West Coast Songwriters

The West Coast Songwriters (WCS) was founded in 1979
by a few talented songwriters who decided that by joining forces they would be able to write stronger songs, and create more opportunities to market them. Since that time, WCS —a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization— has grown into a regional force with a 1200+ membership and a full schedule of activities.

• There are four levels of membership offering the same services to all. In the WCS, writers can establish important relationships —both professional and personal— that will enhance and accelerate their development. Songwriting ceases to be a solitary pursuit and becomes a shared endeavor through the focus, feedback, collaboration, contacts/networking, and support available. The Association provides many opportunities for songwriters to learn the craft and business of songwriting and for meeting and working with fellow songwriters and industry professionals. You don’t have to go it alone …

WCS events take place in locations throughout the west coast, as far south as Los Angeles and as far north as Seattle. There are four categories of membership available. With the support of the music industry’s leading songwriters, publishers, producers and record companies as well as local and volunteer backing, WCS is able to present 15–20 monthly events and provide substantial support to its membership, as detailed in the following sections.

Monthly Activities and Other Benefits

Songwriting Classes:

Conducted by accomplished writers and teachers. Topics covered include: Structure, lyrics, melody, harmony, collaboration, demo production, and marketing. Instructors include but are not limited to:

Bonnie Hayes, whose credits include Love Letter, Slow Ride (Bonnie Raitt), Have a Heart (Bonnie Raitt, Booker T. and the MGs), Bed of Roses, Bottomless, and It's Too Late (Bette MIdler), and many others. A Beacon Records recording artist whose songs have crossed chart boundaries, Bonnie is a performing artist herself and has also taught theory/harmony, jazz piano/improvisation at the Stanford Jazz Workshop as well as classes at Blue Bear School of Music.

Jai Josefs, Songwriter/Producer/Musician with over thirty years experience in the music business. Credits include more than 30 songs recorded with such artists as Jose Feliciano and Little Richard, as well as for companies including MCA, RCA, Motown, and Disney.
Has written songs used in TV shows on every major network including Malcolm in the Middle, CSI, Spin City, Smallville, and Nash Bridges. Recent film credits include songs in Random Hearts (w/Harrison Ford), Waking Up in Reno (w/ Billy Bob Thornton) and Roosters (w/Edward James Olmos).
Author of Writing Music for Hit Songs, the definitive text on modern music writing endorsed by hit writers including Diane Warren. Creator of Secrets of Songwriting Success, the first educational interactive CD-ROM for songwriters.
Has taught workshops in songwriting at UCLA, and for over fifty organizations and conferences including EAT‚M, Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), West Coast Songwriters, and the Songwriters Guild. Currently on the A&R staff at TAXI in Los Angeles

Pat Pattison is a Professor at Berklee College of Music, where he teaches Lyric Writing and Poetry. In addition to his three books, Writing Better Lyrics, The Essential Guide to Lyric Form and Structure, and The Essential Guide to Rhyming, Pat has developed three online lyric writing courses for Berklee's online school, available through patpattison.com. He has written over 30 articles for Home & Studio Recording Magazine, and The Performing Songwriter. Pat continues to present songwriting clinics across the US, Canada, and the UK. Several of his students have won Grammys, including John Mayer, Rob Hotchkiss (Train), and Gillian Welch.

André Pessis, whose credits include: Co-writing/production of the first single on the Stylistics’ 1996 release, Wrong (Waylon Jennings), Just Take My Heart plus 7 songs on a #1 CD in Japan (Mr. Big), #4 single in Japan (Super Fantastic), Slow Ride (Bonnie Raitt), Walkin’ On A Thin Line (Huey Lewis and The News), the #1 Country hit New Shade of Blue & Top 10-placed Anyway the Wind Blows & Reno Bound for Southern Pacific, plus songs for Paul Carrack, Greg Rolie, Ben E. King, George Lucas, & others.

Steve Seskin, whose credits include Don't Laugh At Me (Mark Wills/Peter, Paul & Mary), Daddy’s Money (Ricochet), I Think About You (Colin Raye), Life’s A Dance (John Michael Montgomery), No Doubt About It (Neal McCoy), Wrong (Waylon Jennings), plus songs for Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Delbert McClinton, Alabama, Moe Bandy, and many others. Steve has written with songwriters of many music styles, including Jon Bon Jovi, Jonathan Cain, Mike Reid, Allan Shamblin, and Jon Vezner. Steve also serves on the WCS’s Advisory Board.

