COUNTRY NOTES

The NSAI bulletin for the Los Angeles area Workshop

July-August 2004

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Adopt-a-Shop


     This past Spring, NSAI announced its new, updated Adopt-a-Shop program.  Under Adopt-a-Shop, each NSAI regional workshop is assigned one or more pro writers who have volunteered to mentor the workshop.  I am pleased to introduce the two mentors for the Los Angeles Workshop,  Julie Zeitlin and Randi Michaels.

Julie Zeitlin
A Los Angeles native, Julie spent more than 15 years an executive in the record industry, including in sales at A&M Records, and marketing and later radio promotion at Quality Records. She later opened and ran her own record company, Spark Records, and successful music marketing company, Spark Marketing.

In 1999, Julieís passion for the creative side of music prevailed, and she moved to Nashville to pursue a career in songwriting. She is currently a staff writer with Music Rowís Ash Street Music, and has had several of her songs recorded by independent artists. She is a sought-after song evaluator, and a pro member of NSAI. She is a regular performer on the Nashville writerís scene, including The Bluebird CafÈ and The French Quarter. Her formal musical training includes classical guitar, classical piano, voice and music theory.

Julie is also a freelance copywriter whose advertising campaigns have won several ADDY awards in Tennessee.

Randi Michaels
RANDI MICHAELS has been a professional songwriter in NYC and Nashville for 25 years and has extensive experience in studio recording, production and performance.  Signed to Bug Music and Milsap - Galbraith Music, she has had over a dozen songs recorded by established artists including David Kersh, The String Cheese Incident (current single), Heather Myles, Andy Childs and Marilyn Martin. In 1992, Randi created and produced New York City's first writer-in-the-round show called "The Songwriter's Circle" at The Bitter End which is still extremely successful today.  She has been a guest speaker for NSAI and works as an evaluator for their national evaluation service as well as a pro-writer/mentor for their chapters in Los Angeles and Denver.  She has also worked as a teacher/mentor for BEAMS (Breckenridge Education and Music Seminars.)  She teaches her successful 6 week seminar called "Songwriting From The Heart" in Colorado and Tennessee and accepts private students as well.

Our Adopt-a-Shop pros have committed to the following in order to assist the workshop:
Adopt-a-Shop is truly an exciting program, and I encourage you to take advantage of what it has to offer!

July-August '04 Workshop Schedule

Due to concerns with freeway traffic at rush hour on Monday evenings, we've changed the day and time of the workshops to Sunday evenings at 7:00pm. 

Thursday, July 8, 7:30-10:00pm - Songwriter Lineup at Hallenbeck's General Store, 5510 N. Cahuenga Blvd., N. Hollywood. Host Warren Sellars.  Featuring Jamie Houston plus James Grey, Mark Luna, Marty Axelrod, Kevin Fisher , Wendy Tuttle and Jason Feddy. Jamie Houston...Currently writing with Kid Rock as well as writing with and producing Santana..He has numerous songs in films like "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" and others coming out this year.. He's had cuts on and produced everybody from Michael Bolton to Macy Gray..He's a sought after producer , songwriter and singer..
Sunday, July 11, 7:00-10:00pm - Goal Setting/Mini-Song Camp at Hill-Harbison House, 1841 Alhambra Rd., San Marino.  Many successful people attribute their success to have having a set of well-defined, written goals.  Allan Frank will lead us in a session to help us keep our goals up-to-date.  Julie Delgado will then lead us in a workshop on writing TV theme songs.

We will also be collecting songs to be included on our workshop's compilation CD to be sent to a Nashville publisher.  Songs must be submitted on CD only with typed lyric sheet. NSAI members only, one song per member.

Sunday, July 25, 7:00-10:00pm - Group Song Critiques at Hill-Harbison House, 1841 Alhambra Rd., San Marino. Bring a song on CD, cassette, or to play live plus 10 copies of your lyric sheet.  Lyrics only can also be critiqued.

We will also be collecting songs to be included on our workshop's compilation CD to be sent to a Nashville publisher.  Songs must be submitted on CD only with typed lyric sheet.  NSAI members only, one song per member.

Sunday, August 8, 7:00-10:00pm - Crash Co-Writes at Hill-Harbison House, 1841 Alhambra Rd., San Marino. Here's a chance to hook up with new co-writers. We'll pair up writers who have never written together before to start new songs. In the past, this process has resulted in finished songs that have been demoed and pitched in some cases.  In other cases, it's been a fun learning experience.

