Connecting Songwriters Throughout Northeast Ohio

News & Updates

Volume 2 Issue 10

October 2018

The Reprise:

Music And The Circle Of Life

Don Henson, Founder

Throughout life’s journey, we’ve all experienced many twists and turns. There are times when music consumes every waking moment, while other times music is nothing more than a distraction for us. It might have to do with vocation, family, health, or any number of things. There was actually a point in my life where I didn’t pick up my guitar for almost ten years. I never sat down at the piano. Never picked up my bass. It just didn’t seem to be as important as other life experiences that were happening. Times when I felt life or work simply didn’t mix well with my music.

As I emerged from that ten year “Fortress of Solitude” it became apparent that the more I played, the happier and more relaxed I became. When I started playing again, my passion for music returned. I wrote a few songs by myself, collaborated with a few musicians, and actually came up with some respectable material.

Personally, it has again been a while since I’ve played but I think for a different reason. My job requires me to write and create every day. Management recently asked me

about writing a jingle or two. That’s an interesting feeling. It’s been said that one of the secrets to being a good songwriter is to write every day. I think that is great advice and I urge everyone to take time out of your daily or weekly schedule to just sit down and write.

The more we write, the better we get.

Here’s a jingle we wrote a long time ago for member Tom Ball when he had a radio show on local station WAPS 91.3 The Summit. Strange how I somehow ended up doing for a living what I was doing for fun.

Join Us For Our Next General Meeting

October 1st At 7PM

Pitching A Song: The Next Step Toward Fame

Scott Marshall

So you've written a really great song. Lots of positive feedback - particularly from other songwriters - affirms this. So now what? How do you get publishing companies or recording artists to listen to your next big megahit?

Let's discuss just a few of the methods that songwriters currently use to market or “pitch“ their songs. Most of these I have used myself with some success.

Songwriting organizations

I've been a member of more than a dozen of these over the years. I currently belong to four. Why? Because songwriting organizations offer a multitude of benefits and song pitching is one of the most valuable. Groups such as Nashville Songwriters Association International and Tennessee Songwriters Association International regularly have publishers and recording artists in as guests to review songs that are being pitched by their members. Though they are both based in Nashville, out-of-town members (like me) can send in CDs to have their songs played right along with the local members. Other groups produce compilation CDs of members' songs and pitch them in various places. They are basically marketing your songs for you.

Lead sheets and Tip sheets

These are regularly published, up-to-date directories of publishers and artists who are looking for songs and the types of songs they are looking for. Good info, but not cheap. I haven't used one yet. Songwriting organization Inspirational Country Music Association, of which I’m a member, puts out its own lead sheet for members, mostly Christian/Country artists. Not nearly as many opportunities, but it`s helped me place songs with an artist and a publisher.

Google

Sometimes I think the internet is both a blessing and a curse. If you've got the time, do a web search for “publishers who accept unsolicited song submissions.” You may have to sift through a

whole lot of worthless websites, but there are legitimate companies out there. I connected with a publisher from Texas and we both benefitted from it.

Independent Music Network

This is just one of many independent artist networks. I checked out their charts (they have both pop and country) and listened to the top ten country artists and researched them (they all have web pages.) I sent out emails asking if they were looking for new material. It`s a bit of a crap shoot, but it can yield some positive results.

Songwriters Market

I saved the best for last. This great publication is packed with all kinds of helpful info for songwriters looking to get their songs placed. It offers informative articles and detailed contact info (publishers, record companies, etc.) I`ve bought several issues over the years and just purchased their 40th edition, $14.99 on Amazon and well worth it! Highly recommend!

Well that`s just the tip of the iceberg as far as song pitching goes. But I think it`s a pretty good start. Hopefully it will help some of you.

Keep writing and good luck!!

Our New Mobile Friendly Website

Is Up And Running

You Can Also Find Us On Facebook

And Instagram.

Check Us Out!

Member Profile: Chuck Picklesimer

Chuck Picklesimer is a self-employed roofing contractor who loves to play guitar and write songs. He thinks of himself more as a writer than a performer. He started playing when he was 17 as a freshman in college. His career was interrupted when he got drunk one night and traded a brand new Goya for another quart of tequila out of the trunk of some patron’s car. That’s when he quit drinking alcohol.

His first really nice guitar was a Martin D28 purchased new, on lay away, for $600 in 1967. While in the Air Force, he worked days as a medic and played out six nights a week, mostly folk music cover songs.

