COUNTRY NOTES
The NSAI bulletin for the Los
Angeles area Workshop
March-April 1999
by Seth Jackson
I’ve noticed that, when talking songwriting with pro writers and other
industry people, it’s not unusual for the names of other hit songwriters
to come up in conversation. For example, writers will often cite
other writers as examples of songwriting techniques being discussed.
Names of writers also come up in the context of the business. Pros
like to know who recently signed with what publisher, who’s getting cuts,
who’s writing with whom, etc. It’s all part of knowing their trade.
By contrast, I’ve noticed that a lot of aspiring writers are unfamiliar
with the top people in their field. A writer who lacks such knowledge
sends a subtle message to industry pros he or she comes in contact with.
It’s a signal that the writer is someone on the outside looking in.
Familiarity with the work of both hit writers and our peers can help
us in a number of ways. Studying the work of successful writers can help
us gain insight into the craft. We can observe the strengths of specific
writers and how they apply the same techniques we’ve learned through NSAI.
We come to admire certain writers and we allow them to influence and inspire
us. Familiarity with the work of another writer is often the first step
to forming a friendship and/or co-writing relationship.
In recognition of the importance of keeping up with other songwriters,
we are proud to present two new activities designed to facilitate this.
In a joint effort with ASCAP, we will host the first in a series of workshops
entitled "Spotlight On Songwriters" on Thursday evening, March 25.
In this three-hour workshop, we will learn about selected hit writers and
study their work. The workshop will take place from 7:00-10:00pm
at the ASCAP office, located at the Director’s Guild, 7920 Sunset Blvd.,
Third Floor in Los Angeles. Admission is free and seating will be limited.
Please call (323)882-1414 to reserve your space.
In addition, our new monthly showcase, the Songwriter Lineup,
is becoming a popular venue for writers to meet and to hear each other
perform. Held on the second Thursday of each month from 7:30-9:30p.m. at
Hallenbeck’s General Store in North Hollywood, the Songwriter Lineup
is a Nashville-style writers night with writers in the round plus a half-hour
set by a featured writer. The evening concludes with an open mic. Hallenbeck’s
General Store is located at 5510 Cahuenga Blvd. The phone number
is (818)985-5916.
March-April '99 Workshop Schedule
Sunday, March 7, 4:00pm at Musician’s Institute - Guest Speaker
Gloria Sklerov. Join us for this special critique night with
two time Emmy Award-winning songwriter and #1 hit writer Gloria Sklerov
(“I Just Fall In Love Again”) as our special guest. In addition
to her many hit songs in both country and pop, Gloria has a long list of
movie and TV credits including “Fame,” “Spaceballs,” “As the World Turns,”
and “Guiding Light.” Her songs have been covered by such artists as Lee
Greenwood, Anne Murray, The Carpenters, Cher, Frank Sinatra, Glen Campbell,
Dionne Warwick and more.
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Sunday, March 21, 4-7pm at Musician’s Institute - Group Song Critiques.
Play your song live or on cassette. Bring twenty copies of your lyric sheet.
Lyrics and works-in-progress can also be critiqued.
Thursday, March 25, 7-9pm, “Spotlight On Songwriters” presented by
ASCAP and the NSAI Los Angeles Regional Workshop. See lead article for
details.
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Friday-Saturday, April 16-17, NSAI Symposium in Nashville.
If you’re thinking of taking a trip to Nashville, this might be the time
to do it. The Symposium offers a great opportunity to learn about the craft
and business and to network with industry professionals. For more
information, contact NSAI headquarters in Nashville, (615)256-3354.
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Sunday, April 25 4-7pm at Musician’s Institute - Guest Speaker Harriet
Schock. Don’t miss this evening with Grammy-nominated hit songwriter
Harriet Schock (“No Way to Treat a Lady”). In additon to being a
songwriter and recording artist, Harriet is also the author of the book
Becoming Remarkable, and is one of the most popular songwriting instructors
in Southern California.
Workshop Location
Unless otherwise noted, workshops are held from 4-7p.m. at Musician's
Institute, 1655 McCadden Place, just off Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood.
Admission is free for NSAI members
and NAS members, $10 for non-members.
For more information, call Bev Nelson at (949) 733-2717 or email Seth Jackson
at webmaster.hitmeister@mindspring.com.
EVENTS
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Thursday, March 11, 7:30-9:30pm Songwriter Lineup at Hallenbeck’s
General Store, 5510 Cahuenga Blvd. in North Hollywood with featured writer
Phil Swann, staff writer for Southern
Cow Music. Appearing in the round will be: Bruce Bell, Alan Boivin,
Carol Lee Hurst, Seth Jackson, Craig Lackey,
Garrett Swayne, and Diana Williamson.
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Thursday, April 8, 7:30-9:30pm Songwriter Lineup at Hallenbeck’s
with special guest host John LeGrande.
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Wednesday, April 28, 7-10pm International Performing Rights Forum
featuring SACEM, the Peforming Rights Organization of France. Learn how
your choices can affect your bottom line as a songwriter. Presented by
the AACO. The location will be
the Hotel Nikko Beverly Hills, 465 S. La Cienega. Admission $10 in advance,
$15 at the door. Call (818)998-4948 for reservations.
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Los Angeles Area NSAI
Members - DO YOU HAVE:
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News about your songwriting career?
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An announcement?
-
An event?
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A story of interest to songwriters?
Let us know, so we can tell the world what you're up to! Submit to Country
Notes by sending e-mail to webmaster.hitmeister@mindspring.com.
Submissions must be received by 12:00 noon on the 15th of each month for
the following month's issue.
Items will be printed subject to space and editorial limitations.
NSAI
LOS ANGELES WORKSHOP VOLUNTEERS
EDITOR:
Seth Jackson
WORKSHOP COORDINATORS:
Bev Nelson
Seth Jackson
Craig Lackey
TREASURER:
Vickie Vining
EVENT COORDINATOR:
Cathy Carlson
COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Lisa Blue Fasman
Cliff Nelson