this was a simple guitar
or piano or guitar and piano with vocal.

Is this a limited pressing project?
I try to get that scale for guys which would mean an additional $30
per player.
I'm ok with being listed as the producer of the track. I would like
to get an additional $100 for my production for the limited pressing
usage. Limited pressing is an initial pressing of 1,000 copies or any
fraction thereof.

If it's not for sale I think the same terms should apply as it's then
an artist presentation.

Like you I prefer that the artist wanting my song redo it to their
specifications.

Congrats on the interest in the song.

Blessings,
Denny

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Before I got Denny's response I asked several of my music expert
friends the following questions

hello,

I have several questions for an upcoming IFS article on demos

I want to let IFS readers know about the ins and outs of demos

if a songwriter hired a demo studio to create a demo

what can the songwriter do with that demo and it's backing track?
what can't the songwriter do with that demo and it's backing track?
Who owns the master recording to the demo and it's backing track?

it's not like a songwriter can pull a demo that garth brooks or buddy
jewell sang and release it as a single

What if a songwriter wants to put that demo on a for sale CD?
what permissions and papers does the songwriter need to get?
what payments should the songwriter make? To whom?
what credits does he need to give?
should he just get a new recording made, with the understanding that
it is going to be on a for sale CD?
how does that change the princing to create the recording?

What if an artist wants to use a demos backing track on his for sale
CD?
does the artist need to make payments? To whom?
what permissions and papers does the artist need to get?
what credits does he need to give?

what if the artist uses the track for a not for sale demo CD?

Anything else?

I'll be sure to credit your quotes and plug your businesses

please forward these questions to any of your friends in the business
who might want to answer them and benefit from exposing their
expertise in IFS and it's 3,600 readers

thank you for your answers.

Ande

~ ~ ~

Here are their Responses:

Dale Kawashima at songwriteruniverse.com

From: info@...

HI Ande:

Here are some answers to your questions. I do think that your
questions should mainly be answered by music attorneys, or by the
demo producers. These are mostly legal questions.

what can the songwriter do with that demo and it's backing track?

The songwriter hired a demo studio, he/she can negotiate to own the
master rights for all the tracks on the demo. Many studios are
willing to give the writer the Protools files when the demo is
completed. If the songwriter plans to use that demo as a master to
place in films and TV, then the demo producer may want the master
fee, unless the writer has purchased all rights in the master.

what credits does he need to give?

The songwriter/artist should credit the musicians who played on the
demo, on the CD credits.

- Dale Kawashima

~ ~ ~

From Jason Blume:

Hi Anders -

Interesting that you would ask these particular questions -- and
they're very important indeed. I'm currently working on THIS
BUSINESS OF SONGWRITING for Billboard Books and I've been asking very
similar questions -- without getting many definitive answers.

Clearly, the best thing for a songwriter to do is to bring an
agreement to the demo session and have it signed by all musicians and
vocalists, essentially defining the "demo" as a "master" -- and
granting the writer full ownership. Of course, this should be
discussed with the musicians and singers beforehand. If the
musicians or vocalists are not willing to sign this, you can either
respect that the demo is to be used ONLY for demonstration purposes --
or look for different musicians. FYI, Zomba requested that its
writers ask all demo musicians and vocalists to complete this type of
agreement so that the company could place demos in TV and films as
background music.

is that what can the songwriter do with that demo and it's backing
track?
what can't the songwriter do with that demo and it's backing track?
Who owns the master recording to the demo and it's backing track?

My sense (although I have not been able to get this confirmed) is
that the writer owns the master recording -- BUT that in the absence
of any agreement, the performances were done with the implied
understanding that they would be used solely as a DEMO. I believe
that in the event that a vocalist or musician chose to take legal
action, a jury would decide whether the writer had the right to
commercially exploit the work or not.

it's not like a songwriter can pull a demo that garth brooks or buddy
jewell sang and release it as a single

Well, that kind of thing has been done. . . and writers have been
sued. Singers can protect themselves by asking that an agreement be
signed stating that the recording is being done for DEMONSTRATION
purposes only.

