DAY - 27

Another great day for music.  Kicked it off bright and early (for a musician) with a recording/writing session featuring my good friend and long time co-writer, Eric Schwank.  Eric and I have been through 2 bands and written 3 albums together for 'Fire by Night' and 'My Name is August'.  Over the past year,  we've been getting into writing and recording Country music... we both pull from different influences so when we collaborate we each have something interesting to bring to the table.  Today, we were initially  planning on finishing a demo recording of a tune Eric has been working on but instead got caught up writing something new all day!  The song is called "Are You Picking Up What I'm Putting Down?" Its an upbeat, country rocker that will definitely make you smile... can't wait for you to hear this one! :)

Big thanks to my friend Laura for introducing me to a new contact today!! Thanks to Laura, I emailed Steve Kline from 10th Street Entertainment.  Steve has been a player in the music industry for a long time, having worked at Columbia, Sony and J Records he is now the senior VP of marketing and promotion for 10th Street Ent. in NYC.  I sent Steve an email telling him a bit about myself and my goals and let him know that I'd love to meet or speak more in detail and also give him some music.  If he likes what he hears, Steve is the type of guy who can open doors... (saying my prayers)

***Note:  If you're reading this and know someone that I should contact please let me know!! email me...mynameisaugust@yahoo.com... and I'll contact them tomorrow!  

DAY - 27

Another great day for music.  Kicked it off bright and early (for a musician) with a recording/writing session featuring my good friend and long time co-writer, Eric Schwank.  Eric and I have been through 2 bands and written 3 albums together for 'Fire by Night' and 'My Name is August'.  Over the past year,  we've been getting into writing and recording Country music... we both pull from different influences so when we collaborate we each have something interesting to bring to the table.  Today, we were initially  planning on finishing a demo recording of a tune Eric has been working on but instead got caught up writing something new all day!  The song is called "Are You Picking Up What I'm Putting Down?" Its an upbeat, country rocker that is sure to make you smile... can't wait for you to hear this one! :)

Big thanks to my friend Laura for introducing me to a new contact today!! Thanks to Laura, I emailed Steve Kline from 10th Street Entertainment.  Steve has been a player in the music industry for a long time, having worked at Columbia, Sony and J Records he is now the senior VP of marketing and promotion for 10th Street Ent. in NYC.  I sent Steve an email telling him a bit about myself and my goals and let him know that I'd love to meet or speak more in detail and also give him some of music.  If he likes what he hears, Steve is the type of guy who can open some doors... (saying my prayers)

***Note:  If you're reading this and know someone that I should contact please let me know!! email me...mynameisaugust@yahoo.com... and I'll contact them tomorrow!  

DAY - 26

Great day for music!   Got together with my fellow 'Sweet Angeline' co-writers, Liv Devine and Tyler James, for a killer writing session.  I'm really pumped about the new tunes we've been working on.  Can't wait to demo some of the new stuff.

Today I followed up with Downtown Music publisher, Jeremy Yohai (refer to Day 3) thanking him for his advice about Nashville and basically just keeping in touch.  Once again, Jeremy is a super nice guy who goes above and beyond to listen and offer his expertise.

I also decided to follow up with Rob Chiarelli. (contact I made last November at a convention in LA)  Rob is an insanely successful producer and mixing engineer in LA with credits like (Christina Aguilera, Leann Rimes, Will Smith, Madonna) just to name a few!  Check him out here www.finalmix.com.  At the convention,  I was lucky enough to get my song (Half the Girl) pulled to be screened in front of a panel of judges...Rob ended up really digging the song and asked for a copy!  So today I followed up and sent him some new stuff I've been working on.

Listen to 'Half the Girl'  http://mynameisaugust.bandcamp.com/track/half-the-girl

Stay tuned!

DAY - 25

Emailed a company called Sharp Objects Publishing www.sharpobject.com today.  I was referred to this company by a promoter in Nashville named 'Big Al'.  We met Big Al at Renegade Radio.  He seemed like a nice enough guy and pretty well connected.

Sharp Objects acts as a middle man b/t the songwriter and publishing companies.  They act as a representative and 'pitch' your songs to artists, tv & film and other bigger publishing companies.  The street name for this is called 'song plugging'.

I was told to be weary of certain song pluggers but this company came highly recommended. We'll see what happens!

DAY - 24

I heard back from one of the listings on MusicXray already! (refer to day 23)  They did not select my song.  "This is not quite what we're seeking"... was the automated response.  Aahh the bitter sting of rejection.  As tough as my skin has become over of the years, 'NO' still feels a lot worse than 'YES'.

What do you do when you fall off the horse, take your bruised ego and go home? Absolutely NOT...you get back on!  So today I submitted to another listing.  This one was for a Publishing/Licensing firm in LA looking for songs for TV, Film and Advertising.  I submitted the song I wrote and recorded for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America called 'Start of Something Good".  I have a deal set up with BBBS so that a % of all sales from the song will be donated back to the company. Any exposure of this song will be great in more ways than one!  If you haven't heard it you can take a listen here... http://mynameisaugust.bandcamp.com/track/start-of-something-good

Anyway, I was just finishing a new song called, "Love & Rock n' Roll' gonna get back to it while the creative juices are flowing.  Hopefully I'll have a demo to show you in the near future.  Cheers!

