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“…Thanks for all your support and care and just thanks for you. I couldn't have done it without you and the fabulous Songwriters Guild, with all the great workshops and support provided”.

My very best wishes,
Gail

“…I'm not sure if you realize that you were one of my very first points of contact when I moved to New York two years ago, and my network has slowly but surely expanded ever since then. I am so grateful for all that has happened and excited about what lies ahead, but wanted to make sure you heard my Thank You loud and clear amongst all that for the role you played in helping me to learn my way around the musical landscape of New York”.

All the best,
Britt

I came in to work today and opened my e-mail, and amongst the ads for Viagra, learn a language in 10 days, dating services, become a CSI, get your degree online and dozens of other e-mails I deleted, these were two e-mails from members.

How lucky I am to have a job where I actually get to help people, if only in a small way, and get such nice letters. Even one would make my day, but two in one day is extraordinary. Performers get applause. But how many of the rest of us ever get a pat on the back or a “well done” in the course of our business day? It’s not that I’m doing anything that anyone else in my job wouldn’t do. I always wonder if I’m even doing enough.

But here I am at the Guild, working with and for exceptional people. And it so happens that these two people put a lot of time and effort into their careers, and both are well on their way to becoming great successes at it. Both are talented women, and both know that it takes a lot more than just talent to make it in this business. They have been making the right connections, have their web pages set up, are going to workshops and critiques, and doing their own events, meeting other people in the industry…they understand the value of networking.. As with most things, they realize that they are getting out of it what they put into it.

We have thousands of members. They pay their 60 or 84 bucks every year. Some I will never see, and some I see at every industry function I attend or every SGA workshop and critique that we have. And these are the people that get seen by other industry people. They know how to network. And yes, distance is sometimes a factor. But I had one person attend a few workshops and she had to travel over 250 miles roundtrip, every Thursday evening for 4 weeks. Her town didn’t offer workshops, and she is dedicated to getting ahead in her career. She’s made some good connections and is now working with an exceptional producer due to the connection she made in that class, and is now busy doing a documentary.

If you aren’t near New York or Nashville, we have a great variety of things available online. You can post songs for critiques, pose questions that you may have about the industry, etc. When you have some time, go through the members sections of our website and you may find some interesting things. One highlight is a live “Open Door Chat” forum held every Monday night from 9-11 Eastern, led by SGA member Matt Angel. This is a great way to get involved and get a lot of answers to questions you may have about songwriting and the business in general. To participate, go to www.songwritersguild.com, click on the “Writers Lounge” tab at the top of the screen. Log in with your username and password. Click on “Writers Lounge Chat Room” on the side of your screen and join the chat! He also holds free online workshops, and the current one, “Don’t Write It , Rewrite It”, has already garnered great attention. If you do not have a username and password, or have misplaced your information, please contact Membership Services Manager Kitty Wright at membership@songwritersguild.com.

Additionally, a lot of our members are singer-songwriters. If you are one, make sure you get the word out about when and where you’re playing by having an e-mail sign-up list at each of your shows. And those who attend shows, look for the sign-up sheets. It’s a great way to expand your business contacts, as you will always meet new friends at singer-songwriter nights. Go out…..get involved! If you know well in advance when you are having a show and you are a Guild member, send it in to one of our offices and if we receive it in enough time, we’ll be glad to list it for you to help you get people to come out and hear you play.

Almost a year ago, we held a workshop in the office. Some of the people wanted to continue to meet after the workshop was over, and now meet every month, either informally here at the Guild office, or at one of the participants’ homes. We continue to have great free critique sessions, along with pizza and other refreshments. It’s become as much a social event as a learning experience. Which brings me to an event that we will be holding in November at the Gulf Shores on the Florida/Alabama border.

I’m very excited about this event we are going to be holding on November 13, 14 and 15. It’s called “The Write Key”, and it’s part of the Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival. We did it last year, but only for one day and it was a bit smaller in scope. This year, we’ll be having co-writing, critiques, panel discussions, a guitar pull, an open mic night for all Write Key attendees, a hit writer showcase and even a Hawaiian Luau! This is a great chance for our members to meet, network and see the fun side of this business, all while learning some essential information! If you stay with us at the Island House Hotel, your room will likely overlook the beach and Gulf….THIS is the way to spend a few days AND hone your craft! For more information, see the events section of this newsletter, or get in touch with one of our offices at ny@songwritersguild.com or nash@songwritersguild.com.