Songwriter Guy Hill -- A Texas Treasure

When you throw enough mud on the wall, some is bound to stick.

The statement holds true of songwriter Guy Hill who never stopped writing since the age of 18 and never left his guitar - wherever he went.

Check out the article...

Calvin


Guy Hill has been a songwriter for 33 years. Hill's songs have had the interest of several major country recording artists. Greenville, TX (PRWEB) July 31, 2006 -- Guy Hill has been writing songs for 33 years. Hill was born in Austin Texas and now lives in Greenville, Texas, about an hour from Dallas.

Hill has caught the eye of several major country recording artists as a result of his songs being pitched to them through LucKi Entertainment, LLC. Artists such as Gretchen Wilson, John Anderson, Hank Williams, Jr., Kentucky Headhunters, George Strait, Chris LaDoux, Cimarron, Pam Tillis, George Jones, Dwight Yoakum, Steve Holy, Chris Cagle, Dolly Parton, Ricky Skaggs, George Canyon and Randy Travis, and others.

His earliest musical influence was Hank Williams. Hill used to listen to his records as a small child. Hill also listened to his AuntÂ’s 50Â’s rock and roll records. Hill began making up songs to entertain himself at a very early age.

When he was 18 he got his first guitar. Hill taught himself to play. He practiced constantly taking the guitar with him everywhere he went. The first song he learned to play was "DonÂ’t Be Angry" by Stonewall Jackson. It was then he began songwriting in earnest. By this time Hill's musical influences were Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, the Eagles, Gram Parsons, Rodney Crowell, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, George Jones, EmmyLou Harris, and others.

Click here to finish reading the article

Source http://www.prweb.com

Michael Jackson: An Overlooked classic...

Leaving aside all the hysteria that surrounds Michael Jackson, he still remains a great pop songwriter.

Here is one of his most over looked singles, 'Stranger In Moscow'.

According to Jackson, he wrote the song while on tour in Russia.

The song was a successful European hit but is all too forgotten because of the dance remixes that overplayed the original version.

Here's the video - which might I add captures the essence of isolation and loneliness, beautifully.








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Sonya Kitchell on Pop Idol: "No, thank you, not really interested."

Sonya Kitchell's rare gift may result from some fortuitous conspiracyof genetics and environment, or it may be the manifestation ofsomething more mystical -- but there's certainly no denying herexceptional talent. Kitchell is an eloquent songwriter, dazzling singerand old soul who just happens to be 17 years of age.

Check out the article.

Calvin

Sonya Kitchell has been singing almost all her life. Before she reached her teens, she was leading her own jazz band in clubs, and later, she was singing and strumming her guitar on
tour opening for veteran entertainers. So friends thought Kitchell would have been a formidable contender on what has become the nation's ultimate entertainment stage,
the phenomenally successful "American Idol."

The teenage singer-guitarist-songwriter's response? "No, thank you, not really interested."

That's because Kitchell has no interest in performing songs that aren't her
own. Though she's just 17, Kitchell has written more than 100 songs.


Click here to finish reading the article


Source http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com / by Charles J. Gans

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Songstress is a Finalist in VO5 Red Hot Rising Star Contest

Singer-Songwriter Sherrie Adams started writing at an early age - cutting demo tapes at the tender age of 13.

She has drawn influences from the likes of the Beatles, Aerosmith, Cold Play and Sheryl Crow and at present is a finalist in the VO5 Red Hot Rising Star contest.

The winner of this popular competition will get a meeting with Maverick Records.

Check out the article...

"(I was) cutting demo tapes at age 13," revealed singer-songwriter
Sherrie Adams, one of five original music artists to make it to the
finals of last week's "Have A Nice Gig" contest to open for Bon Jovi.

Though Adams lost out to South Side band Stellar Road, she claims to have
slipped into second place by only a small margin. Still, she is pleased
with the strong showing of support her fans gave her in that
competition, and hopes it will continue on her next effort to grab the
brass ring of stardom.

Click here to finish reading the article.

Click here to check out Sherrie Adams My Space page.

Source http://www.thetimesonline.com

(thetimesonline.com / nwtimes.com)

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Vienna Teng's Latest Offering...

Songstress Vienna Teng - who once quit her software engineering job to pursue her singing career - has just released her third album entitled 'Dreaming Through The Noise.