Song Screening Sessions:

Members submit songs to be listened to by one of the many prominent publishers, producers and record company reps in search of outstanding material. In addition, members become better educated as to what the industry reps require in order for songs to be accepted commercially and how to fine tune their material and beginning some extremely important professional relationships in the process. Locations: Portland, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Carlos, Santa Cruz, Seattle, and Los Angeles

Songwriter Showcases :

Members (or friends of non-performing members) perform members’ original songs before a live audience. Each participant receives written evaluations from music industry professionals (except where peer judging is used). The writer of “Best Song” of the evening receives three hours of studio time from the sponsoring studio; “Best Performance” is acknowledged with an award of 10 high-quality blank CDs and Jewel cases. In August, we present the “Annual Open Mic Playoffs” for the best songs of the year. The three writers who are acknowledged for “Best Song” at these events perform during the Sunset Concert at our Annual Conference for an audience of more than 60 music industry guests and 100+ attendees. The public is welcome to join the audiences at OPEN MICs. Locations: Berkeley, Hollywood, Manteca, Mill Valley, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Jose, Sebastopol,

Works-in-Progress Sessions:

Hosted by experienced member songwriters, Works-In-Progress sessions are opportunities to get together and share constructive feedback/critiques on songs, whether in a finished or unfinished form. Current Locations: Fairfax, Oakland, Sacramento, San Carlos, and Sonoma. (Always check NewSong listings or this website, or call the WCS office to confirm dates/locations, since these events change periodically/without notice.)

Special Seminars:

These usually feature either the industry’s leading songwriters and industry professionals conducting seminars covering the techniques they use to write their songs and market them or other seminars and workshops —such as Composing on the Guitar, songwriting methods, self-promotion, artist and song marketing, and updates on the industry and on legal topics.

CREATION:CRAFT:CONNECTION

Annual Songwriters Conference:

Presented the second weekend of September, this is two full days of seminars, song screenings/lyric evaluations, workshops and panels featuring many of the music industry’s leading songwriters, producers, publishers, and business professionals (music attorneys, marketing experts, performance rights companies representatives, and recording experts). It is open to members and non-members alike. Held on a secluded but easily accessible college campus in Los Altos Hills (40 miles south of San Francisco), both days also offer open air events in, typically, balmy weather — the OOM (Ongoing OPEN MIC) where any attendee can sign up to play, and a Noontime Acoustic Concert with performances by OPEN MIC “Best Performance” winners chosen by lottery. On Saturday evening is the exciting and immensely popular Sunset Concert, where the OPEN MIC Playoffs winners —as well as guest hit songwriters— perform their songs. The Conference has been hailed across the nation, by industry professionals and attendees alike, as one of the most comprehensive, best-organized, and most enjoyable events of its kind offered in the country, and this is WCS’s biggest event of the year, with 300–400 in attendance. Location: Foothill College – Los Altos Hills.

For current information, please go to the WCS website <www.westcoastsongwriters.org>

The e-NewSong:

The WCS monthly e-newsletter, a publication accessed on our website, provides up-to-date information regarding upcoming WCS events and activities. Regular/occasional features include educational articles on the craft and business of songwriting, interviews, exclusive leads from publishers looking for outstanding material, the events calendar, WCS members’ performance calendars and career news, and a Classified section.Display ad purchase also available to anyone —inquire for rate/size details.

Website:

Currently averaging over a million hits per year, WCS’s official website is maintained by staff/volunteers and is packed with information, including membership application, the current month’s calendar of events as well as our monthly newsletter NewSong, information about and sign-up forms for upcoming special events and the Annual Conference, links to other music industry sites, t-shirt/Conference seminar tapes order forms, and more. We accept VISA® , MasterCard®, American Express®, and DiscoverCard® on the web.

Office Resources:

Materials available for members’ on-site review include tip sheets, Performing Songwriter Magazine, American Songwriter Magazine, and music business reference books. Copyright forms are available upon request. WCS T-shirts as well as recordings of the CREATION:CRAFT:CONNECTION (Annual Songwriters Conference) seminars are sold here and by mail order. All major credit cards, checks, money orders, and cash are accepted at the office or at any event for any purchase of $10 or more, including membership dues.

Volunteer Benefits:

In exchange for participating as a Volunteer in the WCS office or at WCS events/activities, members may receive free or reduced admissions to selected activities. Substantially reduced fees and other valuable perquisites are available to members who volunteer on a committee for CREATION:CRAFT:CONNECTION, the Annual Songwriters Conference.

Operations/Administration and

Summary of Benefits of Membership:

• WCS is guided by the expertise of a nine-member volunteer Board of Directors, plus an eleven-member Advisory Board comprised of business professionals recognized as leaders in their respective industries. The overall operation is managed by an Executive Director, which position has been held by Ian Crombie since 1988. All donations are fully deductible.
The monthly events and CREATION:CRAFT:CONNECTION (Annual Songwriters Conference) are coordinated and run by dedicated members who volunteer as Event Managers, Conference Producers, and on event teams/committees.