Our Next Song Circle 3/13/2017

Last Month 
We met at Flagstaff Federated Church.
We had 5 songwriters in attendance. It was a great evening. We established rules, drank tea, shared songs, gave feedback,  discussed song writing philosophy, and explored some techniques for modulating.

Assignment 
Part of our format I wanted to encourage was writing assignments.  The parameters are loose so that you can take some license. They are a means of making you explore something new.  As songwriters it is important we are always writing to hone our craft. Not everything has to be gold!

Use the following chords
Progression: I- vi- iv-  V(7)

You are welcome to put this in different keys to suit your voice/style. Have fun and use the rules to guide you!

In C 
C-am-fm-G7    or     C-am-Fmaj- G7
In G 
G -em- cm-- D7   or  G-em-Cmaj- G7

Titles you can use 
-These Highway Lights
-Not in Nashville

I encourage you all to give it a go!

Next Song Circle 3/13/2017
Flagstaff School of Music (Tentative)
2213 E 7th Ave, Flagstaff, AZ 86004
Time: 6:30pm
Bring a mug for Tea!

Warmly,

Ryan Biter

 

Flagstaff Song Circle 2/6/2017

Hello Song Writers,

Venue Info 
I wanted to check in and give everyone an update. I have been scrambling around trying to find a venue to host us. I consulted with several other members of The Song Circle and the consensus was that even though Bookmans had been gracious in hosting us in the past and was willing to do so again, it was a less than ideal setting.
Finding a space that is  free for us to use, provides ample parking, and has enough space is difficult.
For our first meeting I have managed to get us a meeting room at Flagstaff Federated Community Church in Downtown Flagstaff . I know some of you may have reservations about meeting at a Church and I respect that. If you are someone who has those reservations feel free to voice that. I want everyone to feel welcome and comfortable.
The room we would be using is comfy with couches and lots of chairs. It is upstairs so if that is an issue for anyone please let me know ASAP.

I will have hot water and assortment of tea (Please bring your own mug).

Bring your Instrument!
Warmly,
Ryan Biter 

Monday February 6th, 2017
Time: 6:30pm
Location: Flagstaff Federated Community Church (Room 24)
400 West Aspen Ave, Flagstaff Arizona 

Time For The Circle to Be Unbroken!

Hello Song Writers,

It has been quite a long time since we have got together to share songs.  A lot has happened since the last time we gathered. Ted moved, some of us developed a case of writers block,  others could not stop writing and had to get help,  some of us forgot how to use all 4 chords, and I suspect a few of us gave up on ever using the word orange in a song.

Its time to reunite!

Its time to dust off our guitars, mandolins, and ukes. It is time to rise up in one voice and proclaim we are songwriters!

Warmly,
Ryan Biter

Monday February 6th, 2017
Time: 6:30pm
Location: TBA

Hibernating, Ruminating, Hesitating -- Still Creating

The Flagstaff Song Circle is on hiatus for now.

The most dedicated songwriters in our circle are preoccupied with other endeavors.

Sherrill is brewing beer. Jim is agitating. I am in Madagascar. But we are all still making music, the songs just ruminate a little more slowly and compete with other activities for our attention.

Revealed: Where songs come from.
Image: Pearson Scott Foresman
Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

There is thought of finding some fresh blood for the song circle, or even finding a caretaker to run it.

Want to be notified when we jumpstart the song circle? Sign up for the mailing list.

Want to help jumpstart the song circle? Contact us on Facebook.

Back to Bookman's! Leave your Chestnuts at Home

The Song Circle will be resuming after a hiatus of more than seven months to...

 
What the hell happened? You may ask.

Here's the short version:

We loved Bookman's, but we decided we needed to start seeing other venues.

We played the field for awhile, but settled on The Weatherford Hotel, because of its cozy mezzanine sandwiched between two bars: Charly's downstairs and The Zane Grey Lounge upstairs. The convenient downtown location worked.

Then something disastrous happened -- or wonderful, if you are a hotel trying to make a profit. Monday Blues Night became a hit, but made holding a Song Circle difficult. For awhile we were able to move up to a side room off the Zane Grey lounge, but only when that room wasn't reserved for a paying customer.

Could we have paid for the use of that room? Certainly. But it was hard enough encouraging the cheap-ass songwriters to buy a beer from the bar 20 steps away.

