Power Night with Kevin Thomas, Tiamo, and Jeff McCullogh. Combination networking, business tools, and pitch session.

We’ll start the session with a short presentation by San Diego Songwriter’s Guild vice president Kevin Thomas who hopes to open your eyes to the very real possibility of growing our local songwriting community as a whole by combining our strengths and supporting each others careers and music oriented businesses.

A great example of that will come in the form of our next speaker, Tiamo, who will attempt to guide you away from possibly false notions of self-perception and toward discovering your true value as a writer and artist.

To round-out our dynamic trio, renowned local producer Jeff McCulloch will host an exclusive pitch session for our members.

How awesome is THAT?! If you do nothing else this month for your creative side, make sure to make our songwriting Power Night your one excuse to grow.

We’re excited to bring this opportunity to San Diego, and look forward to seeing you at the Country Inn and Suites, 5975 Lusk Blvd in Sorrento Valley (858) 558-1818

Monday, May 21, 2012

Registration Opens at 6:00 PM

Admission is FREE to SDSG Members; $10 for non-members. Only SDSG Members may pitch. The pitch fee is $10 per submission, two maximum per writer. SDSG reserves the right to limit submissions further based on time constraints.

Take advantage of our Anniversary Special $30 Membership Rate!  Memberships available here or at the door.

In this issue…

• POWER NIGHT
• Your Concierge to Artistic Growth – Tim Mudd
• 30th Anniversary Party
• SDSG’s Summer Jam at Rancho Bohemia
• Jeff McCullough power night special guest
• Tiamo power night special guest
• TIPS for “It’s Who You Know and Who Knows You” NETWORKING Part 3: Follow Me By Tracey & Vance Marino
• Get Away from It by Harriet Schock
• 10 Secret Income Streams for Musicians
• Event Review Josquin Des Pres and the Sparkle Seminar

Download SDSG News May 2012

Recently I’ve had the good fortune of being asked to speak at a couple of music oriented conferences. How did this happen? I put myself out there.

I joined the San Diego Songwriter’s Guild in July last year and entered the annual songwriting contest. I met Diane Waters. She suggested I may like to consider taking reigns as President. In January, through the Guild, I met Jim Attebury. He invited me to the Durango Songwriter’s Expo where I spoke on social media. At Durango I met Russ Dixon, Director of Utah’s Soundcheck Expo, where I was invited up to Sundance where I spoke on the business of being “Independent” in April.

In the course of those three key interactions over the last six months, I have, of course, met many other interesting and valuable people. My point is that I would not have experienced any of that had I not made the decision to expose myself to every possible avenue for my songwriting. During our April event, Josquin des Pres stressed the importance of socializing within your community, grasping opportunities and stepping through doors that are opened for you. Consider the San Diego Songwriter’s Guild as your concierge to this world.

Our May event is what we’re billing as “Power Night.” We’ll kick-off with a short presentation by Guild vice president Kevin Thomas who hopes to open your eyes to the very real possibility of growing our local songwriting community as a whole by combining our strengths and supporting each others’ careers and music oriented businesses. A great example of that will come in the form of our next speaker, Tiamo, who will attempt to guide you away from possibly false notions of self-perception and toward discovering your true value as a writer and artist. To round-out our dynamic trio, renowned local producer Jeff McCullough will host an exclusive pitch session for our members. How awesome is THAT?! If you do nothing else this month for your creative side, make sure to make our songwriting Power Night your one excuse to grow.

Now, if you’re looking for a reason to really socialize (ahem, “party”), don’t miss out on our June 23 event, being held at Rancho Bohemia, the home and studio of Mark and Barby Hattersley. The Hattersleys and Club Bohemia Studios have graciously opened their digs to our renegade band of SDSG rebels (sorry, I’ve watched WAY too much Sons Of Anarchy recently) for what can only be considered, and will go down in infamy, as the musical soiree of the season. We’ll be starting at about 3PM and will go until all is blue. Don’t forget to bring your axe and join in our open mic-style musical showcase of “Stars Under The Stars.” Please RSVP with an email to Mark@RagingBohemian.com. Be sure to let us know if you would like to perform, too.

“But Tim,” I hear you say, “This all sounds so fantastic, I can’t imagine things could get any better?!” Well, let me tell you – it can. You may not be aware that 2012 is the Thirtieth Anniversary of the San Diego Songwriter’s Guild (yes, I was three years old when it was founded, laugh it up), and as such we’re offering a special membership rate of $30 for the year – that’s 40% off our current annual membership price. We charge non-members $10 for our monthly events, and only members can pitch songs to SDSG guests, so I can’t tell what a great deal this is. It’s like getting nine months worth of events completely free! I don’t know about you, but I love a good bargain. Our $30 Thirtieth Anniversary special will be valid until September 30th, 2012, so if you or someone you know has been thinking of joining or are getting close to your renewal date, jump on this offer before we resume our standard annual membership price of $50 in October.

