take your songwriting to the next level
TAKE a FREE songwriting course at
http://www.SongU.com/ifs
PITCH your songs
Get professional critiques and mentoring
Network with talented songwriters

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

If you want to RECEIVE IFS or CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS with IFS
SEND an EMPTY email to
difs-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dear IFS readers,

I hope this email finds you well.

It's been a while, I hope you're holidays went well and you're off
to an excellent new year.

I spent Christmas in New Orleans

Yesterday I received a royalty check in the mail, always a nice
surprise.

Friday Dec 22nd, I received a call that Disney is considering
putting a song I cowrote on one of their projects. Nothing firm yet.

An artist wrote me the other day and asked if she could record 2
songs I cowrote on a not for sale demo project.

I got an update that an artist has cut the vocals on a few of my
songs on her for sale Cd project.

Hope things are going great for you,

Ande

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~ ~ ~ ~ ~

2007 is a great year to work on relationships.
Get to know people, stay in touch, be a friend
Don't worry about music and songs.
Sometimes they are the by product of being at the right place at the
right time with the right people.
Ande

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Congratulations to IFS reader Gary Powell

http://www.garypowell.com/blogs

Jesmax Music Signs "The Laughing Song"

Jesmax Music, BMI, owned by composer Gary Powell is pleased to have
placed the Craig Toungate song "The Laughing Song" on Walt Disney
Records' CD entitled "Disney's Merry Little Christmas" which is
exclusively sold at retail Target stores.

Craig Toungate, a frequent vocalist for Walt Disney Records, is
appropriately credited on this album as "C.T. the Elf" and a very
happy elf he is. Craig's performance is a live recording which was
captured at an "In the Studio with Gary Powell" performance earlier
in the year. This is the first song for Craig Toungate to be
released by Jesmax Music on a Walt Disney Records' project.
Please click here to visit Craig Toungate's site.
http://www.craigtoungate.com/

Jesmax Music, BMI, owned by composer Gary Powell is pleased to have
placed two songs, "My Gift is You" and "The Laughing Song" on the
album "Disney's Merry Little Christmas" for Walt Disney Records.
Also sharing credit on this album is a third song written by Powell
and Gates: "Hey Santa" from the catalog of Wonderland Music and
performed by Huey, Dewey and Louie. The loveable nephews of Donald
Duck first made their appearance for Disney in 1938 and Mr. Powell
is excited to have a song sung by such veteran performers. Amazing
talent Russi Taylor, a long-time Hollywood voice actress might
deserve a little credit as well.


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~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Congratulations to IFS reader Austin Carroll, he got a cut on
Katherine McPhee's CD.

http://www.myspace.com/katpackstreetteam
http://www.myspace.com/katspack
http://www.myspace.com/katharinemcphee

Katharine McPhee Album Track List
It seems that 'Dangerous' will be on her new album. But not 'I Lost
You' that's on the Walmart single.

1. Love Story (Nate Hills, James Washington, Corte Ellis) (the names
in parentheses are the writers; following is the producer) Produced
by Danja

2. Over It (Josh Alexander, Billy Steinberg, Ruth-Anne Cunningham)
Produced by Josh Alexander, Billy Steinberg

3. Open Toes (Nate Hills, James Washington, The Clutch; Balewa
Muhammad & Candice Nelson, Katharine McPhee) Produced by Danja.
(That one's a bit confusing, as The Clutch appears to be a musical
collective that Hills, for one, is a member of, but I'm just
reproducing the info faithfully.)

4. Home (Kara DioGuardi) Produced by Marti Frederiksen & Kara
DioGuardi

5. Not Ur Girl (Nate Hills, James Washington, Corte Ellis, Katharine
McPhee) Produced by Danja

6. Each Other (Nate Hills, James Washingotn, Corte Ellis) Produced
by Danja

7. Dangerous (Nate Hills, James Washington, Corte Ellis) Produced by
Danja

8. Ordinary World (Walter Afanasieff, Emanuel Kiriakou, Lindy
Robbins) Produced by Walter Afanasieff & Emanuel Kiriakou.
(Definitely not the Duran Duran song.)

9. Do What You Do (Harvey Mason Jr., Damon Thomas, James Fauntleroy
II, Makeba Riddick, Rob
Knox) Produced by The Underdogs

10. Better Off Alone (Austin Carroll, Susan Marshall) Produced by
Emanuel Kiriakou

11. Neglected (Nate Hills, James Washington, Kara DioGuardi, Balewa
Muhammad, Katharine McPhee) Produced by Danja

12. Everywhere I Go (Babyface, Ernest "Bishop Young Don" Dixon)
Produced by Babyface.

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NEWS RELEASE


"MY GRAMMY® MOMENT" DEBUTS AS UNSIGNED ARTISTS VIE FOR PERFORMANCE
SLOT ON 49TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS FEB. 11, 2007



Fans Vote Online to Determine Who Will Perform with Superstar Justin
Timberlake

in Special Segment on Music's Biggest Night™



SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Dec. 14, 2006) – The Recording Academy®
announced "My GRAMMY® Moment" today as it continues its mission of
discovering and nurturing music makers with an historic opportunity
for unsigned artists to vie for a performance with Justin Timberlake
on the 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards. Current multi-GRAMMY nominee
Timberlake will culminate his recent involvement with the GRAMMY
Foundation®'s music education initiatives by performing live on the
GRAMMY Awards in a special segment with the unsigned artist that
fans choose online at Yahoo! Music, the official online partner of
the GRAMMY Awards. The Top 3 finalists will be eligible to
participate in GRAMMY Foundation activities including GRAMMY Career
DaySM and GRAMMY CampSM, as well as The Recording Academy's recently
launched GRAMMY University Network. The 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards
will be held on Feb. 11, 2007, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and
will be broadcast live on the CBS Television Network at 8 p.m.
(ET/PT). Performers and presenters for the telecast will be
announced in the following weeks.



"From successful programs such as GRAMMY Career Day and GRAMMY
SoundChecksSM to newly introduced programs such as GRAMMY Camp and
GRAMMY University Network, our Academy and its GRAMMY Foundation
have made music education and career enhancement priorities 365 days
a year," said Neil Portnow, President of The Recording
Academy. "This 'My GRAMMY' segment gives us the perfect opportunity
to demonstrate via the Telecast another fine example of what we do
so well on a daily basis. At the same time it's our goal to bring
music fans even closer to the GRAMMYs without affecting the criteria
of peer group voting that sets the GRAMMY Awards apart from other
music award shows."



"The Internet has revolutionized the way that unknown artists can
reveal their talent to a larger audience, and television remains the
most powerful platform to showcase such talent to the masses," said
Jack Sussman, Executive Vice President, Specials, Music and Live
Events, CBS. "By harnessing the accessibility, interactivity and
reach of these two mediums, we have created an unprecedented
opportunity for an up-and-coming musician, as well as a memorable
and exciting moment for television audiences. The GRAMMY Awards have
always been ahead of the game when it comes to discovering and
spotlighting new talent and music, and this event takes that
commitment to even greater heights."



"I'm happy to participate in this unique approach to discovering
unsigned talent, but I'm only a piece of the puzzle," said Justin
Timberlake. "All of you contestants out there should look at this as
more than just a chance to duet with me, because it's really an
opportunity to begin your career as a superstar. And I'll be there
to help coach you along."



