Category Archives: General Business

Nashville SongWriters Festival on Music Row

Check it out!

Mark your calendar for the 10th Annual Nashville SongWriters Festival to be held June 1st, 2nd & 3rd, 2012 at the top of Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee, 37203

http://www.songwritersfestival.ohttp:/rg/


May 20th at the Evening Muse

THE EVENING MUSE PRESENTS
DEBRA COWAN & SI KAHN
2:00 pm, Sunday, May 20th
ABOUT DEBRA COWAN
“Debra has a voice which beautifully combines Celtic and Appalachian sensibilities…deeply satisfying, lyrical and musically elegant.” - Roseanne Cash
“Her vocals highlight the beauty of the bare song” - Sing Out! Magazine
“It is truly a gift what she gives her audience.” - The Miami Herald
“A singer of great confidence and poise. In just a few notes, you know that here is a professional who knows her way around a song…”- Greenman Review Online
“It is such a pleasure to hear a real singer who can apply her beautiful voice to the best material available from traditional songs to those by contemporary songwriters. She sure knows how to interpret a song and wrap her soul and voice around it.” - Rich Warren, host, Midnight Special, WFMT 98.7 FM, Chicago, Illinois
ABOUT SI KAHN
Robert Christgau, Village Voice: “Subtlety, originality and sheer conceptual elegance.”
Mary Chapin Carpenter: “Keep writing your wonderful songs, the world needs them so much.”
Studs Terkel: “Si Kahn fuses life with song.”
Ariel Swartley, Boston Phoenix“Si Kahn is the first artist since Woody Guthrie to swoop down on a body of traditional material, transform it utterly and send it home with a shine on.”
Dave Higgs, Bluegrass News: “In a world rife with many talented songwriters, Si Kahn stands alone. And his deeply thoughtful, elegantly simple, sometimes majestic, often achingly moving and always hard-hitting songs have stood, and will continue to stand, the test of time.”
Tickets: $10 advance, $12 at the door
3227 North Davidson Street, Charlotte NC
www.theeveningmuse.com • 704-376-3737

May 8th Meeting Update

If you were not at our May meeting, you missed a good one.

Fiona led the meeting asking how often do we use the free NSAI song evaluation service offered to members. We learned that the evaluators now have a video along with details about their background.  We listened to RC Bannon, Megan Connor, Brent Baxter, Bob Della Posta and Bruce Miller.In the past the evaluator only was identified to us by a number. Now we know for example that evaluator #1  is Megan Connor.  Here is a link to Megan Connor’s video that we watched: http://members.nashvillesongwriters.com/news.php?viewStory=2105

Fiona gave us a songwriting exercise to do. We had to take 15 minutes to write a song from four words given to us on an index card. Prior to that we had passed the cards around and everyone wrote down a random word as each person took turns passing the index cards to the next person, etc. For example, my task was to write a song or poem using the following words: Parallel, ducks, tea bag and soliloquy (thanks DJ!).

For a second exercise we were asked to write down on index cards three of our most memorable songs from our youth. Fiona had someone pick a few cards randomly and we listened to the songs to analyze why they were popular or appealing at the time.  With Or Without You by U2,  Smoke Gets In Your Eyes by the Platters and Roxanne by Police were played and discussed.

The songs presented during the critique portion of our meeting were very impressive. Scooter who was with us for the first time played and sang his song, Walking In My Grandfathers Shoes and Steve Simpson blessed us with another jewel of a song, What Are The Chances (we retitled it for him!). Dave Wulfeck re-presented a song he has been working on about a couple who meets on a bus in the English country side..DJ sang and played a song that everyone felt had a super chorus that needed repeating like what we  had listened to with U2 in With Or Without You. All in all a meeting full of learnings and sharing songs.

It was announced that Carl will be leaving us relocating to the West Coast. He will be missed as co-coordinator but we wish him all the best in his endeavors. Good luck, Carl!

DON’T MISS THE JUNE MEETING..IT IS BOUND TO BE A GOOD ONE!

