JSAS Resources and References

Online Collaborations, Streaming Venues, Blog Discussions and Digital Apps for stay-at-home songwriters during Covid-19 pandemic

ALL UPCOMING MEETINGS for Jersey Songwriters and Storytellers (JSAS) are CANCELLED. Under the direction of the Borough of Milltown and the Office of Emergency Management, the Milltown Library is not allowed to have any meetings or gatherings until further notice.

Online Collaborations:

These are only a few collaboration tools. Let us know about your collaboration tools.
- 11 Tools for Collaborating on Music Remotely at Reverb
- Resources for musicians during the COVID-19 pandemic at DIYMusician

Here are collaborations listed earlier in these resources.
- Soundtrap - "Your Everywhere Studio"
- Trackd - "Music Social Studio - Cloud Recording Sound to Band"
- SoundBetter - "Finish Your Song"
- Flat - "Write your music scores online"
- Blend - "Make Music Together"
- Vampr - "Play Together"
- Songspace to share access to your songs with bandmates and musical partners. Free, iOS and Android.
- Chrome Music Lab for experimental music making browser apps
- Kompoz to crowdsource songs and collaborate with musicians across the world or across the street.
- SongwriterLink is a new, more efficient way to collaborate
- Top 13 Places to Share Your Music on Reddit

Streaming Venues:

These are only a few venues. Let us know about your streamng venues.
- Stageit - Shut In & Sing at Stage It
- Tiny Desk concerts at NPR
- Austin City Limits will stream large portion of past three seasons for free By CLTure News
- Virtual folk festival ‘Folks By Stuart Wood at Access All Areas
- ArtistWorks Music Series Podcast at ArtistWorks
- A Guide To Live-Streamed Music Events During Self-Isolation By uDiscover Team at uDiscoverMusic
- Metropolitan Opera to Offer Free Performance Streams Amid Coronavirus Shutdown By Mitchell Peters at Billboard
- How Nashville's Play-for-Tips Musicians Are Adapting to Quarantine By Jonathan Bernstein at Rolling Stone
- Third Man Records to Livestream Daily Performances By Angie Martoccio at Rolling Stone
- Live Music at Home: Van Morrison, Aerosmith, Of Monsters and Men By Paste Staff at Paste
- All of the Concerts You Can Watch From Home Right Now By Esther Zuckerman, Sadie Bell and Dan Jackson at Thrillist
- American Songwriter is launching Behind the Mic series at their Facebook page
- Watch Neil Young’s Rarity-Packed Fireside Session By Andy Greene at at Rolling Stone
- Metallica Launch New Weekly Online Concert Series, ‘Metallica Mondays’ By Tim Peacock at uDiscoverMusic
- Daily Live Streams for Musicians at Woodwind & Brasswind
- Virtual Event calendar at New Jersey Stage
- Top 13 Places to Share Your Music on Reddit

Songwriting blogs and discussions at Reddit:

These are only a few discussion forums. Let us know about your discussion forums.
- askmusicians
- MusicInTheMaking
- RedditJams
- singing
- Songwriters
- Songwriting
- WeAreTheMusicMakers
- WriteMeASong

Digital apps free or on sale now:

These are only a few digital apps. Let us know about your digital apps.
- Fugue Machine : MIDI Sequencer Multi-playhead MIDI sequencer by Alexandernaut for iOS
- Minimoog Model D Synthesizer Classic Analog Synthesizer by Moog Music Inc. for iOS
- KORG iKaossilator Make your beat with one finger KORG INC. for iOS and in Google Play for Android

Upcoming April Meetings Suspended

- Songwriter U at American Songwriter for articles on the craft & music
- Jersey Shore Jazz Workshop with groups that consist of adult musicians who have some improvisation experience; all the way to semi-pro musicians
- Count Basie Blues Band - all levels learn how to make music, rehearse and jam in a live band setting

March 14 & 28 as well as April 4, 2020 CANCELLED

- ALL UPCOMING MEETINGS for Jersey Songwriters and Storytellers (JSAS) are CANCELLED including Saturdays, March 14 & 28 as well as April 4, 2020. Under the direction of the Borough of Milltown and the Office of Emergency Management, the Milltown Library is not allowed to have any meetings or gatherings until April 5th.

February 22, 2020

- Carol Lester Productions presents 2nd Sunday Songwriters at Headroom, 150 Bay Street, Jersey City on March 8 from 7-10pm with a music focus on publishers, agents, song reps, and supervisors for media placement
- The Tiny Desk Contest on NPR for 2020 - discover and share unknown musicians and songwriters

February 8, 2020

- "How to Learn a Song Like a Nashville Pro" by Annie Clements at Premier Guitar February 01, 2020
- "Why We Need MTV Now More Than Ever" by Robert Dean at Consequence of Sound on January 20, 2020
- "How TikTok Is Killing the Radio Songwriter" Podcast featuring Aimee Cliff and Nick Sylvester at the New York Times on January 17, 2020

January 15, 2020

- "Jersey’s Enduring Folk-Music Scene" from NJ Monthly article by Mike Levine | | August 12, 2019 | Appears in the August 2019 issue ... about venues from cafes, churches, libraries, living rooms
- "The most read posts from the Bandzoogle Blog in 2019" by Dave Cool on Dec 16, 2019 in: Music Career Advice ... musician bio, electronic press kit, music online promotion, revenue stream ideas, music grants
- "How Taylor Swift Writes a Love Song" - a video from the New York Times "Best Weekend Reads" by Kaly Soto on 12.27.19

January 7, 2020 meeting cancelled

November 26, 2019

- "Re-arranging big songs for solo performance" - by Michael Gallanton at blog.discmakers.com on November 20, 2019

November 12, 2019

- “Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Jump Start” at premierguitar.com
- “How to unlock dozens of revenue streams from one song” at blog.discmakers.com

October 22, 2019

- “Our Plants Are Being Affected By The Music We Listen To, And Here’s How It Works” at pedestrian.tv
- “A spreadsheet of 161 magazines and blogs … for publicity/coverage” at reddit.com

October 8, 2019

- “How to be wildly successful at licensing your songs to TV, film, and ads” at DIT Musician
- Search for songwriting books at Amazon
- “Choose the right key for your songs” article at Disc Makers Blog