"The GRAMMY Awards telecast is known for introducing a remarkable
number of talented artists to the broad audience that follows our
show from year to year. Many of these artists, from Ricky Martin and
Robert Randolph to Norah Jones and John Legend, have gone on to
extremely successful careers due in no small part to their GRAMMY
appearances," said co-executive producer (with John Cossette) Ken
Ehrlich. "With this concept, we will be able to continue that
tradition and reach out even further to the incredibly diverse
musical community that watches the GRAMMYs."



"Yahoo! Music has always focused on supporting and cultivating new
musical talent through original programming," said Dave Goldberg,
Vice President and General Manager of Yahoo! Music. "'My GRAMMY
Moment' is the progression of our commitment to providing users with
the premiere online music venue for new and established artists."



Submission Information

· December 15 (after 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT): Singers — 18
years and older, U.S. residents, and not signed (nor ever been
signed) to an independent or major record label — submit a 60-second
video of him/her singing one of the following GRAMMY-winning songs
only (must be a cappella with no music or background track
whatsoever):

o "If I Ain't Got You" (originally performed by Alicia
Keys), "Breathe" (originally performed by Faith Hill), "Come To My
Window" (originally performed by Melissa Etheridge), "What's Love
Got To Do With It" (originally performed by Tina Turner), "Dance
With My Father" (originally performed by Luther Vandross), "Cry Me A
River" (originally performed by Justin Timberlake), "Respect"
(originally performed by Aretha Franklin), "I Wanna Dance With
Somebody" (originally performed by Whitney Houston), or "Vision Of
Love" (originally performed by Mariah Carey).

· Videos should be submitted and uploaded to Yahoo! Music,
no later than Jan. 3, 2007, 11:59 p.m. ET.

· Original group of videos will be judged by a VIP Blue
Ribbon Committee made up of singers, songwriters, producers, music
industry execs, as well as key executives from The Recording
Academy.

· Starting at 10 a.m. ET, December 15, rules and Regulations
can be found at http://music.yahoo.com/mygrammymoment/rules.asp.



Voting and Performance Information

· Fans and viewers can begin viewing video submissions
online at CBS.com, powered by Yahoo! Music, Dec. 18.

· Blue Ribbon Committee evaluates all video submissions.

· Top 12 Artists announced Jan. 8. Viewers and fans will
have the opportunity to vote for their favorites at Yahoo! Music.

· Top 5 Artists announced Jan. 16. Voting will continue.

· Top 3 Artists announced Super Bowl weekend.

· Top 3 Artists will each rehearse with Justin Timberlake
during rehearsals the week leading up to the 49th Annual GRAMMY
Awards.

· Viewers and fans can vote for the final performer during
the broadcast on Feb. 11, 2007 at CBS.com or via text messaging
until 10 p.m. ET. The final performer will be announced as the world
watches and will join the stage for the ultimate GRAMMY Moment with
Justin Timberlake.

· After 10 a.m. ET on December 15, users may log on directly
to CBS.com or to Yahoo! Music to access the video submissions, video
viewing and voting site: http://music.yahoo.com/mygrammymoment/.





About The Recording Academy

Established in 1957, the National Academy of Recording Arts &
Sciences, Inc., also known as The Recording Academy, is an
organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording
professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition
and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known
for the GRAMMY Awards, The Recording Academy is responsible for
groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment,
advocacy, education and human services programs — including the
creation of the national public education campaign What's The
Download® (WhatsTheDownload.com). For more information about The
Academy, please visit www.grammy.com.


About Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music (http://music.yahoo.com) is the #1 online music
destination. Yahoo! Music offers more than 2 million songs for
download as well as the tools to manage, explore and share music.
Yahoo! Music provides a wide selection of streaming video and audio,
the Web's largest collection of music videos, Internet radio,
original content, exclusive features, artist information and news
covering all genres of music to Yahoo! users.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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check out
www.Esession.com

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Great news to kick off 2007!!

Join NSAI in welcoming Barbara Cloyd to Houston. Barbara has
graciously
agreed to present her "Ready for the Row" workshop on Sunday Jan
28th.
Barbara has spent the last 20+ years in Nashville working with
talented
songwriters and books the famous Bluebird Cafe.
For more information on Barbara, visit her web site:
http://www.barbaracloyd.com/

Her workshop begins with an overview of how the Nashville market
works and
how you can work it.
Topics covered:
"Where the Money Comes From and How Much You Can Make,"
"Who You Need to Know and How to Get to Know Them,"
"Why a Songwriter Needs a Publisher and How to Find One,"
"What to Do if You Live Out of Town,"
"How to Make the Most of a Trip to Nashville."

The second part of the workshop will cover the craft of commercial
songwriting and how to make your songs really stand out and get
noticed by
publishers, producers and recording artists.
Barbara will listen to and provide feedback on songs brought in by
those
attending the workshop.

What you need to do to attend: RSVP by January 22nd!

Costs: $40, ($35 for NSAI members)
When: Sunday Jan 28th, 12 noon to 6 pm
Where: JP Hops House
Located at 2317 Highway 6 S, Houston, TX 77077
Map Quest link:

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?
city=houston&state=TX&address=2317%2BHi
ghway%2B6%2BSouth&zip=77077&country=us&zoom=8


Additionally - Barbara will be available for private one-on-one
consultations on Saturday the 27th, during the afternoon at an
office in the
Montrose area. These consultations are scheduled at 30 min ($30) or
one hour
($60), between 11:00am and 5:00pm. Time slots are on first come,
first
serve basis. You must RSVP for a time slot by January 22nd. To
schedule
your one-on-one with Barbara Cloyd, contact Connie Mims at
conniemims@... or call 832.894.2124.

If you've been considering a trip to Nashville to pitch your songs,
or how
to be a better songwriter, or even how to play The Bluebird Café,
this is a
workshop you won't want to miss!
We hope to see you there, and please remember to RSVP by January
22nd for
this great opportunity.

Dave Bannen
NSAI Houston Coordinator
www.NSAI-Houston.com
www.nashvillesongwriters.com/
"It All Begins With A Song"


~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

here's a portion of an interview with john legend
By Randy Cordova
from The Arizona Republic

Q: What did the Grammy Awards mean to you?
A: They were a huge honor to me. Grammy night 2006 was one of the
most rewarding and fun nights of my life. The recognition helped me
sell more records and raised my profile around the world. And I got
to share it with my family (about 15 of them attended from Ohio). It
was an amazing night.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

ASK ANDE:

In a message dated 12/31/2006
that fact that you don't play an instrument doesn't seem to slow you
down. I'm here in Nashville dragging, for twelve years now. not
playing seems to be a heavy weight.
the paying extra to get it out of your head i mean.
any advice?

love your work by the way.
thanx
Tim in Tulsa,

~ ~ ~

hi tim,

take the skills you have an use them to your advantage
some people say focus on your strengths and improve your weaknesses

I suggest to focus on your strengths and ignore your weaknesses

my strengths are
I'm good at finding great song ideas
I'm good at meeting people
I'm good at asking people questions
I'm good at assembling talented teams to create great songs
I'm good at showing up at events
I'm good at doing favors for people
I'm good at waiting to ask for favors when the timing seems
favorable

I've accumulated a resume of success
I've developed a decent catalog of songs
I've put myself in the center of information flow about songwriting

the weaknesses i ignore are
i don't sing well
I don't write melodies
I don't play an instrument
I don't perform

Ande

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~ ~ ~ ~ ~

NOMINATE YOUR SONG OR GROUP FREE

Musicians Choice Awards recognizes excellence in independent music
and songs, nominated and voted for by the Indie music community.
Nominations and links to nominees are FREE.

www.musicianschoiceawards.com

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

For what it's worth (not trying to sound self-promotional),

CD Baby's turnaround times on iTunes are down to THREE DAYS.

