This is the schedule that we are about to go to print with. There may be a change or two because we are adding classes now and hearing back from instructors to make sure this works for them. The final schedule will be printed tomorrow afternoon. This is to give you an idea how the weekend will go. Here are some basic things you should know:
1) The class times are almost always 90 minutes sessions.
2) There will be 3 to 5 classes running each session.
3) In the pitch to publisher class you may bring CD or you may play your song live....as you wish. There will be a CD player in the pitch room available to you.
4) Each of the publishers have their own way of how the pitch session will go. They will explain that to you at the beginning of their session. There are lots of pitch to publisher sessions scheduled so you can see each of the publishers and see the ones you favor more than once to pitch different songs or pick up tips to help you in dealing with selling your music.
A. If you are going to pitch with a CD... have one song per CD. Put your name and contact info on the outside of the CD with a marker or something that will last and is readable. Put the name of the song on the CD.
and bring a lyric sheet for each song.
B. If you are going to play your guitar in a pitch session have it tuned before you go to class. Bring lyric sheets with you for each song.
C. Don't tell the story behind the song or when you wrote it...they are all new until someone hears them and it will take up too much time and you want to pitch as much as possible. People want to know both of those things but not at that moment....unless the instructors asks. You won't get to explain it to whoever he pitchs to. The song has to stand on it's own without the story.
D. Some of the publishers and/or song pluggers only listen to the first 30 seconds of the song. Don't take that in a bad way. They can tell by that time if they are interested or not. Just because they stop it doesn't mean
they don't like it. They may like it and want the time to hear what else you got. Some of them will want to hear the whole thing...again it depends on the publisher. This is just a heads up. I remember wondering
"what the heck" the first time it happened to me. It ended up good so it's not so hard now but not the easiest thing for me either. But they are doing this for a living. They are looking to find someone or some songs
that they can sell. They listen to a lot of songs and have their own way that works for them. I know each of them and have worked with all of them. You just have to trust them. They want it to work as bad as we do.
5) Most of publishers will accept your music if you are in their class. They may only ask for the songs you pitched in class so have that separate from your CD with all your songs on them. Sometimes they will like your songs and ask for a CD.
6) Please don't try to give your music to the artists that are at the conference unless they ask you for it. They probably will ask but it is better to wait. You are also welcome to ask if you can share your music with them, but don't take for granted that you can. They would end up with over a hundred CD's just from this conference alone. They are all very friendly and accessible to us and we would love for them to stay that way. Atleast wait til Sunday and then pass it to them. : )
7)We all have lunch together on Sat.
OK here is the schedule of the moment. I will fill in the missing classes as I hear back from instructors. Changes will be minor.
Thursday night... 7PM kick off party at the Wyndham. This is a time to register and pick up your registration bags with your program in it. There will be light foods and drinks. Come out and meet the staff, panelists, publishers, instructors, and special guests. There will be a very special concert with Monte Warden and Roger Brown. Picking circles are open about 11PM for those that wish. Remember that the publishers and song pluggers and other song buyers or bookers of some kind will be in and out of picking rooms through the weekend.
Friday 9 - 10 registration
10 - 11:45 Publisher Daniel Lee / Ten Ten Music
Bobby Rymer / WritersDen
Roger Brown - Songwriting
something else
Sonny Throckmorton has won many music awards, including 1977 Cashbox\Songwriter of the Year, 1979, ACM's Song of the Year (It’s A Cheating Situation), 1979, NSAI Songwriter of the Year, 1980, DJ Songwriter of the Year, 1980, NSAI Songwriter of the Year 1985, ACM Song of the Year for “Why Not Me.” Artists who have recorded his songs include Jerry Lee Lewis, Merle Haggard, T.G. Sheppard, Emmylou Harris, The Judds, and George Strait. Two of Throckmorton’s songs have been made into movies, “Middle Age Crazy” starring Bruce Dern and Ann Margret in 1980, and "18 Again" in 1987 starring George Burns. This is Sonny's 4th time to serve as an instructor for the ASG Songwriter Symposium and he is a favorite every year. He will be performing in two concerts throughout the weekend, hosting a morning coffee class on the life of the songwriter on Saturday morning, as well as being present all weekend for various events.