She has teamed up with heavy weight producer Larry Klein (who has worked with the likes of Joni Mitchell and Madeleine Peyroux) to engage in some beautiful country and jazz arrangements.

You can check out her interview (audio) here.

Source - http://mercextra.com/listen/index.php?cat=MarianLiu

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A Common Song Format - 'ABAB' - with an addition...

There are many song formats one can use - one of the most common structure is the 'ABAB'.

This means, 'A' would be the verse and 'B' would be the chorus. They would alternate throughout the song and in most cases at the end of the track, there will be some sort of climax in the chorus.

A powerful way to further grab your listener with this kind of song format would be to include the chorus before the actual first verse.

Here is a powerful example of this format - WITH the chorus AS the intro. It's a famous hit written and performed by the modern day soul singer Alicia Keys.

'Fallin' starts with a powerful chorus, grabbing the listener from the first 20 seconds of the song. The added benefit of this is when it's played on the radio, DJ's are less likely to interrupt from the start of the song :-) It works like a charm.

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If You've Done It, Teach It...

It goes for any profession. If you are a property investment entrepreneur and have achieved success, perhaps you would now want to teach others how to jump on the ladder.

Award winning songwriter Kim Mclean has chosen to teach her craft with new title as 'professor of songwriting' at Trevecca University of Nashville.

She certainly has the credentials - with not only having recorded over 200 songs by artists (such as Tim McGraw, Trisha Yearwood, Lee Ann Womack and a host of others) but has also had her compositions in TV sitcoms, Such as West Wing and Hope and Faith.

Her career spans over 20 years and has a wealth of knowledge to share with aspiring songwriters.

Check out the article.

Calvin

Dove Award winning songwriter, Kim McLean accepts a new title this fall as Adjunct Professor of Songwriting at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville. With over twenty years of professional songwriting experience and over two hundred songs recorded by artists like Tim McGraw, Lee Ann Womack, Trisha Yearwood, The Martins, LordSong, The Florida Boys, The Nelons, Sierra, and more, Kim McLean will share songwriting technique, craft, and inspiration with students beginning with the fall semester August 29, 2006.

Click here to finish reading the article.

Source http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/7/prweb416667.htm
PRWeb.com

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I've Found That The Harder I Work, The Luckier I Get...

Those are the words of songwriter Hal Kethcum who's success came at age 38.

He says "the never-ending thirst to learn more keeps my creativity going".

Check out the article.

Write a song sometime. Go ahead, come up with an idea perhaps about love -- and give it a go.

Not real easy.

But for Hal Ketchum, songwriting seemingly comes as naturally as his next breath. Scheduled to appear tonight at the Cary Street Café, the singer-songwriter long ago set his life's course into action.

"I wrote a poem for my mother, and it got her attention. I thought, 'Cool, this is a great way to get attention,'" Ketchum said by phone last Friday afternoon from his home in Nashville. "I started to put words down. It's still my favorite thing to do. Sometimes it's like having your own radio station in your head."

Click here to finish reading the article

Source http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/
RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149189615992 / BY TOM NETHERLAND
TimesDispatch.com

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Rykodisc sign Jay Bennett...

Singer-songwriter & multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett who was once the driving force behind the twice Grammy-nominated band Wilco, has signed a new record deal with Rykodisc.

His sound is said to be a cross between Elvis Costello mixed with Tom Waits, with a hint of The Replacements and Nick Lowe.

Rykodisc will release his latest offering entitled 'The Magnificent Defeat' on September 26th, 2006.

Here's the scoop...

Calvin

Rykodisc is thrilled to announce the signing of songwriter/producer/multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett. His long-anticipated solo opus "The Magnificent Defeat" is set for release this September.

This marks the first artist signing for Rykodisc as a Warner Music Group company. Jay was attracted to Rykodisc, and furthermore to WMG's "independent" mentality because of its continued commitment and dedication to developing artists. Jay commented, "We love the small label focus and attention that Rykodisc can give us."

Click here to finish reading the article.

Source http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=147466
/ marketwire.com

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Members From Different Bands Get Together to Form a 'Supergroup'

Take Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, Gary Louris and Marc Perlman of the Jayhawks and Dan Murphy of Soul Asylum - and we have a group called 'Golden Smog'.

It all started off as a side project, but now it's becoming more and more apparent that the group is taking off into a more serious journey with their forth album entitled "Another Fine Day".

