TAKE a FREE songwriting course at
http://www.SongU.com/ifs
plus they do so much more it will truly blow you away as well as
take your songwriting to a whole new level.

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~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dear IFS Friends,

I hope this email finds you well. Last night we had a big hail
storm, our house and pets faired well.

Here's some info you might find useful

Enjoy,

Ande

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(this next article doesn't reflect my political beleifs it's just
songwriting news)


Neil Young attended this years South by Southwest Music Conference
in Austin. Roland Swenson, the SXSW boss asked Neil for a favor.
Roland told Neil "We need another song." (about the Bush
administration and its current war.

Neil Young wrote it and recently recorded a song called "Impeach the
President" that will be on his new CD coming out soon.

Some of the songs on the CD have a 100-voice choir, according to a
California singer who sang on it.
http://lastleftb4hooterville.blogspot.com/2006/04/i-am-luckiest-girl-
in-world.html

In Neil's keynote interview he let folks know "he had been hearing
giant, noisy guitars in his head lately, and that his next album was
likely to be a rock record. And he explained that when inspiration
hits, he clears the decks and drops whatever he's doing to capture
the sound and the mood before it vanishes, comparing his muse to an
animal he's trying to coax out of a hole."

But the story doesn't stop there, here's the story of the singers in
that session.


On April 5th I was asked to be part of a choir that would sing
backup vocals for Neil Young's new album. I was excited, thrilled,
wondered about the money I would make and whether it would help pay
my rent for the coming month.

I had no idea what I was about to experience.

April 6th was the day of the recording. 100 of the finest singers in
Los Angeles gathered at the Capitol Records building in Hollywood.
Studio A. We began a 12 hour recording session that would change me
in many ways.

Neil walked around the studio, singing harmonies that he wanted us
to try... as new lyrics popped up on the screen people cheered,
laughed, clapped ... he had written the words that we all wanted to
say. The album is political, provocative. He held nothing back. And
the fact that he is Neil Young insured that these words would at
least have the chance of being heard.

On our way out of the studio Neil said to me and my friend Franne,

"What we did in here today will create a ripple."

I was overwhelmed, emotional, angry, scared, optimistic - and that
night words flooded my head almost faster than I could write them
down on paper. I laid in bed in the dark with my notebook on the
pillow next to me and scribbled phrases, words, ideas. The following
morning I sat at the piano and wrote this song.

Neil Young and the people who were there that day ignited something
in me. I felt like a vessel blessed to carry these words.

Let me say something very important -

This song is pro-humanity, not anti-government and especially NOT
anti-soldier. The young men and women being used as pawns in a war
we can't win are not at fault in any way and I have the highest
respect for them. I feel that America has been hijacked by a
government with a very specific agenda. We have been beaten into
submission by a campaign of fear. We are looking with apathy at the
rest of the world and we have completely lost sight of the fact the
we are all one. I cannot even say that I hate the President. He is
merely a manifestation of all of us. We created him, we put him in
power.

We have the ability to change the course we seem to be on. We have
the ability to make a difference in the world. We are not beyond
hope. We are not beyond help.

Soon WWW.SOMETHINGGOODTOSHOWYOU.COM will be online. I am partnering
with other like-minded individuals, companies and foundations who
share the same vision - uniting people across the globe through self-
expression and creativity. Uniting to affect change. The website
will pull it all together with multimedia user-generated content.
That means remixes and videos for the song from anyone and everyone.
I encourage people to create and share what we have created.

It is not too late. It is only just beginning...

http://www.myspace.com/somethinggoodtoshowu

http://www.myspace.com/terranaomi

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A few ande Suggestions are:

As songwriters it's our job to chronicle our times and write about
what's going on.

If you have a really great song with a unique title consider getting
a URL for it. own the dot com

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joe@... wrote:
Hi Anders,

My friend Bill Maier down in Nashville suggested I send you a blurb
about
a project I've just begun working on.

I'm seeking demo submissions by women artists for a Neil Young
tribute CD
titled "Cinnamon Girl - Women Artists Cover Neil Young".

I’ve posted info and submission guidelines on my website. Here is
the
direct link:
http://www.americanlaundromatrecords.com/cinnamongirl.html

I'd sincerely appreciate it if you could pass this along to your
network
of musicians and songwriters. I'll be releasing an official press
release
next Wednesday (April 19th). I'm trying to get the word out.

Thanks in advance for your time and consideration. Let me know if
you have
any questions.

All the best,

Joe

Joseph H. Spadaro
Founder & Pres.
American Laundromat Records
P.O. Box 1514
Huntington, NY 11743 USA
www.americanlaundromatrecords.com

it's all about the music!

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Volunteers Needed for GRAMMY Career Day

I'm not sure if anyone received my invitation last week regarding
volunteering for the upcoming

GRAMMY Career Day on
Thursday, April 27th,
9:00am to 2:00pm at the
Hays Performing Arts Center in
Kyle, TX.

Sara Hickman and I will be facilitating two songwriter workshops for
senior high students that day. Other workshops include
recording,
scoring music for advertising, movies, TV and video games;
music business and other events. We have secured Monte Warden as
our artist/songwriter representative for the "super panel" starting
off the day. It will be a fun, informative and memorable day for
these young people, and maybe even ourselves.

We wanted to extend the invitation to any ASG members who would like
to help us wrangle about 250+ kids that day in several capacities,
from check-in to herding, to mentoring during the songwriter
workshops. The perks are a free lunch and the opportunity to share
knowledge and creative inspiration with some young minds.

We'd love to have some more volunteers.
Let me know if you need additional information.

thanks,

Connie Mims Pinkerton
713.628.5625 cell (best)
Board of Governors, Texas Chapter
The Recording Academy
cpinkerton@...