September 24, 2019

- "Laurita Winery in New Egypt will be hosting an Adult Idol Singing Contest this Fall (Ages 18 and above)." For more information and to register click at https://lauritawinery.com/events/2019-laurita-idol-10-10/
- "Telling jokes isn’t your forte. When musicians trash talk." See cartoon at https://www.reddit.com/r/singing/comments/d3ox9g/telling_jokes_isnt_your_forte/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
- "Background Music for Serious Studying ... apps that create distraction-free songs ..." at https://apps.apple.com/us/story/id1471014573
- "Psychoacoustics 101: The science of what we hear" at https://splice.com/blog/psychoacoustics-101/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter-092419

September 10, 2019

- “The Broken Musician” by Heather O’Donnell about “The Taboo of Injury and Disability in Music”
- “NBC’s Songland Is TV’s New “Hit” Show” by Lynne Margolis
- “How the composer of Deadpool and Mad Max is changing the way we score movies” in the The Verge
- “Channeling emotions: how to play it when you’re not feeling it” by Michael Gallant

August 27, 2019

- “Facebook Video vs. YouTube Video How to Release Your Music Video to Both Channels” at www.MichaelBrandvold.com
- “Copyright Your Music: The 2019 Guide” at https://diymusician.cdbaby.com
- “QuaverMusic Song of the Month” at https://www.quavermusic.com to share the video and activity with teachers and students
- Monroe Township Open mic from Monroe Township, NJ at MeeetUp
- Staten Island Music Scene (Phil’s Speakeasy Sessions) from NYC at MeeetUp
- "Ellis Paul’s editing tips for songwriters" at CDbaby
- “Rock and Roll Will Be Dead by 2060 ... but Will Live on as Holograms” at Variety
- "The Beautiful Lies of Sound Design | Tasos Fratzolas | TEDxAthens" at YouTube
- "Art, artists and the age of YouTube composers | Benj Pasek & Justin Paul | TEDxBroadway" at YouTube

August 13, 2019

Meeting cancelled due to inclement weather.

July 16, 2019

Resources (online) for gigs and shows:
Here are only a few venues. Let us know about your resources.
- Acoustic Music Scene
- Cafe Improv
- Old Franklin Schoolhouse
- Earth Room Concerts
- Cozy Cabin Concerts
- The Aquarian Weekly
- Gigmor
- Gigsalad

July 9, 2019

Articles:
- "Why did Spotify exit the music distribution business?" from Disc Makers YouTube channel
- "The Room Where It Happens" in Topic magazine ... about a unique Berlin practice space
- "Generative Music Apps Let Your Phone Write Songs for You" from Wired magazine
- "Chart: Which music genres are dominating streaming" from Axios online

June 25, 2019

Some Online Resources (with their taglines) for Music Collaboration:
- Soundtrap - "Your Everywhere Studio"
- Trackd - "Music Social Studio - Cloud Recording Sound to Band"
- SoundBetter - "Finish Your Song"
- Flat - "Write your music scores online"
- Blend - "Make Music Together"
- Vampr - "Play Together"

June 11, 2019

Resources:
- SongChops has songwriting worksheets, pro tips & resources, exercises, lots of articles, for beginners, intermediate and advanced as well as a member library (free)

Articles:
- “How Much Do Good Music Studios Cost To Use?” is a Recording Studio article with interviews of studio personnel

May 28, 2019

Resources:
- Songwriting Club at Splice is “a new community for songwriters to get their creative juices flowing and give and receive constructive feedback”
- DIY Musician Conference 2019 is August 16 - 18, 2019

Articles:
- “Sometimes, one chord is all you need” by Scott McCormick in Songwriting
- “Electronic music is the world's third most popular genre” by Louis Grogan in MixMag
- “Can Music Gear Lose Its Mojo?” by Phil O'Keefe in Harmony Central

May 14, 2019

Articles:
- "Trump-Era Protest Music Draws on Personal Stories” by Eric R. Danton in Paste Music
- Paul Simon on Late Night, May 20, 1982 - YouTube for interview
- LYRIC OF THE WEEK The Five Satins, "In The Still Of The Night" at American Songwriter
- Joe Manages To Save An Iconic Piece Of NYC - “Manny’s Music”
- The mad scientist of music | Mark Applebaum at TED

April 23, 2019

Articles:
- Analysis | Billboard tried to fit ‘Old Town Road’ into a neat box. But that’s not how we listen to music anyway. by Bethonie Butler in Washington Post
- Scientists created a never-ending livestream of AI-generated death metal — and it sounds deeply disturbing by DAVID NIELD in Business Insider and Science Alert
- Enter The July/August 2019 Lyric Contest at American Songwriter

April 9, 2019

Articles:
- "Apple Is the Real Winner in Spotify’s Battle Against Songwriters’ Rate Hike” at https://variety.com/v/music/ by By JEM ASWAD and SHIRLEY HALPERIN for Variety
- “Warner Music Group Signs an Algorithm to a Record Deal” at https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/warner-music-group-endel-algorithm-record-deal-811327/ by Amy X. Wang in Rolling Stone

March 26, 2019

Articles:
- Mark at http://idocoach.com for “A Minimalist Approach To Songwriting” at http://idocoach.com/blog/2019/1/30/a-minimalist-approach-to-songwriting
- “They Really Don’t Make Music Like They Used To” at https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/07/opinion/what-these-grammy-songs-tell-us-about-the-loudness-wars.html by Greg Milner “talking about loudness as a measure of sound within a particular recording
- “Songwriting Basics: Choosing the Right Point of View” at https://www.spire.live/en/blog/songwriting/songwriting-basics-choosing-the-right-point-of-view.html?utm_medium=Email&utm_source=ACS&utm_campaign=2019+Spire+Newsletter&utm_content=All&utm_term=Feb+2 by By Erin Barra, Spire Contributor who takes “a look at first-person narrative, second-person narrative, third-person narrative, as well as direct address, exploring how each point of view shifts the lens and feeling of a song.”