Jimmy LaFave has been a “perennial presence” in the Austin music scene since he first landed here from Oklahoma in the late 1980s. Although he has lived in Austin for nearly 20 years, many people still think of him as being from Oklahoma, because of his strong musical ties to the state and what he often refers to as its “red dirt music.” Shortly after his arrival in Austin his career began to take flight when he was asked to help get a songwriter scene going at the now legendary Chicago House, which led to his first self-produced recording, Highway Angels…Full Moon Rain, which went on to his first Austin Chronicle Music Award. In 1992, Jimmy released a self–produced record, Austin Skyline, which drew international attention to his songwriting and vocal talents, and led to a publishing agreement with Polygram Music. Before long, Jimmy was touring the U.S. and Europe to widespread critical acclaim and landed a slot on Austin City Limits in 1996. Jimmy has built his reputation as not only a solid songwriter, but as an outstanding interpreter of songs by others, most notably Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie, both of who are huge influences on his music. In the liner notes for his 1999 record, Trail, music journalist Dave Marsh noted: “Jimmy LaFave has one of America’s greatest voices, and this album is the story of what he has learned to do with it. It’s a unique instrument, with startling range and its own peculiar sense of gravity, liable to swoop in and wreck your expectations at any instant.” He continues to record and tour consistently, meeting critical acclaim and widespread audience acceptance everywhere he goes. This is his first year as an ASG Instructor and he will be leading a class in songwriting, as well as performing a concert with Gurf Morlix Saturday evening.
Gurf Morlix is one of the very best guitar players and producers of Americana music in the whole world, as well as an outstanding singer-songwriter. From 1998-1996, Gurf primarily performed the role of guitar player and producer for Lucinda Williams all the way through her now classic record Car Wheels On A Gravel Road. Since 1999, he has been all over the place as a musician, engineer, mixer and producer out of his Rootball studio in Austin where he has produced a growing number of excellent records, including Slaid Cleaves Broke Down, Ray Wylie Hubbard Snake Farm, Mary Gauthier Mercy Now and Tom Russell Love and Fear, among many others. He is presently in the studio with Betty Soo, 2008's Kerrville Folk Festival "Best New Artist," who also happens to be an ASG Director. He has also worked with a diverse roster of artists in one role or another, including The Band of Heathens, Peter Case, Sam Baker, Jimmy LaFave, Ruthie Foster and Ian McLagan, just to mention but a few. In between all of this activity, he has produced and released a number of his own records, including Fishin’ in the Muddy and Cut ‘N’ Shoot. He is also a member of the Austin Music Hall of Fame. In his first year as an ASG faculty member, Gurf will be leading a seminar in record production on Saturday.
Monte Warden received his first Austin Music Award (for Best New Band) when he was all of 15-years old for his country tio Whoa Trigger!, which later led to the establishment of his next band The Wagoneers. That band was signed to a deal with A&M after performing at the very first SXSW Music Conference. The Wagoneer's debut record Sout and High was released to worldwide critical acclaim and is widely considered one of the best country records of the 80s. The early to mid-90s found Warden launching a solo career resulting in three albums featuring his signature blend of Buddy Holly hooks, hot rockabilly guitar licks and straight up Texas honky-tonk. His self-titled solo debut was named one of the 100 Best Americana albums of the 20th century by NME. However, Warden's biggest success has been as a professional songwriter landing cuts on movie and television soundtracks, while selling millions of records with artists Kelly Willis, George Jones, Patty Loveless, Bruce Robison, Travis Tritt, George Strait and Carrie Underwood. He co-wrote the George Strait #1 smash hit "Desperately." In the fall of 2005, that song netted Monte his first BMI songwriting award, followed in March 2006 by the prestigious BMI "Million Air" award, signifying over 1 million radio broadcast performances of the song.
Songwriting is a craft, make no mistake about it. That being said, Chuck cannon is a master craftsman. In addition to his most recent hit he wrote with Toby Keith, American Soldier, Chuck is responsible for song like John Michael Montgomery's I Love The Way You Love Me and a whole slew of other hits like We Were In Love, Dream Walkin', and Getcha Some to name a few. Chuck has also served as President of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI, 2001-2003), and continues to serve on their Executive Board and Legislative Committees. Among the honors he has accumulated along the way, he has garnered BMIs Eight-Million-Air award for the song "I Love The Way You Love Me" which was the Academy of Country Music's 1993 Song of the Year.
