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A note from the FNO newsletter editor...
Happy Spring FNO Bands and Performers,
Sorry this is kinda late, I was too busy being a beach bum on the Gulf of Mexico lately!
Those of you who are song writers out there, this month's article
is for you! To send this newsletter to song writers you know,
just forward this link:
http://www.festivalnet.com/other/news_letters/Musicians/music_festivals_03_08.html
This month's featured FNO band is Hudson K of Knoxville. Do check them out!
If you need full festival details to book your summer festivals, email
me for information on our free basic membership or for a coupon to
become a Pro Member.
Have a great weekend!
Julie Cochrane
FNO Marketing
julie@festivalnet.com
800.200.3737
Festival Network Online
http://www.myspace.com/festivals
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« Newsletters Archive - To view previous newsletters, check out our archives! We
publish 3 newsletters each month! Art/Craft, Food/Commercial,
& Performer!
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Every Song Tells A Story…But Does It Need To Be An Abstract Novel?
By Sheena Metal
For
a musician, your songs are your art. They are the physical
embodiment of your creative gifts. Every bit of anger, happiness,
angst, joy, pain, elation, knowledge or humor goes into the story known
as your song. You write and re-write it, scouring over each note
and word…perfecting it for recording and live performance.
But when you play it for others, you’re not getting the reaction you
expected. Your friends, fans and family seem less than enthusiastic as
they dully respond, “Yeah. That was…um…good.” How could this
be? You poured your soul into this piece. This was your
“Stairway To Heaven”! This was your “Smells Like Team
Spirit”! It’s a lyrically amazing ode about the persecution of
pagan midwives in grass hut tribes! It flows, it breathes, and
it’s seven and a half minutes of pure musical perfection!
Whoa. Stop right there, Mozart. You wrote a seven and a
half minute song about the persecution of pagan midwives in grass hut
tribes and you’re wondering why you’re thirteen year-old cousin fell
asleep in the middle of the fourth verse? You wrote a seven and a
half minute song about the persecution of pagan midwives in grass hut
tribes and you’re confused as to why your drummer’s girlfriend began
calling her friends on her cell phone before the song had reached its
bridge?
It may be hard to believe when you’re penning an opus such as this, but
the normal human brain is wired a little differently than an
accomplished musician’s, like yourself. And although music is
art, it’s also popular culture and the goal should be for others to
enjoy your creative efforts as much as you do.
So, how can you make sure that your writing experience is as positive
as your audience’s listening experience? What can you, as
musicians do, to eliminate aspects of your songs that may alienate,
confuse or just plain bore your fans?
The following are a few tips that may add success to your songwriting experience:
 1.) After Four Minutes, It Becomes Background Music - Music aficionado’s
aside, the average person has roughly the attention span of a young
adult hummingbird. As a songwriter, you need to grab your
audience’s attention and hold it until the end of the song before they
flit off to something else more interesting to them. Although
four minutes (or less) may seem like the blink of an eye when a
songwriter is storytelling, it’s a very long time to expect your
run-of-the-mill club-goer or web-surfer to stay fixated on your
music.
2.) Tell Your Story As Directly As Possible - We all love allusions,
allegories, vague references, and subtle metaphors but use them
sparingly or become a beat poet. A little abstractness goes a
long way when writing a popular song. Song lyrics fly into
people’s minds as quickly as the bassist plucks out quarter
notes. If you make your lyrics too complicated, then your
audience may still be trying to figure out the verse when you’re
already playing the chorus. This could prompt the average
listener to tune out your masterpiece, order another beer and switch on
their Ipod.
3.) If English Is Your First Language, Use It In Your Song - It’s great
that you’re an educated, cultured, artistic intellectual sponge.
But remember that most people who hear your music are not book worms or
art whores. Big, involved words make for memorable song lyrics
but use them occasionaly. It’s good for your fans to ponder the
meaning of a particular lyric but give them too many to ponder and
they’ll get so caught up in the words that they may forget your
song.
4.) Obscure Musicality Can Be Confusing Too - Lyrics aren’t the only way
to confuse the average listener. Obscure time signatures,
discordant instrumentation and avant guard drum lines may seem like
genius to your fellow musicians, but if your listeners can’t tap and/or
hum along, you may find yourself only invited to perform in underground
opium bars where the audience members have all had one too many hash
brownie.
If you’re not sure where to begin, start simple. Write a short,
but sweet, song that packs an emotional punch in a universal way.
Write about something everyone is familiar with: love, politics,
lifestyle issues or the sociology of being a human being on the
planet. Once people have fallen in love with your music, it will
be easier to get them to give the extra listen to your more
complicated, artistic pieces.
Remember that just because a song is popular or easily understood,
doesn’t mean that it’s not good creativity. Art is subjective,
and truly in the eye of the beholder. Your least favorite song
could be someone else’s favorite. You never have to stop being
creative or artistic, just acknowledge that there’s an audience out
there that wants to hear what you have to say… but they’ll need to be
able to comprehend it first.
Sheena Metal is a radio host, producer, promoter, music supervisor,
consultant, columnist, journalist and musician. Her syndicated
radio program, Music Highway Radio, airs on over 700 affiliates to more
than 126 million listeners. Her musicians’ assistance program,
Music Highway, boasts over 10,000 members. She currently promotes
numerous live shows weekly in the Los Angeles Area, where she
resides. For more info: http://www.sheena-metal.com.
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Featured FNO Band - Hudson K of Knoxville, TN
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 "Orcha-synth
anti-pop piano rock".... this was a new one for me. When
Christina Horn of Hudson K emailed me about becoming a Featured
FNO band, I checked out their myspace page and really dug what I heard. Then I noticed
that they had a gig in my town a day or two later and took the chance
to see Hudson K live at the French Broad Brewery, an intimate venue
tucked away in Biltmore Village in Asheville, North Carolina.
 WIth Christina on keys and lead vocals, Jen Rock on guitar, and Nate
Barret rocking out on the drums, I was enamored by their passionate
stage presence, gorgeous and emotive lyrics, and calm and cool
musical integration. Harmony is one of my favorite elements of performance, and when the three musicians blended their
unique and varying vocal tones, I was instantly a fan.
With a background in classical piano and rock and roll, Christina Horn
has found her well-balanced musical home with Hudson K, her
fervent and sometimes poignant lyrics coupled with her striking and
awe-inspiring piano playing captivated me.
In addition to the many club dates, you
can catch Hudson K at these upcoming festivals: Rockin'
Womyn's Festival - April 6th in Knoxville, TN and the
debut event, Cocktails and a Concert - May 9-11 on River John's Island
in Maryille, TN (more info on their myspace page!)
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We're always looking for ARTICLES about working in the
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