Moving in to July, I will be taking that month off to attend to the small matter of getting married, and I understand we typically take August to break for the summer. But fear not! We will be back in full force come September with a fall and winter schedule jam-packed with more opportunities for you to learn and grow your craft.

Be well, enjoy writing and I’ll look forward to seeing you at Power Night on May 21st.

Cheers!
Tim

Music Business & Pitch Session with Producer/Composer/Publisher Josquin des Pres

Grab your notebooks and a CD and join SDSG on Monday April 2 as we welcome Josquin des Pres for what is sure to be a most interesting and informative session at the Country Inn & Suites. Josquin, who has survived — and thrived — in this most challenging of fields, will be sharing insights gained in his over 30 years working in the business of music, with a focus on today’s environment.

Topics to be addressed include:

• Know the Players – Play the Game to Win
• Get Organized – Manage your Time and Follow Through to Success
• Online Piracy and its impact on artists, songwriters and composers
• The How and Why of Film and TV placement
• Prepare Your Tracks for the Pro Studio

For the piece de resistance, Josquin, owner of publisher Track Star Entertainment, Inc. will be listening to and critiquing our music, as we combine this educational
seminar with a pitch session. Submissions are limited to one per writer. Josquin will also be available to answer your questions, and we’ll be giving away two of his books in a drawing. This is a rare opportunity to pick the brain of an industry success story… don’t miss it! Please see the SDSG Interview with Josquin starting on Page Four for more about our guest.

We’re excited to bring this opportunity to San Diego, and look forward to seeing you at the Country Inn and Suites, 5975 Lusk Blvd in Sorrento Valley (858) 558-1818

Monday, April 2, 2012

Registration Opens at 6:00 PM

Admission is free to all, but only SDSG Members may pitch. Pitch fee is $10 – one song per writer. Memberships available here or at the door.

Sparkle = work that brilliantly reflects your talent and creativity. Come join us!

SDSG President Tim Mudd and long-time SDSG Advisor Mark Charles Hattersley are combining their resources and experience to offer us the opportunity to take our work to the next level, aurally and visually.

Tim is Staff Writer and new music reviewer for the San Diego Troubadour and a featured contributor to the independent artist website Bands.com. A talented musical artist with great ears, Tim is also the Web design agency Limey Design (www.limeydesign.net), which specializes in affordable professional design for independent musicians. As such, Tim is well positioned to over a seasoned perspective on the direction that will help you work stand out visually.

Founder of Raging Bohemian Music (BMI), Mark Charles Hattersley has created, engineered, produced and performed with many fine national and local artists including Robert “Sully” Sullivan, David Van Such, Kevin Cooper, Randi Driscol, Diane Waters, Steven Ybarra, Tripp Sprague, Kirk Cumming, Patrick Moraz, Brian Darnell, Larry Groupé, and Sara Petite. His compositions have been heard in numerous productions and promotions, including PBS, HBO, ESPN Sports, Access Hollywood, National Enquirer Television, Seattle Seahawks post-game show, Biography, Wild About Animals, My Classic Car, Pep Boys, Northwest Airlines and many more, plus “Right Place, Right Time,”Tony Gwynn’s 3000 hit tribute for the Gwynn family, distributed by Cox Cable and the Padres. Mark will be focusing on music production, arrangement, and structure for this seminar.

Mark and Tim will be listening and looking at our music and packaging, so bring a representative song on CD along with promotional materials and/or ideas for a comprehensive review. Tim’s expertise extends into web design and marketing, and we’ll have a computer on hand to consider websites and other online materials. Our guests will also be able to offer comments concerning packaging and production for pitches and song contests. There will be plenty of food for thought and discussion, and time to answer your questions as well.

This seminar is open to SDSG members and non-members alike. Attendance is free for all. Members may have their work reviewed for $10.00; the review is free if you bring a guest. Guests of SDSG members may have their work reviewed for $10.00, or free if the guest joins SDSG.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Country Inns & Suites 5975 Lusk Boulevard San Diego (Sorrento Valley area) 92121

(858) 558-1818

Registration opens at 6:00 PM

• Sparkle Seminar – Aural & Visual Excellence
• Firsts and Lasts – SDSG President Tim Mudd
• SDSG Interview – Josquin Des Pres
• Grammy Report -Bridget Brigitte
• Durango Countdown – Thank You Jim Attebery!
• the Physical Plane – Harriet Schock
• Networking Tips Two – Vance & Tracey Marino
• Knock the Block – Cliff Keller

Download SDSG February 2012 Newsletter

Earlier this year, when Steve Carell departed the series that made him a star, an in-house committee was formed to find a suitable replacement for his role as Michael Scott, Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton, PA Branch Manager. The interview process produced a few famous cameos. But, the candidate who impressed, and terrified, the hiring committee the most was Robert California played brilliantly by James Spader.

