Hello:
Just wanted to send out this reminder of our August JPF meeting. This is gonna be another good one.

Well this month, AUGUST, we have a wonderful guest speaker by the name of Jo Ann Braheny. Her credits and bio are listed below. Again, space is limited and I request that you RSVP for this meeting. We will try to not turn anyone away but you might have to stand.

So looking forward to seeing you there.
Please Please RSVP as soon as possible.

SPECIAL LOS ANGELES APPEARANCE!

John's wife, JO ANN BRAHENY will be the
AUGUST 26th guest speaker at the
Los Angeles Chapter of JUST PLAIN FOLKS.

WHEN: Monday, August 26th, 2002
TIME: 8-10 PM
WHERE: 6803 Firmament Ave. in Van Nuys, California


JoAnn Braheny will speak about
1. Taming the Monster in Your Head
(Conquer Your Inner Critic)

plus a special discussion about

2. Doing What You're Not
(Break Through Your Creative Blocks).

Exercises, fun stuff, plus
a chance to shmooze with other Just Plain Folks (songwriters) at this unique Monday evening event.

Here is what JoAnn provided as background information for this email announcement:

JoAnn writes:
I was Atlanta's first full-time female radio DJ. (The format was
"underground rock'n'roll.") Later I did "pop promotion" for GRC Records,
pitching the label's acts to radio stations across the USA. When the head of
music publishing at GRC left town to get married, my boss took me up the
hall, sat me down and said, you're now in charge of publishing. I was 25! (I
hadn't a clue how to begin -- and I credit BMI, ASCAP, SESAC and the Library of Congress Copyright Office for training me on-the-job, via long-distance phone!)

Songwriters brought me early drafts of their songs, simple guitar or piano
vocals -- a FAR CRY from the finished, fully-produced records I had been
accustomed to choosing for my radio show. I remember clearly how bare they sounded! I had to make a giant leap to "hear through" those rough demos, with the help and vision of songwriters to guide me. And what a joy to hear those songs develop into recorded product!

I already had my own consulting company by the time John Braheny (then
co-director of the LA Songwriters Showcase organization) and I met. He was a guest speaker at Atlanta's first annual Georgia Music Week. (I was the founding secretary of the Atlanta Songwriters Assn., which co-hosted the event). [See how collaboration works?]

Soon after, I moved to Los Angeles to marry John and took as many
entertainment industry "temp" jobs as I could ... which got me into doors
and into working with some of the industry's top executives for such
companies as ABC, NBC, CBS, Playboy, Capitol Records, Universal Studios,
Warner Bros., Disney, etc. Temping allowed me the freedom to work on
projects with John, like the annual Songwriters Expo events, or help him
with the research/editing of his book, THE CRAFT AND BUSINESS OF
SONGWRITING.

I also worked full-time for Rogers & Cowan, public relations, which gave me the experience of working with artists who have life-long careers, such as Barry Manilow, Henry Mancini, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Rod Stewart, the Bee Gees, the Beach Boys, B.B. King, and many others. I learned how successful artists budget, organize and execute publicity campaigns, as well as design (and re-design) his/her public image.

While temping at Walt Disney Imagineering, my supervisor was able to
translate the work I had done helping develop songwriters' careers, to
becoming her Coordinator in Talent Development at this world-renowned think tank. I learned brainstorming techniques, team building skills, career path development, designing a project's life-cycle, managing our inner negative voices, painting styles, and much, much more ... just by realizing that whether it's through sound or sight, music or art, or dance, or theatre, etc., our creative process deserves to be nourished in order to remain productive all our lives.

Today, I present seminars to companies and colleges, as well as for
songwriters and arts organizations, traveling with John Braheny around the country. I also continue to do private career consultations.

Want to know more about JoAnn? Her bio:
http://www.johnbraheny.com/john/joann.html

So, have we whet your appetite now? If so then please come and enjoy this thought provoking evening with JoAnn Braheny our guest speaker for August.

For directions or any JPF related questions please respond to this email.

RSVP is required!

Thank you

Penni Merrick, Just Plain Folks LA Chapter Coordinator
PO Box 8164-----6803 Firmament Ave
Van Nuys, CA 91406
P: 818-989-1617

Penni Merrick
http://www.pemerridesigns.com
818-786-8996