Songwriter ShowCase "LoveSongs" 2008-May6/8 - Meaningful
Dear SongLovers,
Thank you thank you thank you…!
For being a Songwriter, a Singer, and Wow Audience – both at the TURQUOISE ROOM and the BEER-STATION. Thank you MsRIVY (Turquoise) and MsDasha (Beer-Station) for the fantastic food and support.
I asked WHY so many people enjoyed the "raw" performance - it seems it's the honesty of the personal story. The songer shares a part of his life with you, to let you in on her secrets, the loves of their life.
So the SONG is the essence - it tells us many things about living, and even about leaving this beautiful world. Where there is SONG, there is LOVE and there is LIFE.
Also, the interesting and passionate feedback from many of you (below) – this helps us do better the next time. And what shall we do?
OK, better sound systems (Dan and Josh of the Beer-Station are so kind and they will help set up early in the day, perfect it). And MTL is acquiring more stuff as well.
Better timing – slots and sequence.
Have a LIVE Band! Will ask everyone if you’d form a supporting band before we do the Songwriting Showcase.
Certain styles focus, instruments, and even age group…!
So we have some “dreams and visions” going forward for SSCs:
Guitar Songwriter – Songs written and performed using guitars to back up. LIVE only. (Beer-Station?)
PianoPlayer – songs using a Piano to express the work, LIVE only. (The Verandah, ACM?)
My Instrument of Song – instrumentals (The Turquoise Room?)
Chorus of Song – Songs sung by 4 or more singers
MiniMusicals – 6x MinisMusicals Read-Sing (hold the script and score, sing the songs)
Just My Voice – A Cappella singing or original local songs
Kids Can Song – songs written by people 18 years and below
Dance*Songs – Songs with Dancing and Dancers – all genres
Comedy, Horror Songs – all about comedy and even horror!
Yes, the imagination is yours. See you at the next Songwriter ShowCase – write, sing, enjoy!
Warm Regards,
Dezzy
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Passionate Comments:
Hi Desmond,
thanks a lot for organizing the last 2 events. There is truly talent here which deserves support.
I also believe there is something in for the guys who run the pubs, so win win.
"Song Writer Show Case" can be a trade mark and a crowd drawer.
If we want to catch the attention from people outside the songwriter circle to the extend that they bring friends or even put money on the table to support us, I think we have to change two things.
1. We need a proper sound system
2. Never use Band In The Box or CD on stage, this will kill us before we started. We need to have live musicians.
Cheers
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Hi Desmond,
Thank you very much for organizing this wonderful and enjoyable event! I really enjoyed listening to all the performances and my choir members were very impressed by all the composers and singers who performed that night.
Thank you once again!
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Hi all,
Personally, I felt it was much better on thurs compared to tues. The spirit of passion, sincerity,
sharing, humility and creativity was really in the air.
You most probably can't feel this in the real music scene.
To have many of you to reply and give your comments, it also means that there are tremendous support for this movement. We are definitely on the right track.
It is that now is the time for evolution, improvement, enhancement, whatever lah, you know what I mean.
I must say Desmond is a man of faith.
To tell you the truth, I was not intended or approached to help with the sound. I was supposed to bring over my digital piano, wait for things to happen and I really did not expect myself to be the first to arrive and to help. But when I saw Desmond came alone with all his equipment, I couldn't help myself but to give him a hand. It was my first time even to try the new mixer without much time to read the manual.
Fortunate thing was that everyone chips in, including the Beer-Station people. Well, the unfortunately, it still did not turn out what it was expected though it turn out well and good in some sense.
But I really take my hats off you, Desmond. But I would like to think such good times may not happen twice with the way that was managed.
The following are my suggestions for MTL Songwriter Showcase which I have emailed you previously, and now sharing with everyone:
1. Make a list of needs for every showcase production:
a. Set a Sound Engineer fees/ Token of appreciation- e.g. $100
b. Set a Production & Stage Manager fees/ token of appreciation – e.g. $100
c. MCs fees / token of appreciation –e.g. $50
2. Make a list of needs for one off sponsorship or donation:
a. A pair of speakers with stands– e.g. $500
b. A synthesizer keyboard – e.g. $700
c. CD/DVD player- e.g. $300
d. Cable replacement
e. Others
3. Make a list of needs for sponsorship of coming events or productions:
a. Showcase
b. Musical production
c. Album production
d. Charity production
4. Request for sponsorships or donations of the items above. Sponsors and donors to be acknowledge in website, for every showcase or production. Or free advertisement for a period of time/ permanently in website of sponsorship more than e.g. $1000.
5. Submission template for Songwriters creative works presentation (production manager to collate) and logistics requirements (sound engineer to collate)
a. Genre
b. Brief description and background
c. About the Singer/ Actor/ Dancer
d. About the music arrangement
e. Use of live musical instruments
f. No. of Mics with or w/o stands
g. No. Chairs
h. Dance floor space
i. Type of media to play music- preferred own MP3 players with mini jack output. (Digital music files not recommended, unless to email before performance for production manager to compile into a CD)
6. Provide template of schedule and item requirement for Sound engineer
7. Submission of media, rehearsal and sound testing and final briefing (if possible)
8. Produce brochure with lyrics, brief about songwriters and their requests, list of sponsors and donors, advertisements and list of items for sponsorship and donation.