March 12, 2019

Articles:
- “How watching yourself perform can elevate your music” at https://blog.discmakers.com/2019/01/watching-yourself-can-elevate-your-music/?utm_campaign=EA1905&utm_source=DMAudio&utm_medium=Email# by Michael Gallant finding “opportunities to gaze while you play and learn from what you see.
- “15 podcasts guaranteed to tell you a fantastic story” at https://mashable.com/article/storytelling-podcasts/#XnrOmNwm2sqp by Jillian Kumagai writing about “having “a really good story. But how?
- “Tiny Love Stories Nov 27 2018 to Dec 11 2018 from Modern Love” at https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/11/style/tiny-modern-love-stories.html by Brian Rea in the New York Times about “Modern Love in miniature, featuring five reader-submitted stories of 100 words or fewer.”

February 26, 2019

Articles:
- Mark at http://idocoach.com for “A Minimalist Approach To Songwriting” at http://idocoach.com/blog/2019/1/30/a-minimalist-approach-to-songwriting
- “They Really Don’t Make Music Like They Used To” at https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/07/opinion/what-these-grammy-songs-tell-us-about-the-loudness-wars.html by Greg Milner “talking about loudness as a measure of sound within a particular recording
- “Songwriting Basics: Choosing the Right Point of View” at https://www.spire.live/en/blog/songwriting/songwriting-basics-choosing-the-right-point-of-view.html?utm_medium=Email&utm_source=ACS&utm_campaign=2019+Spire+Newsletter&utm_content=All&utm_term=Feb+2 by By Erin Barra, Spire Contributor who takes “a look at first-person narrative, second-person narrative, third-person narrative, as well as direct address, exploring how each point of view shifts the lens and feeling of a song.”

February 12, 2019

Meeting cancelled due to snow storm.

January 29, 2019

Articles:
- “Music blogs, radio stations, and record labels have specific guidelines on how to submit – and how NOT to submit – your music” at https://blog.discmakers.com/2013/06/submit-songs-to-music-blogs-and-record-labels/?utm_campaign=EA1904&utm_source=DMAudio&utm_medium=Email# by David Wimble who is is a musician, songwriter, and publisher of the Indie Bible, The Indie Venue Bible, and The Indie Bible ONLINE
- “The art of music arrangement: an interview with Dr. Richard Niles” at https://blog.discmakers.com/2018/12/the-art-of-music-arrangement-interview-with-richard-niles/?utm_campaign=EA1904&utm_source=DMAudio&utm_medium=Email# from an interview by Dr. Richard Niles and Scott McCormick in blog.discmakers.com
- “The economics of streaming is making songs shorter” at https://qz.com/1519823/is-spotify-making-songs-shorter/ by Dan Kopf writing “From 2013 to 2018, the average song on the Billboard Hot 100 fell from 3 minutes and 50 seconds to about 3 minutes and 30 seconds. Six percent of hit songs were 2 minutes 30 seconds or shorter in 2018, up from just 1% five years before.”
- “Music Therapy for Seniors” at https://makingmusicmag.com/music-therapy-for-seniors/?utm_source=MM+Newsletter+1%2F16%2F19&utm_campaign=MM+1%2F16%2F19+Newsletter&utm_medium=email by Christopher Sutton who is “the founder of Easy Ear Training and Musical U where musicians candiscover and develop their natural musicality.”

January 15, 2019

Articles:
- “Why new musicians MUST put out a single FIRST” at https://diymusician.cdbaby.com/music-promotion/why-musicians-must-put-out-a-single-first/?utm_source=en&utm_medium=email&campaign=newsletter011019 as a lower-cost introduction to both fans and the music industry as well as for a particular audience
- “4 simple steps to writing a song” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0K_xcSqhxQ from a TEDx presentation by children’s rock performer Ralph Covert and audience participation
- “The song ending: How are you gonna do it?” at https://blog.discmakers.com/2018/12/the-song-ending-how-are-you-gonna-do-it/?utm_campaign=EA1852&utm_source=DMAudio&utm_medium=Email# by Scott McCormick writing about “the fade out, the cold ending, the endless loop, the key modulation… there are so many approaches to a song ending — at least on record — so, how are you gonna do it?”

Discussion:
- “How to Write, Record & Pitch Your Songs” at https://www.bmi.com/news/advice from BMI programs, articles and education.
- 1st Annual Guitar and Amplifier Show and Musical Flea Market at https://www.facebook.com/events/206346123612642/ on Sunday, February 17, 2019 from 9:30 AM to 5 PM with vendors, food and live music provided by the Albert Music.

December 4, 2018

iOS music links at http://musicappblog.com/ios-music-making-links/ for information, developer and other resources - Music App Blog

December 18, 2018

- What Makes This Song Great? at https://www.youtube.com/user/pegzch/featured on Rick Beato’s YouTube videos for lessons on theory and composition as well as opinions and reviews
- “I Got Rejected 101 Times” at https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/14/opinion/sunday/writers-rejections-resolutions.html from New York Times plus read the comments below the article for more experiences of winning by losing.

December 4, 2018

iOS music links at http://musicappblog.com/ios-music-making-links/ for information, developer and other resources - Music App Blog

November 20, 2018

Meeting Cancelled.

November 6, 2018

3rd Annual Christmas Songwriting Competition ends December 23, 2018. For more information, visit: https://www.songwriting.net/xmas from American Songwriter.

October 16, 2018

Discussionss:
- Learn to “read the room” in performing live to an audience you don’t know, and especially if they don’t know you. See:
- “Set list tips for your next live show” at http://blog.discmakers.com/2012/03/set-list-tips/
- “Top 10 Tips For a Better Performance” at https://makingmusicmag.com/my-top-10-tips-for-a-better-performance
- “The Four P’s of Playing Live Shows: Performance” at https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-four-p-s-of-playing-live-shows-performance
- “Mind, body and soul” at https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/may/10/tips-stage-performance-singing

October 2, 2018

Online Resources:
- YouTube - How The Sims Made New-Age Jazz Piano the Soundtrack of Our Lives at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LpVUi9TQ8U
- Spire TV - at Songwriting Techniques: 13 Ways to End a Song https://www.spire.live/en/blog/songwriting/songwriting-techniques-13-ways-to-end-a-song.html?utm_medium=Email&utm_source=ACS&utm_campaign=2018+Spire+Hi+Five&utm_content=Sept+22&utm_term=All
- Mashable - How to make a doo-wop song on an iPad, with Kelly Clarkson, Queen Latifah, and Jimmy Fallon at https://mashable.com/video/kelly-clarkson-queen-latifah-jimmy-fallon-doo-wop-song/#uBmRlpy6eiqT
- Discmakers - 3 songs that break music theory rules – and are better for it at http://blog.discmakers.com/2017/08/3-songs-that-break-music-theory-rules/?utm_campaign=EA1838&utm_source=DMAudio&utm_medium=Email# about Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode”, David Bowie’s “Space Oddity”, Rage Against the Machine’s “Fistful of Steel” - also listen to Miranda Lambert “Fire” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB7ONnfIjaI with instrumental break and last line of each verse as chorus