DAY - 23

Batten the hatches, pull in the porch furniture and make sure there's plenty of food and booze in the fridge...Hurricane Irene is a coming!  In light of the approaching storm I figured I would get my networking done earlier today.

I did, in fact, check into MusicXray.com.  I spoke with some knowledgeable sources, did some research of my own and from what I gather it is a pretty legit operation.  So here's how it works... Music industry professionals (i.e. Label A&R reps, Publishers, Licensing Firms, Songwriters) post listings on the site looking for something specific. For example,

Songs For Artist on Epic Records 
I will be assisting Epic to search for songs for a young artist who sounds somewhere between Ke$ha and Shakira. Must have attitude! Submit your best and if it's right I will share with the VP of A&R at Epic.


I decided to take a chance so I submitted to a few listings today.  One was for a Warner Chappell published songwriter looking to collaborate and the other was a country label called Show Dog (founded by Toby Keith) looking for songs and new artists.  I should hear back within 2 weeks so I'll keep you posted!  


If your on the east coast like me...STAY SAFE!

DAY - 22

So still in the spirit of contacting artists/management directly,  I contacted Mission Management today.  Let me properly explain... Mission Mgmt represents country stars Danny Gokey and Darryl Worley.  I've written a song I think would be a great fit for Darryl Worley's voice, image and personality. (In other words, he would kill it!)  The song is called "Love Takes Work".  You can listen to my acoustic demo here  http://mynameisaugust.bandcamp.com/track/love-takes-work-demo

Since there's no direct contact for Darryl himself, I'm attempting to get the song to him via his management. I've heard this tactic works sometimes (studies show that 60% of the time, it works every time) We shall see :)

In other news, I've stumbled across a new company called MusicXray www.musicxray.com It seems as though they post listings for professional publishers / songwriters / labels looking for songs.  I'll be looking into this site some more tonight to see if its legit.

DAY - 21

Took a long shot today and emailed big time hit producer Chris Lindsey.  Chris Lindsey has produced HUGE acts such as Rascal Flatts, Adam Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler, Kenny Chesney...and the list goes on and on. (he's incredible just google him)

I've written a couple songs that I think would be perfect for acts such as Kellie Pickler and Adam Lambert... so I was doing some research trying to figure out how I might go about getting these songs to them. Low and behold I found that Chris has produced BOTH of them!  It must be fate lol.

  I decided to give it a shot.  Told Chris about the tunes and my intentions and politely asked if he could listen / offer any advice.  I'm waiting patiently for his reply ; )

DAY - 20

Made it to day 20!  Only 345 days left to go.

Just sent an email out to major hit songwriter Jason Blume (Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Collin Raye, Jesse McCartney, etc.) telling him about a brand new song idea/concept that I would like to write with him.  

Now this is a long shot considering I am technically a 'no name' songwriter (unless we're counting family and friends, to whom I'm the biggest thing since sliced bread) and Jason Blume is a published writer with major hits!  Nonetheless,  the song idea is absolutely perfect for him to co-write on so at the risk of being rejected or ignored I'm throwing it out there.

Also emailed Steve Goodie from Pitch Perfect recording in Nashville.  Steve is a super-talented songwriter/recording engineer who also happens to run the 'writer's night' at Bluebird Cafe.  www.pitchperfectrecording.com 


***If you are reading this and think you may have someone I should contact...please let me know and I'll do it tomorrow!  mynameisaugust@yahoo.com

DAY - 19

Today was spent following up with the majority of contacts I made in Nashville this past week.  My fingers are now tired from sending a slew of 'thank you' emails, 'remember me?' emails, and 'look forward to seeing you again soon' emails.  But in all seriousness,  I met and hung out with some amazing and unforgettable people this trip. People that we're willing to share they're precious time and experience with me.  Now, I just have to stay on the radar.  I am truly one step closer to my goal. Cheers!

DAY - 18

Yesterday was a busy day to say the least!  Didn't get back until 1am, fell asleep, woke up, jumped on a plane and I am now back in good old NJ. (hence the reason this entry is late...my apologies)  So where do I start... oh right... ASCAP.  After being brushed off all week from the folks at ASCAP, me and the team decided to show our persistance and determination by walking right in and trying to get a    meeting. (this did not go as planned)  They told us that everyone was in meetings all day and gave us the polite southern brush off... have a great day and "God Bless".  We took it in stride, it just wasn't meant to be ;)

Then it was off to the radio station where DJ, Kaptain Jack, featured us on-air again!  This time we performed a live version of our song "Remeber The Summer Nights" (I'll be posting video of this soon)

From the radio station, it was straight to Starbucks to meet Barbara Cloyd (Nashville Hit songwriter and Host of Bluebird Cafe's famous open mic night).  This is where the night got good :)  Barbara, being the amazing person that she is, decided that we could skip the 2 HOUR, 100 person line that had formed outside Bluebird and come right in with her through the back door!! ROCK STARS!  She even gave us a great time-slot to play our songs!  As icing on the cake, J Fred Knobloch (refer to day 14) showed up to hang and check out our set.  After the show, Barbara told us to call her to set up a writing session with her next time we were in town! 