When Chuck's dad died, he wrote a song about his life titled, My Old Man and decided to record it at Aardvark Studios in Steubenville, Ohio. That hooked him on the studio experience and he got into writing songs for fun. To this day he has more than 200 to his name that are mostly “slice of life” variants. Nearly all his songs are about true life events, some of his own experiences and some about interesting people he's known.

Writing, he says, brings him joy. He took some time to share his thoughts on the process and on being part of Songwriter Summit.

What keeps you coming back to Songwriter Summit on a regular basis?

Even though it’s an hour-and-a-half drive from West Virginia to 2 Girls Cafe, I make the monthly meetings whenever I can, depending upon my roof work schedule. I always feel like I have a really good seat in a friendly music venue which exposes me to surprise after surprise. We are not hearing cover tunes. We are hearing works in progress and completed works by songwriters who have paid some dues through years of creating and sharing. There is nothing like this in “Mayberry” where I live. All the bands play covers, and usually too loud for my own taste.

It is a real treat to be among such creative writers and performers. If a cat had pajamas, they would be here.

What drives your writing?

Omar Khayyam once wrote - paraphrasing a bit here - ”If you think you have something new to say to the world, hush, do not speak. It’s all been said before. However, if you have found a new way to say something, by all means, proceed.” I enjoy observing events and personalities around me, then trying to come up with a new musical story telling style to share the experience. My first CD was titled Going to the Movies For Free. I usually write the lyric or story outline first, then, once the lyric is established, I add the music. My biggest fault with my song writing is that musically, there is not enough variety. Not all, but many of my songs sound the same. Old dog, new tricks?

How would you describe the music you create?

Description #1: You can’t dance to my songs.

Description #2: My songs are not radio friendly.

Description #3: My songs are “sheds” as opposed to “cathedrals.” I’ve mentioned this before, but years ago Sting made a surprise visit to a Chicago area school music department. He gave a workshop on song writing during the visit. That was a big part of his message. ”We aren’t building cathedrals here," he said, "we’re building sheds.”

But that’s how we learn, by doing little exercises and experiments and hit and miss efforts, over and over. Ergo, evolution. My songs most often tell a true story about real people or events. They often have a mystical vibe in there somewhere. And the beat goes on.

What advice would you share with other songwriters?

With very rare exceptions, if you are writing to make money, your motivation is not conducive to the creative process. I really believe that we write songs because of our nature. We are right brain (intuitive, creative) types and this gives us a sense of accomplishment. It’s fun and emotionally rewarding. I’m not any kind of expert whose advice should be followed. You know as much, probably even more, than I do about the craft. Just keep on keeping on.

What are your thoughts about working with a co-writer?

I have ALMOST never worked with a co-writer, but there was one very pleasant exception. In 2007, our meetings were held in a side room of the Cuyahoga Falls Library. During one such meeting, Don Henson played a five note guitar lead line. He said something like, “...not sure what to do with it, but it keeps sticking in my head.” That was to me, a memorable melody and I immediately found myself writing a five syllable line which actually came to be the song title, Dancing With Surprise.

I wrote the first draft lyric and I asked good friend Diane Dudek from North East Ohio Song Writers Circle to be the vocalist. I scheduled time in Midland, PA with Daniel Page Studios. Dan used a keyboard to establish the hook lead and made sure it was in perfect pitch and timing.

When Diane started to sing the red editing pencil came out. She did not so much change my lyrics as re-arrange to better fit the melody line and phrasing. She crossed out some words and phrases and repeated a couple here and there. We spent a lot of time in the studio and with synthesizers and drum machines established the music to fit Don’s lead riff.

Then Dan hired Skip Peck of Wheeling to lay down a fine sax solo. I have never - and I’m sure I never will again - help compose something so danceable, kinda like a Bossa Nova.

I can’t stress enough, the value of the “seed.” That five note riff would only work with a pop tune, never with the kind of folk music inspired tunes I churn out on my own. And if Diane tried to actually sing exactly what I had written the song would be a disaster. From this experience I have come to believe that under the right circumstances and with the right talents involved, co-writing can actually be instructional and even fun.

I recommend it, but probably shall not re-visit that vibe.

What is the difference between the best song you've ever written and the worst?

The worst song I think I ever wrote was a song glorifying the drinking of alcohol. It was pretty early in my writing non-career, and I was putting together several original songs for a CD. I thought the project needed something humorous, for emotional balance. So, even though I do not drink even beer, I wrote a pretty funny song about being a drunk. Our local culture club was presenting Tom Paxton on the stage of the high school, and the sound man asked if he could play one of my CDs before the live act started. When I entered the room and saw families there with young children and that stupid song was blasting away, I was ashamed and embarrassed. I promised myself that I’d never write anything that did not come from the heart.