Venues:
- 19th annual NSAI Song Contest presented by CMT and Martin Guitar http://www.cmt.com/nsai/2018 All entries must be postmarked by the 12:00 p.m. CDST October 31, 2018

September 18, 2018

Online Resources:
- A Brand New Musical Instrument to Create Melodies Using Simple Motions at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j3uuqM_dy4
- Singer Songwriter TV at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-lxU05YnTXY5IzVDLp-gkA
- A guitar blog GUITAR PLANET covers esoteric concepts of making music at http://www.guitarplanetblog.com/ in articles on the thoughts, attitudes, and strategies of music (not how to play this chord, this lick, etc.) Source reference is https://www.reddit.com/r/guitarlessons/comments/9ecse8/my_guitar_blog_guitar_planet_covers_esoteric/

Venues:
- North America's Newest International Progressive Rock Festival, October 5-7, 2018 in Rahway, NJ at https://www.progstock.com/2018/artists-schedule/2018-schedule/
- 2nd Sunday Songwriters (Focus on TV/Film Placements) meets every 2nd Sunday featuring 3-5 Artists with albums of radio/film ready original and cover music of all genres. Hear fantastic music and we share tips, leads, trends! Hosted by Carol Lester Award Winning Songwriter with songs licensed for tv, film. Past 5 year Industry Judge at IMA's Independent Music Awards while she was VP of Mamapalooza Records. An afternon Open Mic and an evening Showcase is presented on 2nd Sunday Songwriters meetup at https://www.meetup.com/2nd-Sunday-Songwriters-Focus-on-TV-Film-Placements/?gj=ej1b&_xtd=gatlbWFpbF9jbGlja9oAJGRmNWU2NmU3LThkNGEtNGNiMS1hYzFiLWRkMWMxYjAzMGM4Yg

September 4, 2018

Online Resources:
- Orchestral/ electronic music for free with a Creative Commons license at https://www.reddit.com/r/Filmmakers/comments/9axyol/i_make_orchestral_electronic_music_that_im_giving/ on reddit with links to Soundcloud, YouYube, Spotify and Mediafire
- Nature Night Sound Effects at https://freetousesounds.com/nature-night-sound-effects-nature-night-sounds-bali/ recorded in Bali
- Melobytes (text to song) (procedurally generated music) at https://melobytes.com/app/melobytes based on language, tonality, tempo, time signature, and singer
- Urban Dictionary is a crowdsourced online dictionary for slang words and phrases at https://www.urbandictionary.com
- The Viral Words You Need To Know at https://www.refinery29.com/2016/05/107772/cool-words-slang-dictionary-popular-sayings
- American Phrases and Sayings at https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/american-phrases-and-sayings.html
- Songwriting tips & inspiration for the contemporary songwriter at http://songfancy.com

Venues:
- The New York Songwriter’s Circle at https://songwriters-circle.com supports a live showcase for original songs
- Open Mic Wednesdays at Pino's Gift Basket Shoppe, Wine Cellar & Lounge in Highland Park

August 21, 2018

Articles:
- "The Sounds of Music in the Twenty-first Century" at https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/08/27/the-sounds-of-music-in-the-twenty-first-century by Alex Ross in The New Yorker 8.27.2018 is a review of classical, popular, and experimental music.
- "Rhyme or Reason" by Mary Dawson “talks about rhyme -- one of the most powerful tools in the songwriter's toolkit”. The article has 3 installments as Part 1 at https://www.writerswrite.com/journal/may05/rhyme-or-reason-part-1-5054 and Part 2 at https://www.writerswrite.com/journal/jun05/rhyme-or-reason-part-2-6052 and Part 3 at https://www.writerswrite.com/journal/jul05/rhyme-or-reason-part-3-7052 from The Internet Writing Journal, Rhyme is Ear Candy!  in Writers Write at https://www.writerswrite.com/
- "The Truth Why Modern Music Is Awful" is a video review at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVME_l4IwII
- "Why Songs of Summer Sound the Same" at https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/08/09/opinion/do-songs-of-the-summer-sound-the-same.html is an interactive review by New York Times

Songwriter’s Glossary:
- "The Songwriter’s Glossary Of Poetic & Rhetorical Devices" at http://mysonginthenight.com/2012/01/30/the-songwriters-glossary-of-poetic-rhetorical-devices/ is an online glossary that can be referenced from a web browser or printed to paper.

August 7, 2018

Apps:

- oolimo at https://www.oolimo.com is a web application that runs in your web browser (desktop, laptop, mobile). oolimo provides comprehensive and interactive tools to learn and use guitar chords. You can find chord shapes, names, theory, types, progessions, and even quizzes. The guitar knowledge and resources are useful to beginners and professionals.
- AudioKit Synth One at https://audiokitpro.com/synth/ is the world’s first completely free & open-source full-featured professional iOS synthesizer app. It’s the ultimate free iPad music instrument app. This is the perfect synth for those who like to make their own sounds- Easily sculpt and customize your own sounds!
- FM Player at https://audiokitpro.com/fmplayer/ is a free iPad instrument inspired by classic 80s DX synthesizers. You can replace the included sounds with your own creations. Also, And, you can use this code to make an iOS custom instrument.

Discussions:
- We discussed how to spark your songwriting when you're stuck for ideas. Some suggestions were:

• listen to music that you like
• get back to basics and practice jazz and classical
• reflect on old girlfriends and ex-wives
• learn something new like a style, rhythm, chord
• eavesdrop on conversations in public places
• drive around and think about projects to start or finish
• do something that is distracting and organizing at the same time
• join an "a cappella"group to focus on the music

July 17, 2018

JSAS meeting cancelled due to severe storm warning. Members and attendees with always be informed via contact information (email or phone text if provided when joining or at our previous meetings). We will also make emergency announcements on jsas.zapzeedo.com our web site.