What if a songwriter wants to put that demo on a for sale CD?
what permissions and papers does the songwriter need to get?
what payments should the songwriter make? To whom?
what credits does he need to give?
should he just get a new recording made, with the understanding that
it is going to be on a for sale CD?
how does that change the pricing to create the recording?


I wish I had better answers -- and hopefully I will, before my book
is finished (in October)! Here's what I do know . . . If your
musicians and vocalists are members of the Nashville locals
(chapters) of their respective unions (AFTRA for singers; AFM for
musicians) the answers are easy. Nashville (and no other locals of
the unions) has reduced rates for demo sessions (about half the cost
of master sessions). In the event that the "demo" is sold or used in
TV or films, the musicians and singers must be "upgraded" to full
master scale at that point. In other cities union scale is the same
regardless of whether the recording is to be used for demo or master
purposes.

But if you are using musicians and vocalists who are not AFM and
AFTRA members, in the absence of a written agreement, I'm not aware
of any clear answers. (But I'm certainly looking forward to learning
what others have to say about this!)

What if an artist wants to use a demos backing track on his for sale
CD?
does the artist need to make payments? To whom?
what permissions and papers does the artist need to get?
what credits does he need to give?


Again, I don't have definitive answers but I think the most ethical
thing to do would be to ask the musicians and vocalists for
permission. Provided that they're okay with the usage, pay them a
bonus -- contingent on the amount of money the product earns. If the
performances are included on a self-released CD that sells 1,000
copies you're not talking about any significant income. But if
the "demo-turned-master" gets used in a film and earns $10,000 it
might be nice to thank the musicians and singer with a couple hundred
dollars each (essentially bringing them up to what they would have
earned if there session had been booked as a union "master" session).

what if the artist uses the track for a not for sale demo CD?

Well, that is part of what a "demo" is intended for and would not
require additional payments of permissions.

Anders, I wish I had better answers -- and I'll eagerly await
learning what else you learn.

I hope things are going well with you. Things are good here. I'm
celebrating my latest platinum album with Jesse McCartney ("Beautiful
Soul") and have two country songs coming out in a few weeks on one of
the finalists of Canadian Idol.

But my exciting news is that I'm going to Norway next week to teach
two classes and to write with the top Norwegian artists and writers
for two weeks.

Gotta get back to work!

All the best,
Jason
www.JasonBlume.com

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

here's the reply from Steve Cooper at The Songwriter's Studio in
Nashville. 615-952-2138 www.thesongwritersstudio.com

Subject: questions on demos for an upcoming ifs article Date: Wed, 18
May

hello,

I have several questions for an upcoming IFS article on demos

I want to let IFS readers know about the ins and outs of demos
if a songwriter hired a demo studio to create a demo

what can the songwriter do with that demo and it's backing track?
what can't the songwriter do with that demo and it's backing track?
Who owns the master recording to the demo and it's backing track?

it's not like a songwriter can pull a demo that garth brooks or buddy
jewell sang and release it as a single

ANSWER:
A demo is short for "demonstration tape". The purpose of which, is to
demonstrate the song to potential artists, producers etc. It is not a
"master-recording". While everyone on it is paid on a "work for hire"
basis, it is understood that this is a demonstration recording - not
a master. Master recordings are made for public consumption - and are
intended as "product". Vocalists sing on demos in order to showcase
the song - not themselves. A great demo singer can make all sorts of
songs shine - but none of these songs may be the sort of material
they'd cut as an artist. They sang the song "for hire" - but not as
an artist. Thus, the songwriter may own the performance as a demo,
but they do not own the rights to utilizie the vocalist's name with
that recording. So, for instance, if Buddy Jewell sang a demo of your
song ( and he sang many many demos - more than 400 for me alone ) you
can't promote the demo as a Buddy Jewell "master" recording.

>What if a songwriter wants to put that demo on a for sale CD?
>what permissions and papers does the songwriter need to get?
>what payments should the songwriter make? To whom?
>what credits does he need to give?
>should he just get a new recording made, with the understanding that
it is
>going to be on a for sale CD?
>how does that change the princing to create the recording?

