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Welcome to the Just Plain Folks forums! You are currently viewing our forums as a Guest which gives you limited access to most of our discussions and to other features.
By joining our free community you will have access to post and respond to topics, communicate privately with our users (PM), respond to polls, upload content, and access many other features. Registration is fast, simple, and absolutely free; so please join our community today!
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Greetings all. I am Bill Lord, the Founder and Executive Director of a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity organization called The Global Z Recording Project. The Global Z Recording Project Home PageOur youth-oriented nonprofit is designed to seek out young songwriters and exceptional musicians from around the globe, and record original music using virtual recording and collaboration technologies. Through the music production process, participants serve as native cultural ambassadors while our subject matter experts (professors) lead participants through discussions on topics including value in diversity, civility, acceptance of others, and peace-mindedness. We give peace a chance through music. We are 3 1/2 years old and in November 2017, we launched our proof of concept project which was restricted to and invited young songwriters in Maryland to submit original Americana-style compositions for consideration. Unfortunately, we did not receive the volume/quality of songs we had hoped for. Without a high quality original song to record, we are unable to proceed to our next essential step, which invites young musicians to come together and record music virtually. It is crucial for us to complete an entire project in order to evaluate the successes and failures of our conceptual model. To expand the possibility of securing a quality song we can use for our project, we are opening up submissions of original Americana compositions to the greater JPF audience. If you have an original song that you would like to offer up for us to record, we welcome your submission! To simplify legal matters, the songwriter of the selected tune will retain publishing rights to the song. We request that no participant attempt to sell or make money from the final recording, but all participants are more than welcome to use the final recording to promote themselves as artists. We retain the right to promote ourselves as an nonprofit organization with the final recording. The deadline to submit original works is April 30, 2018. To submit a composition for consideration - or if you have any related questions - please contact me for additional information via the following email address: globalzrecording@gmail.com We appreciate your assistance and welcome your inquiries. With good wishes, Bill
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I used to be young..lol Good Luck!
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What kind of song and story content are you looking for?
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Hi Bill:
I am pleased you felt comfortable enough to return to JPF and ask for our assistance. Forgive me for being a bit informal but our professional titles should not stand in the way of finding ways to help each other.
In looking over your link... I failed to find specifics about exactly what the message should be in the song and other details such as tempo, song length parameters. Sometimes, a title of a song becomes an absolute necessity so knowing the specifics of the desired subject matter would be important to JPF members who might agree to "donate" a song for this effort while retaining the publishing rights in a strange sort of way. Do you have a time factor involved in the length of the song? We already know that you have a deadline for submittal... April 30th, 2018. Time is short but your needs are not an impossible demand. A more detailed specification will make the job of all participants (including the judges) easier and focused.
In essence, our job in deciding if we have a song already "on the shelf and recorded" would be much easier if you will be a bit more definitive. Our other option, as I interpret your loose-knit specs... would be to write a song from scratch... words and melody. Then possibly making at least a rough recording of it for you to use in carrying the project forward.
As I understand your post... the songwriter would retain the publishing rights but would not be able to "monetize" the work... and, your organization would eventually do the recording and provide the singing group, orchestra or band, recording studio, editing activities and eventual promotion and use in your non-profit event. (At your organizations expense.) This is a concept foreign to most of us but not impossible to work out. The writer, as you stated would be able to "receive recognition" and enhance his/her career from taking ownership of the work without being able to profit from it. (Hope I got your message right.) If I have misconstrued your plan or intentions, please correct me.
If you can be more specific about your desired song message, etc., it is quite possible I already have a song or two in my extensive catalog of ASCAP registered songs and even more unregistered songs that could possibly fill the bill... as do other members of JPF. A desired genre would be very helpful to know... but it sounds like you are looking for a "Feel good" song, probably with a bunch of kids harmonizing it with some dandy instrumental or orchestral backing with possibly even a video recording you folks might do.
Thanks for thinking enough of us to return and make your request. I (we) look forward to hearing from you. Hopefully, Brian will add his thoughts or suggestions to help you meet your objectives.
No matter the result, best wishes for success in your project.
Sincerely,
----Dave Rice
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I'm not surprised that you didn't get quality songs from the very young writers. Good songwriters need life experience to have something meaningful to write about. That is why most of country songs on the radio today are about trivial things that young people might have some experience in, like partying, pickup trucks, drugs and booze. If that is the market you are aiming for, then OK, because most young people can relate to those things. Even puppy love and the heartbreak it brings, but real lifetime love and the heartbreak it brings when it fails, is not something they have yet experienced , and hopefully never will. Isn't Americana just up tempo country? It would be nice to have some guidelines what to song is suppose to portray.