The day we receive a CD and rip it, it's uploaded to Apple the next
day, and appears for sale on iTunes 3 days later.

--
Derek Sivers, CD Baby, Hostbaby
http://cdbaby.com/from/ande <-- best new independent music
http://hostbaby.com <-- web hosting for musicians

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Top 100 Songs Of 2006, According to Radio and Records
http://forums.usanetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=382476


~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

ASK ANDE

In a message dated 12/31/2006
a song writer asked

wow if i knew this exsisted i would have sent this e-mail a long
time ago. I am a unprofessional singer songwritter never went out
there, well because i just never believed in myself.The only ones
who have ever seen my lyrics where friends. But i guess theres no
harm in taking chances so here it goes. how is there a safe way to
post or send my lyrics without them being stolen.If you have the
answer please get back to me. but for now I'll say thank you for
reading my message and please get back to me soon.
Laters


hello,

what's your name?
how did you find me?

beginning songwriters tend to be paraniod that their lyrics might
get "stolen" if they share them outside the circle of people they
trust. They want to copyright everything they write.

what's more often the case is their lyrics aren't worth stealing
also in most cases their song ideas and titles aren't even worth
stealing
on rare occasion beginning writers might stumble upon a truly
brilliant original idea
but it's very likely that how they wrote the idea is faulty.
Plus there are tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, if
not millions of lyrics out there on the web, so finding your lyric
and deeming it worthy of stealing is like fining a needle in a
haystack.

Beginning songwriters start by sharing their work with family and
friends who often praise their work because they like or love the
person. if your goal is to have songwriting success you need to
make the leap beyond family and friends, you need to get feedback
from strangers, experienced writers and music industry pros. By
not putting yourself out there and getting feedback on your work you
might fail to grow as a writer.

You need to study songs, read books, attend conferences, participate
online,
network to meet great writers and music industry pros.

I suggest you begin by reading
the message archive at
www.SongWriterBlog.com
you can find tons of information there

next songwriting and music business books by jason blume are very
helpful

consider participating online JPFolks is a great place to begin
you'll find lyric and mp3 message boards at
http://www.jpfolks.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=cfrm&c=2

lastly there are some companies who will offer to set your poem /
lyric to music for a fee.
they are likely to
praise your work,
offer you a music publishing contract,
hint that once the demo is recorded they will pitch it to artists
and all of the above for a fee of ....
don't do business with them.

If you write great lyrics, excellent composers will be happy to work
on the and they will not charge you for it. If you want songwriting
success you have to grow, become a better writer, meet key people,
be patient and strive for excellence.

Good luck, hope this helps,

Ande Rasmussen
AndeRasmussen@...
512 217 2728 cell

Songwriter
http://www.songramp.com/homepage.php?Who=ande
www.AndeRasmussen.com

editor and publisher of www.SongWriterBlog.com

Texas Grammy Governor www.grammy.com/Recording_Academy/Chapters/Texas

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

hi! my name is mike stratton from roscommon, michigan. my wife ruth
and i own ruthco music which is a artist management company. we
manage bob hausler who, you received a email from on may 7, 2006
requesting uptempo songs for his new project. we have already
recorded 5 songs in nashville the week before christmas. we need a
couple more uptempo songs in the genre of americana, country,
southern rock. we are looking for songs that send a message. we like
the new eric church cd. those are the type of songs we are looking
for. we are hoping that the reason we bob didn't hear fron you was
because you were waiting to hear from management.

thanks for you help
mike & ruth stratton
ruthco music
p.o. box 679
roscommon, mi. 48653
989-275-4315
ruthcomusic@...

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I'm putting a call out to our members to find people who might be
interested in being a SongU Teaching Assistant (TA)! If you're
already a TA, I've got your name so you don't have to re-apply ;-)

Basically as a TA you'd be attending an online class, recording the
transcript and uploading the transcript to SongU.com. Here's the
detailed scoop below...

What Are The Requirements For Becoming A SongU TA?

You must have been a SongU member for at least 6 months prior to
December 2006.
You must be able to "cover" at least 4 class periods (e.g., one 4-
week course or four 1-week courses).
You must be able to attend all the classes of the course you are
covering (e.g., you can't just cover one of the weeks in a 4-week
course).
You must be on a high speed connection and familiar with using FTP
and know how to upload files/folders using FTP.
You must be reliable.


What Are The Benefits Of Being A TA?

You'll have a guaranteed seat in any of the classes you are TA'ing
(including FDBK courses).
In addition to helping out the SongU.com community, you earn a free
song evaluation for each two class periods the you cover. For
example, if you cover a two-week e-Workshop, you would earn 1 free
song evaluation. A four-week course will earn you 2 free song
evaluations.
If this sounds like you and you're interested in participating, just
send an email to me at:
danny@...

drop by
http://www.SongU.com/ifs

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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Steve Seskin, Don Henry and Craig Carothers

Seminar from 10am - 4pm at
The Holiday Inn Express,
1650 El Camino Real,
Belmont
Tel # 650 654-4000

plus a Concert at the
Little Fox Theater
2209 Broadway, Redwood City.

Seminar plus FREE CONCERT TICKET price - $80. Concert only - $14,
$16 at-the-door

Steve Seskin is one of the most successful writers in Nashville
today, with a boatload of songs recorded by Tim McGraw, Neal McCoy,
John Michael Montgomery, Kenny Chesney, Collin Raye, Peter Frampton,
Waylon Jennings, Alabama, Mark Wills, and Peter Paul and Mary. His
song "Don't Laugh At Me" was a finalist for CMA "Song of the Year"
in 1999, and has spurred an entire tolerance movement, launched by
the Don't Laugh at Me Project. Other Seskin hits include: "I Think
About You," "Life's A Dance," "No Doubt About It," "If You've Got
Love" and "Grown Men Don't Cry."
Steve Seskin is an electrifying performer. "His voice has a natural
lilt that can''t be learned," writes Joel Selvin in the SF
Chronicle. "He's a really exceptional talent," writes Alan Lewis in
the SF Bay Guardian. And "the presentation is simple, affective, and
effective," writes Jim Carnes in the Sacramento Bee. Few performers
can face an audience with only an acoustic guitar and hotwire its
emotions. But that's what happens at Steve's concerts.
A Steve Seskin concert will have you wiping away a tear one minute
and laughing out loud the next. His songs all have messages that
touch the hearts of everyone: from the feelings of a little boy
missing his father, to growing up and being true to yourself, to one
of his most well know themes of being considerate to and respectful
of one another as expressed in "Don't Laugh at Me".

Don Henry: Originally from Morgan Hill, Don Henry is known as a guy
the other writers love to hear. He writes remarkable songs and he
sings them with equally extraordinary tenderness, humor, and
sincerity.
His debut CD was filled with catchy, memorable, and entertaining
songs. Billboard's Ken Schlager chose it as one of 1991's Top Ten
records.
Years later his songs would be recorded by Ray Charles, Conway
Twitty, the Oak Ridge Boys, Gary Morris, Ray Kennedy, and Kathy
Mattea, among others. For co-writing Kathy's critically acclaimed
hit, "Where've You Been," Don and Jon Vezner earned a Grammy, as
well as awards from the Academy of Country Music, the CMA, and the
NSAI. In fact, "Where've You Been" was the first song ever to be so
honored. "As a child I had a phonograph real early. My father was a
musician and I remember playing all those Sherman Brothers songs,
all those Disney things: "The Jungle Book," "Mary Poppins."
That is what really taught me songwriting. All those early songs
were so lyrical, and very musical. His songs are funny, whimsical,
wry, bittersweet, and poignant all at the appropriate times.
His songs have been cut by Kathy Mattea, Christy Sutherland,
Lonestar, Rosie Flores and Bryan White.