ANSWER: The demo was made "for hire" - so the songwriter does own it.
If the
songwriter feels they want to create a CD and sell their "demos" as a
master
recording, there is a way to do it. Some words of caution though;
Being a
demo recording means the refinement of the audio quality,
musicianship and
vocal are not up to the levels of a master recording. And they
shouldn't be
- the average price of a master recroding is probably $10,000 per
song - while the average demo costs about $500. There is no way for
$500 that the demo can approach the level of quality of a master
recording. Sure, it may sound good to the songwriter and others, but
a master recording it is not. However, there is nothing wrong with
sharing demos - and even selling them on a CD. The key is making
the "songwriter" the ARTIST. The songwriter may not play or sing a
word on the CD, but they still need to be the artist. On the credits,
it can be said " sung by Buddy Jewell " . That is placed next
to the song - BUT not on the cover. On the cover implies Buddy Jewell
is the artist. What happens if you do this - it's called meet the
army of lawyers that a record label can muster. Even an unknown
vocalist is protected, and I've seen several CD's over the
years "pulled" because someone used the vocalist's name and the
vocalist discovered what was going on. Years ago a songwriter had
a "duet" recorded that "demo vocalist" Tricia Yearwood sang
on. Several years after the demo was made, he utilized the master to
erase the male vocal, add his own, and attempt to market a NEW Tricia
Yearwood duet.

What happened? Lawyers, and the end result was the product was
pulled, and all his work and $$$ in the project were for nothing.

>
>What if an artist wants to use a demos backing track on his for sale
CD?
>does the artist need to make payments? To whom?
>what permissions and papers does the artist need to get?
>what credits does he need to give?

ANSWER: If an artist wants to use the "demo" tracks for their CD if
can be done. This rarely happens, but it does. Essentially, the
production is bought out. The demo producer gets a fee, the
songwriter gets a fee for a buyout, and the musicians all receive a
further payment at "union master scale" for the session. This is
usually paid by the label. And of course, legal documents are drawn
up to transfer ownership of the demo tracks to the label - which now
the demo tracks are considered a master.
>
>what if the artist uses the track for a not for sale demo CD?
ANSWER: A promo CD is given away - not sold. However, the material on
it was produced and paid for. Thus, a promo CD track has the same
expenses - just that the label and artist have agreed not to be
reimbursed for those expenses when they "give them" away.

Steve Cooper
The Songwriter's Studio in Nashville.
615-952-2138
www.thesongwritersstudio.com

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

my buddy Gary Powell has started a blog and he's been doing some work
for Helen Darling

http://www.garypowell.com/blogs/index.php

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grammy Camp for 15 - 18 year olds is happening July 30 - August 7,
2005

for more details drop by
http://www.grammyintheschools.com/gits_loader.html

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
info@... writes:

Hello my friends! Please feel free to pass this along to people you
know who would find this of interest. Thanks!

May 19, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Connie Mims
http://www.conniemims.com
713.628.5625


SONGWRITER'S GROUP NOW FORMING IN THE WOODLANDS
Local songwriters and performers Connie Mims and Gary Joe Cameron
have teamed up to form The Woodlands Songwriters' Association, for
the purpose of songwriters of all levels and genres to meet once a
month to share their music in a fun and supportive environment and to
better their craft. The monthly meeting will offer members the
opportunity to present their compositions for group critique,
enhanced with occasional informative programs and guest speakers from
the songwriting industry. Mims is a member of Nashville Songwriter's
Association and has recently been awarded an "Honorable Mention" for
one of her songs in that organization's 2004 Song Contest, in
conjunction with Country Music Television. Gary Joe Cameron, a local
musician and songwriter, hosts the popular "Open Mic" night on Friday
evenings at Port City Java Cafe, adjacent to Montgomery College.

The Woodlands Songwriters Association plans to meet the first Monday
of each month from 7:00 to 8:30pm. Interested songwriters or music
enthusiasts can call 713.628.5625 for more information.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

here's an interview with Larry Seyer at Tascam
http://www.tascamgiga.com/larry1.html

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Subj: Thankful for the newsletter!!!!
From: pspwkp@...

