CSA - Pro Workshop with Karen Reynolds

On Saturday May 8, 2010, the Connecticut Songwriters Association hosted a PRO workshop with Karen Reynolds, program director of Independent Writers Block Radio out of Knoxville, TN.

Karen is a long time industry veteran who owns her own label; operates a booking/management agency for independent artists; has national credits to her name as producer, publicist and vocalist; teaches songwriting and music business for the University of Tennessee; is a Mentor/Instructor for the Country Music Hall of Fame's prestigious 'Words and Music in Schools' program and is host and program director of Writer's Block, a radio program that airs ONLY independent artists.

Karen is also Vice President of Indiegrrl International Music and Arts Conference and Festival which will be taking place August 19-22, 2010 in Knoxville.

The six hour workshop included a presentation where Karen discussed the 'ins and outs' of writing and pitching songs, creating your own brand, and how to stand out in this highly competitive industry.

The presentation was followed by a pitch session where CSA members were given the opportunity to present songs to Karen as the program director for Independent Writers Block Radio.

It is clear that Karen has a deep routed passion for what she does and a strong desire to guide and support musicians in the development of their skills. Her passion comes through in her presentation style and her endless energy and words of wisdom. I would be remiss if I didn't also mention that she drove 13 hours from Tennessee to be with the CSA songwriting group yesterday.

When a nationally credited singer/songwriter, radio program director, and country music hall of fame program mentor drives 13 hours from Tennessee to sit down for six hours to offer local songwriters the chance to pitch their music, it is truly the opportunity of a lifetime and a credit to Bill Pere and the CT Songwriters Association that she was willing to make the trip.

In Karen's own words: "The Connecticut Songwriters Association is one of the most well known associations of its kind and Bill Pere is very well respected in the music industry, you all have a very valuable resource here and you should use every opportunity to take full advantage of it".

There was a lot of information shared yesterday but I'll highlight a few soundbytes:

If you are serious about getting into the music business:

• Be cut-throat realistic about what you do and your skill level
• Learn how to appropriately book your own gigs (research artists who are like you and find where they are playing and then make direct contact during slowest business hours)
• Learn the business inside and out. Learn about royalties. Know everything about the business.. ."or you will get taken " (this was a particularly passionate sound byte)
• Create your own brand and logo
• Be comfortable with who you are on stage and in your music

If you are sending a song to a radio program director::

• Present the song professionally (no sticky notes)
• Proof your work for grammar and spelling errors
• Include a professional cover letter asking for the song to be writtent
• Package the accompanying disc in a jewel case (easier to be found on a shelf)

If you are a writer and not a performer

• Look for industry calls (Rowfax)
• Enter songwriting competitions and look at the list of judges - recognize the competitions as a way to get exposure for your music. (she suggested the USA and John Lennon competitions)
• Pitch your music to artists who are dedicating themselves
• You can use established "song pitchers" but they are very expensive

It was a great day with lots of information shared. All of the songwriters were talented and the music was amazing.

A few of the songwriters will likely be hearing their songs on Independent Writers Block Radio (congratulations !)

If you missed it, you should look at the upcoming list of workshops that the CSA is hosting so that you don't miss another opportunity like this one.

Through her business, SoundAdvice Musician Services, Karen offers a host of professional services including career consultation, promotional strategy, critique services (which she will do via email) , performance coaching and more. Her radio show plays ONLY music by independent artists

For anyone in the Mass or Southern NH area who would like to get a taste of the CSA programs, you can meet Bill Pere in person at an upcoming workshop in Hingham, MA on June 19, 2010. There are limited spots available and this will be a great day of song craft instruction and professional critique.

Bill Pere "The Songcrafters Coloringbook" and Songwriters Retreat

Bill Pere is an internationally published songwriter, recording artist and songwriting coach. Author of the internationally acclaimed "Song crafters' Coloring Book" and One of the Top 50 Innovators and Guiding Lights of the Music Industry, as named by Music Connection Magazine

Bill has had 13 Top-Ten Songs on various Indie charts for more than 120 consecutive weeks, is an IMC Indie Artist of the Year ,President, CT Songwriting Academy , Executive Director, CT Songwriters Association ,Official Judge and Critic for several national and international songwriting/performance competitions, Founder, L.U.N.C.H. (Local United Network for Combating Hunger) and an official Connecticut State Troubadour.

Bill will be conducting a songwriting workshop on June 19th in Hingham Mass Please continue reading below for my feedback on his class and also a link to the registration page for this event.