Becky


Go see Gretchen Peters this Tuesday May 1st….

Hello songwriters!
I just saw the Gretchen Peters is playing the Evening Muse this Tuesday, May 1st.
Every songwriter and all their friends, co-workers, family members –  should go and hear Gretchen!
Look her up – “Independence Day”, “On A Bus To St. Cloud”, “The Secret To Life”, songs in Disney movies, she co-writes with Bryan Adams and is a great woman!
Barry will probably be playing keyboards with Gretchen, he has played on stage with several big name artists and I met him when he was playing keyboards with the Box Tops – Garry Talley’s band – so there are some connections with these awesome performers!
Show the support of NSAI and go see this songwriter on Tuesday – tell her I sent ya!
Doak
Doak Turner
615-354-6400
PO Box 121456
Nashville, TN 37212
Next 3rd Sunday at 3:00 is May 20th.

May 8th – Next NSAI meeting

Be there and bring a song to share…

Location: The Well in Pineville, 220 Main Street  Pineville, NC 28134.

Time: 7PM – 10PM.

“For whatever reason, not all people are born with the particular gift of being able to express ourselves through music. And, believe me, it is a gift.”

- Billy Joel


April 10, 2012 Meeting

A  reminder that our regular monthly workshop will be held this Tuesday, April 10 at The Well in Pineville.  Meeting starts at 7pm, and we’ll have something educational the first hour and then song feedback the remainder of the time.  We hope you’ll make plans to join us.
See you then,
Carl Dews
Co-Coordinator

March 13th Meeting…Be There!

Our March meeting is this Tuesday, March 13th at 7:00 at The Well.

Carl will be presenting the lecture and we may have an opening song
writing exercise.

Looking forward to enjoying everyone’s company.

I hope this beautiful weather is charging your batteries like it is mine!

Bring a new song, if you don’t have one, then pull out an old song with
a weak line, fix it, and play it for us!

See you there!

Fiona


Message from Doak re Tin Pan South – A Must Read!

I hope to see you awesome people in Nashville for Tin Pan South and Spring Training!  
Oder your tickets today as they ALWAYS sell out – so order and plan the greatest week for songwriters! There is a great show at Red Rooster (best BBQ in Nashville) on Saturday, March 24 if you plan to come to town early!
Who is coming to Nashville and when that week?
Doak
Another great year of Tin Pan South is just around the corner — don’t miss it! Tin Pan South Fast-Access Passes Are on Sale! usually sell out quickly, so purchase yours early. Festival dates this year are Tuesday, March 27 – Saturday, March 31 at nine venues around Music City. In addition to bypassing the cover charge at the door, the passes also allow you advance seating (room permitting) over those purchasing tickets at the door. For more information on passes, click the headline above. For the schedule and other festival information, go to tinpansouth.com.
Doak Turner
615-354-6400
PO Box 121456
Nashville, TN 37212

February Meeting – Change in date

Hi everyone … I wanted to make you aware of a schedule change that will take place for our February meeting.
Normally, we have our monthly workshop on the 2nd Tuesday of each month.  However, in February, that would mean having it Valentine’s Day.  So, for February only, we will be pushing the meeting back one week.  It will be held on Tuesday, February 21 at the normal place and time (The Well – Pineville, NC / 7pm).  So, please make sure you adjust it on your calendars as we don’t want anyone to show up on the wrong date.
Thanks and we look forward to seeing you on Feb. 21 !
Carl Dews
NSAI Charlotte
Co-Coordinator

Bruce, Carl and Steve at the CMA event.

Here are some pictures from the Charlotte Music Awards 5th Annual Red Carpet Affair at CPCC’s Halton Theater that took place on Thursday, December 8, 2011. Our own Bruce Johnson, Steve Simpson and Carl Dews were on hand to present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Byron Hill,
Nashville Singer & Songwriter. Also pictured, Tamara Sharpe, former Charlotte NSAI Coordinator.


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