Ups and Downs in La La Land

It is funny looking at my last post, because within days of writing it, I was informed that I got an honorable mention for the second year in a row in the country category in SongDoor's International Songwriting Contest......I was hoping that I would actually place in a category, but I am indeed honored to have my song, "Driven By Angels" looked at a little more closely and to be appreciated for my writing. Perhaps one day, I will place in a category and get, A FABULOUS PRIZE!! One of the cool things about the contest is that they give you a free trial of a service that has a lot of online classes in songwriting, and also opportunities to pitch music to the industry. For whatever reason last year, I did not take advantage of this. It is a 45 day trial, which is a good amount of time to do some pitching and check it out-because it is fairly expensive, so I did, and actually ended up pitching 3 songs.......

In the last few weeks I have learned a lot and have had some ups and downs. In this field, one day you think you are on to something and am making a break through-and then the next day, you feel defeated. I have been getting so much work done. A new milestone for me, was getting a small album into online retail stores. It is music that I'm very proud of; I took a risk and went outside of my comfort zone to make some music that is a bit more modern sounding for me, all with the help of Chad Johnson in Arcata, Ca. He took my music to a level I had not experienced, and because of that, I felt it was good enough to put out there, so you can now purchase a copy of "To the Bone" direct from itunes, cd baby, and amazon. I do hope you will check it out, and if so inclined, leave a review. They are really helpful. This was an "up".

not the best pic, but one from the evening.

While I was getting the album project together, I got a call to play another spot at the House of Blues. I had a great time when I played there before, in the Voodoo Lounge. This time I would be playing in the Foundation Room, which I had never been. I had a funny dream the night before. I went to the venue and walked in thinking I was in the right room. It was really happening with lots of people. Someone came over and said, "Oh, there has been a mix up and you are playing in another room", so I followed up some stairs and when I went in, there was just an old grisled looking man-and no-it was NOT Tom Waits! Well, when I had my actual gig at the house of blues, the opposite sort of happened. I thought I was in the right room and it was not really happening at all. They said I was upstairs-when I went upstairs there was a BEAUTIFUL room with nag champa and bohemian furniture with lots of people.......it turned out to be a really great show. (Also an "up" day)

The next day I got a call from a radio promoter who was interested in promoting my music. He was really nice and was up front that it was a service that you have to pay for, but they had reasonable rates and successes. I researched them and found out they were a really great company-I found lots of feedback from artists who used their services with great success, so I was all excited. An intern had given him a copy of "To the Bone" and he really liked it. But then I was thinking about all the things I had to do with my music-like the recordings I'm working on and have to pay for, and some other online things that cost money, and I also read that ideally you want to be touring or playing out when you are doing a radio promotion, and I'm really not there yet, so I had to explain my situation......it made me really down, but maybe I can look at it again in the future....

I got my spirits lifted though, when I went to Santa Monica for work and play, and got to hang out at my friend's amazing photography studio and take some new shots of me in this new place in life. I needed some updated photos for my website and some press kits, and everything I had was from humboldt with some nature theme in the background, which is great-but doesn't really represent me presently living in the big city, so we had great success taking some cool photos. Check out JaneVictoriaPhotography for our shoot. With those photos I was able to update my website with something a little different, so I created this banner:

I've always been really into hearts, so I also created this logo for myself from a free online vector, and "bohemianized" it to make it different and unique to my personality. I don't really have photo software, so it was through like 5 different sites that I created this. I also got to wear my heart necklace for the shoot.....I think it looks awesome on my website.

One of the things that gets me down, is I often get unsolicited offers from people who want to help me, but I don't know if they are just flaky, crazy, or busy or something, but it happens where they really like my music and reach out and want to offer some (free) help, and they say they have contacts and I check them out and they are being truthful, and it never happens. They just sort of disappear. I never know what to do in those situations. I think some people would probably get on them, but I don't want to be a pest. It's hard, but I am also busy and don't have time to chase after people. One of the things that I'm excited about though, is that I am learning a lot on my own, and feel more capable everyday. I am really starting to utilize some skills that I have been developing that are coming along, like being able to create this banner, to make myself look and feel more professional, so that when something comes up-I can have the confidence to show people what I have out there.

Tomorrow I start a class that I'm super excited about-it is through the prestigious Berklee School of Music! It is an intro to the music business class, and because I have sort of reached a brain drain on various legal issues that have plagued me, gotten me into messes, and the fact that I find out daily how naive I am about issues that could greatly effect me, I am glad that I am taking this to hopefully make allies and learn in a more formatted way. So wish me luck! Can't believe I am putting more on my plate, but, you only live once.......stay tuned for some projects coming up that I'm working on!