Here's the scoop...

Calvin

"Can a band populated by artists who most peoplehave never heard of constitute a "supergroup?" If so, Golden Smog isbuilding a case for being the most super supergroup ever, in terms ofactual output. (And not in terms of how supergroups are usually rated:how super the component parts are, and how short the group falls ofbeing more than the sum of its parts.)....."


Click here to finish reading the article.

Source http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20060722/AE/107220052
Stewart Oksenhorn / vailidaily.com

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Link the Voice & Guitar Through Parallel Melodies

For the more musically minded, (specifically those who play guitar), I dug up this short article how to link your vocals to the guitar using a parallel melody.

So in other words, using intervals between the vocal and the guitar to create melodies. Pretty cool. Check out the full article out here.

Calvin

"Songwriting, at a fundamental level,
involves the uniting of melody and harmony:
the singing of a melody, and its union with a
supporting harmony. For soloist singer/
songwriter/guitarists, this accompanying
harmony is created and played on guitar. For
many bands, too, the guitar is the main
conveyor of harmony. In cases such as these,
one very simple way of adding interest to a
song is by paralleling a melody that’s sung
with a melody that’s played on guitar....."

Source http://musesmuse.com/LinkingVocalsandGuitar.pdf

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John Lennon Songwriting Competition 2006

Some of you may recall my previous post on the John Lennon Songwriting Contest.

Here, Rob explains the process and prizes.

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I Give You - Prince

After several emails requesting a song from 'Prince' , I decided to add one here for your viewing and listening pleasure :-)

Here is 'Purple Rain' , performed by Prince and the Revolution. The genius of this song is that it combines elements of all pop, rock, gospel and soul.

The song is taken directly from his album (and film) entitled 'Purple Rain' and remains his biggest selling album to date.

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Paul Simon: "I don't really care what age likes what I do,... I care whether anybody likes what I do, whether it means something to them"

.....and that's exactly the attitude which enables him to just keep on going.

Paul Simon's career has spanned over three decades and a chunk of that success is attached to the duo 'Simon & Garfunkel'. It was in 1970 that Simon began writing and recording his own solo material and enjoyed peak solo success in the 80s when he released Graceland - for which he won a Grammy Award.

He is one of the most prolific singer-songwriter's out there and his out-put has been of the highest calibre.

Simon has now released a new album entitled 'Surprise' and once again he explores new territory - fusing with electronic music talent Brian Eno.

Check out the article.

Calvin

"It has been two decades since American songwriting icon Paul Simon turned much of the world onto African music with Graceland and six years since he released an album of new material.

The terrorist attacks on America, Simon's 60th birthday and a long-overdue reunion with his 1960s singing partner, Art Garfunkel, came and went after the release of 2000's You're the One, which made only a ripple in the music industry.

Now, Simon has released Surprise, a smart, refreshing CD that finds him exploring new territory with another icon, electronic-music pioneer Brian Eno, and giving voice to listeners who are taking stock of their lives...."

Click here to finish reading the article.

Source http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/entertainment/
2006-07/24/content_647804.htm / By Larry Rodgers /
The Arizona Republic/ Chinadaily.com

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The Great Joni Mitchell

I once read, a great songwriter touches 'almost' everybody. Joni Mitchell has may classics under her belt and has performed many times in her life. However, it was this performance (at age 57) that totally grabbed me and blow me away.

It's her song 'Both Sides Now' and she's backed up by a full string orchestra. The ballad is slow and moving.... it really did touch me.

"Bows and flows of angel hair and ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere, i've looked at cloud that way.
But now they only block the sun, they rain and snow on everyone.
So many things i would have done but clouds got in my way.

I've looked at clouds from both sides now,
From up and down, and still somehow
It's cloud illusions i recall.
I really don't know clouds at all.

Moons and junes and ferris wheels, the dizzy dancing way you feel
As every fairy tale comes real; i've looked at love that way.
But now it's just another show. you leave 'em laughing when you go
And if you care, don't let them know, don't give yourself away.

I've looked at love from both sides now,
From give and take, and still somehow
It's love's illusions i recall.
I really don't know love at all.

Tears and fears and feeling proud to say "i love you" right out loud,
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds, i've looked at life that way.
But now old friends are acting strange, they shake their heads, they say
I've changed.
Something's lost but something's gained in living every day.