The song circle became homeless. I held one or two meetings at my house, but only the diehards came -- including Sherrill Kennelly who told me that we had to find a public place, a familiar place, a place that people could find from memory; without directions. She was right.

So for months I inquired, did reconnaissance, and asked around. Then I got word that Bookman's might take us back -- would take us back. I just needed to get through to the right person; the one with the calendar and a pencil in hand. That took a few more months. Until yesterday, in fact.

Thank you, Desiree.

So, songwriters, let's begin anew. Bring your new song, your in-progress song, your under-renovation song. Leave your chestnuts at home, but bring a couple bucks for a coffee drink. The Flagstaff Song Circle is back on!

To be without a home / Like a complete unknown

The Flagstaff Song Circle has not yet achieved the inevitable prestige and success that allows us to throw our weight around with the entitled ego of rock stars. Last month the Hotel Weatherford had a paying client reserve the Zane Grey Ballroom.

And since we can't yet simply demand any venue we like on the spot, we had to scramble to find an alternate venue. What we found was Flagstaff's Heritage Square.

Chuck Cheesman performs "King of the One Horse Town"
for a circle of homeless songwriters.

It wasn't that bad. Really. It wasn't.

This month's Song Circle is roughly on the 46th anniversary of the release of "Like a Rolling Stone," Bob Dyan's classic song of a comeuppance, where the target of the song, Miss Lonely, "has fallen from grace and is reduced to fending for herself in a hostile, unfamiliar world."

Seriously, it wasn't that bad.

But this month I've confirmed that the Zane Grey Ballroom is available.

ABACAB (+ tag)

Friends,

Friday night I played a gig with a singer/songwriter named Jennifer Sluder. "Jenne" has been driving around the country in an old sub-compact car with her Yamaha guitar, a PA, and her solo acoustic CDs. I've run into a lot of people at gigs over the years. Many are very good. Most are long forgotten. Jenne is memorable. She writes simple songs that reminded me that my favorite songs have always come from places of hurt and hope. You can download her songs from her website and from Apple iTunes. I highly recommend "Song for Sarah". The way I figure it (depending on gas mileage) every download gets a deserving songwriter another ten miles or so down the road.

For those of you looking for a venue to try out your songs on a new audience, contact Fiddlers Dream in Phoenix. "Fids" usually hosts a Thursday night open mic, and they generally book two or three acts on weekend evenings. It's a completely unplugged, alcohol-free room. Attendance is sometimes sparse, but the folks who come out are a listening audience.

I met the duo JC & Lany at a radio show yesterday. J.C. writes folk/pop love songs. What this duo have going on vocally makes them special. With a background singing in hard working classic rock cover bands, Lany has Pipes with a capital "P". Timid types (like me) should take note of their swagger when they perform. They just go for it.

Go for it. We've been meeting once a month for a while now, and some of our songwriters have built up an impressive collection of their own songs. Consider that chefs don't aspire to cook for other chefs. Song circle is a nice, safe environment. Looking around the circle, I see more than a few people who are ready to face the dangers of playing to a real audience. There's no substitute for a real gig, and there is nothing quite like gigging to help you grow as a writer/performer. But I digress...

Also guesting on that radio show, JD Stooks was introduced as something of a punk rocker. I got a surprise when the first track started playing. This guy has a sound that'll make any recording artist a bit jealous. Think acoustic guitars surrounded by swirling pedal steel, synth, and moody drums. One of the fringe benefits of gigging with other artists is swapping CDs. I listened to JD's new single "Maker's Mark" and his full length album "Women and Gold" driving back up the mountain last night. Awesome stuff. Also available on CDBABY and iTunes.

And speaking of that radio show, a very different opportunity for performance exists at Erich Sielaff's Arizona Music Cafe on KKNT AM 960. Yes it's a conservative talk station, but Erich runs the show with a no "pee pee" rule - no profanity and no politics. If you're bringing your axe to play and leaving behind your axe to grind, even the most liberal performer (like me) should feel comfortable. Erich sticks to the music and makes your visit a pleasure. Check it out.

Now, why did I title this ABACAB (+ tag)? Was I paying tribute to Genesis? Or is there something else at work here?

Cheers,
Chuck Cheesman

Chuck Cheesman has a new CD called Imagining Dancers.