How about songs that take on social issues like child or spousal abuse. Even drug and alcohol abuse. They are subjects that a lot of people know about but afraid to sing about for fear of backlash against their careers.
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Doesn't look like he will comment anymore..
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Patience, friends. These things take time. I believe Bill Lord will be back with a set of specs for us to follow. (US meaning all of us who might participate in such a venture.) He has come to the right place. We have so many people with tons of experience about life, love and the pursuit of happiness and all the other "body slams" daily life can throw at us. JPF has the lyricists, songwriters and performers to stand on it's own two legs. That is why I "hang out" here. Shared wisdom, shared problems and shared songs. What could be better? Thank you, Brian!
For me, seeing the "specifications" will determine my real interest. For all I know, their politics may be 180 degrees from mine... but I am willing to listen and then make my own decision about whether or not to participate.
The opinions expressed above are mine... a humble songwriter who longs for the impossible.
----Dave
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This should give us some idea... "...topics including value in diversity, civility, acceptance of others, and peace-mindedness. We give peace a chance through music." Unless I'm mis-reading something?
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Well, I may have a song you can use. It is Entitled: AROUND THE HORN and you can listen to it under Rays Music on the Web Site http://www.geocities.ws/fiverosesmusicgroup/ It would require a professional release, no home recordings w/Professional Printing on the Release. I would require at least one copy of the CD. I can issue a Mechanical License and would need all the information listed on the Web Site for the Mechanical License. Your post doesn't say if you will pay for the license. I can issue a free license for a limited number of copies. There are other songs on the Web Site you can listen to and I have other songs as well. Good luck. RES.
Ray E. Strode
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I appreciate everyone's comments, suggestions and patience. I have a 'regular' day gig along with running the nonprofit, so I will respond to your thoughts as soon as time allows.
Barry, I used to be young as well - now I strive for young at heart!
Dave and others, regarding the song theme and other requirements, my only request is the song not run contrary to our mission statement which is as follows:
"The Global Z Recording Project seeks to serve and improve the socio-cultural good of mankind by embracing diversity, encouraging democratic practices, fostering dialogue, and promoting peace through out-of-the-box, educational, youth-oriented music-related projects."
So Ricki, yes, if you happen to have a song that speaks to value in diversity, civility, acceptance of others, and peace-mindedness, that would be icing on the cake, but not necessary. For us, it is more important to have a song that is age appropriate (we open this project up to any student in the K-12 and college systems) and does not run contrary to our mission. Dave, regarding length of song, ideally it would be under 4 minutes and I draw a cutoff at 5 minutes long. Yes, we would need a digital file to listen to for the 'audition.' If the song is a 'finalist' we would need lyrics and access to the song's chord structure would be helpful.
Dave, correct in that we do not have an attorney working with us at this time so we need to keep this as simple from a legal perspective as possible. That is the primary driver for why we are taking a no-money making approach. We still want to have something we can distribute (final recording) to participants as a small thank you for helping us move this project forward. That and participants will receive public thanks and recognition on our web and social media sites. We will recruit musicians, record the work. The song may be used by the organization to promote the organization to promote future projects, future partners, sponsors, foundations, attracting future board members and the like.
Everett, you bring up important topics. While we have not yet conducted a deep dive to discover the lack of initial submissions, age-related issues was our first assumption as well. We have a university that is interested in assigning a team of students to assist with our analysis and future marketing strategies, but we are not there yet. Actually I suspect the initial lack of response is more complicated than just age, but I agree there are numerous factors that are directly or indirectly tied to the age group. The message we are striving for in this project is more positive, so at least for the time being, we will stay away from the heavy topics. Not that child, spouse, alcohol and drug abuse aren't important, but until we get some projects under our belt, I want to keep it less heavy. Down the road, I would definitely be open to taking on weighty content.
Ray, I appreciate but need to think on your offer. Again, we need to keep this as simple as possible as our human (legal) and financial resources are very limited. I will try to get back to you within 24 hours.
Thanks very much, everyone. Always happy to answer questions and brainstorm. Bill
Last edited by Bill Lord; 02/27/18 01:25 PM.
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Bill, there could be lawyers in your County, (NOT country, but a little County), who may have lower fee services for those needing lower fees, as I suspect you would qualify. YOu could search such law services in your area.
