Albany JPFolks News # 3
CONTENTS:
1. NOVEMBER MEETING INFO
2. NEW LOCATION
3. SONGWRITING CLINIC
4. OCTOBER'S MEETING
5. OPPORTUNITIES (OPEN MICS, ETC.)
6. JPFOLKS ALBANY CHAPTER MESSAGE BOARD
--------------------------------------------1. NOVEMBER MEETING INFO
OK...it's taken me a while to get this together, but here's all the info on the upcoming meeting. Hopefully from this point on, things will settle down a bit and I'll be able to get the information out to you with more advanced notice. Anyway, the next meeting will be at:
7pm Thursday, November 20th
at "Yours" Jazz Nightclub
145 Barrett Street, Schenectady
Between Lafayette and Clinton Streets, off of State Street
(directions to come...note: your map may be wrong)
We will open with some networking again, after which we will have a 1-hour Songwriting Clinic, facilitated by Sandy McKnight and Liv Cummins (see more under section 3), followed by a song circle. There is a sound system and even a drum kit! So bring lyric sheets to pass around if you want your song to be analyzed and your instruments for that or the song circle. If you want some brief feedback of a critique-type nature during the song circle, that is also doable (dependent on how many folks want to play), but mainly that will be for simply sharing our music.
We are grateful to Joe Mann of "Yours" for extending his hospitality and the use of his facility to us and we ask that members kindly partake of the menu. The prices are very reasonable and the finger foods are varied (nachos to chicken kabobs) and besides the regular bar items, coffee, herbal tea and soda are served.
NOTE: Anyone interested in taking notes at this and/or future meetings, I'd really appreciate it. The one stipulation is that the notes be typed out (later) and emailed to me. As can be surmised from the length of this newsletter, I have my hands full as it is without having to retype something I may or may not be able to decipher. The lucky person can even have the official title of 'secretary' if they'd like.<g>
--------------------------------------------2. NEW LOCATION
"YOURS"
A PLEASANT SOUNDS/JAZZ NIGHTCLUB
After more than ten years of operation, one of Schenectady's best kept secrets is still offering a place for respectable, mature adults to go before/after dinner, a show, shopping, etc.. "YOURS" (A Pleasant Sounds/Jazz Nightclub) has consistently offered an intimate setting based on quality, service and cleanliness. The atmosphere is always friendly. "YOURS" is two blocks east of Proctor's Theater; then North on to Barrett Street.
"YOURS" is a unique nightclub offering a variety of settings and services. The first floor Lounge is host to monthly open-mic nights (e.g., poetry, acoustic and comedy). The second-floor Music Hall has hosted stellar jazz performances, plays and private parties; to name a few. Daily we have Memory Lane where you can listen, dance and/or reminisce.
"YOURS" offers reasonable rates for the use of the club and will assist you in designing a function that will suit your needs. (Special consideration given for fund-raising events. Call for details) "YOURS" has many attractions that make it a classy nightclub.
"YOURS" is a place to relax and enjoy a peaceful, quiet evening out for YOU & YOURS. Visit us and see what "YOURS" is all about. You will be pleasantly surprised.
For information and details, contact Joe at (518) 370-9865, Tuesday - Sunday after 6:00 p.m.. E-mail: yours.145@juno.com
Directions to come...
--------------------------------------------3. SONGWRITING CLINIC
***Due to the fact that this next meeting may be the only opportunity for members to sample their songwriting workshop before the next cycle, I asked Sandy and Liv to facilitate a clinic at this next meeting. I had approached Deb Cavanaugh about doing a voice clinic this month, but she has graciously agreed to reschedule.***
Sooooo....
JPFolks members, Sandy McKnight and Liv Cummins will be giving us a taste of their songwriting saavy by way of a clinic. If you've ever wondered what a songwriting workshop is like, now's your chance to try it on for size. If you have a song you'd like to have analyzed, bring along lyric sheets to pass out and be prepared to perform it or bring along a CD. A live performance is of course preferable. Their extensive credentials and a description of their 10-week workshop is included below.
