Month: January 2014

Stage fright anyone?

Stage fright – performance anxiety – nerves – butterflies. Many of us who get out to share music have experienced this – irritating and inconvenient at best, debilitating at its worst.

Here is an entertaining, personal story on overcoming stage fright brought on by a Tuesday night open mic:

 

Blogs for Songwriters and Open Mic Aficionados

It may seem circular to write a blogpost about other blogs, but I have come across a few interesting ones I’d like to share with you.

Sharon GoldmanSongwriting Scene was created by singer-songwriter, Sharon Goldman, in June 2009. Goldman, along with the occasional guest blogger, shares many interesting tips on songwriting, singing and the creative process, as well as a tab on “local scenes” which provides some leads on places to play (based in U.S.).

http://www.songwritingscene.com/

 

Sessionville sessionvillehas a cornucopia of articles on everything from creativity and musicianship to how to learn to play, buy gear and promote music.

http://sessionville.com/

 

The Educated Songwriter is a vehicle for songwriter & producer, Cliff Goldmacher, to promote webinars and podcasts that can be downloaded for a fee. He also has a blog where you can glean some good info on songwriting and recording.

http://www.educatedsongwriter.com/blog/

Brad Spurgeon’s blog covers music, travel, journalism and fiction but the project that most interests me is his Worldwide Open Mic Thumbnail Guide to Open Mics, Jam Sessions and other Live Music.  Spurgeon’s work as a journalist takes him to cities around the world and he makes good use of his off-duty time by scouting out the live music venues where one can go listen to or play music.  Although I won’t likely get to most of the cities he has profiled (Paris, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur & Barcelona, just a few examples) it is interesting to hear about these diverse, thriving shared music scenes. And if I ever get to one of the cities on this continent (Montreal, Austin), I’ll be sure to consult his guide before I go.

http://bradspurgeon.com/