Ande..........I am VERY GRATEFUL for every IFS newsletter you send
out. Longer or shorter or more frequent, doesn't matter to me. I'm
just glad to receive it!! THANKS!!!!!
Could I put a link to your site on my sites? They are www.pspwkp.com
and www.MudBugRecords.com
Have a great weekend!!
Bill Porta

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

from http://www.justplainfolks.org/ubb/Forum2/HTML/004046.html

Dave Rav
posted 05-21-2005 23:42 I'm a singer/songwriter
looking for a pro lyricist to collaborate with. I have two Cd's out
and have toured the country many times. I have also open for some
major acts. I'm looking to finish a lot of songs for an Independent
record deal I'm working on. I can e-mail/mp3 you some of my completed
work if you are interested. dravjr@...

Thank you for your time,
Dave

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Subject: last week to apply

Apply by May 27th for
PLAY FOR PUBLISHERS
A Barbara Cloyd Songwriting Workshop
JUNE 24 - 26, NASHVILLE, TN

With
Scott Gunter, Universal Publishing
Rusty Gaston, Song Garden Music
Cliff Audretch, Windswept Publishing
Kye Fleming, Song Journey. com
Cyndi Forman, Universal Publishing
Sherrill Blackman, SDB Music

This weekend event is designed for writers with dreams of having
their songs recorded by major label Nashville artists. Writers must
apply and twelve applicants will be carefully selected for their
originality, creativity and craftsmanship. During the weekend there
will be three listening sessions, each attended by two publishers.
Every writer will play a song at each session and the publishers will
give feedback on the craft and commercial potential of the writing.
After the songs have been heard there will be question/answer time.

Those who attend will
Be heard by established publishers who have the ability to get songs
cut and sign staff writers
Get feedback on their writing from professionals who know the market
Find out what Nashville record labels, artists and producers are
looking for
Learn about the business from people who have succeeded in it
Meet other writers who are serious about their careers
For more information, including bios of the publishers, visit
barbaracloyd.com .

APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Applications must be received by May 27th. You can apply on line at
barbaracloyd.com or mail your package to
Barbara Cloyd's Songwriting Workshop
PO Box 121497
Nashville, TN 37212
Every application must include:
Three songs on cassette or CD
Lyric sheets
Phone number and email address (use street address if email is not
available.)
A $10 non-refundable application fee
All applicants will be notified whether or not they have been
accepted by email or regular mail. Notices will be sent by Monday May
30th.

TO RECEIVE FEEDBACK:
Applicants who would like to receive some feedback on their writing
instead of just a yes or no should enclose an additional $15 along
with the $10 application fee, for a total of $25.

COST:
$150

LOCATION:
Days Inn Vanderbilt, 1800 West End Ave, Nashville, TN

ROOMS:
$65/night, single or double (Participants may secure their own
lodging.)

SCHEDULE:
Fri. June 24
6:30 PM Meet and greet in the conference room of the Days Inn
9:00 PM Writers night at The French Quarter Cafe hosted by Jack
Scott . Participants who request it will be scheduled to perform.

Sat June 25
9 AM First listening session
12:30 Break for lunch
2 PM Second listening session
6:30 PM Bluebird Cafe show with hit writers

Sun, June 26
9 AM Third listening session (ends at 1PM.)

For more information, including bios of the publishers, visit
barbaracloyd.com .

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Songwriter's Cruise, leaving
Galveston, Tx on
October 8, 2005 for 5 days. 
We will be sailing on the Carnival Cruise Ship "Ecstacy" and will
have ports of call in
Cozumel and
Playa del Carmen. 

The cruise will feature a Songwriter's Conference where we will be
providing learning opportunities from hit song writers, as well as
pitch and critique sessions, where you'll get to submit your songs
for major and small publishing companies.