I might submit a song, once I am sure one would fit your request. I have hundreds to go through, as I am sure most others here do too. You might get too many valid type songs from JPF. Good luck! ha! I then hope your players would do them justice, as many folks here are top players of their instruments, with that kind of quality making it difficult to duplicate. You would also need a top quality producer or three, to be able to weave all your members playing to feel and sound top notch, (if the players are up to the tasks in the first place, that is). You certainly have your work cut our for you, (part time?), involving so many people and factors. a HUGE task! Think "We Are The World", with needing a great and talented Producer, and then GREAT Engineers to pull that off. And, that was with worldclass players and singers! Check out that video if not seeing it yet.
If it's going to be the usual Pop Song of the Three P's, as in Producer, Pro Tools and Pitch Control, with a basic three chord pop tune, then the above won't be a factor. Otherwise, it will be a massive undertaking if wanting to do it up proper to the songs and performances you could be getting from JPF, and hopefully, from elsewhere.
First though, DO get a lawyer that is well versed in Copyright Law, especially with Music. Or else, you could be in for some bumpy roads later on. There could be some just waiting for your actions on the finish product.
Best wishes! John Daubert
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Hi Bill:
Thanks for upholding my credibility... LOL! I was certain you would return to explain things and answer our questions.
Regarding music and lawyers. I would suggest you discover a music attorney willing to advise you on the structure of an agreement which would be required of entrants who are deemed worthy of taking to the next level or final judging. Since you are a non-profit organization... there is probably a music attorney who will gladly provide you with a copy of a typical, binding contract for a "contest" of this sort... and do it on a pro-bono basis. That said, I am not an attorney but I do have a fair grasp of copyright and all it entails. Many of the entries you will receive will probably not be copyrighted to the extent you would probably prefer. By that, I mean a document from the Library of Congress' Copyright Office issuing formal copyright for a specific song as submitted by the person or persons who wrote the song.
As previously stated, best of luck. ----Dave
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Humm, All my songs are registered with the Library of Congress.
Ray E. Strode
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Bill:
I'm guessing that several of us have material (songs) for your group's consideration. I would assume that with such a tightened schedule, you will accept MP3 files and let us know to whom we should submit them... as E-mail attachments. I dug deep in my catalog and found one or two I would consider "pitching" for this effort. Mostly what I consider "Americana" and mid to uptempo songs between three and four minutes long... mostly aimed at young people of High School age. (No inappropriate language songs would be submitted.)
I specifically looked for songs I never submitted to ASCAP from my catalog. After your team hears them and if they are deemed to be of interest, I will find a way to work with you that will be beneficial to both parties. Just let us know where to send them and if they can be "soft copy" and not in the form of MP3 CD's. It goes without saying, there is no obligation on your part except to protect my material as confidential until there is a satisfactory resolution or rejection. In no way would I be interested in doing a public domain deal or participating in creative commons activity.
Naturally, lyric and chord sheets would be provided if accepted for use in your groups recording activities after an agreement is reached.
I'm also thinking that after a specified time, our agreement might permit me to release my original version of the song (several months after your release) through normal music marketing channels and to mention your groups earlier release of my song(s). A mutual "back-scratching" method for publicity.
Regards, ----Dave Rice
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I have a song that shows that man should not be judged on his colour or where he came from, only thing is it has religious undertones, which I suppose would disqualify it.
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Bill is having trouble signing on can somebody help him?
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Hi Barry:
Have you spoken with him and, if so, is it a computer problem or a snafu with his internet service? I don't recall seeing a telephone number on his website but I'll go back and re-check. Otherwise, he may be having trouble "logging on" to JPF... maybe a password issue or a JPF website problem. If you know details, please post them before I go charging off in the wrong direction. LOL!
Thanks, ----Dave
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I Don't know but he e mailed me...
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Hi Barry:
Can you PM me a copy of what he sent you via e-mail? Knowing his specific request will help me decide what I may (or may not) be able to do to help. Sorry for the delay in responding but Travis David and I have a "cake in the oven being decorated by Mike Z" and it needed some attention.
Thanks, ----Dave
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Barry, can you log into JPF? I have tried using three different computers and four browsers and can't gain access to the log in page
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Thanks, Barry:
I'll see what I can do.
Regards, ----Dave
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Hi Brian or Colin:
If you see this thread, please contact Bill Lord and help him regain access to JPF. He's having trouble logging in. I gave him Brian's e-mail address.
Thanks, ----Dave
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Hi Everyone. I am back in. Thanks to Dave and Barry for your assistance and that man/woman behind the curtain! Not sure what changed to allow me to gain access, but glad I am able to once again communicate.
I am short on time this evening, but will catch up on the forum thread tomorrow. I appreciate this great community and your patience.
