One week away from the 37th Annual West Coast Songwriters Music Conference! (Sept 9th & 10th) This is sure to be the best conference yet with special guests including John Ondrasik (Five For Fighting), Victoria Theodore (keyboardist for Beyonce and Stevie Wonder), Rob Hotchkiss (co-founder of TRAIN) and Ed Clare (a.k.a Great Oz Digital, SpookyRockstar, and more recently as Empathik). They will be on hand to discuss their experiences and offer support along with a long list of talented music supervisors, producers and music business gurus.
SEMINAR DETAILS INCLUDE:
The CURSE OF THE 2nd VERSE The place where most writers seem to get stuck. We will discuss strategies that can make your second verse even stronger than your first - Steve Seskin
YOU ARE THE SHOW! Rob Hotchkiss, John Lester and Victoria Theodore Presenting yourself as a show on stage. Looking at different aspects of your presentation. Figuring out your sound
MELODY WRITING MASTERCLASS 40 Ways To Write In The Key Of D - Jimmy Borja
LEGAL PANEL: Todd & Jeff Brabec, Ned Hearn and Elliot Cahn the legal dream team! “Given how complex the digital music world has become for generating and calculating income from music and master recordings, this panel will explore what you currently need to know to protect and make money from your songs and recordings.”
WRITING A HIT SONG WITH ONE FINGER A Primer On Making Music With Minimal Skills and Equipment - Ed Clare
PRODUCER PANEL Our hit producers share their experiences working with artists and the industry. Howard Benson, Cookie Marenco, Scott Mathews, Larry Batiste, Ken Caillat
MAKING EVERY WORD COUNT Steve Seskin The importance of first lines. Balancing out your song. Knowing when your song is finished.
MUSIC THINK TANK Panelists will answer your questions on "Where Do I Go From Here?"
JOHN ONDRASIK INTERVIEW Hit Songwriter/artist John Ondrasik interviewed by Andre Pessis Sunday
COLLABORATION Cliff Goldmacher & Spencer Day. The do's and dont's of collaboration. How to make it work.
YOUR SONG IN A MOVIE We are carrying last year's popular workshop forward. A new movie and your songs. Let's see what works and what doesn't. Inspiration: Where do songs come from? This workshop explores ways to "jump start" your creativity with morning pages, object writing, etc.
INDIE ARTISTS ARE THE FUTURE - Our panel will focus on understanding the landscape of releasing music in the 21st Century. Focusing on some very simple steps including a release plan, marketing plan and budget and use of existing tools that will help an Indie artist compete in the industry today.
SONGWRITER PANEL Songwriters share their stories of success and failure Best Of The Weekend Guests share a song they discovered over the weekend that touched them, surprised them, or inspired them.
AND FINALLY, not to be missed, the Saturday evening Sunset Concert featuring three of the WCS Playoff Winners who will be performing their winning songs in front of a house full of industry guests.
Michael McNevin, Mira Goto and Laurin Hunter. Artwork produced by Liza Marie Sparks.
Congratulations to all this year's Playoff Winners:
Berkeley “Silver and Blue” Laurin Hunter
Napa "Drinking to Forget" J. C. Tourbillion
Palo Alto "Paper Doll" Samantha Margret
Petaluma "Detroit Soul" Chris Hanson
Portland “Carry You Home” Danny Sohn
Redwood City "Deeper" Nate Walker
Sacramento "Follow Your Heart" Gabriel Ojeda
San Francisco “My Next Life" Megan McLaughlin
San Jose "One Step Closer" Mira Goto
San Rafael "Married Ghosts" Kress Cole
Stockton “Chasing Butterflies” Kelly Fry
Vallejo “Cradle to the Grave” Michael McNevin
There is still time to register for this Up Close and Personal Conference...the only one where you are encouraged to speak directly to our guests! Register Now!