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i think we should be able to use any means we need in order to showcase our songs. why discriminate against songwriters who may not be players of any instruments or who have no access to affordable musicians, or the songs may be rendered non-effective without a suitable backing track (as is probably the case with Steve Andre's style of music), and some live musicians may actually not do a suitable job to reflect the nature of the music, etc.
down with discrimination......... give pple choices............choices..... choices............choices............
but yes, we may need a suitable sound system (volume levels too high, also, music input and mic inputs fighting with each other using the same system - i suggest using one system for music and another for vocals, ie, two sets of speakers)
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Thank you for organising yesterday's event. Just some feedback. Perhaps the organisers can be more strict about the time limit for the various acts and not entertain last minute requests. It would also have been helpful if the performers know roughly when they are going to perform so we can arrange our time and inform our supporters. Most of the supporters whom we brought last night actually left before we performed.
In general, we enjoyed ourselves and I think it's a good opportunity for songwriters to show case their works. Thank you for your efforts in this.
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Firstly, i am so glad you made time to come to share; and i enjoyed the combination of your singing, the keys, and the violin so much. Thanks! Btw, your drama voice is so good, you should do the RADIO MUSICALS (only SOUND) with us someday!
I know from a timing standpoint, we wanted to permit many to be part of this. And yes, i think your suggestions are valid. So the improvements, following your thoughts could be:
- Invite for SHARINGS
- Publish a Time Slot table
- First to respond (via email) has a choice of Slot
- And maybe it can be updated on a certain private EMAIL account so they can log in to see their SLOT (like a Yahoo Calendar thing).
- So if they know their timing, they can decide to bring friends or not.
- And be strict, as you say. Agree. The MCs also felt challenged when the order was changed.
In general, maybe it was too long. If we kept it at 8pm to 10pm only, then it will help, and knock off the overflow to another session.
Who knows, this may be so popular that we have 3x nights, or CONCURRENT Runs - one at Beer-Station, and one at Turquoise and one up at Dance Circle Studios! Daring!
And good you enjoyed it overall, and that's the spirit, we want a fun thing, and from the connections, the people can do more together. Hope to bring in Publishers and Record company execs, Theatre Producers next time.
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Thanks for the good feedback and different, yet all positive opinions. Appreciate the thought and time taken to write.
Yes, many superb talents both nights. There is much more we can do together. And Ingo, wow, TradeMark this SongwriterShowCase, wow!
Darius, thanks for your input - if more choirs sang like your Seraphim Choir, the world will have more Peace and Serenity! Yupz, more Choral Musicals Songs all over!
Hawk, and Ghazali ~ made me suggest to SiYing and Shaiful that we should perhaps do a "Regional Language Musical" - Malay, Mandarin, Canton, English, Tamil even.... OK, a little too far fetched?
You know, i think one day the Song Publishers will come and listen to you all. Just you wait and see. ~smile~.
Musicianship - LIVE
Yes, the LIVE Musician (proper ones) can give a totally different feel to the atmosphere, and we should have them if we can. In fact, i am already thinking of a Songwriter ShowCase at the VERANDAH (ACM) where it is essentially Piano & Guitar /flute, violin, ++ Instrumental Compositions of Musicals or Pop Songs. If the composer has lyrics and wants someone to sing the song, it will be just NO MICROPHONES unplug thing.
SONGWRITING Focus
But do note, as both of you have pointed out, it is the originality of the work that is KEY. Actually, i should have come out at the beginning and at certain points, inform the audience that it is mainly the SONG that we focus on and not the performance - though the performance really makes or tarnishes the potential of the song.
And whether we would charge a fee - i am not sure at the moment, because this is "community" and "connection" - and from here, many of us will dream up ideas to do more together.
In the successful USA and UK music scene, collaborations are so well honed that they can create fantastic songs. So we too in SGP must begin the process of teamwork.
OK the SOUND:
Yes yes, i was doing things all by myself, not enough expertise or sleep (we have the FiveFootBdwy MiniMusicals that i am managing, the Pasir Ris Crest School thing coming up, and then having to deal with TURQUOISE Room issues...., and a brand new Mixer....). So it was a management issue on my personal part, 1000x apologies. Roland ANG (and Raymond R - May6) came at 6pm both times, to help me; i didn't even ask him. Thanks Roland (wah your Mandarin Songs are "hit song" quality, and when Matthew QUEK sings it, we go into another world!)
IMPROVEMENTS Going forward:
- Will try to form a BAND before this show begins, ask all songwriters to find their own LIVE musician or come this ShowCase Band - may a small token fee.
- Buy a set of good powered speakers to go with this very good Yamaha MG124CX.
- Buy a good Monitor Speaker for the performers.
Guess i will still allow the use of a variety of "instruments" to help the singer do her best. Please do assist and understand the limitations here.
So I will send a NOTE to the sharers, ask who would form a "temporary band" to support the singers. Actually, I would be the first to volunteer - Rhythm Guitar.
Very well, we will collate more responses and see how best we can do this again.
Let's do LOCAL, then we go GLOBAL.
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