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ANY ONE KNOW PAUL SCOTT

Andy,

Im looking for a songwriter by the name of Paul Scott. he sent me a
song a
while back, as a reply to the ad you had up for me in your
newsletter. I at
the time chose not to do anything with one of his songs but have
recently
changed my mind. Anyways, I was wondering if I could get his contact
info if
you have it so I can approach him about cutting his song. Thanks and
I love
your newsletter by the way.

Thanks!

Paul Cummings
paul@...

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Why a Song Catalog Doesn't Go for a Song
New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/16/weekinreview/16basicb.html

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Subject: "Studio Concerts" Craig Toungate May 20th
From: Gary Powell tickets@...

"Studio Concerts" Craig Toungate May 20th

We are pleased to announce another appearance and performance of
Craig Toungate on May 20th. As you may have experienced our shows
reach capacity within a couple of days after posting them. Either
this is a really fun thing to do for everyone or we just don't have
that many seats to sell :). Maybe it's Amy's cooking? Whatever it
is, if you are interested, please contact us early.

We're having great fun with this and will be announcing more unique
shows and events soon. Stay tuned and start practicing, because I
think it's about to get exciting. Thank you for your participation
and for supporting our artists. My best. --- Gary Powell

-----------------------------------------------


Amy will be serving "heavy hors d'oeuvres" before the show with
dessert and coffee at intermission. Please feel free to bring your
own beer or wine and we'll keep it chilled for you.


For details about all the artists, the experience
or ticket information, please visit:
http://www.studioconcerts.com

Craig Toungate
Vocalist Extradinaire
http://www.craigtoungate.com
Saturday, May 20th - 7:30pm - $75 per person
(Doors Open at 6:30pm)


Come see and experience Austin's most amazing singer in the very
studio where he becomes the voice of some of the world's favorite
characters. Craig Toungate has international credits on over twenty
album projects being sold in 47 countries.

Meet many of these "voices" and more...in this one extraordinary
singer in concert and "in the studio". - Gary Powell

"Just because no one understands you, doesn't mean you're an artist"

http://www.studioconcerts.com
512-301-0555 (studio)
512-301-0909 (fax)

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Strings Attached Closes 5th Season with One-of-a-Kind Performances
Local artists interpret the Beatles' White Album
On Friday, May 5th, artist John Stapleton creates a new painting
inspired by the live music of Will Taylor and Strings Attached with
Slaid Cleaves. View John's art at http://www.sta pletonart.com.

Will Taylor and Strings Attached pair some of Austin's most popular
singer-songwriters with acoustic "chamber" instruments in a musical
experiment of creativity and fun. The result is a one- night-only
performance that blurs the boundaries between pop, jazz, rock, and
classical music.

On Friday, May 19th, Strings Attached presents the complete Beatles'
White Album in concert with many guest artists from the Austin music
community. Some of the featured performers include Joe Ely, Matt the
Electrician, Carolyn Wonderland, Brian Keane and others. The late
show will include light projection art by Charles Beard. View a
sample at http://stringsattached.org/shows.php.

Both events include two shows, at 7:30 and 10:00 pm at University
Baptist Church, 2130 Guadalupe, across from UT. For tickets visit
www.stringsa ttached.org or call 512-477-9837. The 10:00 pm shows
will broadcast live on 107.1 KGSR and kgsr.com.

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here's something that Shooter Jennings had to say about Shelly
Fairchild
http://www.shellyfairchild.com

"Country music was built on, and can only benefit from the artists
who threw caution to the wind, stepped up to the plate and told
their real stories and sang their real blues. It's rare that you
find an artist whose unique style, personality, voice and presence
transcends the genre around them and creates a place in history of
their own. These are the kind of artists that will advance the music
and allow it to evolve and change through time without boundaries.
Shelly is truly one of those artists."

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An IFS reader wrote:

Hi Ande,

First -- though I've enjoyed reading your mailings for a
year or so, and have learned much through all your efforts, and that
of your readers, I've never expressed my gratitude. So THANK YOU
for all the work you do in support of songwriters! It's a blessing
to all of us.
I wanted to make a suggestion to those who post a "singer
looking for songs" message. As a songwriter, I find it helpful to
be able to hear clips of an artist's recordings so I can match the
song to the singer and his or her style. For example, if someone's
style is "edgy and rebellious", maybe like Gretchen Wilson, it's
somewhat silly for a songwriter to waste the singer's time by
sending them "sweet and tender family values" types of songs--and
vise versa. An artist whose style and desired image is "clean and
conservative", probably doesn't want to be sent songs with lyrics
portraying beer guzzling or cheating as a fun or acceptable thing to
do.
Additionally, a photo helps in determining age appropriate
songs for the singer.
In today's MTV/CMT video world, a singer who is very young and looks
like an 18-21 year old, can't get away with singing a 1st
person "married with 5 kids and twins on the way" song. (I'd like
to see someone write THAT one! :) Unlikely, but I think you'll see
my point. .
I've just noticed that often, people write in saying that
they're looking for songs but don't list a website or a link to any
recordings. Sometimes they don't have one, but I find them VERY
helpful, and other songwriters may as well.

Thanks so much!
Tracy

~ ~ ~

my response was

hello Tracy,

wonderful to hear from you

I totally agree on the singer searching for songs blurbs
more info is better

a few years ago I wrote this article on the topic


HOW to write an EFFECTIVE SINGER SEARCHING FOR SONGS BLURB
http://www.justplainfolks.org/ubb/Forum2/HTML/002676.html

ande



Write On,

Ande Rasmussen