We're speaking with alot of publishers and music industry
professionals right now and will be adding them officially to our
website, (not quite up yet, but it will be
www.txsongwriterscruise.com
when we formalize our commitments with them.  For now though, I'm
excited to tell you that we have secured the following Hit
Songwriters/Authors/Publsihers as participants in
the cruise:

JASON BLUME:
Jason's credentials are endless!  He is one of those rare individuals
to
ever achieve the distinction of having songs on the Country, Pop, and
R&B
charts- all at the same time.  His songs are on albums that have sold
more
than 45 million!  His songs have been recorded by artists including
Britney
Spears, the Backstreet Boys, John Berry, Steve Azar, Jesse McCartney
(just
certified Platinum), J'Son, Collin Raye, the Oak Ridge Boys, and on
and on. 
He is one of the nation's most respected songwriting teachers and is
the
author of the critically acclaimed "6 Steps to Songwriting Success:
The
Comprehensive Guide to Writing and Marketing Hit Songs, (Billboard
Books),
which is the nation's #1 best selling songwriting book.  Jason has
also had
his songs featured on the soundtrack of Disney's hit film, "First
Kid",
starring Sinbad, as well as the animated "Barbie on Swan Lake".  On
television, his songs have been heard on shows including the "Miss
America
Pageant", "The Guiding Light", "Dangerous
Minds", "Fame", "Entertainment
Tonight", and more.

JOHN BRAHENY
John Braheny is one of the most recognized and respected names in the
music
industry, and more specifically, in the songwriting community.  His
song
"December Dream", recorded by Linda Rondstadt and Fred Neil, as well
as his
own solo album, were just preludes to his ground-breaking talent-
development
and songwriter-development efforts.  He co-founded the legendary Los
Angeles
Songwriters Showcase, which provided exposure and encouragement to an
impressive list of later-to-be-successful writers and artists in all
genres
including Stevie Nicks, Lindsay Buckingham, Janis Ian, Warren Zevon,
Karla
Bonoff, Stephen Bishop, Wendy Waldman and the world's most successful
contemporary songwriter, Diane Warren, for whom John and co founder
Len
Chandler personnally critiqued over 150 songs when she was only 15! 
John is
an accomplished author having written the highly acclaimed Writer's
Digest
Book, The Craft and Business of Songwriting.  John has been in high
demand
to conduct songwriting/music business seminars, including classes at
UCLA,
Grove School of Music and the Trebas Institute.  His accomplsihments
go on
and on...

JO ANN BRAHENY
Jo Ann owned her own consulting and music publishing company berfore
meeting
her husband John.  She moved to Los Angeles and continued to broaden
her
musical experience in the entertainment industry including stints
with
Billboard Magazine, CBS Records, Arista Records, Warner Bros Records
and
Pictures, ATV Music Publishing, Island Music, ABC-TV, NBC-TV, Dick
Clark
Productions, The Burbank Studios, the Playboy Mansion and various
entertainment law firms.  She worked 5 years at Rogers and Cowan, the
world's largest entertainment public relations firm, whose music
clients
included Olivia Newton-John, the Bee Gees, Paul McCartney, Barry
Manilow,
B.B. King, the Beach Boys, Ann Murray, Bette Midler, and many
others.  Jo
Ann has conducted seminars and workshops on music industry publicity
and/or
the creative process for songwriter/music organizations in St. Louis,
Kansas
City, Nashville, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Rochester N.Y., Phoenix
and
Honolulu to name a few.

These great instructors will be covering topics such as:

1) Placing Songs in Television and Film
2) Craft, Dynamics and Basic Principles of Song Writing
3) Getting Heard in a No Soliciting Material World
4) What Made 'Em Hits? (Listening to and discussing hit song demos
that
became major hits)
5) The Business of Songwriting (A discussion on use of song pluggers
and
publishers, song royalties, publishing contracts, copyright, etc...)
6) The Art of Co-Writing
And More...