JPF is magnificent. Bill
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Okay, good to be back. Ray, again, I appreciate the offer and transparency on terms. This project is our first and is being used as a proof of concept to confirm the underpinning concepts are solid. We run lean in man/women power and finances. All three members of our Board have full time gigs, and while we have great support from our partner institutions and subject matter experts, free time for all involved is hard to come by. It is a labor of love and commitment to the mission. So I respectfully will steer away from mechanical licenses for this project, thanks again. Years ago I was an active songwriter. I had a few do well in songwriting contests and have tunes filed with the Library of Congress. I have also been the multimedia copyright go-to person for a couple of the universities I used to work for, so I have a pretty good understanding of how copyright law works for musicians and songwriters. I also have a decent understanding of entertainment contractual law. I would not claim to be an expert, but know enough about the subject to protect my interests and the interests of those attached to the organization. That said, entertainment law is a highly specialized beastie. When we were in Colorado, we were a client of the University of Denver's Sturm College of Law. They helped us with organizational matters as well as worked with us to draw up a contract for a songwriter. The problem is the contract only applies to a single individual in the US, and for an organization and songwriter who is based in Colorado. So we have a contract that provides us with a great starting point, but it does not apply to law in Maryland or DC, or for a group of musicians. So to your collective points, yes, I totally agree we need to find an entertainment attorney who actually knows music law what will work with us pro-bono. I have already tried to reach out to the regional law schools and unfortunately, they do not have these kinds of specialized clinical resources available to music organizations such as ours. Once we get our first project in the bag, having contracts in hand will be essential before we progress to our next phase. I appreciate everyone mentioning the importance of attaining legal counsel. Johnny, to your points, we would welcome any song submission. One of our principal objectives is to discover world-class young musicians, so quality is a cornerstone of what we seek to produce. The reality is this is our first project and the organization does not have household recognition. Eventually, we hope to achieve widely-recognized branding, but at this point, we have no idea who will sign up to play on this song. We will indeed choose the best musicians possible to record on each project. We have two universities with audio engineering programs who have expressed interest in serving as recording hubs for our programs. We are also looking into a connection with a studio that has a multi-Grammy winning producer and engineer at the helm. I say this as acknowledgement of your well-taken points. Having quality people every step of the way behind this project is paramount to what we seek to achieve. Involving all these people is a sizable task, as you mention. But I have managed sizable teams in the past and - while flexible - am stubborn about seeing things through :-) I invite you to visit our website and take a look at our ever expanding list of partners/subject matter experts. http://www.globalzrecording.org/our-people/ Taking on something akin to "We Are The World" is way more than we can handle and for our model it would be highly impractical. But we can manage a project that has as many as 10 musicians. Not that we would not take on something larger eventually, but right now we are learning how to walk. Dave, I am unclear of how you would submit the song. A link to a tune, mp3, video, or mail in CD is fine. I am open to mutual back-scratching! Everett, thank you for your inquiry. I personally have my own spiritual beliefs and do not personally have a problem using a song with religious overtones. That said, for the organization, we are designed to bring people together with wide belief philosophies, so if a song favors any one particular religion, it is probably best to keep the spiritual theme more general. The song does not have to be specific to our mission theme. I would just as welcome a song about trains, being on the road, hikes and mountain streams, love, someone's hometown, Fred the dog, etc. The main thing is we want a quality song. If it is specific to our mission, great, but not necessary. All great contributions to the discussion, thanks. Bill
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Bill, Thanks for your response. To be sure you need to have legal authority to take somebody's Copyrighted song and record it for release. In writing. Actually I am not sure what you intend to do with the song. The Mechanical License gives the authority to use a song, with the limitations of the amount of copies paid for. At the time I thought the song AROUND THE HORN would fit your need the most. The other song on the Web Site HERE IN THE COUNTRY may also be a good fit.
In my case If you decide to use a song I would send the song on CD. I would need the information listed below for the license and would then send you a Permission letter giving you the permission to release the recording.
I. Title of song(s) you wish to record. 2. Artist Name, (Or Group). 3.Record Label, (If any). 4. Number of copies you will manufacture. 5. Person to contact and address for the Permission Letter. 6. Approximate Release Date.
I would need one copy of the release to issue the Mechanical License. If you wish, please tell us your actual requirements. Of course most of us would like to have some compensation for the authority to use the song. Thanks and good luck!
Ray E. Strode
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I stopped worrying about copyrighting my songs and just let people experience them anyway they want. When I was younger I copyrighted them all and man oh man could I use that money now as I'm so broke....So My songs are just out there for free.
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Morning, Bill and fellow thread participants:
Glad the man behind the curtain was able (and willing) to get you back among us.
