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Saturday, December 27, 2014

Best of the Best for the year 2014

Each fall Nashville Ear awards the Best of the Best honor to the songwriter that we feel stood out with exceptional songwriting and performances. Please join us in congratulating this years award winner Kurt Fortmeyer for the year 2014. After you read about his success and listen to his songs you will no doubt agree it was well deserved.



Kurt Fortmeyer was born in a barn and raised in a stable environment, or so he might tell an unwitting listener in one of his sillier moments.
His life was changed irreparably at a tender and impressionable age when he was subjected to Roger Miller, Allan Sherman, Chubby Checker, and Trini Lopez.

His first solo show was at the HOLE IN THE WALL SALOON in Raleigh, North Carolina. In the late '70s, influenced by Jack Kerouac, Jesse Winchester, and Townes Van Zandt, he hitchhiked coast-to-coast, playing in the streets and parks of New Orleans, New York, Memphis, and San Francisco.
Brandishing his acoustic guitar and harmonicas, and writing and playing original songs with a traditional bent, Kurt has been found in venues as wide-ranging as Montessori Schools, motorcycle bars, restaurants, and rest homes. He has performed at THE FESTIVAL FOR THE ENO, THE CASTALIAN SPRINGS BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL and THE HAW RIVER FESTIVAL.

In 1994, he became a member of NSAI.
In 1995, Kurt was honored with inclusion in the “Music of North Carolina” series at the NORTH CAROLINA MUSEUM OF HISTORY in Raleigh.
In 1997, Kurt and his wife Nina opened HYPHEN COFFEEHOUSE in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina which quickly built a reputation as a must-play venue for traveling singer/songwriters.
In 2003, the Fortmeyers closed the Hyphen and began preparing for a move to Nashville, Tennessee.

Kurt has shared the stage with Grammy-winning songwriters Steve Leslie and R.L. Castleman. and Hall Of Fame songwriters Don Wayne and Jimmy Payne. He has opened shows for many artists including Livingston Taylor, Emmylou Harris, and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver.
As at home in front of a microphone as he is on a front porch, Kurt plays real music, by, for, and about real people.

Here is a link to a few of his songs:



Tuesday, August 26, 2014

James Taylor's guitar lessons



Not sure if you songwriters know about James Taylor's guitar lessons. They are all free.He shows how he finger picks all his favorite songs. I sure could have used this way back when... Here is "Fire and Rain"

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

5 Songwriting Tips You May Never Have Considered



Songwriting is a huge topic. There are no right or wrong ways to approach the subject, and there are an infinite number of ways to do so. However, many songwriters choose to approach songwriting in the same manner that they approached all of their previous songs with.

At first glance, this makes perfect sense. After all, if it has worked for them before then it'll work for them again, right?  Consequently, songwriters can easily end up writing songs that sound so similar to each other that it's hard to tell them apart. This can cause frustration, and ultimately leads to writers block. A talented songwriter will vary their approach to songwriting to create a very different song each time, yet still leave enough of their "signature sound" in the song to make it identifiable.

With that said, here are 5 Songwriting Tips that are so easily overlooked:  Change the order in which you write songs  How do you write songs? Do you sit with your guitar until you find a chord progression you like? Perhaps you write your lyrics first and then try to fit the music around them? Whatever your approach is, the chances are you use a similar one each time.   By stripping a simple song down to its bare bones, we are left with 5 key components:

Melody
Harmony
Lyrics
Rhythm
Structure

Next time you sit down to write a song, choose one of these components you have not started with before to begin with. I'd bet most people have not tried writing a song with the structure first, as this is something that is often left to dictate itself. Yet give it some thought, and your songs can improve dramatically. Which leads to my next point:  Alter the structure  Too many times has the structure "Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus" been used. Granted, it has been proven to work, but that does not mean songwriters must assign this structure to all of their songs.

Give it thought. Experiment with different structures and find what works for your song. By first answering why you want a specific structure (perhaps to repeat the hook or to create contrast) you can create a much more interesting song.  Write about a different topic  Almost everyone has written a love song. And you can too if you want, but again, don't choose to do this just because it has worked in the past. Too many songs on the same subject leads to songs that sound the same. Sometimes the best songs are so cleverly written lyrically, that it's hard to tell exactly what the song is about. This allows people to form their own interpretations of the lyrics' meaning, allowing many people to relate to the song.   Change the instrumentation/timbre  A C note on a guitar and a C note on the piano sound very different. This is due to the timbre of the sound.

