Thursday, January 22, 2009

Day 3 of 3, man I had the coolest weekend

Okay, as promised: Part Three,- in my series of 3 totally cool days
Sunday January 18th at Doaks :
What is 3rd Sunday’s at Doaks ?? you say, well, for those who live in Nashville and surrounding areas AND those from OutaTown coming in for a few days, IT’S THE Coolest place for songwriters to go Every 3rd Sunday of the month, with a guitar, some tunes, an open ear, and a covered dish of food.
Doak Turner is a fellow SongRamper, a Songwriter a, Journalist and Business Entrepreneur, he owns and publishes an Internet Newspaper called the NashvilleMuse. http://www.nashvillemuse.com/index.htmlAmong many cool things, Doak, is one of the Songwriters Best friends, & Graciously hosts THE most important songwriters Get together, and Networking experience in Nashville.

Some of the reasons I feel its so Important to go, Even for Non Performing songwriters or Lyricists, are, its an awesome way to Network with Songwriters, Peers and other folks who work in Nashville’s Music community Its THE Best way to meet co-writers. It also gives you the chance to hear and experience fresh songs from writers, who are active in the community and many of whom actually play in local rounds during the week. It cost Nothing more than a dish of food to pitch in, and in return you get so much more
People gather On the 3rd Sunday of the month: Between 3pm and 8pm,, Besides the covered dish everyone brings, Doak has Amazing Sponsors like Bojangles Chicken, who Provide The main ourse and so much more
After a bite to eat everyone separates into the half dozen rooms and outside( if weather permits) to play songs in a 1 song, next person , laidback atmosphere,,,,and you may end up in a room with different people than whom you met , when you 1st got there,…embrace it. Its totally cool
Yeah its Great Eats, Great conversation, Great Music, and you never know who you could rub shoulders with, he or she could be the Next Big Thing, or have allready written that most recent hit you hear on the radio

So please Bring only your best behaviour, and check your attitude before you get to the door

"Sunday Dinner with Your Songwriting Family"
Bring a covered dish or food and/or beverages to share
, a friend or Two and a song or Three
to 701 Brook Hollow Road (in West Meade). 37205
I-40 to Charlotte Pike Exit 201. Left at the light, up hill and down hill,
RIGHT at Brook Hollow Road to the 3rd stop sign - house on the corner is 701.
Directions from West End, it turns into Harding Road - pass KrogerShopping Center on right (corner of White Bridge Road ) . Go to the 3rd traffic light, which is Davidson Road and it is at a Railroad crossing on the right. Cross the track and stay on Davidson to Brook Hollow, and the house on the right corner from you is 701 Brook Hollow Road . 354-6400.

Doak also hosts, these event in a Much bigger format once a year called the GuitarBQ
Last year there was 600 people and a live radio show

You can see some of the event & pictures ect at: http://www.nashvillemuse.com/events.html


Norman

Day 2of 3, Man i had the Coolest Weekend

Good afternoon re: Man I had the Coolest weekend What’s The short of it..
Part TWO- in my series of 3 totally cool days
Saturday Morning I went to a co-write with Steve”old dog”, a Songramper/Songwriter from Ohio and MAB
I was Xtreemly Stoked all week, looking forward to co-writing with both of these guys , that event alone was to have been my highlite for the whole week Possibly the month.., and I couldn’t think of a better way to kickstart my Songwriting year with a Co-write with the both of them.
We had planned on getting together, for only 1 co-write(Song) and had about a 2 hour block nailed down,. if anyone knows MAB’s songwriting style.he is extremely fast, he can listen to a few ideas being tossed around, once we settle on a something , the other co-writers can keep talking about direction of the song feel and tempo and any particulars, but MAB in his mode, his element, Does that Spock MindMeld thingy, and is so fast he will already have fleshed out the 1st verse and chorus. On his laptop, and his mind literally sucks in everything we are talking about, the subject or the phrases we use, and even the off topic conversation , and he filters that and adds any specific lines or rhymes he needs in a flash, and yet he still can maintain a conversation with us.. He then runs what he has, so far by us, We talk about that a little, and see if we agree were on the same page, if that works for all of us its time to get on the 2nd verse. man, the second verse seem to flow out of him as fast as the blood flows in his veins, and a few mere moments of hearing us Jabbering back and forth , and a few interjections from him he says what about this. DANG, if he didn’t nail Steve's hook & concept idea..totaly to the wall, and with a sliver of feedback from us he tweaked it slightly..then MAB Played a once thru worktape into his PC after a quick listen back and, . With Jaw hanging Nods From Steve and me, that was a Wrap and such a pretty bow it was. MAB then emailed the Lyric and MP3 directly to our home emails.& said with a big smirk ...... NEXT LOL

