COUNTRY NOTES

The NSAI bulletin for the Los Angeles area Workshop

March-April 1999

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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.

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March-April '99 Workshop Schedule

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.
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EVENTS

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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
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