When writing a song, carefully choose instruments with a timbre that will reflect the song's topic. Written a punk song that sticks its fingers up to the government? Perhaps a symphony orchestra isn't the right choice of instrumentation. I'm not saying to stick within your genre's typical instrumentation, but make sure you choose a sound that will compliment the overall song. Most importantly, do not feel as though you must only use the instrument(s) you play. Songwriting and performing are different skills. Do not let your songwriting ability be limited by your performance ability.

Use different chord voicings  A C barre chord and a C open chord sound different. This is because some notes have shifted register (i.e. up or down an octave). There will come a point in your songwriting where you're using the same chord progression in multiple songs. To make them sound different, try changing the chord voicings. By learning some basic music theory you can take this into your own hands and come up with your own way of playing chords, perhaps in altered tunings.

These are just 5 ways to make your songs more varied. Combine them, along with countless other ways to vary your songs, and you are left with infinite possibilities.

About the Author:
Sam Dawson is a singer/songwriter who specializes in fingerstyle and percussive guitar.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

How Do Songwriters Make Money?



Here is veteran songwriter Barbara Cloyd from the Bluebird explaining how the "business side" of songwriting works. She is just full of good information and suggestions for the starting writer as well as good things to check for the veteran songwriter. Barbara discusses legal issues and royalties issues. Mechanical royalties are explained. Good information for everyone.


Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Nashville Songwriting by Jerry Cupit


Writing songs is an art that must be learned. There are several constants in writing that will help in the successful completion of a good song. Jerry Cupit is a veteran Nashville songwriter who has written a great book on songwriting. In this video Jerry will explain many pieces of songwriting that you need to understand to write that great song. This is a wealth of information that you don't hear often. If you are really interested in writing songs that can be sold to the Nashville music industry you may want to watch this a few times. It is full of good suggestions on structure and content

http://youtu.be/bE-XNmvcS7E


Sunday, August 10, 2014

Bellamy Baylor singing up a storm at the Pavilion Coffee House



Bellamy Baylor was singing up a storm at the Pavilion Coffee House last night while another storm was raging outside. Bellamy was in rare form  performing her passionate vocal arrangements of her original songs. Here is one song I have heard her do before. Each time I am pleased with how much she puts into her performance. Rarely do we run across such powerful vocals in a writers night situation.
http://youtu.be/OQy6PqIPOfs

Monday, August 4, 2014

Bex Marshall and the "House of Mercy"



Here is one of the finest blues guitarist I have run across in my travels. Bex Marshall has a firecracker personality that is blowing up in every town she plays . From London to Russia and back through Brazil and all over the USA is a normal year of gigs for Bex. Everywhere she goes there is a wave of appreciation for her style in guitar playing and her hard driving Janis Joplin like vocal presentation. Here is one singer/songwriter who will make her mark to be remembered forever. This video is from her CD "House of Mercy" that has been a huge hit in every country that sells it. Enjoy her video playing the "House of Mercy"
http://youtu.be/o_9lWKjA1Eo


Tuesday, July 22, 2014

The Spirit of Janis Joplin Lives in Crystal Chandler


I originally met Crystal at Richards Cafe. Besides being a very pretty lady with a firecracker personality she has some special vocal talents that need to be addressed. The first time I saw her play some of her original songs I was amazed. She brought to my mind long lost memories of Janis Joplin. I was blown away while she belted out her songs with bending notes and hyper-personality in each vocal expression. 
I have seen many times songwriters feeling their songs while playing them but Crystal takes it to a new level of passion. "The Riverboat Song" starting at about 7:45 shows this passion I am describing.
Crystal is one of the singer/songwriters I have met in Nashville that I believe in the right hands could be a big talent. I just love to watch her sing her songs. You will enjoy this set of her playing at the old Bost Harley Davidson shop in West Nashville.