July 3, 2018

Songwriting Apps:
- Word Palette at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wordpalette/id995679850?mt=8 to build lyrics or poetry ideas from a sliding sheet of words, or simply use it as a space get your creative writing flowing again. Free, iOS only.
- Rhymer’s Block at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rhymers-block/id796584182?mt=8 for basic rhymes as well as near rhymes and slant rhymes as well as track rhyming patterns by highlights and color-codes for rhymes. Free with in-app purchases on iOS.
- Songspace at https://songspace.com to share access to your songs with bandmates and musical partners. Free, iOS and Android.
- Song-Writer Lite: Write Lyrics at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/song-writer-lite-write-lyrics/id447771549?mt=8 to organize all your songs, like a digital filing cabinet. Free, iOS only.

Articles:
- "How American R&B Songwriters Found a New Home in K-Pop" at https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/how-american-rb-songwriters-found-a-new-home-in-k-pop-627643/ to read why K-Pop artists are enlisting American R&B experts to write and produce hit singles.

Articles:
- Corridos: Mexican Tragic Ballad Songwriting Workshop (Philadelphia, PA) | Meetup at https://www.meetup.com/Corridos-Mexican-Tragic-Ballad-Songwriting-Workshop/?_cookie-check=NFs4SqXeJHDaAlSb to learn to write an authentic Mexican “corrido” in this free, two‐hour workshop with Juan Díes, co-founder of the GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY Nominated Sones de México Ensemble. The corrido is a 150‐year-old Mexican ballad tradition that narrates tragic tales based on true events and honors folk heroes.

Discussions:
- We spoke about craft and styles of Bob Dylan, RL Burdside, Jimmy Buffet, Randy Neuman, Joni Mitchell, Hank Williams, and Zac Brown Band. Learn about these songwriters on Wikipedia at https://www.wikipedia.org by searcing their musical histories.

June 19, 2018

Discussions:
- 12tone at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTUtqcDkzw7bisadh6AOx5w on YouTube is a breakdown of well known songs using music theory and animated annotations.
- "How the end of the MTV era led to a music video renaissance" at https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/how-our-new-era-of-political-music-videos-came-to-be/2018/06/13/c33ec40c-6349-11e8-99d2-0d678ec08c2f_story.html?utm_term=.d19660ac68cem is an article on music from "Lemonade" to "This is America" with videos on social issues.
- Song of the Week Challenge at https://www.reddit.com/r/songaweek/ on reddit discussion forum

June 5, 2018

Discussions:
- Listen to "Tightrope" by Janelle Monde for craft of mixing styles in a song structure at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwnefUaKCbc on YouTube
- A visit to DLM Recording Studion in Higland Park, NJ at http://www.dlmstudionj.com
- Reactivation Series at https://www.facebook.com/TheReactivationSeries/ for Performance Art Theatre in Somerset, NJ

May 15, 2018

JSAS meeting cancelled due to severe storm warning. Members and attendees with always be informed via contact information (email or phone text if provided when joining or at our previous meetings). We will also make emergency announcements on jsas.zapzeedo.com our web site.

May 1, 2018

Venues, Open Mics:
- Skylands Songwriters Guild hosts monthly acoustic mic and songwriter showcase at https://www.facebook.com/events/203567213724974/ for original songs only on June 21, 2018 held evert 3rd Thursday, 7 - 9:30 pm at Enzo’s Pizzeria, 382 Rt 46, Budd Lake, NJ
- Skylands Songwriters Guild Hosts 2018 Groove Acoustic Open Mic Challenge at https://www.newjerseystage.com/articles/getarticle.php?titlelink=skylands-songwriters-guild-hosts-2018-groove-acoustic-open-mic-challenge on Thursday, June 7, 2018 at 7:00pm at Enzo’s Pizzeria, 382 Rt 46, Budd Lake, NJ where two talented local/area singer-songwriters will each be awarded a 15 minute spot to open the Groove in the Grove Indie Music Festival, which will take place on Saturday, June 9 at 1:00pm.
- Skylands Songwriters Guild (SSG) Events at https://skylandssongwriters.org/events SSG is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit, charitable organization.

Discussions:
- Musicians’ Insurance: Everything You Need to Know at https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/musicians-insurance-everything-need-know/?id=LBpSBVAOBVEOTggIXQtXRQQGDFgOAQU&utm_content=article3-button&utm_source=insync&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20180421 for a review by Sweetwater Musci

April 17, 2018

Spring/Summer Music & Festivals:
- N.J. spring festivals guide: 77 events in 2018 at http://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2018/04/spring_2018_festivals_new_jersey_nj_festivals_even.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
- Mayor’s Summer Concert Series | Rahway Arts at http://www.rahwayishappening.com/mayors-summer-concert-series/
- The Mayor’s FREE Concert Series | Woodbridge Arts at http://www.woodbridgeartsnj.org/free-concerts.html
- Central Jersey Ethnic Festivals in April to September 2018 at https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/things-to-do/2018/04/13/26-ethnic-festivals-enjoy-central-jersey/505218002/ with crafts, dance and music
- Maplewoodstock Festival at http://maplewoodstock.com on July 14 and 15, 2018
- 43rd Annual Hungarian Festival on June 2, 2018 at http://www.hungarianfestival.org/

Venues, Open Mics:
- Café Artiste at Jersey Shore Arts Center https://www.jerseyshoreartscenter.org/cafe-artiste for Songwriters Showcase of live original music

April 3, 2018

Discussions:
- Doc Watson Doc's Guitar Fingerpicking and Flatpicking at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlxc544zTxI on YouTube
- Emotional arrangements of social message songs like “What About Us” by Pink at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClU3fctbGls
- Song structure without chorus but using repeated last line at end of each verse like “Kerosene” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB7ONnfIjaI by Miranda Lambert
- Singing notes in quick forceful falsetto (squall from low quiet to high loud ) like “It's A Man's Man's Man's World” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juTeHsKPWhY by James Brown and like “You Got to Hurt before You Heal” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm91B9HcMAE by Bobby Blue Bland

March 20, 2018

Meeting cancelled due to inclement weather.