Our publisher list will grow right up until our sailing date. 
Conference
attendees will have the opportunity to pitch their songs to
publishers that
will be coming on the cruise, as well as by absentee to publishers
that want
to participate, but won't be able to attend.  The day that we leave
for the
cruise, we will be "overnighting" songs to the absentee publishers,
and will
announce, on the last day of the cruise, the songs that were picked
up by
these publishers.  Publishers that are confirmed participants, (wish
I could
tell you some of the other big ones that we're working with right
now),
include:

4 Aces Music- Owned by Mike Daily and Tom Foote, who are associated
with George Strait and the Ace In The Hole Band.  Their company most
recently published songs that were included in Kevin Fowler's latest
album.

Johnny Mic Publishing- This company is actively looking for songs in
all
genres, with focused attention on placing songs in the country music
market
and in television and film.


The cruise ship Ecstacy features 3 swimming pools, 9 clubs/bars, Las
Vegas
style entertainment, a full casino, full spa, some of the best food
in the
world, and many other amenities.  Couple this with the songwriting
conference, and a full day in both Cozumel and Play del Carmen, and
you've
got an amazing vacation/songwriting opportunity.

The following are prices for this cruise, (guaranteed through August
1):
Note, these prices include the conference, the cruise, port fees and
taxes. 
Its all inclusive except for liquor, sodas, gambling, tips, spa, and
other
optional items such as tours in Cozumel and Playa del Carmen)

(All prices are based on double occupancy)

Ocean-view room:  $544.77 per person
Interior Room:  $494.77 per person

We have a limited number of rooms, so if you're interested, its
important to
sign up as soon as you can.  You can put down $200 per person to
reserve
your cabin now, and pay the rest later.  The cruise agent has the
details. 
You can contact Bruce or Shirley at Brulee Travel at (512) 930-7111
or
through e-mail at bruleetravel@...

www.txsongwriterscruise.com

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I found this wonderful essay by Cynthia Rylant on
http://terrihendrix.com/poetry.html

I was afraid of writing poetry for the longest time because I wasn't
any good at rhyming, and I thought poetry had to be complicated and
very, very deep. I didn't know that the very way I looked at things
was poetry. I mean, I notice things other people don't and usually it
has something to do with the way one small thing means so much.

I once met a boy who had read my book of poems about growing up in
Beaver, West Virginia (Waiting to Waltz...A Childhood) and he said to
me, "I know just what you mean about Todd's Hardware Store. Every
time I walk into the Western Auto Store in this little town I live
in ... "And he proceeded to describe to me what it was about the
Western Auto Store that hit him the way a good sunset hits you and I
thought to myself, this boy's a poet. I believe he was born with that
way of looking at things, as I was, and even if he never writes one
single line of poetry, he'll always be a poet. And the people around
him will mutter about how intense he can get sometimes and his
teachers will complain about how he never pays enough attention and
people will wonder why he can't just lighten up and watch "The Cosby
Show" with them.

What they don't understand is that he's seeing all those small,
meaningful things they're missing, and it sucks away so much of your
soul and energy when you're trying to make sense of what you see with
your poet's heart. They will want him to be a regular Joe and he will
never be able to be that and because of it he will feel lonelier than
most people-even though he may be a popular boy-and he will wonder
why he can't live a normal life like everybody else. He will wonder
why he hurts so much sometimes.

Why he feels so different from everybody else who's just fitting
right in to all the systems: everybody else who's getting the gold
stars at school, or marrying and settling into a nice job in a nice
town and finding a nice wife and having four nice kids and keeping a
nice lawn and a nice clean car. He will to often feel like a failure,
and he will to often never pick up a pen and try to get published
because he doesn't know what a good poet he is since there's no test
that told him so. A lot of people think they can write poetry, and
many do, because they can figure out how to line up the words, or
make certain sounds rhyme, or just imitate the other poets they've
read. But this boy, he's the real poet, because when he tries to put
on paper what he's seen with his heart, he will believe deep down
there are no good words for it, no words can do it, and at that
moment he will have begun to write poetry.

written by Cynthia Rylant

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Ande Rasmussen
AndeRasmussen@...

http://songramp.com/ande
http://www.AndeRasmussen.com

512-217-2728 cell

835 Martindale Falls
Martindale, TX 78655