Crystal Chandler live Onstage
Here another set by Crystal

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

The Amazing Buck Brown playing "Loretta"



If you like good guitar playing and great lyrics as well as some seriously good singing you have come to the right place. The Amazing Buck Brown is playing a song he wrote about his young life and a chance meeting with a questionable little lady named Loretta. This song tells a good story about a guy who has enough sense not to do something really stupid. I just love watching Buck Brown play the guitar. This was recorded on a Saturday afternoon at Bost Harley Davidson a few years ago for the Nashville Ear Songwriter Stage. Buck plays as well as anyone I have ever seen live in Nashville.
 Enjoy a really great song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxlWx-LnsmY&feature=share&list=LLNhiLd4IaO0YPnok5nSverA&index=18

Audrey's Song - Harry Hookey



I ran across Harry Hookey in the restaurant at the Fontanel in Oct 2011. Harry was a law student on holiday from Australia with a couple of songwriter friends who were touring America. We were talking before the show at a table while eating an early dinner at the farmhouse restaurant at the Fontanel. He was a really nice guy enjoying his American experience. Tonight was his night to eat Catfish. He was so looking forward to real southern Catfish and Hush puppies.
Later that night his buddy Lachlan Bryan an up an coming Australian songwriter was  playing the Songwriter Stage and did quite well. Lachian played some great songs and put on a very entertaining show. Lachlan has gotten huge in Australia over the years. As it turned out that evening we had a songwriter not show up due to baby sitting problems. It happens from time to time. :)

Harry's buddies talked him into playing onstage that night. He played several songs he had written about Australia and about girls he had dated. Wonderful songs describing the outback and the beauty he sees there.He performed each song with a joy I rarely see in songwriters. He loved it! We all loved it as well.
Since then I have watched his rise in the music scene in Australia with several good songs. Each song has a good video to match.
I wonder if he ever finished his law degree??
Here is one really good video I ran across today.
http://youtu.be/7tDAHJQT7B4

and the original video set of the night Harry played a the Fontanel.(18 min)
http://youtu.be/eT1yAPgzZMM


Saturday, June 28, 2014

Harlan Pease presents his "Coffee Songs" played at the Pavilion Coffee House



Let me introduce Harlan Pease singing some of his "Coffee Series" songs. Harlan is from New England and has become one of the better songwriters/performers I have run across. Harlan was named the 2012 " NashvilleEar.com "Best of the Best" songwriter.
This video is him playing at the Pavilion Coffee House a few songs he has written about coffee. Excellent Lyrics with all his songs along with some pretty smooth and fancy guitar playing.

http://youtu.be/Znq1tgxvOzI

Friday, June 27, 2014

Brittany Blaire performs "Say Goodbye" at The Bluebird Cafe



The best advise for breaking up with someone you used to be in love with.. just "Say goodbye"
This is good songwriter who showed up from Utah about 4 years ago.

This is Brittany Blaire Andersen. She is an example of the kind of songwriters we need to come to Nashville.
She is a school teacher, a songwriter, a performer and an actor. Well rounded people like her make the lives of everyone around them richer from the experience. Brittany is like that. a pure joy to be around. Funny happy and full of energy is how I would describe her. Enjoy her performance of "Say Goodbye".

http://youtu.be/ZHmXfiApcsA

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Bex Marshall playing some Smokin Blues in Mississippi



This tail-kicking song was played by Bex Marshall at Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi during Juke Joint Festival 2014. Bex rightly tore the place up! Shot on location by Reed R. Radcliffe / TripleRPhotography
I met this lady in Nashville at a fellow musicians home. She is one of those people who light a room up when she walks in. Her personality is similar to the way she plays her resonator guitar. She is a joy to know. She is also one of the finest blues player I have met in Nashville. Enjoy her song "Bite Me" written about her husband Barry Marshall.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg2jjXd1ar0&feature=share&list=PL63557741F812E804&index=9

Monday, June 23, 2014

Karla Davis is just amazingly good in this entire set


Rarely do I sit and watch a songwriter with my mouth open and hanging on each word of the lyrics. I found myself doing exactly that Saturday evening at the Pavilion Coffee House. Karla Davis is so darn good. I am surprised I had not heard of her before now. Listen to a killer set of great songs. They are all good but the last one in the set was written for her Dad... it is very moving.. you will love this set of 4 songs.
http://youtu.be/CjKc3vomPEY

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Does a song change when recorded by a major star? You tell me?


Just to show how this works for you new songwriters...


There is a guy name Joel Shewmake. He is a fantastic songwriter. He is the "Best of the Best " for 2013 awarded by the NashvilleEar.com. He has several songs recorded by major country music stars.

He wrote a song called "Tough Times Dont Last Tough People Do" so he comes on to the NashvilleEar.com Songwriter Stage and sings it one Saturday morning after hanging with his good buddy Harlan Pease all night enjoying adult beverages. I have them scheduled to play at 10am on Saturday morning at Bost Harley Davidson dealership. They were very happy to find the coffee and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.