Let me recap what I understand about this project:
1. Any song submitted is more or less "pro-bono" and will be re-recorded by a group of young people, then distributed in a somewhat limited fashion to a targeted audience. The "pressing" of the "product" (probably a printed CD with jacket or jewel box cover) will be at the expense of Global-Z and will include the name of the original song-writer. (Global Z is a Non-Profit Organization)
2. The original song-writer will retain rights to the song and will render a "permission letter" to Global-Z to create a limited number of copies of their version for distribution. (For the sake of discussion, perhaps 2,000 copies)
3. After a pre-determined time (let's say six months to one year) all rights to the song's original creator will revert to him/her/them (not including the Global-Z 2000 copies of their version) and both parties are free to pursue their separate interests unless further negotiations and binding documents are issued.
I hope I did not miss anything. If so, Bill... please correct me or add additional "language" to clarify your group's needs.
All we need after that clarification, is a deadline for submissions, any rules you prefer to impose and an address (internet, P.O. Box or physical location) plus your preferred format. (MP3?) It would also be beneficial if you announce at that time, the date at which the results of the contest will be announced and where the results may be seen.
I hope this helps both parties to reach a mutual and fair understanding.
Regarding contests, it might help you to ask Brian (our founder) about his experiences in running contests. I suspect he can provide significant input about needed precautions and pitfalls.
Regards, ----Dave
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Hi,
I've been trying to follow this thread and the other one relating to it so excuse me if I don't have all the details correct. I'll just offer my own experiences and some overall observations on this and similar things I have been involved with. You might get another side of things.
When I read that you were surprised how few submissions you got, I too was surprised. That you got any. You suffer from a couple of things that are totally unrelated to your project, but to the entire idea in general. You suffer from two main roadblocks:
COMPASSION FATIGUE CONTEST FATIGUE.
Once upon a time it became in vogue to have the "song and the issue". "WE ARE THE WORLD" was a prime example. At the same time that came out in 1985, I was also involved in a similar project in my home town of BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA called "IT TAKES LOVE." It was consisted of an organization we formed called "BAMA" (BIRMINGHAM AREA MUSICIANS ASSOCIATION) and was comprised of all the major known entertainers in our city. Four of the top musicians wrote a song called "IT TAKES LOVE", recorded it, the same way as We are the World, with multiple singers taking a part and a huge group chorus. The single was sold and raised money for the local TOYS FOR TOTS, program. It also coincided with a benefit show we did each year to raise money for local kids. It was broadcast on every radio station at the same time on Christmas Day. We raised a lot of money for a few years, and then as usual, someone in the toys for tots program got sticky fingers, and stole a bunch of the money ,leading to a scandal.
Similar things happened in the WE ARE THE WORLD project. While there was a great deal of publicity and set forth many things like FARM AID, LIVE AID, and other charity events, the reality is that most of the money raised for the food, was wasted as much of that food sat on docks and rotted, as warloards, who were the cause of the problem in the first place, wouldn't allow it to be distributed. But it still raises money to this day. Just don't really know where it goes. The main reason that worked as big as it did was that it, and it's predesseor, "Band Aid" and "Do they know it's Christmas" were both STAR VEHICLES, stocked with a who's who of celebrity entertainers. So they raised a ton of money and awareness. But because they started with that in their corner. Same with our local project. I'm not sure an unknown quantity of students would achieve the same results.
This often leads to COMPASSION FATIGUE. Every day, all day there are consistent commercials on television asking for money. The Internet is full of pleas from fundraising, crowd sourcing, etc.And overall, while some are successful, most are met with a YAWN and people are totally indifferent. And of course, usually in almost all of these huge campaigns, someone steals money or there are many questions raised. So for a lot of those, it is a "thanks but no thanks."
There are many of these and I've seen so many of these type of contests, that it has simply been something that rarely yields much in the way of results.
Then there is CONTEST FATIGUE. For the past 15 plus years with AMERICAN IDOL, BRITISH IDOL, THE VOICE, SO AND SO HAS TALENT, DANCING WITH THE STARS, SURVIVOR, etc. the entire entertainment business has become one big talent show. This has had the effect of "RAISING THE BAR" on what people will participate in. Where once song contests ruled the roost and were everywhere, the NATIONAL and INTERNATIONAL celebrity "branding" have taken the place, and particularly with younger people, who are living in the "SELFIE" generation, tend to ignore anything that doesn't make them a STAR.
So the alteristic "Doing something for humanity" simply doesn't have the same place any more. And overall, all contests are down participation wise. Particularly song contests, which don't glorify some individual. Frankly there is little interest.
Song contests have lost their luster over the years for reasons that have been mentioned on these threads. Anyone older (past 30) have participated in dozens and generally find them unrewarding. Getting some prize money or temporary accolades, or a "everybody gets a participation certificate" usually fails to give satisfaction to most. And the younger people are so self interested that unless it does what American Idol or The Voice does, they have no interest.
