Day 5, click thumbnail to view large pic
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Just Plain Day 5
Still floating from the previous night, we headed to our meeting with the folks at the National Academy of Songwriters. Harold had set a simple meet and greet up at their offices, and we planned for the whole thing to last perhaps an hour tops. We met at 3PM in their offices on Sunset Blvd, in a building that is well known and had a long history in the music industry. To Learn about National Academy of Songwriters, please visit their website: National Academy of Songwriters - Educating S...
We were pleased to see some of our new friends from the previous evening, Rhonda Desai, Harold Payne, Len Chandler, John Braheny, JoAnn Braheny, Marc Blake, along with John Fiens, the NAS Director of Programs. We all say around their conference room and casually discussed a variety of topics, one of which was the Internet and its effect (or lack thereof) on music and the industry. One thing I was struck by, was even with the wealth of talent and knowledge and experience in the room, there was no consensus or clear answer on many of the topics we discussed, including certain areas of copyright protection, performance royalties and pay structures for songs played over the internet, and a clear sense that there were many parties in the industry all going different directions without a clear cut, focused and cooperative effort being made to go forward into the future.
It clarified to me, the need for a group like Just Plain Folks, to bring together these disparate areas of the industry, and supply a unified front on many of these cutting edge advances in the industry. With so many individual interests being protected in the industry today, it is easy to see how a deep quagemire has developed. With our groups position of inculsion and cooperation, I hope that as time progresses, we can take a leading role in bridging many of these gaps, or at least showing the way through our own efforts. I don't want to try and tackle a lot of the specifics of the discussion, as this is not the right forum, but suffice it to say that it was all so intriguing, that when our hour was up in the conference room, John and JoAnn, Harold, Marc and John Feins and myself and my two brothers decided to continue downstairs in the buildings coffee shop.
Next thing we knew.....
The conversation got even better as I was able to spend a great deal of time chatting directly with John and JoAnn Braheny about the music industry, their careers and Just Plain Folks. Even though John has been there and done that, it was clear his passion is still in overdrive when it comes to championing the issues surrounding songwriting. I was equally impressed with JoAnns knowledge and passion. Here were two people universally known and loved in LA for their selfless efforts on behalf of others, spending all this one on one time enlightening me and my brothers. I was so engaged in our talks, that I barely got to talk with Harold, Marc and John Feins.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch...
The next thing we knew, we are all starved and still in overdrive in our discussions. We decided to continue on across the street over dinner, and said our good nights to Harold, Marc and John F. My two brothers and I joined John and JoAnn at a nice restraunt across Sunset Blvd for another 3 hours of chatting which went on until nearly 11PM. So much for our one hour meeting! During dinner, John told me an interesting story that really made me smile. I have talked often of inclusion and acceptance of folks in all ages and all levels of their songwriting development. Several issues back, I did a short profile of our oldest and youngest members. I received a note in response that asked me what I was thinking in covering a 75 year old and an 11 year old in a business along side of Grammy winners and number one hit songwriters. I explained that doing so was exactly the right thing to do. For those of you who read issue 20, you discovered that Virginia Smith, through using the tools and contacts of Just Plain Folks got her song played, not once but twice on the radio in Orlando (and via Real Audio in her own home), and is now working on getting more exposure! How many of us can claim the same? I also profiled an 11 year old named Kimmi who said, in face of people not taking her seriously, she wanted to get her career in music underway. Kimmi got so much postive email, that she has since gone into hiding while working on her career. John Braheny shared with me a story of a 15 year old who crossed his and Len Chandlers path many years ago, and I want to share it with you all, to give you a perspective. (Please excuse me John if I paraphrase the story a bit.)
Just Plain Proof Positive
As mentioned above, John and Len founded the Los Angeles Songwriter Showcase back in the 60's to give the LA area songwriters (and eventually folks across the US) a place to be heard. They did a huge amount of song critiquing back then and one day, they were approached by a man with a dilemna. He had a 15 year old daughter who did nothing day and night but write songs. She didn't do anything else. His concern was whether or not she had talent, and if she was wasting her life away with all this writing. He asked John and Len to critique her work and see if she was on track.
Over the next several years, they took her seriously enough that John and Len critiqued over 150 songs by this young girl. Many of the songs had problems, but every time John and Len pointed out the flaws in the songs, this young girl just went home and wrote more songs in the best "I'll show you" tradition. This went on for quite a long time. But a funny thing happened. This young girl retained her relentless approach. In fact, she became a legend in songwriting and attained a level of success never before even imagined in the music industry.
Not only did her songs get better, they have become part of
the fabric of the world we live in. So who is this 15 year
old girl who walked into John and Lens life way back then?
In a career that has seen 58 top ten songs, and a myriad of awards,
honors and success never before seen, songwriter Diane Warren
has proven that with the right support and the right relentless
pursuit of your dreams, there is no limit to what someone can
achieve. I try to live by that idea as well. Everyone
among us has the potential for greatness, and I am going to
do everything I can to help the next Diane Warren, whether she
is 15, 11 or 75, take that next step towards making her dream
come true. She may already be in your radar screen. (In
fact, a young member sent me a video tape of her and her young
siblings that I am very excited about!) All you have to do
is open your mind, your heart and share your experience, just
like John and Len did all those years ago, and just like Just
Plain Folks is doing now!
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End of Part Two. Please Continue to
Part Three!
Copyright 1999, Just Plain Folks. All Rights Reserved