They hit the stage and amazingly they are fine and playing like it was 10pm instead of 10am. I have always wondered how they do that??
Joel plays several songs but this one really stuck in my mind. I am thinking this is one great song, Here is what I heard on the NashvilleEar Songwriter Stage in Nashville: Joel playing his song like he hears it in his mind.
http://youtu.be/J8n1iyQTnac


Time Lapse about 6 months and I see Travis Adkins singing this same song on the Republican National Convention stage. Joel hit a home run with this song. Here is why lyrics matter!
Here is what I heard on TV six months later:
http://youtu.be/-sxxIdc7vP8




Terry Wooley is impressive at Bost Harley Davidson in Nashville TN.



This one of the few times I did not know who I was dealing with. I asked Terry Wooley  to play my Songwriter Stage not knowing he was a major songwriter and performer. He kicked off his set and I was totally blown away.
This is one of the best songwriters and performers in Nashville. Enjoy some great songs. Each song is perfectly written and performed. Terry is a true professional in the songwriting business in Nashville Tennessee.
http://youtu.be/MD6WUmQoJcM

Taylor Dukes playing at the Pavilion Coffee House.



This is one amazing performance!
Taylor Dukes was in rare form last Saturday evening at the Pavilion Coffee House.
Each song was better than the last. She has the most soft, mellow, jazzy voice I have heard in years.I could listen to her for hours. Taylor Dukes will be a big hit in this town soon.
Listen to some amazing music .
http://youtu.be/tz7ZjnLfa1M

Friday, June 20, 2014

Tommy Tietjen singing at the Pavilion Coffee House in Nashville Tn.



This is Tommy Tietjen singing at the Pavilion Coffee House in Nashville Tn.
His keyboard player got out before I caught his name.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYfb1MUN6k4&list=UUNhiLd4IaO0YPnok5nSverA&feature=share&index=8

Mike Shipley knows how to enter a Songwriters Gig in Nashville



 This is recalled by Steve McNaron the host of the NashvilleEar songwriter
stage about Mike Shipley..
When you pulled up to the songwriter stage at Bost Harley Davidson  I was
blown away!
Mike pulls up on his own fully loaded custom Harley with his guitar strapped
to the side. Not only was it strapped literately with leather but the guitar
case was made from a buffalo hide! Very cool.
Then he starts playing some of the most entertaining songs I had heard. One
was "I Wish I Was, Where I Was, When I Was Wishing I Was Here"
On that particular day you brought in Michael Mason Bromley and a guy playing the
fiddle named Critter. Ya'll kicked tail that day.
I always looked forward to you playing our stage.

Here is one of the videos I did that day that included the song I mentioned.

Great lyrics and well performed live in Nashville:
 http://youtu.be/akx84ay5Ezw

Here is his buffalo hide guitar case.

Here is his bike ready to travel with his guitar strapped on the side,.


Wednesday, June 18, 2014

You Still Got It by EverAfter and Bronson Herrmuth

Bronson Herrmuth and EverAfter Entertaining at the Pavilion Coffee House




Bronson Herrmuth is one of the greatest harmonica players I have ever known. Bronson along with EverAfter are entertaining at the Pavilion Coffee House. The Pavilion Coffee House hosts a "free to the public" show each Saturday evening from 7 to 9pm. Sometimes it is a comedy standup routine and others are musical shows from gospel to country. Family friendly and a great place to get out with your spouse.
Here is Jeremy and Becca who makeup EverAfter along with Bronson singing to help the efforts of the Pavilion Church.
Singing "Lets Take It Slow:.. and "You Better Don't" both original songs from a couple of Nashville's finest songwriters.
http://youtu.be/PsdTp4aDhqk

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Karla Davis playing at the Pavilion Coffee House



Karla Davis is a wonderful songwriter and performer. I had the pleasure of hearing and experiencing her original songs at the Pavilion Coffee House. Most songwriters are trying to get their songs noticed and hopefully recorded by a major performer in Nashville. Karla is also a pretty darn good guitar player as well as singing like a bird. The Pavilion Coffee House holds a show each Saturday Evening that is free to the public. Enjoy Karla's 15 min set from last Saturday evening.

http://youtu.be/CjKc3vomPEY


5 Super Cool Music things to do in Nashville

Nashville has many open mic nights every night all over town for aspiring songwriters to introduce their music to the public.
Most of these venues are free to the public. The venue is hoping you will have some drinks and possibly food while you listen to the songwriters.Take your spouse out for an evening of original music in Music City.The quality of music will be varied from really good to WTF?

