March 30, 2005

Contents:

1. New Song on MySpace
2. New Feature - Download-Of-The-Moment
3. Calling All Photoshop Monkeys, pt. II


Spring has sprung!  Here's all the news that fits:

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NEW SONG!

http://www.myspace.com/summersongbird

If you haven't heard it yet, do please drop in and have a listen to "Oak Creek Canyon."  My most recent tune, inspired by traveling through Flagstaff last summer, is kinda rockin', and I'm pretty fond of it--I hope you'll like it, too.  Also currently available for listening and download: "Foot On The Floor," "Ol' Grey Dog," and "A Little More."


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DOWNLOAD-OF-THE-MOMENT

Speaking of free downloads - I've instituted a new feature at summerrussell.com, and will be making a song available through the website every week or month or so, exclusively to you folks.  This stems from the decision that I need to at least be recording everything I write, and that I'd rather share music with my friends for free than just wait around til I've got CDs to sell. 

In the meantime, these will be mostly mp3s recorded onto a PDA in the low-tech wonderland of my bedroom.  Some will already be familiar to many of you, but others may be unpolished pieces I've never even performed in public.  Your feedback on both is *always* welcome.  I'd love to know what works, and hear about what clicks with you.  Feeling truly reckless with my intellectual property, I'll also be providing lyrics for those who like to know what they're getting into before they download.

To kick it off, I've uploaded "Robin," one of my most popular and frequently requested folky-Celtic-type tunes, slated for inclusion on "Out Of The Greenwood."  You can go to one of two places for the download.  For the sake of preserving bandwidth, I've mirrored the file at yousendit.com, and the URL for the download there is:

http://s49.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=34TDQ42JTJAXQ1Y5AOU53HZ3ET

Follow the link, click on the filename, and you're on your way!

If the above is not available, you can download "Robin" directly from my website by visiting http://www.summerrussell.com/audio.html and clicking on the "Download-Of-The-Moment."  Lyrics are available here, too.

As ever, let me know what ya think!

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PHOTOSHOP MONKEYS

I announced a promotional graphics contest in the last newsletter.  Having received no responses to date, I will switch to the simple yet effective tactic of begging.  If that doesn't work, I'll hush. 

Reprinted from the November issue:

"Now that I've got a cool website, I need cool ways to get people to visit it.  Namely, promotional graphics--icons, banner ads, huge animated flashing billboards, or anything else you can dream up as a pretty way of linking to summerrussell.com. 

If you'd like to try your hand at helping me out in this most worthy endeavor, I'll pick my favorites and feature them on my website.  The grand prize winner will also receive one free digital download, in the form of a full-length mp3 of their choice from the upcoming album "Out Of The Greenwood," before it's even released (visit the "albums" page to hear samples).  It's not much, but there you have it. (EDIT: okay, with the advent of the new feature, I realize this isn't so spectacular.  Howbout I make you a plate of cookies?)

Check out http://www.summerrussell.com/images.html for ideas and a few photos you're welcome to include in your design.  Of course, you don't have to limit yourself to what you find there.  E-mail all entries to sixstringsongbird@...."


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Thanks for tuning in, hep cats.  Keep in touch, and take care of yourselves!

-Summer


--
Summer Russell
http://www.summerrussell.com

"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not." - Ralph Waldo Emerson