News

October Meeting Recap

Hey songwriters,

Each of us has a songwriting process, whether we think much about it or not. At the Oct. 6 meeting of Pittsburgh Songwriters Circle, 20 members explained 20 approaches to songwriting or relationships with their music, and showcased songs written in those ways.

Debbi Pace (woodrose2007@verizon.net) offered a featured set that was finger-pickin’ good, and the crowded open stage that followed ran until well after midnight.

Days after Halloween, the optional songwriting assignment for the Nov. 3 meeting is “death.” Sue Gartland (suegartland@juno.com) plays the featured set.

Album project

Whew! The masters are uploaded, text and graphics are submitted and the check is in the mail. Pittsburgh Songwriters Circle’s eleventh compilation album will include songs by 25 writers, including eight members new to the project. Kudos to producer Mike Hickman (studio@fallguys.net) for his good work. A thousand units should be delivered around the end of October. CD release event is 7-10 p.m., Dec. 11 at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts.

Concert for City Mission

Dec. 12 at Venue 54, Washington, Pa. Help to raise money for the City Mission, a homeless shelter that was razed by fire this year. Volunteer now to play a solo set of your songs, or bring accompanists or a full band. Reply soon to get on the roster.

More stuff

RECOMMENDED Pittsburgh band Old Game, which includes Songwriters Circle members Brenda Leeds (oldgamemusic@gmail.com), Greg Wojo (gjw13@pitt.edu) and Ryan Williams (tylerknowsthis@hotmail.com), recently shot a video promoting Brenda’s song, “Hunter.” Nicely done. Check it out: https://vimeo.com/129041912

RECOMMENDED Group member Christopher Mark Jones‘ (cjsongwriter@gmail.com) BurghSong Series continues Oct. 17 at Sunburst School of Music (5843 Forbes Ave., second floor, Squirrel Hill) with Michigan artists Annie and Rod Capps with Jason Denning on mandolin. Details at http://christophermarkjones.com.
RECOMMENDED If all you know about Ronny Cox is that he performed half of the iconic “Dueling Banjos” with the creepy inbred redneck kid in “Deliverance,” you don’t know Ronny Cox. The talented actor, songwriter and musician is playing a Calliope show at the Roots Cellar, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, at 7:30 p.m., Thu., Oct. 15. Get details at:  http://calliopehouse.org/event/ronny-cox.

RECOMMENDED You’ll love this. When Circle member Riki Yamashita (yamashitariki@gmail.com) was recently interviewed for a Malaysian music magazine, he was asked about music opportunities in the United States. One opportunity he never would have had in Malaysia, he said, is his membership to Pittsburgh Songwriters Circle. Click here:

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=76f4b3a390&view=att&th=1503e80de228ff80&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&zw

See you soon,

– John