Craig Carothers: As a singer-songwriter Craig Carothers has played
nightclubs and concerts from Los Angeles to Stockholm for the last
20 years. Craig has shared the stage with more than 100 acts
including: Mose Allison, Karla Bonnoff, Jonatha Brooke, Bruce
Cockburn, Paula Cole, Ry Cooder, Catie Curtis, Crash Test Dummies,
Donovan, Robben Ford, Jeffrey Gaines, Peter Himmelman, John Hiatt,
John Klemmer, Leo Kottke, Patty Larkin, Little Feat, Little River
Band, Michael McDonald, Anne Murray, Danny OÕKeefe, Leroy Parnell,
Boz Skaggs, Toad The Wet Sprocket, Richard Thompson, Jethro Tull,
Romeo Void, Loudon Wainright III, Tim Weisberg, and Warren Zevon.
Craig Received the Portland Music Association's Crystal Award for
both "Best Folk Act" and "Best Single." Then in the fall of 1995
Craig signed a publishing contract with Nashville-based Crossfire
Entertainment/Almo Irving Music about the same time MCA Country
recording artist Trisha Yearwood recorded his song "Little
Hercules". That same year Craig was a winner at the Napa Valley
Music Festival's Emerging Songwriter Showcase, and the Austin
Songwriters Contest. Since then Kathy Mattea and Lorrie Morgan have
also recorded Craig's songs.
Craig spends a fair amount of time producing albums for other
independent


~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~


8th Annual REO Songwriter's Retreat July 15-20, 2007
Featuring Kathy Mattea, Steve Seskin, Jon Vezner & Pat Pattison


http://www.reorafting.com/site/retreats/songwriter_retreat.html

Retreat Contact: Bryan Fogelman (800-736-7238)



For 35 songwriters from around the world, our 2006 retreat was the
songwriting experience of the year. Our 2007 retreat promises to be
even better with these new features:


One private 1-on-1 session: With the instructor of your choice!
More Canadian content: Quality entertainment from Canadian
songwriters.


More adventure and free-time options: Enjoy a free scenic float trip
(no rapids, easy paddling) and a whitewater rafting adventure with
advance payment. Or simply relax at the resort!


Songwriting Master classes with Steve, Pat and Jon.
Vocal sessions with Grammy-winning recording artist Kathy Mattea
Location: REO Rafting Resort on the Nahatlatch River, 3 hours from
Vancouver BC. Beautiful river-front location in a private and
secluded wilderness overlooking rapids, canyons, forests and
mountains.



Dates & Schedule: The retreat runs from 3 pm Sunday July 15 to 11 am
Friday July 20.


Workshop sessions: Will take place Sunday through Thursday,
primarily morning sessions.
Co-writing, 1-on-1's and adventure activities: Will occur in the
afternoon sessions.


Social hour: 6-7 pm each day will feature guest speakers, great
songwriters & cold drinks.


Open-mics: Will be offered on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday nights.


Evenings: Co-writing, star-gazing, hot tub relaxing and campfire
entertaining
Lodging & All-inclusive Prices

Fees include workshops, 1-on-1 critiques, social hour, evening
sessions, 5 nights lodging, meals, snacks, beverages, use of all
resort amenities including hot tub, sauna, private beach, hiking
trails, hot showers, campfires. Seats are limited. $200 non-
refundable deposit. Balance due May 1/07.



Camping (own tent) $695 US
($775 CDN)

Shared cabin tent (4 sharing) $795 US ($885 CDN)

Std. cabin tent (dbl occupancy) $895 US ($995 CDN)

Rivers Edge cabin tent (Queen bed) $945 US ($1050 CDN)

Ladies Dorm (private bath; 6 sharing) $945 US ($1050CDN; 3
beds remaining)

Non-retreat (spouses, family etc.) Deduct $250 US
from fee (includes 2 free adventures)

Single occupancy rates Call for
availability



FREE Whitewater Rafting & Scenic Float Trip :Pay in full by May 1,
2007 and enjoy a FREE whitewater rafting trip on July 16 and/or
scenic float trip on the Fraser River Wed July 18 ($225 Value!).



Instructors: Pat Pattison
http://members.aol.com/ptpattison/lyricpages

Professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Pat developed the
first Songwriting Major in the USA. He has published three best-
selling books on songwriting including Writing Better Lyrics
(Writers Digest, 1995). Pat has hosted seven Songwriters Retreats at
REO since 1997 and teaches world-wide.



Kathy Mattea http://www.mattea.com

Kathy is one of country music's most distinctive and critically
acclaimed artists. She's won two Grammy awards, two CMA Female
Vocalist of the year awards and her song "Eighteen Wheels And a
Dozen Roses" was named CMA Single of the year.



Steve Seskin http://steveseskin.com

With seven #1 songs, including Grammy-nominated "Grown Men Don't
Cry" recorded by Tim McGraw, Steve Seskin is well known for writing
hits. He is also a successful performer, recording artist and active
keynote speaker for various songwriting associations in North
America.



Jon Vezner http://www.jonvezner.com

Jon is a Grammy award-winning songwriter for his straight-to-the-
heart hit "Where You've Been", co-written with Don Henry. Jon weaves
the lives of people he has known into universal themes that deeply
touch listeners' emotions. He has songs recorded by Reba McEntire,
Ronnie Milsap and Lorrie Morgan.



YVR Arrivals: Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is 3 hours drive
from REO.

SeaTac Arrivals: Seattle Airport (SEA) is 4.5 hours south of REO.
Fares are generally 20-40% lower that flying into Vancouver from
most major US airports. Average border crossing times are 30
minutes.

Abbotsford International Airport (YXX): This is the closest airport
to REO (2 hours) and it eliminates the traffic congestion of the
Greater Vancouver area. Flights from major US and Canadian cities.



CONTACT: Bryan Fogelman WEB:
http://www.reorafting.com/site/retreats/songwriter_retreat.html

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

check out
http://www.trusonic.com/artist_faq.html

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Member Deals - Deals Our Members Have Scored Through TAXI
http://www.taxi.com/transmitter/0612/deals0612.html


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~ ~ ~ ~ ~

from Taxi

A&R -- GETTING SIGNED

by Kenny Kerner

One of the most difficult things to understand is what the A&R
Community is really looking for. What does an artist have to have to
get signed to a recording contract? For lack of a better name, I
call these intangible things "signing ingredients." And the more of
them you have, the more likely you are to get signed!

During my 30 years as an Editor and Music Journalist, I've
interviewed over 200 members of the A&R Community and, based on
those interviews, was able to compile a Top 10 list of important
signing ingredients. So, in order of their importance, here's what
you need to get signed:

1. Passion

That intangible, inner-emotion a singer or band possesses that makes
him/them believable. Otis Redding, Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin--
all possess it.

2. Songs

The very essence of success. The reason this did not come in at #1
is that songs can come from many different places--publishers,
covers of other songs, the artist, himself, collaborations, etc. So,
if the artist isn't an amazing songwriter, he/she can still obtain
amazing songs.

3. Live Show

This is how a musician sells his CDs and merchandise. A poor live
show, and you turn off your audience. A great live show, and you've
made a fan for life. Live shows also tell an A&R person whether you
are communicating with your audience and if they are accepting your
music.