On his first day Robert California walked into the reception area of his new office and took a steady look at the workers before him. Without saying a word, he promptly turned around, got in his car and drove to Tallahassee, FL where he talked the CEO of Dunder Mifflin’s parent company out of her job; a position he then assumed and continues to fill to this day.

While my previous experience should not be discounted; I only joined SDSG in July of 2011. I entered the November Song Contest. One conversation led to another. Just under a month later I’m sitting here writ­ing my inaugural entry as incoming President for the monthly newsletter. How very “Robert California” of me.

I would hope, however, that my similarities with James Spader’s characterization of a mind-game play­ing mentor with a creepy tendency of staring into the souls of others end there. I am humbled by the honor of assuming Presidential duties for SDSG and excited to work closely with the existing team, and board members, to grow the Guild’s relevance within the community.

Ultimately, the achievement of this mandate will have little to do with me. The success of any group is gained from the sum of its parts. In this case that means you. If you didn’t feel this way, you wouldn’t pay your membership dues every year, nor would you participate in any of our fantastic events. You’re part of this organization for a reason. I want to make sure you get the most for your money, time, and energy.

My first and ongoing order of business will be to listen to you. I’m not just talking about your music. What do you like about the Guild? What do you feel could be improved upon? And, most importantly, do you have ideas to help us grow? If you want to roll-up your sleeves and get more involved I, indeed all of us on the board, would welcome it. Send an email or come and chat at one of our many events. Our ears are always open. Naturally, we’re songwriters. Let’s resolve to start the new year with two-way open-communication that will create a year of success for us all.

I wish you and yours the happiest and safest Holiday season and look forward to getting to know all of you in 2012

Warmest regards

Tim Mudd

Tim Mudd is a singer, guitarist and songwriter from the south-east of England. Having moved to southern California in his early twenties, he spent the following decade honing his craft between his formative band and solo ventures that found him touring through North America and Europe. During this time he also solidified his reputation as a seasoned open mic host, competition judge and in 2010 was Arbitron rated #1 at night as an on-air personality for KyXy 96.5FM.year with two-way open-com­munication that will create a year Most recently, the majority of Tim’s creative output has laid with the of success for us all. Americana group For Strangers & Wardens, which he co-founded with Wisconsin native Cody Williams. Besides his musical work, Tim is also an accomplished writer, designer, voice-over artist and journalist of his local music community. Every now and again, he also enjoys taking the odd photograph.

During 2011, I have been through the ringer, so to speak, with several medical surgeries and emergencies with my daughter, Carly, who is two years of age. As I look on toward 2012,I am realizing that these challenges are far from over. More surgeries are on the calendar, and there is a new obstacle in Carly’s recovery: Doctors “suspect” that she might be Autistic and will require therapy four days a week, in addition to everything else.
With that being said, I have decided to resign as your President, and hand the reigns over to someone who can and will guide the Guild forward. I would like to introduce, Tim Mudd (See this Video- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBCJUi2mbAY for Tim at work,)

Tim has an extensive background in Music, and we will be doing a full article on him when he starts in January. He will also be present for you to meet him in person, on January 16 during the scheduled Pitch Session with our Guest Jim Attebery. Most importantly, Tim has the technical expertise to increase the Guild’s presence in Social Media and on the web. He also has great management and communication skills.

I will continue to be part of the Guild’s team by staying on as an advisor, and assisting with event planning. SO…

I have a great event planned for all of us coming up in less than two weeks; we rented the ballroom at the Country Inn Suites on Lusk Blvd December 17th- from 4pm to 8pm. Admission is Free!

Here are the Acoustic Performers we’ve lined up:

• 2011 Winner of the Performing Songwriter’s Contest- The Reverend Stickman
• Second Place Winner of the 2011 Song Contest- Sara Petite
• Celia St. Croix
• Vanity Affair
• Chelsea Flor
• Annie Rettic-SDSG’s Treasurer
• Eddie Jason Coven and
• Maynard Evans

We will also have a time for an open jam, so bring a guitar. We will provide some food and treats and there will be a cash bar for drinks. Please come out and finish out the year with us, with some good jams and good times.
Thank you all for allowing me to serve you, it has been my pleasure. Peace Out All!

Country Inns & Suites 5975 Lusk Boulevard, San Diego 92121 (858) 558-1818

• San Diego Songwriters Guild Holiday Party December 17, 2011
• Durango Songwriters Pitch January 16, 2012
• 2011 Contest Winners
• Tips from Pro Writers Vance & Tracey Marino Harriet Schock
• 2012 President Tim Mudd

December 2011 Download