CREDENTIALS:
Liv Cummins is a performer, writer and educator. An alum of the prestigious New York University/Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Musical Theater Writing program, Liv has gone on to write, produce and direct shows all around New York City. She continues to work, through association with the Broadway Theater Institute, in New York public schools, helping young people create and perform their own musical theater pieces. She also works with children's theater classes at TADA and the Lucy Moses School at Lincoln Center.
Liv teaches writing classes at Rutgers University as well as working one-on-one with aspiring writers. She has written for television, and is currently showcasing a full-length musical, "The Big One", which she has co-written with Sandy McKnight. She's also collaborated on "Vanishing Point," a musical which will be produced in Minneapolis this summer and off-Broadway next spring.
She may be best known locally as a recording artist. Her first album, "Some Days", was played on over 65 stations nationally. She was the subject of a piece on NPR's "All Things Considered", and performed at top venues across the country, including The Egg in Albany (with Livingston Taylor). Her most recent CD, "…exactly.", has received sparkling reviews and international interest. Her music is available on the web at CDBaby.com/Cummins.
Sandy McKnight is a producer, writer and musician. He has written over 500 songs, many of which have been covered by other artists. Through the years, he has recorded and performed with such notables as Todd Rundgren, Dennis Diken (Smithereens), Ray Anderson (5-time Downbeat poll winner: Best Trombonist), Gary Burke (Joe Jackson Band), and many others. He's produced over 100 recordings, and released several on his "22 Records" indie label. His music career has taken him around the world, and he's lived in London and Los Angeles, as well as New York City.
Recently, his writing has become as in demand as his playing. He has written several scripts for VH1's Top Ten Countdown, and several pilots for new series. He's worked with "Beavis and Butt-head" director Yvette Kaplan, and created several series in various stages of development. A recent sketch by Sandy was included in the musical comedy presentation, "Serial Killers", at HERE in New York City. He's also written children's stories, and all types of articles, ad and promo copy.
Locally, Sandy was a familiar voice as an on-air personality on WKNY/Kingston, WCKL/Catskill and WHUC/Hudson. He also produced the Capital Area Singer/Songwriter Festival at The Egg in Albany. He's a graduate of Germantown Central H.S., and attended both Columbia-Greene Community College and Bard College.
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:
from AABA to CD: the art of songwriting, the science of recording, and the
business of music
this course will cover the detailed process of writing a professional-caliber
song, then producing, arranging, recording and finally issuing a commercial CD
of that song (possibly along with others). whether you are an aspiring music
artist, songwriter, record company exec, or just curious about how music is
created, this course will be full of revelations.
subjects covered will include: popular song structure (AABA is a reference to a
particular song structure in which the verse, or A section, repeats, followed by
a chorus or B section); elements of composition (the verse, the bridge, the
hook); lyric writing; pitching your song; recording a demo; choosing a studio;
choosing a producer; the basics of the studio; shopping your demo; the song
publisher; the record company; shopping yourself as an artist; creating an
image; networking; and much more.
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4. OCTOBER'S MEETING
October 30th at Sunset Cafe, Ballston Spa
After some confusion when our usual Coffee Planet location became unavailable, we settled into our temporary digs at the Sunset Cafe. As previously stated, we had 11 people in attendance (Thanks Don, Barby, Pete, Mike, Daryl, Linda, Deb, Roger, John and Tony). Networking lasted for about a 1/2 hour, waiting for any semi-lost souls to find their way to our location.
Aside from knocking around with various venues and dates, etc. for meetings, we also discussed the kinds of programs that we'd like to have. Quite a few people expressed interest in having someone come in to discuss copyright issues. I have someone in mind for that and as soon as something can be arranged, we may well run a whole meeting on just that or possibly split it over a couple of meetings.
Other speaker and/or discussion topics of interest were: Writing with a Co-writer, House Concerts and the Best On-line Exposure Sites. Besides the Songwriting Clinic, workshops on Voice and Instrumental Styles were also discussed. I've already spoken to several people that are willing to speak on or facilitate most of those topics, so we're good to go for a quite a while. Patti Whitten has also volunteered to introduce us to peer-to-peer songwriting workshops and we'll be grateful to have her at some point in the future as well.