Thursday, August 12, 7:30-10:00pm - Songwriter Lineup at Hallenbeck's General Store, 5510 N. Cahuenga Blvd., N. Hollywood. Host Julie Delgado. Featuring Michael Anderson plus Jill Craft,
Sue Terry, Marina V., Todd Herzog, Corrinne May, and Moke Cameron. Free admission.

Sunday, August 22, 7:00-10:00pm - Group Song Critiques at Hill-Harbison House, 1841 Alhambra Rd., San Marino. Bring a song on CD, cassette, or to play live plus 10 copies of your lyric sheet.  Lyrics only can also be critiqued.

Workshop Location
Unless otherwise noted, workshops are held from 7-10:00 p.m. at Hill-Harbison House, 1841 Alhambra Rd. in San Marino. Unless otherwise noted, admission is free for NSAI members, $10 for non-members. For more information, email Seth Jackson at webmaster.hitmeister@mindspring.com.

Directions to Hill-Harbison House

1841 Alhambra Rd., San Marino, CA


From Santa Monica:

Take I-10 E toward LOS ANGELES.      12.8 miles    
Merge onto CA-110 N via the exit- on the left- toward PASADENA.     9.7 miles
Take the FAIR OAKS AVE exit.     0.1 miles    
Turn RIGHT onto FAIR OAKS AVE.     0.2 miles    
Turn LEFT onto MISSION ST.     0.4 miles
Turn RIGHT onto GARFIELD AVE.     0.7 miles
Turn LEFT onto HUNTINGTON DR.     1.2 miles
Turn RIGHT onto VIRGINIA RD.     0.2 miles
At the 2nd stop sign, take a SHARP left onto ALHAMBRA RD.     0.1 miles
1841 Alhambra Rd. is the white Spanish house on the left with the Girl Scout insignia on the front.
It is the first house on the left, just before the road curves to the right.
Park on street.


From Downtown:

Take the 110 N. Stay in the very right lane, following the signs to I5 and I10.  This will put you on the 101S.  Exit at Mission Rd. 
Take a left off the ramp and head north on Mission Rd.  After a few miles, Mission Rd. will merge into Huntington Dr.
Stay on Huntington Dr. through South Pasadena and into San Marino. 
Turn Right onto Virginia Rd.
At the 2nd stop sign, take a SHARP left onto ALHAMBRA RD.
1841 Alhambra Rd. is the white Spanish house on the left with the Girl Scout insignia on the front.
It is the first house on the left, just before the road curves to the right.
Park on street.

From the San Fernando Valley:

Take the 101S -> 134 E -> 210 E.
Exit at Sierra Madre Blvd./Altadena Dr. Take a right off the ramp onto Altadena Dr.
Take a right at the light onto Sierra Madre Blvd.
Turn right at Huntington Drive.
Turn left onto Virginia Rd.
At the 2nd stop sighn, take a SHARP left onto Alhambra Rd.
1841 Alhambra Rd. is the white Spanish house on the left with the Girl Scout insignia on the front.
Park on street.

From east of Pasadena:

Take the 210 W (towards Pasadena).  Take the San Marino exit (Sierra Madre Blvd.).  At the end of the ramp, you'll come to a light.  Go straight at the light, then make a left onto Altadena Dr.
Take a right at the light onto Sierra Madre Blvd.
Turn right at Huntington Drive.
Turn left onto Virginia Rd.
At the 2nd stop sign, take a SHARP left onto ALHAMBRA RD.
1841 Alhambra Rd. is the white Spanish house on the left with the Girl Scout insignia on the front.
It is the first house on the left, just before the road curves to the right.
Park on street.

From East of San Gabriel/Rosemead:

Take the 10W (toward Los Angeles)
Exit at Del Mar Ave.
Go North on Del Mar Ave. approximately 4 miles
Turn left on Huntington Dr.
Turn left onto Virginia Rd.
At the 2nd stop sign, take a SHARP left onto ALHAMBRA RD.
1841 Alhambra Rd. is the white Spanish house on the left with the Girl Scout insignia on the front.
It is the first house on the left, just before the road curves to the right.
Park on street.
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Member News

Seth Jackson's song, "My Lucky Stars and Stripes", recorded by Dyer's Daughters (www.dyersdaughters.com), has been chosen as the first single of their new CD. The song has been released to radio and has been chosen as the Top Pick of the Week by industry publication FMQB in the Adult Contemporary category. (http://fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=16694).  The song is the #2 Most Added Song for the week, just behind Boyz II Men.

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NSAI LOS ANGELES WORKSHOP VOLUNTEERS


WORKSHOP COORDINATOR - Seth Jackson

TO GET INVOLVED:
send email to seth@sethjackson.net

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