I could believe my ears and Luck when MAB seriously, said to Steve and I,,, you know lets write another one. I’m in the mode we are here in the flow, I am gonna cancel out my lunch date with some friends, by the way note to self, someday- if-n I meet those folks he canceled lunch with, I have go to tell them a big thanks, because I believe, we Wrote another really cool song that afternoon,.So For me that was an Awsome day ..Meeting up with these two cool People, hanging with Steve and MAB, talking about ourselves, Music, writing songs, yes some of us have partners or spouses in our lives & that;s Important too, all in all I don’t think it gets any better than that.
I’d like to thank Steve and MAB for the wonderful Co-writing experience.

stay tuned ,for Part Three of 3 About Sundays@ Doaks Songwriter 3rd Sunday of the month

Norman

Man I had the Coolest weekend

Good Morning All., Man I had the Coolest weekend
What’s The short of it.. 1st in a series of 3 totally cool days

Friday evening I went to a very special 1st ever World Class Event, which I sincerely hope turns into a re-occurring thing

Marc-Alan Barnette http://www.marcalanbarnette.com/marcalan.html, and the Beautiful, Intelligent Tina, gracefully hosted a powerhouse Nashville and Area Songwriters from SongRamp “Eat and Greet” get together.

Man , I gotta tell you the Eats were astoundingly awesome mouthwateringly good, everything from Squash Casserole and Green Been casserole, to Home made “to die for” Chicken Alfredo, awesome hamburgers & freshly grilled juicy tender chicken Breasts and Man, the deserts were a plenty & frankly fabulous, due to my New Years resolution, I only tasted one, the home made crème Brulee with Strawberry sauce was simply Sensuously Sexual
Oh yeah, back the main focal point, LOL , which was for us to meet face to face and greet some of the nearby area Co-Songrampers /Songwriters, get to know them a little & see what their doing with their Music, hearing some of each others current writes and a chance to get feedback from each other and From our Gracious Host, M.A.B.
I thought it was a huge Success, and hope we can do it again soon.
I know probably many more Rampers,didn’t or couldn’t make,, its hard with conflicting schedules and short notice.

IT was really cool, I met some new songwriters, who’s Ramp name, I may have seen in the open mic ,or of course those who posted here in the way cool Music Industry Insider, and I reconnected, with some I met from the Nashville RampBash, Also Present from out of town was Steve Harris “old dog”, who as well as being a really great Guy and songwriter, Graced us with his Superb Culinary skills. Representin, From the Nashville Area Rampers /Songwriters we had, Brendand, Jimmy Jam, Jeremy James, Gary_ ”Invisible Man”, Pamela Elaine, M.A.B, a songwriter named Gabriel Heiser( a co-writer, of SongRamper Donna Valentines) ,there was KAT , who besides, Being a sweet girl and the provider of the delicious Creme Brulee, is also a songwriter, and the Premier Photographer of choice, for songwriter events in Nashville, there was also me, and Steve_”old Dog” A SongRamper, from Ohio, in town to do arealy cool MAB tour, of course many of them brought significant other, so it was realy a neat blend of folks , conversation and Music,,,/ BIG THANKS< to the wonderful Hosts & to all who made it out and the bringers of the Delicious Buffet. please reprimand me if i forgot to mention someone ,i found out i dont have altsimers, but unfortuantely i do have Sometimers:)

Stay tuned for part two

Norman

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

About Songwriting ,Nashville, Networking

Hope Everyone had a Great New Year. Most of you are probably settling back into your lives, by now, and on the task of living life in the present.
i am really starting off,by trying to learn as much as i can this year, trying to experience Songwriting, Networking and Co-writing. A freind of mine here,in Music City, Marc-Alan Barnette, whom i mentioned in previous post, , is an awsome Performer, Songwriter,& Songwriting Coach and has taught and performed for the Nashville Songwriters Association's Seminars, all across the U.S and Canada. He recently made a Educational Video, that i think is realy Cool, showing,the "Real World" Of Making a Studio Demo Here in Nashville.If you are into any kinda music you might check it out; here at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weX_34MTLgQ