I asked if anyone with information about open mics or other opportunities would please email me and I'd post it in the newsletter.
--------------------------------------------5. OPPORTUNITIES (OPEN MICS, ETC.)
I've listed a couple of open mics below, but am in the process of compiling an extensive list. If anyone has any pertinent information, PLEASE e-me. Also any other information regarding other opportunities would be much appreciated!
***************
Clifton Park Borders Grand Opening Open Mic - on Friday, November 14th from 5 to 6:30 pm. They've already had a good number of inquiries about it, so it's probably going to be well-stocked with musicians. It's also only for an hour and a half, so again, they may not be able to fit everybody, but I wanted to mention it. I spoke to the music manager and she's hoping that it will become a regular fixture, if the interest is high enough. Hopefully they'll pick some slot other than dinner time... Anyway, if you're going to give it a shot, get there at least a 1/2 hour early for signup. They have a PA (I haven't seen it, so I don't know what) and 2 mics.
***************
Clifton Park Borders' Local Musicians CD's - Anyone interested in having their CD's added to the Clifton Park Borders' inventory, make sure they have bar codes, collect up to 10 of them and make out an invoice for however many you intend to stock. They do it a bit differently than the Albany and Saratoga stores. Call 383-2121 and speak to Joe in Inventory before you type it up and ask what the retail vs. wholesale rates are beforehand, so you can determine your pricing structure. Be sure to have a "received by" line on your invoice and 2 copies, so he or someone else can sign off on your copy when you hand over your 'babies'.<g> They don't have a section yet for local musicians, but the sooner you get your CD's in, the sooner they'll have enough to put us out there. I dropped mine off today, so the ball's rolling...
***************
Pete Betz checked in with the following info (Thanks Pete!):
Broadalbin Hotel Open Mic - Every Sunday from 4:30 to 9:30 and many people come to do a few numbers. Most of the music is in the traditional country direction, but anyone who writes for this genre or close to it can come and get a turn in. 59 W Main St, Broadalbin, NY 518-883-5414
Foothills Folks TV Show - Always looking for new performers. Anyone interested can email Pete Betz at: pcbetz@fmcc.suny.edu and he'll explain the format, etc.
***************
And the folks at Miss Mary's Art Space sent me this:
Subj: ATTN: (mostly) folksters!
Date: 11/12/2003 3:47:20 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: missmarysartspace@theinbox.org
WRPI's Mostly Folk Radio Show - Do you play music that might remotely be considered folk? Do you have an upcoming performance you'd like to promote? Would you like to play a few of your songs and hype your gig on WRPI's "Mostly Folk Show," the most listened-to two hours of radio in the nation?
If you -- or anyone you know -- would answer "Yes!" to these questions, you -- or whomever you know -- are in luck! Fellow MMAS members are looking for (mostly) folk performers to be guests on WRPI's Mostly Folk show, fourth Sundays from 6 - 8 p.m.
WRPI has recently upgraded the station to include nice 48v condenser mics, and of late, the Mostly Folk show has featured the Yankee Doodlas, Greg Greenway and Bob Warren and friends, and they all sounded terrific! Play, sing, talk, pull some tunes to spin. You can do it all on the Mostly Folk show.
Any interested mostly (or even, perhaps, partially) folk musicians are encouraged to reply to this email or call Matt at 463-5857.
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6. JPFOLKS ALBANY CHAPTER MESSAGE BOARD
Again, anyone that has any news to post, I encourage you to use the Albany Chapter Message Board. I'm also posting each newsletter and announcement there as well:
http://www.justplainfolks.org/cgi-b...umber=50&DaysPrune=60&LastLogin= --------------------------------------------
Well, that's it for now folks. Thanks for reading all the way down here. I know it took some doing...<g>
See ya at the meeting...and yes, those directions will be coming!
Donna :-)
Donna Adams-Profeta
Albany NY Chapter Coordinator
Just Plain Folks
www.jpfolks.com *Anyone wishing to unsubscribe from either the general member list or the newsletter list, just let me know and I'll remove you from whichever you specify. Thank you.