4. Star Quality

Is there someone bigger than life in your band? A Gene Simmons? A
Mick Jagger? Rock star Billy Idol wasn't much of a singer, yet he
went on to become an international rock icon because of his star
quality. Skid Row's Sebastian Bach had star quality. Remember him?

5. Marketability

Can your image and music be marketed to a targeted audience? Who is
likely to buy it and why? There is little demand for Lithuanian
accordion music, so regardless of how you shine on that instrument,
the chances of you landing that big-bucks record deal are slim, at
best.

6. Group Focus

For a solo artist or duo, this is a no-brainer. But, as a band, is
everyone pulling in the same direction? Does the band/artist have a
plan? Is the manager aligned with the artist's plan? Where are the
trouble spots?

7. Hunger

How hungry are you to make it? And I don't mean when did you eat
last! Is the artist spoiled? Will the artist do anything to make it?
Are they willing to earn a record deal? Many artists that have been
around for years are under the misconception that because they're
still performing and staying together, they've earned the right to
be signed. Not true.

8. Business Savvy

Does the artist know how things in this industry really work? What
kind of "Pro-Team" have they assembled? Do they need a manager?
Attorney? What do they expect?

9. Red Flags

Are there any troublemakers in the band (or is the solo artist
himself unreliable)? Any personal problems like sex? Drugs? Money
problems? Is there anything or anyone that might prevent this artist
from pursuing a career in the music business? Girlfriend? Boyfriend?
Former wife? Children?

10. A&R Instinct

What does my A&R instinct tell me about this artist? Am I in love
with this band? Am I willing to risk my job, my benefits, my
vacation and my expense account to get them signed? What do others
in my company think? Bringing an act into a record company when you
are the only one championing their cause is the beginning of the end-
-for both of you.

Before making his final decision, an A&R person will see how many of
these talent ingredients his act has--and then go from there.
Considering it takes about one-million dollars to properly promote
each new act, don't expect a flurry of signings at any one label.

. . . .

About Kenny Kerner:

Discovered and produced KISS. Also produced albums for Gladys
Knight, Jose Feliciano and Badfinger. As a publicist, he represented
Michael J. Fox and Jay Leno. Was the former Senior Editor at Music
Connection Magazine and wrote a best-selling music education book
called "Going Pro" Kerner is currently the Director of the Music
Business Program at Musicians Institute in Hollywood. Specialties
include Personal Management, Artist Development and Music Business.

Kenny Kerner
Musicians Institute
Director / Music Business Program
(323) 860-1122
Fax: (323) 462-6508
kennyk@...

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Dear Passengers,

I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about what motivates
you to
succeed with your music.

I've looked deep inside myself for the answer, but over time I
realized that the
things that have motivated me to work hard and succeed with TAXI are
probably
not the same things that motivate you.

Controlling my own destiny, so that I alone am responsible for my
family's
security (or lack thereof) has probably been my main motivator. I
got fired from
a job twenty-some years ago and it had a profound effect on me. I
never wanted
to be in the position of having someone else's satisfaction (or
dissatisfaction
;-) with my work determine how my family lived.

Then again, I now realize that I was ultimately in control of that
situation.
All I needed to do was work better or work harder to keep the boss
happy.

But let's get back to you. What makes a musician want to become a
rock star or a
hit songwriter?

I was searching for the answer, and came up with this quote from
Harrison Ford,
of all people!

"Acting was a way out at first. A way out of not knowing what to do,
a way of
focusing ambitions. And the ambition wasn't for fame. The ambition
was to do an
interesting job."

Is that what motivates you -- the ambition to have a more
interesting job?

On my way to work this morning, I realized that the best way to
understand what
motivates you to succeed in the music business was to simply ask.

What motivates YOU? I want to hear back from you. Maybe if I
understand you
better, I can find cool new things to do with TAXI that can make it
easier for
you to succeed.

I'll get hundreds of responses, so please don't send me 400 word
stories about
your 3rd grade teacher and the effect she had on your life (although
really good
teachers often do that).

I'd really appreciate it if you would highlight the little section
below and
click repsond, and give me really short, succinct answers. If you
really think
hard, and distill your thoughts down to their essence, I'll bet you
can tell me
what motivates you in a single sentence.

Here's where you go to respond:

http://www.taxi.com/motivation

That's all I need. Again, please just use a sentence, not a term
paper length
soliloquy -- thanks!

I know it might be hard to single out just one answer out on that
last question,
but please select only one. Also, you need not be afraid that I'm
collecting
personal information to use in some devious way. I will NOT be
sharing this
information with anybody. It will not be sold or shared in any way
shape or
form.

I may use the info in a future email, but only in aggregate --
something like,
4,562 people said that fame was their greatest motivator. I will NOT
say
anything like, "Tom Smith said his greatest motivator was money."
That's a
promise.

I look forward to hearing back from you, and maybe, just maybe, the
answers I
get will give me some great new ideas to help you succeed in 2007.
Let's see!

Thanks, and talk to you soon,

Michael


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2007 ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO is set for April 19-21 in Los
Angeles

Building on the extraordinary, sold-out success of the 2006 ASCAP "I
Create
Music" EXPO – the only major national conference dedicated to
songwriting and
composing – ASCAP will stage an even larger, more comprehensive
event for music
creators, April 19-21, 2007 at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel in
Los Angeles,
CA. Recording Academy members can register for the conference at
the low price
of $250 – that's $145 off the regular cost of registration!
Recording Academy
members who are also members of ASCAP get an additional $25 discount.

The only conference of its kind, the ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO
covers multiple
music genres and offers all participants in the music creation
process an
opportunity to join together to advance their profession and gain
the knowledge,
tools and contacts to maximize their success and inspire their work.

The 2007 ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO is again expected to draw some
of the
biggest names in music.

Here are just some of the panelists, with many more to be
announced...