Ever think of coming to Nashville, He would be the 1st person, you would wanna hook up with, He lives and breaths Songwriting ,he also has Songwriter/Musician tours,you can get a hold of him on his website as previosly stated at: http://www.marcalanbarnette.com/marcalan.html


if anyone has any questions about songwriting, or what to do when you get to Nashville,Drop a post, i am a songwriter myself, living in Nashville,and i f i don't know something i will ask someone, who actualy works here in Nashville.
we are all in this together, i am always learning.
drop a line just to say you read this or found something interesting, or you just wanna say hi, to another songwriter.

norman

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Music,Songwriting,Networking an Amazing Year

Music, Songwriter, Networking Amazing Year: http://www.myspace.com/normandbradley

In Music, Songwriting and Networking, Its been an Amazing year, i have been very blessed, today is December 23rd, looking back, i have so many awsome things to be thankfull for, i have finished much of the songwriting, some few dozen songs, that i had laying around, i have been co-writing with other Songwriters, and have written some realy cool songs, as a result. I have been very lucky to have met some very smart, talented co-writers. I have pushed myself harder and further than ever and gotten out of my shell numerous times (lol) , I have accomplished a huge portion of my Songwriting goals for this year Heard some cool music and did some Networking,,Many of these goals were accomplished, due in a large part , to getting to know Marc-Alan Barnette" MAB", who apart from being an Amazing Songwriter, Killer Singer,& live Music perfomer and Seasoned Nashville Demo recording Talent, IS The best Songwriter's friend ,Bank of Knowledge about Nashville Music, and Songwriting coach, you could ever hope to learn from and meet,Thanks MAB http://www.marcalanbarnette.com/marcalan.html
Thankfully, I have followed thru on my goal of Socializing, meeting other songwriters and Networking and of continuing to go to Doak Turner's 3rd Sundays. Doak is another wonderful & hugely vital Songwriter's friend, whom, you would definately wanna meet on your Songwriter's Journey,He is a Songwriter, a Journalist, a Music business owner, of the Nashville muse.http://www.nashvillemuse.com/ , and a Songwriter's Networking Guru and he holds the coolest songwriter get togethers/meet & greets, in Nashville, every 3rd Sunday.I also am very Proud to have memberships with NSAI & SongRamp.com, SongRamp is an internet site that is more a Family and a community, of Fabulous musicians, songwriters, audio files, home studio enthusiasts, indie recording artists of all Genres of music & Songlovers from all over the world.you should definatly check it out at http://www.songramp.com/mod/forumpro/index.php, it also has some extra cool, forums about songwriting and Lyric writing, and info the music Business, And one of the feature forums, that i & my co-writers are known to frequent, is the Immensely popular and Vastly knowledgeable forum called Music Industry Insider, which features many subjects on Songwriting, Performing, Publishing and even info on getting round Nashville in the dark lol, and about how an artist can get to the Deal..Marc-Alan Barnette's Questions and Answers Thread is the most read and particated in forum, has about 5 thousand posts and some of the most detailed Real world songwriting info you could ever ask for.Try to check it out for yourself http://www.songramp.com/mod/forumpro/showforum.php?forum_id=35, of my personal other accomplisments this year, have been, taking songwriting classes,at NSAI's (Nashville Songwriter's Associations) Songposium.,Symposium, and attended Nashville's Tin Pan South which always has amazing music , songwriters and performers play.oh I also got a new guitar, a Taylor the 214ce, it's a beautiful instrument,and sounds great but more importantly it makes me wanna play more everyday.Yeah looking back on the year, Altho there have been some challenges in life and we all have em ,i've had some wonderful Music, Songwriting and Networking experiences, and I have a wonderful loving wife the love of my life, who encourages me in everyway, i truly am very blessed . i can't wait for both the new challenges and cool Music Songwriting and Networking, experiences the New Year might bring.i hope to explore, as many avenues as i can, relating to being in Nashville, songwriting, networking, learning the songwriting Craft, commercial songwriting as it pertains to Nashville, things you might wanna check out or do if you are comming to Nashville, to pursue songwriting, stay tuned....
Please leave a comment
thanks for stopping by
Wishing you all the best in Music, Songwriting and Networking year in 2009
P.S Let me know if this kinda infoblog, would be of interest
Hope everyone has a Warm Safe musical Happy Holiday
Norman