I've looked at life from both sides now,
From win and lose, and still somehow
It's life's illusions i recall.
I really don't know life at all"

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Australian Songwriter Gains Even More Acclaim

Current Australian National Songwriting Content winner John Harely has scored another place  - this time in the top 20 - in another songwriting competition called 'Unisong'.

A 'top 20' position may not seem like much to the naked eye, but most don't realize that Unisong is a HUGE contest, and is judged by some heavyweight writers, - such as Peter Frampton, Bruce Lundvall & Desmond Child, Diane Warren and a host of others.

"While the winner of the current Australian National Songwriting contest is hard at work on new songs for another album the accolades keep pouring in for songs off his current album ‘Hope Harbour’…..this time from the judges of Unisong International Songwriting Contest who gave birth to songwriters Burt Bacharach, Jimmy Buffet, Stewart Copeland, Mick Fleetwood, Indigo Girls, Glady’s Knight, Peter Frampton, Lisa Loeb, Bonnie Raitt, Don Was and well, I’m sure you get the picture….. "

Click here to finish reading the article.

Source http://www.prleap.com/pr/42067/ (prleap.com)

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Aerosmith Biggest Hit To Date

Most Aerosmith fans I know will loath at the fact that their biggest hit 'I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing' was written by Diane Warren - a songwriter who has written predominantly ballads for artists mainly in the pop/soul & country arena. But I have another perspective on the matter.

If you are judging the song from a 'band' standpoint, then you probably will never fully appreciate the song. Fans of rock know the exciting music they are known for, and some would rather push the song to one side - for every reason pertaining to ..."it's just not Aerosmith."

But when you listen to it form a songwriter's point of you, you know that it's quite simply a great love song which the band have performed brilliantly.

Here's the video to a song that won a Grammy Award, went to number one in the USA and stayed in the top 5 of the singles chart all over Europe for weeks on end.

Calvin

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Local Man Wins Songwriting Awards With Insightful Lyrics

If you started to play an instrument or write songs from as a child - and LEFT all those skills behind as soon as you entered adulthood, do you think it is likely that you would then pick up where you left off 15 years later?

Well, for Scott Pearce - not only is this true, but he has also come back in style.

Here is an article of a man who just recently gained second place in a songwriting contest by the Austin Songwriters Group....and relaxingly says, "I'm more comfortable in my own skin now than I was 15 years ago."

On a sea of crystal glass
streets of solid gold
walls of every precious stone
No pain

That's the vision of Winterville songwriter Scott Pearce in "No Tears," the song that brought him his second consecutive grand prize in a contest sponsored last month by the Austin Songwriters Group, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and developing aspiring songwriters.

Click here to finish reading the article.

Source http://www.reflector.com/local/content/news/
stories/2006/07/21/songwriter.html / T. Scott Batchelor
/ www.reflector.com]

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Stevie Wonder - Beautiful Performance

Stevie Wonder is a timeless musical genius. Amongst my many favorite songwriters, he sits in the top ten in my list. I couldn't help but share this performance.

'All Is Fair In Love' - by Stevie Wonder.

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Music Camp Helps Kids Tap Into Their Songwriting Abilities

I always find it very inspiring whenever I read an article on talented children who are pushed and encouraged to further heights - giving them the opportunity to showcase their work.

Here is an article of 15 year old Zan Grimsbo has been playin the guitar since he was 5, and in the last year has started writing lyrics for his own musical compositions.

He will soon be participating in the Severin Sisters' American Roots Music Camp in Salem... - where I'm sure his confidence will be elevated.

Calvin

-------------------------

"Zac Grimsbo, 15, has spent a good chunk of his summer working in the dusty fields of Rickreall. The young man has been driving a hay baler at a neighboring farm.

Sitting in an air-conditioned cab, Zac has had plenty of time to listen to the lyrics and music in his head.

Two weeks from now, the young man who's been playing guitar for about five years will give flight to his pent-up musical passion when he participates in the Severin Sisters' American Roots Music Camp in Salem.

His mom, Kristina, said her son is looking forward to the camp, and she's excited about the crafts he'll bring home. But she's not pining for origami frogs or Chinese knots. She's eager to hear Zac's next song...."

------------------------

Click here to finish reading the article.

Source http://159.54.226.83/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060721/
COLUMN0101/607210306/1064 / CAROL MCALICE CURRIE/ StatesmanJournal.com

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