So while I applaud your efforts and hope you find what you are looking for, I really think you might be trying to do something whose time has passed. I do wish you well and you find the results. You always have to try.
Good luck.
MAB
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Compassion Fatigue......? LOLOL...Maybe you're right....lol.
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I sit and watch news and television almost continuously. Every third or fourth commercial is for Shriner's Hospital, endless pet and animal charities, Wounded Warriors (A friend of mine wrote that theme song) and other charities. Radio, Internet is the same thing. Can't go through four or five posts on Facebook without someone asking for money. It's just the extension of the "Brother can you spare a dime" signs we see in pictures during the depression. The Internet and social media gives everyone a soapbox and a continual voice in every issue. It's why there really is NO raising of awareness when it comes to any issue. Awareness has already been raised. Ties back into the "Political songs" discussion. It's not that there are not enough of them. It's that there are TOO MANY OF THEM.
I don't know if this is what has affected Bill Lord here or not. Just my personal experience with people in general. For performers in this town, we don't go two or three days without getting a request to perform on some benefit from someone going through Cancer, or other health related issues. I will be on two next week.
But I do believe that "Compassion fatigue" is one of the problems that any sort of project like this is going to suffer from. I think people have tried to recreate the "We Are the World" phenomenom over and over, yet have never been able to do it because it was a "ONCE IN A LIFETIME" event. Right place, right people, right timing. Just like that underdog fighter or sports team that wins the National championship, it can happen once, but rarely going to be more than that.
I personally think the "era of contests" are over. At least on a large scale. The smaller ones may continue and this might be where Bill wants to go with his. Local is always better in a fund raising or awareness raising endeavor. Hope he has luck in his own neighborhood.
MAB
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Hi Marc:
You certainly bring up some alarmingly true points. The speed of communications on such a broad scale has certainly contributed to the "information overload" factor. My level of trust for just about any commercial I see on Television is really low. On top of that, the dang networks get started with commercials during breaks and by the time they return to the show we were watching, I've nearly forgotten the plot... LOL! I hope Congress and the FCC will bring pressure to bear on the networks for beating us to death with commercials. Remember the big pitch they gave us when they promoted cable? Since you will be paying to use cable... there will be fewer commercials. Yeah, right! Contributions? I don't think so! Once they get your name... you become "fair game" for any politician or charity... and it is relentless.
Back to Bill's perceived problem. As I understand things, this is to be a worldwide effort, not just the North Americas. Perhaps the rest of the world has not been inundated with excess in contests, commercials and biased news? (Probably a wishful thought on my part!)
Regardless, you have given him some food for thought and participants at JPF who may (or may not have) considered submitting a song or two for this effort.
On the surface, it sounds like a noble endeavor. I'll adopt a "wait and see" attitude 'cause I have plenty of songs languishing on the dusty shelves of my catalogue library. I'd like to think they (my songs) might help someone... even if the project ends up making me no money.
Time will tell and perhaps, Bill will return from his "day job" and give you some of his perspective.
Regards, ----Dave
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Well Marc, You reminded me of that Dean Martin song. NOT ENOUGH INDIANS. I would gather Bill is getting a crash course in the Music Industry. Geronimo!
Ray E. Strode
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Wow, tons of good stuff to respond to here. So much to comment on.
Ray, your points confirm I need to dust off my music industry books! I totally understand I need permission to have legal authority before I take someone else’s song and record it for public release. Regarding how the song is intended to be used…
1. We will not mass produce the song for public distribution 2. A digital file of the completed work will be distributed to the participants as a way to promote themselves as artists (portfolio piece) 3. We will post the final work on our website as a way to promote our organization and our capabilities along with credit to all participants 4. The recording will not be distributed for financial gain (sold)
Correct me if I am wrong. My understanding is the mechanical right provides the right to reproduce a musical work on CD, DVD, record or tape. Our project is not designed to generate hard copies. The next question is a legal one – how do you define public release? If a song has been registered with ASCAP, SESAC or BMI, it might pose a challenge to our ability to use the song in our project. I will try my best to work with the songwriter(s) whose song is selected to mutually draft an agreement that meets everyone’s needs. I certainly do not want to take anyone out of their comfort zone if they are uncomfortable with how we plan to use the song. I intend to get a written signature from musicians on how they can and cannot use the song.
What do you think, Ray?
Dave, your turn!