---Cynthia

The Perils of Songwriting Contests

     There are papers strewn all over my floor, and none have come out of my printer correctly. They are forms for a songwriting contest, and today is the last day to enter, so time is of the essence. I enter several contests a year, as another avenue of connecting with the industry- knowing which song contests are “legitimate” and which are scams, is one of the many things a songwriter must know when navigating the arena of getting ones foot in the door. I know that this one is the real deal-I researched one of the founding members and had enriching email correspondence with her, a very successful woman songwriter. This group is also great, because they offer membership and ongoing support and opportunities; the membership is low, and with it I have recently been attending song screenings and other opportunities through their L.A. chapter.  Aside from that, and like all song writing contests, it’s a real pain in the ass to enter. This one is old school-A requirement is to print out a submission form for each song, two pages long; and to make it worse, the length of the page is a funny size, not the standard 8x10. After the fifth time printing and working with different settings, I was still getting half the page cut off, conveniently right where I had to sign my name…….curse the music industry gods-or I mean, demons. Another option was to submit online through an intermediary service,-a place where you sign up and get an “artist page”, and supposedly industry people check them out when they are looking for people to sign, etc. There is a fee, of course, but I thought, “what the hell”-I hate wasting paper; couldn’t hurt to join for a month-try it out and cancel……(as I write this now, after cancelling my membership 5 months ago; I still am getting emails from them that they “mistakenly” “forgot” to “cancel” my “membership” and they “don’t understand how this could have happened”, even though I have been in contact with them and have gotten very pissed off. ) After spending an hour setting up my music page-password, bio, picture, etc., I start loading the songs I want to enter into the contest; seven total. After 5 songs load a pop up window opens up and says there is a “minimum 5 song limit on my basic plan”……”would I like to upgrade?” FUCK YOU!! Back to square one…..

     After finally printing out 14 oblong sheets of paper successfully, I start filling out the info and then get stuck on the part where I have to stick my songs into neat little boxes called “categories”. Is this song country? There are examples as to be “helpful” and they are Taylor Swift and Garth Brooks…..SO not the feel of the song-it was inspired by Amy Winehouse and I always imagined her singing it, but it has a pedal steel so..….what about this one-rock? Singer-songwriter? They give examples of rock-Bon Jovi, Pearl Jam……uh-well, it is rock, sort of; can’t I get a woman rock example?…..negative-ok, well-singer-songwriter? O.K, better go with that, but it is really a mixture of the two…when in doubt I go for the often not  given category of “Americana”, my saving grace, as most of my music has a mixture of blues and rock…..

     After about an hour of putting the songs into categories and filling out paper work, I go through the process of cutting 7 cd’s, one song each, and then putting it into my stereo to make sure it plays….anal? Yes, but one time after having sent out a cd to a famous producer and finding out years later that it never played was enough for me…..Next step-labeling each one with a good ole’ sharpie (I’m not going the usual route of using my new laser printer disc labeler for a song writing contest). Final step-packaging it all up and mailing it with a check for $140 dollars which, for fun, I like to think of as how many hours at my minimum paying job I worked, mailing it out, and ………waiting.

     The waiting is ok, until you know it is close to when the announcements are going to be made. Good legitimate song writing contests run by industry professionals have launched careers, or at least have gotten someone exposure and the chance to meet people and build connections. It's my excitement, so I wait…..

     The first song contest I entered was in 2012. It was an international contest for songwriters all over the world, age 16 and up, and I sent in several songs. They contacted me to tell me that I had not won, but “thanks for submitting!” “Better luck next time!” Five months later someone online congratulated me for my honorable mention for my country song “Snow” in SongDoor's 2012 songwriting contest…..I didn’t know what they were talking about, so I checked it out online,  and there I was, on the honorable mention list of who knows how many international songwriters……

Yes, the list is longer and I am indeed at the bottom.......

I thought it was a big deal-enough to certainly contact a struggling songwriter about, but one gets nothing in that category, though it did give me hope, something I’m always searching for as a very sensitive person in this cut throat business.

     The worst part is when you check out the winners and their music or song is completely to your disliking, lol…..and the usual beating up on oneself that you just don’t have “what people want”, and the feeling foolish for spending your hard earned money for the impossible dream…….but then it is next year, and you do it all over again……