• Mark Adamo (Composer – Opera: Lysistrata, Little Women)
• Mitch Allan (Songwriter, Producer – "1985," "Right Now")
• Glen Ballard (Songwriter, Producer - Jagged Little
Pill, "Everyday," Film:
"Ordinary Miracle" (from Charlotte's Web), "Believe" (from Polar
Express))
• Joel Beckerman (Composer – TV: CBS Evening News, NBC Evening
News)
• Marco Bertram (Composer - Film: Underworld: Evolution, Red Eye,
I, Robot,
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, TV: The Practice )
• Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman (Songwriters - "The Windmills
of Your
Mind," "The Way We Were," "What Are You Doing the Rest Of Your
Life?" Film:
Yentl )
• Bruce Broughton (Composer -Film: Silverado, The Rescuers Down
Under,
Tombstone TV: JAG, Tiny Toons
• Jeff Cardoni (Composer - TV: MTV's Pimp My Ride, CSI: Miami)
• Cherish - Farrah, Neosha, Felisha, Fallon (Singers, Songwriters -
"Do It To
It, "Unappreciated")
• Timothy "Attitude" Clayton (Songwriter -
"Promiscuous," "Afraid," "What You
Been Drankin' On?")
• Keyshia Cole (Singer, Songwriter - "Over and Over," "I Changed
My Mind,"
"Love", "You've Changed")
• John Corigliano (Composer - Film: The Red Violin, Altered
States, Opera: The
Ghosts of Versailles Band: Symphony 1 ("AIDS Symphony"))
• Hal David (Songwriter - "Raindrops Keep Falling on my
Head," "Close to You,"
"I'll Never Fall in Love Again," "What the World Needs Now Is Love")
• Mike Elizondo (Songwriter, Producer - "In Da Club," "Let Me Blow
Ya Mind,"
"How We Do," "Rich Girl")
• Tim & Eric (Songwriters, Creators - Tom Goes to the Mayor, Tim &
Eric
Awesome Show, Great Job!)
• Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald (Songwriter, Producer - "Since U Been
Gone,"
"Behind These Hazel Eyes")
• Wayland Holyfield (Songwriter - "Could I Have This
Dance," "You're My Best
Friend")
• James Newton Howard (Composer - Film: King Kong, The Fugitive,
The Sixth
Sense, The Prince of Tides)
• Brett James (Songwriter - "Blessed," "Jesus, Take the
Wheel," "When the Sun
Goes Down")
• Holly Knight (Songwriter, Producer - "Love is a
Battlefield," "Better Be
Good To Me," TV: Still Standing)
• Alonzo Lee (Producer - "Right Thurr," "I Like That")
• Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (Songwriter, Producer - "No More
Drama," "That's
the Way Love Goes," "Escapade")
• MC Lyte (Songwriter - "Ruff Neck," "Paper Thin," "Cold Rock a
Party," "Lyte
As a Rock")
• Johnny Mandel (Composer-Arranger-Producer - "The Shadow of Your
Smile,
"Emily," TV: M*A*S*H)
• Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer (Songwriters - Bon Appetit,
cELLAbration, "Scat
Like That," Postcards
• Rhett Miller [Old 97s] (Songwriter - "Question," Film: The Break
Up, TV
Theme: Twenty Good Years, TV Ad "E/A Sports")
• Rick Nowels (Songwriter, Producer - White Flag, "The Game of
Love," "The
Power of Goodbye," "You Get What You Give")
• Stephen Paulus (Composer - Sea Portraits, Opera: The Postman
Always Rings
Twice)
• John Rich (Songwriter - "Come Cryin' To Me," "Redneck
Woman," "Mississippi
Girl")
• Jeff Rona (Composer - TV: Traffic, Chicago Hope, Film: Black
Hawk Down,
Mothman Prophecies)
• Stephen Schwartz (Composer - Broadway: Wicked, Godspell, Pippin,
Film: The
Prince of Egypt)
• Matt Serletic (Producer - "Smooth," Supernatural, Yourself or
Someone Like
You)
• Mark Snow (Composer - The X-Files, Supernatural, Ghost
Whisperer, One Tree
Hill)
• Nisan Stewart (Songwriter, Producer - "Free Yourself," "Get
Down,"
"Somethin' For Ya," "Signs")
• David Vanacore (Composer - TV: Survivor, Nanny 911, The
Apprentice, The
Restaurant)
• Jimmy Webb (Songwriter - "By the Time I Get to
Phoenix," "Galveston,"
"Wichita Lineman")
• Doug Wood (Composer - The Omni Music Library; President/Owner -
Omni Music)
• Paul Williams (Songwriter - "Evergreen," "Rainy Days and
Mondays," "We've
Only Just Begun")
• Dan Wilson [Semisonic] (Songwriter - "The Long Way
Around," "Closing Time",
"Not Ready to Make Nice")

All songwriters, composers, lyricists, producers, publishers and
other music
industry professionals, regardless of affiliation, are invited to
register and
attend. With new panelists, expanded programming and additional
opportunities to
advance your career, the 2007 EXPO promises to be another must-
attend event.
The EXPO will feature seminars, workshops, master classes, keynotes,
one-on-one
sessions, song critiquing, product displays, technology
demonstrations,
performances and more.


Click here to register:
http://www.ascap.com/expo/registration.html

Click here to read more about the ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO:
http://www.ascap.com/expo

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read this note on myspace from chuck cannon

this is something i've never done.

i'm writing this bulletin to let all my myspace friends know about
an artist. he's a dear friend ...he's a brother ...and more ...

an old soul whose heart has been broken and healed and broken and
healed until the scars we can't see have become thin places where
songs of all our brokenness and hope for healing find escape ...

to those of you who know him, i apologize for not having words that
are quite enough to say how awesome his talent is ...

his name is David Vincent Williams
http://www.myspace.com/dvincentwilliamslive

peace
c

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~ ~ ~ ~ ~

ASK ANDE

In a message dated 12/22/2006

thank you for all your info..
it is greatly appreciated..
Do you have any suggestions on how to find a Christian music
producer for independent artists?..
thank you so much

~ ~ ~

my friend eric copeland does excellent work
http://www.creativesoulonline.com

so does Denny Martin at
http://www.DennyMartinMusic.com

ande

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Are you an author?

Digital Rights

How can I make a book available as an eBook on Amazon.com?

To sell any book in eBook format on Amazon.com, we need to obtain
permission from the person or company who holds the digital rights
to the book.

If you are unsure whether you hold the digital rights or if you
don't know what it means to hold the digital rights, please contact
us at digitalrights@... and we'll walk you through it.

If you are a publisher, author, or agent who wants to learn more
about making a book available as an eBook on Amazon.com, please e-
mail your inquiry to digitalrights@... or send us an e-mail
containing the contact information for the rights holder and
information about the book so we can follow-up directly.

http://booksurge.com


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~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I just wanted to let you know about Program Director Brian Smith's
new weekly segment of "Central Texas Sounds" where he plays music by
central Texas songwriters and bands on KMIL - 1330 am - (Cameron,
TX.) from 9 am to noon each Wednesday. He's played many of the songs
from my "It Is What It Is" CD and encourages anyone in the area to
either send him a CD or a *.mp3.

Brian can be contacted via email at: brian@... for more
information. What a great opportunity to have your music heard over
the airwaves!

One of the truly nice things is that he's just started to do on-air
interviews - I was on the 10 am segment today and thoroughly enjoyed
it. We had the chance to talk about music on-air and I played two of
the songs from my album.

It's also streamed live 24/7 on the Internet at: www.kmil.com - an
interesting potential for the future of small-town radio stations.

I know your IFS group would love to hear about this incredible
opportunity.

Thank you for all you do -

Joe Strouse


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a note from Steve Seskin

Holiday Greetings to you and yours....

As 2006 comes to a close, I am hopeful and optimistic about our
planet and where it's heading. I spent much of the year feeling the
opposite, overwhelmed by the conflicts/wars that have been going on
for several years now. What turned things around for me was looking
around my community and seeing all the wonderful things that people
are doing for each other. There is love everywhere you look if you
just take the time to look. I also have to say that working with
children through the Don't Laugh At Me program in schools brings me
great joy and a feeling of purpose unlike anything else I've ever
done. I have a renewed sense of hope that future generations of kids
will indeed grow up with human kindness and respect for others high
on their list of what's important in this life. I am happy to be
contributing to this effort.

I wish you all the best and want you to know how deeply I appreciate
your support of me and my music. I have great plans for 2007 and
hope to be visiting your area at some point. Check
www.steveseskin.com
for updates. Here are the dates coming up. Take care....

Join us for one of these extraordinary evenings with:Â Steve
Seskin, writer of seven number one songs, including Grammy-nominated
Grown Men Don't Cry, recorded by Tim McGraw, and
Don't Laugh at Me, winner of NSAI Song of the Year;
Craig Carothers, writer of "Little Hercules" (Trisha Yearwood) and
with songs recorded by Kathy Mattea, Lorrie Morgan, and Peter, Paul,
and Mary; and
Don Henry, Grammy-winning songwriter of "Where've You Been" (Kathy
Mattea); also wrote "To See My Angel Cry" (Conway Twitty) and other
songs recorded by Ray Charles, John Conlee, Lonestar, the Oak Ridge
Boys, Blake Shelton, and Bryan White.


