Making It Big... NOT ME!

I guess everyone who applied (unsuccesfully) is having salt poured into their wounds... an email received from the Making It Big show's producers:

• Hello,The Singer Songwriter episode of the TV series Making It Big premieres in Canada! The episode debuts Monday, February 5 at 8pm & 11pm EST (5pm & 8pm PST) on the Life Network. The show repeats the following Friday at 6pm EST(3pm PST) and Sunday at 12pm EST (9am PST).Three up-and-coming singer songwriters selected from across North America vie for the chance to be mentored by artist and producer Meredith Brooks. EMI Publishing and A&R executives decide who will earn the career break of a lifetime. Please forward this information on to anyone you like across Canada!Thanks!The MIB Team

I'll be watching to see what I missed participating in... :(

Christmas Tidings...

While personal matters meant this wasn't the greatest Christmas for my parents and brothers (it's always a joy for my daughter though, she's so young and full of wonder at Christmas), I did just want to keep this blog going and update on the status of some great Christmas presents courtesy of my ever-loving supportive wife:

• I have a Gift Certificate for studio time at JLS Digital Recording & Mixing which should be much fun (never been in a studio before) and hopefully, very productive;
• I have Cakewalk's Sonar 6 Producer Edition (upgrade from my Sonar 5 Studio), so I have a top notch tool to work with;
• And some reference material to work on that Sonar 6, namely, Sonar 6 Power! The Comprehensive Guide by Scott R. Garrigus (of DigiFreq fame), and a Digital Music Doctor interactive DVD - Sonar 6 - Know It All!

So, I've definitely been spoiled (thank you sweetie) and will now have no excuse not to record/produce some decent demos...

Ci vedimes and Happiest of New Years!

TSA in 2007!

Well, I followed up on seeking out a membership in the Toronto Songwriters Association. Its next meeting is January 12/07, but it is being reserved for current members and their families. Marc Belanger of TSA very kindly emailed me to invite me to the February meeting as a guest and I'll follow up with that after TSA's January meeting... He also added these very kind and encouraging words (presumably after viewing this very blog and perhaps my other sites):

• Thanks for contacting us. Your enthusiasm for songwriting is a joy to behold, and I hope we’ll see you at the February meeting.

It's very rewarding to have that sort of feedback... I hope it's the same after I've played the group one of my songs! :-)

Ci vedimes...

Date with a Demo!

Well, I attended Date with a Demo (a SAC event) last night and heard some pretty cool stuff from about 11 other Toronto-area songwriters. The panelists were Haydain Neale and Greg Johnstone. They had some great insight into people's material... unfortunately, not mine...

TIP: Don't record you CD-Audio onto a CD-RW disc...

Other than that, it was nice to hear back from Kim Boyce about the Original Sundays events...

She's very nice as you can see from her inviting email:

• hi lorenzo
  nice to "meet" you.
  what can i tell you about original sundays...it started at the end of
  october. each week mike ewing and i do a set and then there's a set by a
  featured guest. however, i'm starting to open it up a bit to a shorter
  guest set sometimes as well. it runs from 2 - 4 each sunday, altho i'm
  taking a couple weeks off at christmas.
  the woodhouse is at bloor and runnymede, just west of chapters.
  i'm attaching the current flyer.
  why don't you come by and check it out and say hello?
  kim

I will be doing just that come the new year!

More Local Links!

Well, this is very exciting as following up on the previous post (the Guardian article about Kim Boyce) led me to two sites I didn't know existed:

The Toronto Songwriters Association and Songwriters Unite! I will definitely be looking into these two groups to see if I can "fit in" with my material.

Ci vedimes...

Original Sundays

Nice article in the local paper (Etobicoke Guardian) about a local high school English teacher, Kim Boyce, who runs an "Original Sundays" event every Sunday at a local pub, the Woodhouse Lounge... local songwriters get up and do their thing... I've emailed and asked for some info and maybe Jeffie and I can try it out in the new year...

Check out Kim's myspace site... she's very good!

SAC Regional Songwriters Workgroup #3

Well, Saturday December 2 was my third attendance at the Workgroup at Michelle's Restaurant in Toronto (Weston & Lawrence). I played Help Me Heal My Soul (as referenced in my previous post) and received some positive feedback. I'm looking at working up to a "Date with a Demo" event through SAC and I'll put the results on-line here after I attend one of them (coming up on December 14/06).

Help Me Heal My Soul

Here's a new song I wrote for the SAC Regional Songwriters' Workgroup I'll be attending tomorrow. You'll find the lyrics below in a previous post. I changed the melody to those lyrics (originally written to the tune of Bob Dylan's To Make You Feel My Love). Have a listen to it by clicking on the song title: Help Me Heal My Soul.

Drop a note to tell me what you think...