1. Yes, the song is offered for pro-bono promotions and will be recorded by young musicians either in K-12 or enrolled in college/university. There will be no “pressing” of the completed work, just a digital file (wav for master, mp3 to participants). I will require that whenever our participants use the song as part of their self-promotion efforts, they are to give credit to the songwriter(s) and other musicians. 2. Yes, the songwriter will retain rights to the song and will render a "permission letter" to Global-Z to allow us use of the song as described above. Again, I can work with the songwriter to draft an agreement to meet our mutual satisfaction. Without an attorney, simplicity is key. 3. We are not asking the songwriter to relinquish their rights to the song, unless I am mis-understanding the need to use that terminology in the agreement. Rather, they would issue permission for us to use the song in limited fashion as described. 4. Deadline for submissions is April 31, 2018. You can send a link to the song(s) to me via email (globalzrecording@gmail.com) or if you would prefer to mail a CD, get in touch via email and I will be happy to provide a mailing address. Mp3 is fine. We will chose and announce our song by May 21, 2018, by email, on our website and Facebook site.
I agree, a chat with Brian might well prove to be extremely informative.
Marc, I understand what you are saying regarding compassion and contest fatigue. You might have picked up on the other thread (and this one) we are trying to figure out how to frame this differently than as being a contest. The use of the word 'contest' is not fully accurate. What we seek to achieve is more about finding exceptionally talented musicians who would enjoy making quality music in a unique environment and network with highly talented musicians who enjoy making the same style music from other parts of the world. We are designed to build cross-cultural bridges and global friendships. As someone who has created and facilitated computer-mediated educational opportunities with people from around the world, I have seen how friendships and inter-cultural learning transpires naturally around what is called a ‘community of practice,’ and strong bonds are often an end result. We are just using music as the 'community of practice' as a way to bring people together who happen to be from different cultures. I can see how people make the reference to "We Are The World," but we have little in common with that particular project other than we want to bring people together to make music. In order to bring our musicians together from around the globe, we do this virtually.
Regarding fund raising. When we get things going with a full marketing/pr strategy behind us, the plan is to request a small donation fee from songwriters and musicians to participate. It is not a mandatory fee, as we don't want to miss out on an opportunity to work with exceptionally talented musicians simply because they cannot afford to contribute 5-10 dollars in order for us to see what they can contribute to the project. So we don't see the participant fees as being a significant money generator for us and do not want to be a financial burden on participants but small fees such as these would help us pay our daily operational expenses. We want to work with the musicians and provide opportunities for them where they would not have had them if our projects were not in motion. Our plan is to largely find funding for the organization from foundation grants and corporate sponsors. There are a bunch of other ways we hope to generate income, but those would likely be secondary in nature. In order to attract grant money or corporate sponsors to fund Global Z, we need to prove our conceptual and operational models are sound.
I also agree that the Internet and DAWs provide opportunities for more songs than ever to be written, recorded, and made available. There is a real flood of music out there. I believe what we are doing is a niche of sorts that will not appeal to every young musician. The hope is as we become more well known, as we prove our selves to be reputable and show we have the best interests of the songwriters and musicians at heart, we will attract a larger participant pool and a higher level of talent. That takes time and networking – it is a slow process. But, as you can see by our website, we have already attracted an awesome range of partner institutions and subject matter experts. They have put their trust in us, some for 2-3 plus years.
Long term, we hope to grow to the point that we can serve as a springboard to promote both songwriters and musicians that we work with. We truly hope to work for the promotion, success and growth of the artists. And I appreciate your good wishes.
Marc, I get it. It is hard to trust any organization. It is unfortunately the world we live in. People get greedy. Organizations can go astray. I have seen regular people turn on each other and professionals – doctors, dentists, attorneys, contractors – do things that trusted professionals should definitely not be doing for greed or their personal advancement. Trust can be in short supply at every turn. No one here knows me personally, and I have to earn that trust. That too will take time. I am humbled by all of the comments and thoughts provided me in this forum.
Now, where did I place my music industry books…
Bill
Last edited by Bill Lord; 03/02/18 01:02 AM.
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One additional comment. Songs can be submitted for consideration using the following methods:
1. send a link to your music to my email address 2. send a mp3 file to my email address 3. If you would like to submit a CD, please shoot me an email to put that on my radar and I will provide you with an email address
globalzrecording@gmail.com
With appreciation, Bill
Last edited by Bill Lord; 03/02/18 10:36 AM.
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Mornin' Bill, Welcome to the Convoluted, Rag Tag, Bleepty Bump, Bump of the Music Industry!
First of all Performance Rights Organizations, ASCAP. BMI, etc. At this time you don't need to concern yourself with those. In case one of your Artists were to get signed with a Major Label and wanted to include the song on a release, the Label would want Publishing and would Register the song with the PRO.