Thursday, January 11 - 142 Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley,
California. The show starts at 8:00 PM. Tickets are $18.00 in
advance, $22.00 at the door. For advance tickets or more info go
to www.throckmortontheatre.com or call 415-383-9600.


Friday, January 12 -Â House Concert at Studio E in Rural
Sebastopol, California. The doors open at 7:30, and the show
starts at 8:00 PM. Tickets are $20 in advance, and are availableÂ
at the Last Record Store in Santa Rosa (CASH ONLY + $1.00 per ticket
service charge) (1899 Mendocino Avenue, just north of SRJC), or can
be purchased in advance via mail (no service fee).

Send self-addressed envelope and check to:

Laurie Schaeffer
1275 Fourth St., PMB 653
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

A map to Studio E will accompany the tickets.

For more info go to www.northbaylive.com, or contact Laurie
Schaeffer (musicfan@...) at (707) 542-7143


Saturday, January 13 - Freight & Salvage at 1111 Addison Street in
Berkeley, California. The doors open at 7:30 and the show starts at
8 PM. Tickets are $18.50 in advance and $19.50 at the door. For more
info and advance tickets, go to www.thefreight.org or call 510-548-
1761.

Sunday, January 14 - Songwriting Seminar with Steve Seskin, Don
Henry and Craig Carothers from 10am-4pm at the HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS,
1650 El Camino Real, Belmont, California. The cost is $80 and it
includes a concert ticket to the Sunday evening concert at the
Little Fox Theatre. To sign up go to www.westcoastsongwriters.org or
call 650-654-3966. You can also call Steve at 510-236-5225 for more
information

Sunday, January 14 - Little Fox Theater at 2209 Broadway in Redwood
City, California. The show starts at 7:00 PM, and tickets are $14
in advance, $16 at the door. For more info or advance tickets, go
to www.foxdream.com and click on Little Fox, or call 650-369-4119.

Friday, January 19 - Douglas Corner Cafe at 2106 8th Avenue South #A
in Nashville, Tennessee. Solo concert at 9:00 pm Tickets are $10.
For more info go to www.douglascorner.com or call 615-298-1688

Saturday, January 20 - Bluebird Cafe at 4104 Hillsboro Road in
Nashville, Tennessee. I will be performing with Michael Johnson,
Allen Shamblin and Chuck Jones The show starts at is 9:30 pm.
Tickets are $10, and the show is a benefit for Hospice. For more
info go to www.bluebirdcafe.com or call 615-383-1461.

Saturday and Sunday, January 20 and 21 -
Songwriting Seminar in Nashville, Tennessee.
With special guests Kathy Mattea and Chuck Jones. For more info go
to my website at www.steve seskin.com, or contact Claudia Young by
email at csyoung@..., or call her at 615-309-9449.

You have been sent this e-mail because you or someone else requested
that your address be added to our gigs e-mail list. If you wish to
be removed from this list, please let us know and we will remove
your address. We maintain the list only to notify people who want
to know about Steve's concerts and career development. Thanks!

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What do you think of the Saturday Night Live Skit / music video that
went viral
http://youtube.com/watch?v=1dmVU08zVpA

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~ ~ ~ ~ ~

2007 Tunesmith Songwriting Event
March 22-24 in Nashville TN
Holiday Inn Select
2613 WEST END AVE
NASHVILLE, TN 37203 615-327-4707

We are looking for the BEST UNCUT songwriters on the planet!
If you think you have what it takes, we want to talk to you!
NO Audition is required BUT we are looking for the BEST.
If you don't think your writing skills are not developed
enough to write with professional songwriters, please
pass this along to your songwriting friends who
Are ready for an event like this one.


About the Event...

This is a songwriting competition where you will be mentored and
coached
through your writing process by HIT writers.....each participant
will be teamed up in groups of three with the professional
direction of your assigned HIT writer.....invaluable ! ! !

This is a very exciting and extraordinary opportunity
for anybody serious in trying to establish themselves

in the
Nashville Songwriting Community.

Here's what we have planned.....

We will hold this event in Nashville between March 22-24th at the
Holiday Inn
Select.
THE perfect place for a writing team to work on their song.

Thursday March 22:

4:00PM to 5:00PM Registration in the Commodore Lounge. Sign-in, get
your badges
and folders,
team pairings the song write-off rules, etc. (You may put your own
team together
or submit your
application as a single and we will place you on a team according to
your
skills. If you put your
own team together we need the team to signup together).
6:00PM to 9:00PM. We will begin the evening with our Tunesmith "Song
of the
Year"
awards presentation. Debi champion will host the Tunesmith
Performance Rounds.
PRO
coaches will head rounds that include team members.

Friday March 23 :

10:00 AM to 5:00 PM Using material in your packets, each team will
appoint a
team and set their
agenda for the day. You will need to schedule Lunch, breaks, where
you will be
writing etc.We
ask that you remain in the Hotel to write to make it easier for our
PROS. Every
team will have a pro
assigned to them but we will have a PRO rotation period where all
the teams get
to visit with all the
pros we have available.

6:30PM to 9:00PM..Lee "You Look Bad" Rascone' s writers night. (We
are working
with Lee to put together s
ome more showcases they TBA later)


Saturday March 24: Work on Song, Must be ready to perform at 5:30!!

5:30PM to 9:00PM ..Each writing TEAM will "present" the song they
have worked on
the past two days.
It is up to the team to decide who presents the song on stage. If no
one in your
team is a good performer,
we will have guests such as Amanda Williams on standby to perform
your song for
you.
Your team will provide lyric sheets to our panel of 3 to 5 judges
(Publishers,
Pluggers, & Producers)
who are well renowned in the industry.

The judges will then make their decision on the winner of the 5th
Annual
Tunesmith Songwriter Competition

The winning team will receive a Single song publishing deal, a FREE
demo of the
winning song,
and a 2 hour co-write with their PRO Coach.

Here is a list of some of the pro writers that have already
committed to this
event and are TENTATIVELY scheduled to appear.....

Bobby Terry
Unsaveable – Faith Hill
Ain't Gonna Take It Anymore – Faith Hill
Kill Myself – Tim McGraw
Back To The Farm – Trace Adkins
Welcome To Hell – Trace Adkins
Love Is Never Ending – Brad Paisley
Carrying On – Montgomery Gentry
Who Invented The Wheel – Trisha Yearwood
Love Does It Every Time – Ricky Skaggs
I'd Find You – Chris Cagle

Charlie Craig
Bring On The Night – Alan Jackson
Wanted – Alan Jackson
Every Time It Rains (Lord Don't It Pour) – George Strait
Between an Old Memory and Me - Travis Tritt, Keith Whitley
Tropical Depression - Alan Jackson
Chicken Every Sunday - Dolly Parton
She's Single Again - Reba McIntyre

Marty Brown
I'm From The Country – Tracy Bird
If It Ain't Me – Brooks & Dunn

Mark Kerr
Why Can't I Leave Her Alone – George Strait
Missing Missouri – Sara Evans
The Bottle – Trent Tomlinson

Tommy Barnes
Indian Outlaw – Tim McGraw
My Love – Little Texas
Man To Man – Hank Williams Jr.