Go to the Bluebird Cafe and hear outstanding musical talent. This venue has been made Super Famous by the TV show Nashville.
At the bluebird there is NO TALKING at all! You will be asked to leave if you do not refrain for talking to the person next to you.
There is always a long line of songwriters trying to get into the Bluebird Cafe. You can count on great talent and excellent lyrics to all the songs you will hear. The food is good and not expensive along with excellent service. The downside is you will have to wait outside the venue for at least three hours just to get in.It is well worth the wait to experience the true flavor of Nashville.

Go to Centennial Park and catch the Musicians Corner in May and June every Saturday afternoon from 12 noon to 5pm. This event is put on by the city so it is a free event.There are pre-show festivities from 12 to 1:30pm where you can get wine & beer to go with your lunch from the excellent food trucks who show up and feed the masses. There is also a kidsville activities area to keep the little guys busy.Take the whole family including the dog to Centennial Park and enjoy live music in the shade of the Parthenon.

Take the whole family to lower Broadway in downtown Nashville. This city has many clubs that have live music all day and all night.
The Hard Rock Cafe is the largest venue that caters to the entire family however there are 15 to 20 other clubs that all keep their doors open to our tourists as well as to the locals. The kids can line dance while the grownups have an adult beverage at many of these venues. Downtown businesses in Nashville are created to take care of families on vacation. There is music on the Riverfront park stages most every weekend evening from May to August. Nashville is a family friendly city as you will see when you visit us.


Get the family together and go to the longest live radio show in America, The Grand Ole Opry. Classic country music is played by the best musicians in the world on the Ryman Stage. Everyone who likes country music should go here at least once in their lives. You never know who will show up at the Grand Ole Opry. Depending who is in town making a recording will determine who will be on stage. Then there are the regulars like Little Jimmie Dickens and other favorites who seem to always be around the world famous stage. Take this one off your bucket list and enjoy the real reason Nashville is called Music City.

NashvilleLife.com
2014





Sunday, June 15, 2014

What do you need to know to play an open mic night in Nashville.



1. Be ready to play your set , be in tune and DO NOT tune or talk on stage while another performer is singing.Do this in a place away from the stage, do not sit at a table while another group of performers are playing and tune your guitar. This shows a disrespect for your fellow artist
2.Stay here and support the other performers whenever possible. Nashville is a community of writers and artists and we need to show total support for each other. Leaving after you set is finished shows that you do not support the other writers on your night
3. Listen to the other writers and performers because you will learn something from every performer , it might be a new chord, the way they phrase a song, the way they talk to an audience or a myriad of other things that may help you become a better performer and writer. Keep in mind that a lot the writers have cuts, hit songs and have performed in front of thousands of people.
4. Remember there may be someone in the audience that can help your career. Publishers do come to writers nights but they will usually not attract attention to themselves sitting at the bar or a corner table so they can listen to the songs. i know of 4 friends of mine who are now hit songwriters with pub deals that resulted from playing at a writers night
5. Keep in mind that you are performing in Nashville where songwriting is held in the highest esteem. If you came here it is assumed your goal is to be a hit writer a megastar or both and the way you conduct yourself while networking, performing etc will have an impact on your career.
6. Know your songs. Be sure you have rehearsed and know the songs that you are playing backwards and forwards. While some of us old guys have senior moments it is still not professional to forget a song on stage.
7. Be aware that other artists and songwriters are waiting to perform. Keep your preamble short and your songs within five minutes so everyone gets to perform
You will of course ask what qualifies me to post this. I was a songwriter night host at three different venues in Nashville over the years and hosted a open mike at a large venue in Colorado fro many years. I hope this helps everyone better understand the etiquette behind a professional writers night and I wish all my fellow songwriters and artists the very best!!

Written By Gary Cavanauagh 2014

Monday, March 10, 2014

I have recently had the pleasure of video taping a wonderful vocal talent. Kensi Moore is one talented lady. You will be hearing big things from her in the future.
Here is her video from the Pavilion Coffee House in March 2014
http://youtu.be/e5_qDUNgqkM

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Here are some groups of songwriters/performers you should look for while in Nashville. Winfields Lockett, EverAfter, Janet Hattabaugh and AJ Schubert. All excellent performers who play in local clubs all the time. They are all playing at the Pavilion Coffee House Sat Feb 8th at 7:00pm