March 6, 2018

Resources:
- Chrome Music Lab at https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com for experimental music making browser apps

Venues, Open Mics, Workshops, Festivals:
- NJ Folk Festival (Rutgers Day) at http://www.njfolkfest.org on Saturday, April 28, 2018 including several stages of live music and dance performances

Q & A from members past musical experiences:
-- Bearsville Studios at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bearsville_Studios a recording studio south of Woodstock, NY opened in 1969 by Albert and Sally Grossman
- The Blues Project at https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blues_Project with Steve Katz, Danny Kalb and Al Coopoer influenced by folk, blues, rhythm & blues, jazz and pop music - Red Mole Theatrical Company at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Mole_(Theatre_Company) in formed in 1974 by Alan Brunton and Sally Rodwell as a alternative theatre company in New Zealand
- Ten Wheel Drive at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Wheel_Drive with Genya Ravan and two New Jersey musicians / songwriters, Michael Zager and Aram Schefrin
- Gretsch Guitar 6120 at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gretsch_6120 introduced in the mid-1950s with the endorsement of Chet Atkins and played by rockabilly (e.g. Brian Setzer of the Stray Cats) as well rock ’n roll artists

February 20, 2018

Resources:
- Leonard Bernstein, the greatest 5 min. in music education at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gt2zubHcER4 on YouTube.

Venues, Open Mics, Workshops:
- Open Mic at Old Franklin Schoolhouse at https://www.facebook.com/pg/openmicnightinmetuchen/events/?ref=page_internal in Metuchen
- PASA Winter SongWorks at http://pasamusic.org/songworks.php, Saturday, March 17, 2018. Sessions include lyric writing, song structures, musical abilities. Open Mic and Swap tables are also part of the workshop.
- Plainfield Intermediate Guitar Meetup at https://www.meetup.com/Plainfield-Intermediate-Guitar-Meetup/ for musical instructions shared by members.

Q & A:
- How do you learn guitar (or any musical instrument)? Read "Three Unconventional Ways To Learn Guitar" at https://makingmusicmag.com/unconventional/ with a few simple tools.

February 6, 2018

Resources
- Kompoz at https://www.kompoz.com/music/home to crowdsource songs and collaborate with musicians across the world or across the street.
- The Mutopia Project at http://www.mutopiaproject.org/ for - Free Sheet Music for Everyone
- The Guitarist's Tablature Book by Peter Vogl at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1893907368/ref=pe_3444240_269980190_em_1p_1_im for Blank Guitar Tab Paper
- People's Music Network at https://peoplesmusic.org is a diverse community of singers, artists, activists and allies that cultivates music and cultural work as catalysts for a just and peaceful world.
- SongwriterLink at https://songwriterlink.com/join/ is a new, more efficient way to collaborate
- Smithsonian Folkways Recordings at https://folkways.si.edu/fast-folk-musical-magazine-vol-6-no-7-songs-from-the-garden-state/american-folk/music/album/smithsonian is an edition of New York City–based Fast Folk Musical Magazine crosses the Hudson River to New Jersey to explore the Garden State’s acoustic songwriting circles.

Venues
- New Brunswick Jazz Project at http://nbjp.org at George Street Ale House http://gsah-nb.com/weekly-entertainment/ Tuesdays from 8pm-11pm

January 16, 2018

Resources
- Lyric at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=kmcilvai.perfectpoet is an Android app by KennyMc for for poets, rappers, lyricists, and songwriters. It is a tool with rhyming words, counts your syllables, finding new words (synonyms, rhymes, etc), separate your lyrics into measures, a built-in metronome that syncs with the display, and customizable UI and rhyming features.
- Darrell Braun Guitar at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2RGhf8vJM4&t=20s for “10 Color Chords”
- The Art of Guitar at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VodivwkWMkA&t=227s for “ERIC CLAPTON's 42 Greatest Guitar Techniques” with Floating Vibrato and Full Chord (2nd Form)
- The Craft and Business of Songwriting by John Braheny at http://johnbraheny.com for contains audio interviews, videos, photos, documents, articles and miscellany from the early 1970’s to the mid-1990’s
- Chordy at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chordy-2/id1243252791?mt=8 is a chord player app for music creators to play chords and chord tones. It supports Audiobus / Virtual MIDI / Inter-App Audio. You can record in GarageBand, control other synth apps, and enjoy a variety of ways.

Venues
- Open Mic at https://www.meetup.com/Open-Mic-Night-Magickal-Pathways/events/246654544/ for Pagan, Wiccan and Magickal Community Night!

January 2, 2018

Resources
- The Guitarist’s Big Black Book is free to download from TrueFire at https://truefire.com/big-black-book for staff paper, blank tab, guitar chord charts, guitar scale charts, and fretboard diagrams to chart their guitar lessons and musical ideas
- Syllable Counting comments at https://www.reddit.com/r/Songwriting/comments/7mk101/syllable_counts/ discusses meters vs formulas, lyrical flow, stressed syllables, phrasing
- Joni Mitchell library is online at http://jonimitchell.com/library/ as a collection of documents that significantly mentions Joni Mitchell over her career

Venues
- Old Franklin Schoolhouse, 491 Middlesex Ave., Metuchen, NJ is supported by Metuchen Arts Council and can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pg/OldFranklinSchoolhouse/events/?ref=page_internal for music events including the 2018 Winter Songwriter Series on January 13, 2018
- Princeton Improv at Arts Council of Princeton at https://www.facebook.com/pg/OldFranklinSchoolhouse/events/?ref=page_internal for “Songs of Protest, Songs of Peace” on January 20, 2018
- Out of the Box open mic on the 3rd Friday every month at the Pride Center in Highland Park, NJ at https://www.facebook.com/pridecenternj/ on Facebook

December 19, 2017

Resources
- Songspace at https://songspace.com for song management of collaborations and catalog of your music (monthly subscriptions)
- Tune find at https://www.tunefind.com for search of songs in films, TV, streaming shows, media performances
- Berkeley College songwriting courses at https://online.berklee.edu/courses/interest/songwriting (paid credits, paid certificates, or free audits)
- Berkeley College of Music at Coursera at https://www.coursera.org/berklee (paid credits, paid certificates, or free audits)
- Writing the Lyrics at https://www.coursera.org/learn/songwriting-lyrics Berkeley College of Music (paid credits, paid certificates, or free audits)
- Rolling Stone has published 100 greatest songwriters of all time at https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-songwriters