I purchased Bill’s book online and was immediately impressed. What I found between the pages was a sense of reassurance that as a songwriter, I can do anything I want with my music and it won’t be “wrong” but that there are also choices to be made about my songs in order to craft them so that they are most appealing to the broadest possible audience. What Bill teaches is insight into this decision making process so that songwriters can make informed choices with an understanding of the expected outcome.

I have never been captivated by a textbook like I was by this one and when I saw that Bill was conducting a weekend songwriters retreat in Connecticut, I knew this was an event I definitely wanted to attend.

The weekend was everything I had hoped for and more. The group was small (12 songwriters all at varying levels) The setting was beautiful Camp Wightman in Stonington, CT. The course followed the text (and beyond) and also included several critique sessions where direct constructive feedback was given to each individual songwriter about their own work.

It was a “bonus” and a surprise to me that Bill’s wife Kay is also an accomplished artist who has a wide reputation as one of the premier vocal instructors in the Northeast. Kay conducted several sessions during the weekend including vocal coaching and a workshop on what she has dubbed the “Creative Compass” (designed to outline the cyclical nature of the creative process). She and Bill together also conducted a very interesting session on the selection of vowel and consonant sounds for songs. Kay was a highlight of the weekend and the two of them together are an incredible teaching pair.

Throughout the course, Bill instructed us on what he calls “The Seven Foundations of Effective and Successful Songwriting” those being”:

1. Trying to write the best possible song you can is like an Olympic Athlete striving to do his or her personal best
2. A song represents a collection of interrelated choices, some conscious, some instinctive. The more conscious and informed choices you can make, the more control you have over the result, an approach he calls “EWO” or “Eyes –Wide-Open” songwriting
3. The factors (parameters) which affect the overall perception, acceptance and reaction to a song are like faders in a mixing board, all contributing to a final blend
4. A songwriter presenting a song to a listener is a social interaction, like a conversation between two strangers where all the relevant social conventions and expectations apply
5. The difference between creativity and craft is analogous to bringing forth valuable raw material from a mine, and then refining it to a state of purity, beauty and utility.
6. There are three phases in the life of a song from initial inspiration to professional recording and performance: Creation, Realization, and Proliferation, each requiring specific roles and skill sets
7. If you write about something that is important to you and you want to share it, then your task as a songwriter is not to allow each listener to take away his or her own personal truth, but to have them take away a personalized version of your truth.

©Bill Pere 2009 The Song crafters Coloringbook

We had the privilege of performing our own songs for the group and receiving direct critique from Bill. This was the part of the session that I had the most angst about before leaving home (particularly because I have not written many songs or shared them with others). The critique session quickly became one of my favorite parts of the weekend as Bill and Kay created a very safe environment in which to receive constructive feedback. Bill emphasized that there will always be someone who will like any song, but also, that all songs can be improved to appeal to a larger audience.

Good songs deserve to be worked on and good audiences deserve to hear songs which have been crafted with thoughtfulness and effort. The feedback was not about right or wrong, but rather about choices and a desire to improve. As it turns out, my songs need a lot of work, but I’m grateful that I have received the feedback and I now have some knowledge with which to move forward and make improvements with my own "EWO" – I have done some work since and the songs are better (Bill was right!)

Finally, the last exercise of the weekend was a collaboration project. This was the perfect ending to the perfect weekend. One of the things that we discussed is that because a song is a form of communication. In order to write a song that reaches the largest audience, there needs to be input from people with different communication styles. Bill used the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (registered trademark of Consulting Psychologists Press Palo Alto, CA) to pair us up with our opposites and sent us off to write a song. It was VERY interesting, and VERY fun. I never thought that I would be able to collaborate on a song, but this exercise opened my eyes to collaboration and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to do more of it.

After reading his book and attending his workshop, I have a great respect for Bill Pere as an artist and a teacher.

While following up with Bill he mentioned that he conducts day-long workshops regionally and I jumped at the opportunity to work with him to arrange a workshop in Massachusetts. We very quickly put together a session which is scheduled for June 19th in Hingham, MA

You can reserve a spot here: http://songwritingworkshop.eventbrite.com . The event is $55.00 for advance registration or $65.00 at the door (you will need to contact me to verify available space if you intend to pay at the door)

If you’d like to learn more about Bill Pere or purchase his book you can visit his website: www.BillPere.com and the book www.songcrafterscoloringbook.com