Now, I don’t know what my so called best song is, probably, My Old Man, but I leave you now with the lyrics to my shortest recorded song.

Have I told you lately that I had a brief affair?

It was really nothing special, just a little here and there.

It was such an in-significality, I knew you wouldn’t care.

Pass the taters. How’s your mother? Where are you going dear?

We Need You To Step Up

So here’s the deal. Short and sweet. We need you to give some serious thought to how important Songwriter Summit is to you and your creative process and then, having done that, we need you to give some serious thought to becoming a member of the Board of Directors or being involved in one of our committees. Now.

We’re looking for members who can bring some fresh blood to our social media presence, our membership outreach and to help develop programs that are a benefit to our members. You might be exactly who we’re looking for. Oh, these meeting can mostly happen though email and text message so there may not be a need to meet or sacrifice a lot of time to be able to help out.

For those interesting in serving on a deeper level, the Board is responsible for the long term strategic planning of the organization. We meet from time to time to talk about where we’re headed and how we can get there. It’s really that simple. Our bylaws call for a seven member Board. We currently need three members to run for those positions. Right now.

We need you. Drop us an email with questions or indicating your willingness to be part of the future of the organization.

Do it now. Please.

Confessions Of A Failed Co-writer

Bob Sammon

One of the reasons I tend to be a solo performer in most situations is that I just don’t play well with others. Maybe it’s a lack of time to really dedicate to practice and rehearsal. Maybe it’s listening to my own beat. Maybe it’s trouble finding someone who likes the same obscure stuff I do. Any way you look at it I’m more comfortable on stage by myself. Maybe that’s because I have only myself to blame if it all goes south.

The same attitude has followed my songwriting through the years. My first attempt at a cowrite was back in ’66 when I was a freshman at the University of Dayton. It was a complete and utter disaster and the first line of the effort still fills my dreams. And not in a good way. As a result, I’ve pretty much avoided that temptation over the years.

There was one effort that went quite well fairly recently but that’s a tale for another edition. I’d just like to concentrate on a recent failure that was my fault and my fault alone.

After one of our monthly meetings, one of the members approached me and asked if I’d be willing to collaborate on a song they were working on. In the spirit of what Songwriter Summit is about I agreed to give it a shot and give it my best effort.

An MP3 arrived a few days later with the chord structure and a basic melody and a suggestion that the song - to the writer - sounded like it should be about a specific topic. I was intrigued because I liked the melody and the basic concept. The lyric portion seemed to be mostly up to me.

As I started playing along with the music I started to like it more and more but the suggested arc of the story line didn’t seem to work for me. The melody, pace and structure was pulling me in an entirely different direction. I struggled with that for a while, wrote some lyrics and sent them back as a suggestion. Months later now, I don’t recall how it all turned out except that it actually didn’t. I believe the other member finished the song on their own and I abandoned the direction I was headed with my story line.

Today I chalk that up to my inexperience with playing with others. Maybe more exposure to that form of creativity might have made that go better. Or maybe if I had seen this article back then it could have helped. Maybe it can help you. It suggests some things to consider when writing lyrics to someone else’s music. They seem like good ideas to me and might be something to consider the next time someone asks you to cowrite with them.

Never Put Off 'til Tomorrow...

…what you can put off ’til the day after.

Even Moving The Meeting To Tuesday Worked

Six Songs. Six Writers. Check it out.

The Power of Love. The Power of Music.

When You Buy These...

And Save The Receipts We...

It’s Easier Than You Think!

Then Turn The Receipts In At Our Meetings.

Grace Notes

Our Next Meeting...

We meet next on October 1st at 2 Girls Cafe and Bakery, 3707 Darrow Road in Stow at 7:00 PM. If you are presenting a song please bring 20 copies for distribution to the other attendees. Copies will be returned to you at the end of the meeting. You do not need to be a member to attend a meeting or bring us a song.

Visit Our Website

While you’re browsing the web drop in on our site for member lists, open mic suggestions, and so much more. You can find it right here.

Did You Miss An Issue?

Need back issues of The Bridge? You’ll find them here.

Pass It On

Know someone who might enjoy our newsletter? Feel free to forward it to them. Thanks.

Let Us Know What You Think

What would you like to see us cover in The Bridge? Would you be interested in writing for us once in a while? Do you have an event you’d like to have published to share with our membership and the others who read our publication each month? If so just drop us a note. Like what you see? Catch a mistake? Let us know. We’ve set up a special email address that goes directly to those responsible for compiling this newsletter each month. It’s the best way to get in touch with us. We look forward to your input, comments and suggestions.