Discussions
Opinons on team song writing at:
- Vanity Fair: Here’s Why Criticizing Beyoncé for Working with Songwriters Is Ignorant at https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/04/beyonce-songwriters
- NME: Serge Pizzorno reveals why songwriting teams “lack soul” at http://www.nme.com/news/music/serge-pizzorno-reveals-songwriting-teams-lack-soul-2170847
- BMI: Staff-Writing: What It Really Means and How to Get a Deal at https://www.bmi.com/news/entry/staff-writing-what-it-really-means-and-how-to-get-a-deal

December 3, 2017

Discussions
- Chord variations and voicings to add interesting differences to common songs structures
- Creating melodies out of chord progressions
- Rhythms styles as power chords, palm muting, fret muting (barre), funk, bossa nova, reggae, chicken piccini', fingerpicking, hammer ons and pull offs, chord Inversions and slash chords, blues (shuffle, straight four, 12/8 style, cut time, 16 feel)

Resources
- 7 Essential Rhythm Guitar Techniques at https://takelessons.com/blog/7-rhythm-guitar-techniques-z01
- Blues guitar rhythm styles at https://www.theguitarlesson.com/guitar-lesson-blog/blues-guitar-lessons/blues-guitar-rhythm-styles/

November 21, 2017

Resource
- Just Plain Folks at http://www.jpfolks.com/ for forums, mentors, music services, contests (paid)
- Oxford Songwriting Syllabus at http://oxfordsongwriting.com/resources/oxford-songwriting-syllabus/ with detailed lists of what is taught about lyrics, melody harmony, structure, arranging, business
- DittyTV at https://dittytv.com for a television network that celebrates Americana and Roots styles of music.
- ASCAP LANDR at https://support.landr.com/hc/en-us for a intelligent platform that reinvents audio creation, collaboration, mastering, sharing and releasing using big data and machine learning.
- Addicted to Songwriting at http://www.addicted-to-songwriting.com for songwriting information, articles, interviews, news, tips

November 6, 2017

Resource
- Writers Session iOS app at at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/writers-session/id1172558973?mt=8 to record and organize your lyrical and melodic ideas
- Melody Miner iOS app at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/melodyminer-turn-a-song-idea-into-melodies-over-chords/id1030667318?mt=8 to sing a song idea and tune it into chords progressions and different tempos with instruments backing
- Evernote at https://evernote.com/ for desktops, mobile devices (iOS and Android) for writing with notes, audio, photos, share, print and sync across desktop and mobile devices

Articles
- How to balance conversational and poetic language by Paul Zollo (October 18, 2017) at https://americansongwriter.com/2017/10/balance-conversational-poetic-language-songwriting/ in American Songwriter
- The Art of Revision in Songwriting at https://americansongwriter.com/2017/10/the-art-of-revision/ in American Songwriter
- Top 13 Places to Share Your Music on Reddit at http://www.newrockstarphilosophy.com/2014/05/13-places-to-share-your-music-on-reddit/

Q&A:
- Discussed verses: how important is an opening verse line, which verse is hardest to write and how, do you write 2nd, 3rd, 4th verse befor the opening verse, when and why do you do you repeat a verse

October 17, 2017

Resource
- The Lyric Writer's Workroom at https://nicholastozier.com for songwriting podcasts, tips, techniques, and ideas
- Patreon at https://www.patreon.com offers a "tip jar" service to get paid for creative projects by running a membership business for your fans

Q&A:
- Discussed creativity of our attendees' different styles of lyric writing and music compositions
- Considered "Open Mic" for JSAS members at Community Cafe (Highland Park) venue with promotion as open to the public

October 2, 2017

- Discussed original song ideas that are music only, lyric only, incomplete story, or simply not finished.
- new casual Open Mic for music, spoken word, comedy, presentations, art, pop-up internet cafe, games, conversations at Blank Space, 414 Raritan Ave.Highland Park, N.J. 08904, Tel/text: 908-866-6576, Email: BlankSpaceHighlandPark@gmail.com
More information online at
http://www.blankspacehighlandpark.com
or
https://www.facebook.com/BlankSpaceHighlandPark/

September 19, 2017

- DIY Musician Podcast at cdbabypodcast.com for music episodes from conference
- Lyric contests at http://americansongwriter.com/contests/lyric-contests/ for current and archive winning submissions
- Music events and venues at veryseldom.com/calendar.php#Puck from "Music You Can't Hear on the Radio" hosted by John Weingart or listen at wprb fm princeton radio

Q&A: why write songs and stories? why attend JSAS to write songs and stories?

September 5, 2017

- Philadelphia Area Songwriters Alliance at www.pasamusic.org has events for critiques, festivals and house concerts as well as song circle (3 songs each)
- Neptune City Studios at http://neptunecitystudios.com has a venue space for songwriters
- Justin Guitar community forum at www.justinguitarcommunity.com under "Performance, Progress, & Feedback Area (Audio/Video of Your Playing)" has song competitions, lesson challenges, collaborations and critiques
- Holistic Songwriting channel at https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCLtD67ljlaeXQMV4sb-YzNA has episodes discussing songwriting of Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, Taylor Swift and much more
- "Hitmakers (The Science of Popularity in Age of Distractions)" by Derek Thompson at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30901608-hit-makers is a recent book discussing why ideas become successful. It is more a history thesis than an instruction manual (from markets to music) and the theories can be applied to songwriting.
- "So Good They Can't Ignore You" by Cal Newport at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13525945-so-good-they-can-t-ignore-you is a book that debunks the long-held belief that "follow your passion" is good advice.

Web: Soundtrap at www.soundtrap.com is a browser based music tool to collaborate on songwriting (with free and paid subsciption packages)
Topic: How to publish a song to protect rights and royalties (maybe we can schedule a longer discussion)

Venues: Attend as a group to perform an open mic

Venues: The Storytelling Project at https://www.meetup.com/testing-meetup-about-stuff for spoken word, oral presentations, narration, documentary film, content curation, writers, or a singer-songwriters.
Record: Produce a compilation CD of JSAS songwriters

Q&A: Are lyrics important anymore in the current production studios?