Jeremy Spillman
Arlington – Trace Adkins
He Ought To Know That By Now – Leann Womack

Woody Mullis
Adalida – George Strait
All In My Heart – John Michael Montgomery
Hillbilly Shoes- Montgomery Gentry
City Put the Country Back in Me
I feel a Cold One Comin On

Flip Anderson
Meant To Be – Tracy Lawrence
Different Man – Tracy Lawrence

Marty Dodson (Bio coming soon)

Bobby Pinson (Bio coming soon)

Lisa Carver
Lisa Carver is a songwriter with cuts by Tim McGraw,
Reba McIntyre and Julie Roberts, as well as FOUR
cuts on the new Sugarland album. For those of you
who attended Tunesmith Winter Event 2004 at Hobo Joe's
you got to witness the power of Lisa!

Amanda Williams
Beer Run - Garth Brooks & George Jones
Low - Epic Records
Cutting an album with Jeffrey Steele

Rick Rowell
Cuts by Ricky Van Shelton, Trisha Yearwood, David Kersh etc....

We are looking for the BEST uncut songwriters we can find from
around the world
to work with
Nashville Professional Songwriters. If you have what it takes, we
want to talk
to you!
Your investment for this event is 175.00 per person.
(Does NOT include your accommodations) Call the Holiday Inn Select
615-327-4707 and ask for the Tunesmith Room block.

Tunesmith Event Tickets make GREAT Christmas Gifts!!

For more information go to:
http://www.tunesmith.net/events/TunesmithAffiliates.htm
Click on the buy now button at the end of the page to sign up.

This is an awesome opportunity to make the connections you need in
Nashville AND
to get the attention of professional songwriters and publishers!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Tunesmith Administration
Nan Cassidy, Dave Norris, Jo Blount and Chad Beattie

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put your music video's up on youtube
like faith rivera
http://youtube.com/faithrivera

here's a note faith received
Pete from YOUTUBE "I just went onto iTunes again, and now I've
bought about 17 of your songs!!!! I can't stop sayin' how much I
LOVE your music!!!!! Here's my video usin' your "Wonder" song"

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Consider Consulting
When you're traveling doing gigs
offer up 30 and 60 minute time blocks
state your price then
find out if you have any takers

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Use creative inspiration to nurture connection to spirit -

By Halie Loren
For The Register-Guard
Published: Saturday, December 16, 2006

My creative capacity has been the quality I've treasured most about
myself. It also has been my clearest window into the way in which
Spirit influences and directs me, even when I am unable, or
unwilling, to detect its presence.
Though my life is filled with many forms of artistic expression,
music has been the dominant creative outlet for me. It has granted
me the most fulfillment on a spiritual level and garnered the most
response from others, particularly through songwriting.

I'm told that I started singing almost before I could talk, and I
wrote my first song at age 14, which means I have been calling
myself a singer/songwriter for almost half of my 22 years. In
crafting songs, I've used real-life experiences, other people's
stories, myths, and even logical analysis for ideas while writing,
but more often the conceptions come "out of the blue."

The songs that emerge through sheer creative inspiration end up
speaking greater truths to me than many of the ones I've written
using careful, calculated thought processes. They seem to come from
some place deeper, where I've tapped into a source of wisdom greater
than myself.
People have asked me how I write songs that belie my years and lack
of experience with the hardships of life - songs that they as older
adults feel connected to. The songs bring their emotions to the
surface because the messages feel personal.

I've revisited a song I wrote five years ago - a song that seemed,
at the time, to be a mixture of random "creative inspiration" and
speculation - only to discover a depth and understanding relating to
experiences and emotions I am going through now, that I had no
concept of at the time the song was written. They were thoughts that
I allowed to surface.

The more I experience this elevated awareness, the more I am
convinced that creativity is one of the modes of expression of the
voice of Spirit, the voice of the universal creative force that is
responsible for and exists within all. Spirit is the only "source of
wisdom" that I know I can tap into when seeking truths beyond my
full understanding.

People seek the help of a greater source, or a "higher power," under
various names and incarnations to help them grapple with the human
condition. When we are able to reach this source, or perhaps when it
is able to reach us, we discover amazing things about ourselves.

It would make sense that we can also gain access to, or be accessed
by, Spirit on a subconscious level, and that Spirit helps guide us
by way of intuition, inspiration and even the ebbs and flows of
creative thought. In light of this, it is no wonder that I feel most
connected to my spirituality when I am actively creating. When I
allow creativity to fully nurture my connection to Spirit, the
resulting artistic expression is a manifestation of a well-fed soul.

Halie Loren sings and participates at The Spiritual Growth Center
(Religious Science). This column is coordinated by Two Rivers
Interfaith Ministries, a network of more than 35 religious and
spiritual traditions in the Eugene-Springfield area. For more
information, visit www.interfaitheugene.org or call 344-5693.

http://www.registerguard.com/news/2006/12/16/c12.rel.trimcol.1216.p1.
php?section=cityregion

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ASK ANDE

Mr. Rasmussen,

This is Shepard, I helped you and your wife with getting some new
phones back in November. I am contacting you to see what type of
opportunities aree available within the Texas chapter of Grammy. I
know you mentioned that your organization worked with university
students but I didnt know exactly in what capacity. Thank you for
sharing your contact information and I look forward to hearing from
you soon! Enjoy the holidays and I hope your wireless service is
working at it's best.

Shepard


hi shepard,

drop by
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2219019897
and
http://www.grammy.com/Recording%5FAcademy/Member%5FServices/GRAMMYU
and
http://www.myspace.com/grammyu

Ande Rasmussen
Texas Grammy Governor
http://www.grammy.com/Recording_Academy/Chapters/Texas/

SongWriter
http://songramp.com/ande

Editor and Publisher of IFS
a songwriting ezine read by over 4,000 songwriters
http://www.SongWriterBlog.com


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a note from EllyK who is now elizaveta

Greetings and happy holidays!

I am happy to announce that 'Breakfast with Chopin' has been
released. It was produced by O. Hadar, mixed by Sheldon Gomberg,
mastered in the grand analog tradition by Joe Gastwirt and features
beautiful original artwork by award-winning M. Washington.

It is an inspired collaboration with Chopin, Beethoven and
Tchaikovsky. I do wish to believe they would have been proud - and
perhaps they are.

You are cordially invited to visit my online Boutique, which is part
of my new website. You will be able to preview the songs and pick up
a CD, as well as other various Breakfast with Chopin items designed
by M. Washington. Enjoy! There are shows being planned and more
events coming up. And for now..

Step into our Boutique!

Merci,

Elizaveta
http://www.elizaveta.net/boutique.html
http://www.elizaveta.net
http://www.myspace.com/breakfastwithchopin

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The Recording Academy has negotiated a discounted registration rate
for its members to attend SXSW 2007 in Austin, Texas. The discounted
price is $45 below the current rate. Members can register for $450
until January 12. The price will be $495 January 13 through February
9. This offer is not retroactive for those who have already
registered for SXSW.

Below is the discount link for NARAS members for the 2007 South By
Southwest Music Conference And Festival.

https://secure.sxsw.com/ec/?product=reg-music-naras


This URL will lead you to the login screen where you will either log
in (if you have an existing user account) or create a new account
and be logged in. After login, you will see a 'shopping cart' page
with a link to the discount form. Fill out the form, note that the
fields marked with a red asterisk are required. This discount does
not use a coupon code, disregard that request. The discounted price
will be shown on the "Checkout" screen. If all details are in order,
click 'Checkout' and 'Purchase' on the next screen to finalize your
transaction.

Stay tuned for information regarding Recording Academy events taking
place during SXSW.

For up-to-date information on panels, performances and other
activities, log on to SXSW.com.

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Write On,

ande rasmussen

does anyone ever read IFS to the very end?