I maybe missed that you have more than one Artist that will be recording the same song? No problem and I would give the additional permission to place the song on a Web Site as long as proper copyright notice was included.
I actually don't think I have any songs that fit your request unless you are looking for more or less Traditional Country and the Artists are a bit more mature. Descriptions of what they are looking for would be helpful.
Yes a Mechanical license gives permission to release a song for sale but you state it will only be used for promotion of the Artist. Since you are not making hard Copies you will only need the Permission Letter. I think I can handle that! I gave you the link to the songs on my Web Site so you can see if a song will work with you. Go listen if you like and Good Luck.
Last edited by Ray E. Strode; 03/02/18 10:19 PM.
Ray E. Strode
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My thanks to the generous members of JPF who have already offered up some fine songs to be considered for the project. This is wonderful.
We have kicked around some creative solutions and made some new connections that will allow us to streamline the process to get this project in the bag. I am excited for the possibilities and the collaborative nature of this project. More about this as plans get firmed up.
For those interested in submitting a tune, please note the deadline to submit original works is April 30, 2018. We are looking for an Americana genre tune that does not run contrary to our mission, ideally less than 4 minutes in length. To submit a composition for consideration, please email an mp3 file or provide a link to your work: globalzrecording@gmail.com
More in-depth info about the project is peppered throughout this thread, but I invite you to contact me via email to address any lingering questions.
With good wishes, Bill
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One more week to go! If you are interested in submitting a song for consideration, please send it in by the end of day April 30, 2018.
Almost there...
Thanks to all, Bill
globalzrecording@gmail.com
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May 1st has arrived and that brings us to our song submission deadline!
Many thanks go out to the JPF members who submitted a song for consideration. As previously stated, we will choose the song we are going to record by May 21, 2018, and announce our decision directly to the song writers who submitted works by email. We will also announce our decision on our website, our Facebook site, and I will also post a note to this thread so the JPF community learns of our decision first hand.
We are very grateful to the kindness and guidance so many of you have provided these past months.
Peace through music, Bill
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Greetings JPF Community.
We have had some excellent tunes floated our way! The reviewers have scored the submitted songs and we have indeed selected a song for our Phase I Proof of Concept Project. We are waiting until the songwriter reviews and signs off on our single song agreement before we announce our decision. As soon as we have the agreement in hand, I will publicly announce the song and author.
Many thanks again to those who have submitted works, your suggestions and support. I will be in touch soon.
Bill
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Hi Bill:
Many of us here at JPF are looking forward to learn who scored a touchdown with you folks. Let's hope it begins a series of success stories for both you and for the many song-writers and artists here at Brian's Place.
Regards, -----Dave
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Thanks fo this opportunity, Bill and best of luck with your project.
Ricki
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Dave, Ricki and all.
Thank you for your notes and kind wishes. I have been in touch with the songwriter and he/she will have a signed agreement to me sometime this weekend. Once the agreement is in hand, I will be happy to share the news. Sorry for the delay!
More soon.
Bill
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Good morning, JPF songwriters!
I just received a signed song usage agreement from The Global Z Recording Project's selected Phase I Concept songwriter.
The song selected is titled, "Come Home," by Seth Jernigan, a non-JPF member.
We had some very fine submissions from Just Plain Folks members and I am grateful for your assistance with our project. The scoring was as close as it can possibly get with only 1 point separating Seth's song from Ricki Bellos' wonderful tune, "Peace, Earth, Love." I will be reaching out individually to those who submitted songs to inform them of the song decision.
For those who might be curious, we set up a 40 point scoring rubric with which we ranked each song. All three of our Board Members acted as reviewers. Using this model, each song had the possibility of receiving a total possible score of 120 points (40 x 3).
If you have any additional questions, I am happy to reply. JPF is such a tremendous resource - thank you all.
Good wishes, Bill
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Congratulations to the winner and also to Ricki who came within one point of winning.
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Where can we hear the winning song?
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Hi Barry.
His demo is not cleared for public release. That said, once we complete our recording of the song, the song and project-related media will be posted on our website. I will be happy to keep this community informed with our progress, or, feel free to track our posts for up-to-date news.
Thank you, Bill
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Great!!! Wish it was Mine...lol
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Barry and all, you can track our progress here: http://www.globalzrecording.org/news/Thanks everyone for your support! Bill
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We would like to keep the membership in Just Plain Folks FREE! Your donation helps support the many programs we offer including Road Trips and the Music Awards.
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"If one man can do it, any man can do it. It is true. But the real question is, if one man did it, are you willing to do what it takes to do it as well?" –Brian Austin Whitney
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