August 15, 2017

- Salon 33 (Princeton, NJ) meet up at https://www.meetup.com/Salon33/ has house concerts
- Cozy Cabins (Green Brook, NJ) at http://www.cozycabinconcerts.com has house concerts
- Albert Music Hall (Watertown, NJ) at http://www.alberthall.org has concert stage for local bluegrass musicians
- Franklin Township Library (Somerset, NJ) concert with "The Desperados" (Eagles tribute band) on August 23, 2017
- Songwriter Universe at http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/songcontest.htm has a Best Song of the Month" contest - Patreon at https://www.patreon.com is a membership platform that makes it easy for artists and creators to get paid (similar to an online tip jar)
- Open Mic (online) at folkalley.com music radio

- Suggested meeting topic: Tips and Resources to submit to Publishers

- iOS apps: Do you (attendees and/or members) have any suggestions?

- Android apps: Do you (attendees and/or members) have any suggestions?

- Web: Do you (attendees and/or members) have any suggestions?

- Q&A: on finishing a song or story whether good or not?

August 7, 2017

- Open Mic at Martin Guitars stage at Musikfest 2017
- Havana at https://www.facebook.com/havananewhopepa/ in New Hope, PA is a music venue
- Hat's Kitchen at https://www.hatcitynj.com in Orange, NJ has several open mics (jams) for blues and jazz and more
- Soundtrap for Google Chrome (online music studio) at https://www.soundtrap.com
- Apps (iPhone/iPad): Simply Piano by JoyTunes (learn while app listens to you playing) at https://www.joytunes.com/simply-piano
- Web: some Song/Music/Lyric Generators (for fun, not craft) are (mostly free, some paid):
[*]WriterBot at http://writerbot.com/
[*]Song Lyrics Generator at http://www.song-lyrics-generator.org.uk/
[*]Lyrics Generator at https://www.rappad.co/songs-about
[*]SongFight Song Ideas Generator at http://www.heuristicsinc.com/sfgen.shtml
[*]Melobytes at https://melobytes.com/
[*]Rotor (music videos) https://rotorvideos.com/
[*]Vocaloid Song Generator on Scratch at https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/24272289/
[*]Wolfram Tones at http://tones.wolfram.com/generate/G6bM0WahgShP1gKMBhBl516vG6aZOdOHaXWLd5a26LjqdsE6Z3
[*]Country Western Song Machine at https://www.outofservice.com/country/
[*]Free Song Lyrics at http://www.freesonglyrics.co.uk/index.html
[*]Music Maker Jam at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.magix.android.mmjam&hl=en
[*]Interval Song Chart Generator at https://www.earmaster.com/products/free-tools/interval-song-chart-generator.html
[*]Online Sequencer at https://onlinesequencer.net/
[*]the wub machine at https://the.wubmachine.com/
[*]Typatone (type letters, make music) at https://typatone.com/
[*]Fake Music Generator at http://www.fakemusicgenerator.com/
[*]Reggae Song Lyrics Generator at http://reggae-lyrics.yellowjug.com/
[*]Chrome Music Lab - Melody-Maker at https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Melody-Maker

- Q&A: catharsis of songwriting and storytelling

July 18, 2017

- "Life of a Song" podcast at www.fr.com
- Lyric contests at americansongwriter.com
- The Storyteller Project at https://www.meetup.com/testing-meetup-about-stuff/ meets in Dunellen NJ
- iOS apps: ScoreCloud (composition), Suggester (chord recommendations), Music Memos (record)
- Android apps: HumOn (record, beta, apk)
- Web: ajournalofmusicalthings.com

- Q&A: creating melody from chords

July 10, 2017

- MPE digital instruments at https://reverb.com/news/mpe-the-midi-killer-and-future-of-musicianship-in-electronic-music?utm_campaign=134ee107bd-rn20170705_DNS_Personalized&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=0_5889ed6702-134ee107bd-56317265 for new guitar sounds in songwriting
- Q&A: how does music reflect culture? Language? Expression? how is music a mirror for all other arts (where all other arts aspire to music)?
- Venues: Jersey Shore Arts Center has a Songwriter Showcase Cafe at https://www.jerseyshoreartscenter.org/single-post/2017/06/01/Café-Artiste-Songwriters-Showcase on Tuesdays, July 11 to Aug 29, 2017 in Ocean Grove (732-502-0050)
- Web: The Moth Radio Hour at themoth.org/podcast for storytelling

June 26, 2017

- Berkee College at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbdhEtUEo9x-sNNOpAe3cMQ for online lectures on YouTube
- the www.musesmuse.com resource and discussion archive from Berklee sudents
- use www.hooktheory.com to create melodies (read the user guide)
- nashville documentary (on YouTube) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpJqY7XILjU with Steve Moakler & Stephanie Lambring on the process of songwriting - read billboard (10/23/2015 online article) at https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6738318/why-solo-songwriters-are-no-longer-todays-hitmakers on solo songwriter vs hitmakers
- view Bruno Mars (60 minutes interview) at https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bruno-mars-on-songwriting-60-minutes-overtime/ on "it has to sound like me" criteria

Q&A: what do you hear when you write?

June 20, 2017

- discussed online options to get together besides meet up
- discussed to continue meetup subscription for 2017 but remove inactive members due to cost and management of site
- listed (see Pages) summer 2017 local outdoor concerts (NYC, Woodbridge, beach towns)

Q&A: Are you ok with others performing your songs?

May 16, 2017

- review of Brookdale Guitar Show at https://www.facebook.com/BrookdaleGuitarShow/
- review of Jamian's Open Mic in Red Bank at http://jamiansfood.com/events/
- kickstarter app Imitone at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/evanbalster/imitone-mind-to-melody to capture any sound, record and create music
- idea of "proof of destruction" in google search for titles, lyrics, bands
- discussed & created spreadsheet of open mics, song sharing, support sources
- Q&A: when do you know a song is done?

April 18, 2017

- discussed the discipline of song structures and personal lyrics
- Q&A: The question on why we are writing our songs was answered (short version):
- to send a message
- fun and challenge
- enjoy the knack to write
- poetry and wanting to create
- lose track of time
- the journey to something good
- physical and emotional therapy

March 21, 2017

Apps: Sweet 16s and RoadWriter for Android are similar songwriting tools.

February 23, 2017

- discussed options to record voice/lyrics and backing tracks on mobile devices.
- how to convert these recordings to a musical format for co-writing?

January 31, 2017

- discuss how to organize and which, if any, rules apply, as well as formats for casual conversations and song sharing