After Bluebird, we were starving and decided to grab a late dinner.  Just so happens the resturant was holding "Lady Songwriters Night".  So Tyler James and I basically forced Liv Devine to get up with us and perform a couple "Sweet Angeline" www.sweetangelinemusic.com songs. (Thanks Liv!)  Unfortunately, the kitchen closed before we got done... so we left with the adrenline of an awesome set but still hungry.

Finally, we found a little 24 hour joint, got some food, went back to the hotel and passed out.  Perfect end to an amazing trip.  Can't wait to go back.  I'll be doing some follow ups today so stay tuned.

Tyler James:  www.Mrtylerjames.bandcamp.com  Liv Devine: www.livdevine.com

DAY - 17

Nashville is quiet on Sunday's.  Not much to do/attend for the capacity of networking.   Today me and the team lounged by the pool, enjoyed the city, ate great food, rehearsed and even did some writing!  Tyler was able to send an email to his entertainment lawyer to see if she had any other contacts we could reach out to while we're here.  Most of the day was spent planning for tomorrow...our last full day in TN. Shaping up to be an amazing Monday so stay tuned!

Goodnight Nash-Vegas!

DAY - 16

Pretty laid back Saturday in Tennessee... went to the famous 'Pancake Pantry' waited in line for an hour but it was completely worth it.   After filling up on buckwheat pancakes and coffee we decided to visit the beautiful Arrington Vineyards Winery (owned by Kix Brookes from Brooks & Dunn)...absolutely breathtaking!

On the way back from the winery I got a hold of Barbara Cloyd (refer to day 1) ... finally!  We set up a meeting at Starbucks for Monday.  Barbara is an amazing songwriter and very respected in the Nashville scene... looking forward to meeting with her!

Then it was off to dinner... (This is starting to sound like a food blog)   I just have to plug a little place called  'City House'.  It was incredible to say the least.  If you're ever in Nashville do yourself a favor and order the Catfish + Linguini and Mussels. 

DAY - 15

This was probably the most power-packed day of networking to date!   I could probably fill 2 pages with everything that happened today but at the risk of boring you to death I'll try to keep it short. (Besides, its 1:30am and I am in need of sleep)  Let's role the highlight reel....

2pm:  Went to Starbucks, got coffee, ended up stumbling into a convo with the nice young man at the cash register who has just happened to sign a publishing deal with Rebel One publishing in LA!  Needless to say, we exchanged info and already contacted via Twitter (aaahh the modern convenience of  social media)

3pm: Played a live radio interview with my good friend and co-writer Liv Devine at Nashville's Renegade Radio right on Music Row!  The DJ, Kaptain Jack, played a couple of Liv's new songs then asked her to do a live in studio performance....so she invited myself and Tyler James on-air with her and we played "Cupcakes & Wine"!  www.sweetangelinemusic.com  He invited us back this Monday!


5pm: Tried to reach out to Anthony Smith (met him at Tin Roof on Wednesday refer to Day 13) about possible co-writing...  Gave him a CD so hopefully he calls...

9:30pm  Went to the world famous Bluebird Cafe www.bluebirdcafe.com to see J Fred Knobloch play a true Nashville style 'writers in the round' concert. (4 songwriters sit in a circle and each writer plays one song at a time while the others contribute musically and/or vocally) This was truly the highlight of the day!  Fred played with 3 other heavy-weight singer/songwriters and it was just one incredible song after another.  It was truly a humbling experience.  After the show,  we talked to Fred and he said he was going to help us get a spot to play at Bluebird on Monday.  Keeping our fingers crossed!!

1:50am  going to sleep...goodnight

DAY - 14

Today me and the team (refer to day 13) met with HIT songwriter J Fred Knobloch for a co-writing session. Fred has written for Faith Hill, Garth Brooks, George Straight and a laundry list of others! We all hit it off and came up with some great song ideas! Definitely looking forward to another session.  Fred also really enjoyed some of the stuff we'd already written and offered to help us make some connections here in Nashville!  (That was huge)  There's no one better to let you in the door than someone who's already inside :)    Feeling blessed...

After the session we shot straight back to the hotel room, got ready and hit the open mic scene. (In Nashville, open mic nights are where you make a name for yourself)  Puckett's Grocery www.puckettsgrocery.com was an unassuming restaurant/grocery store with a great vibe, amazing BBQ and a killer open mic crowd.  Our first performance as "Sweet Angeline' was a SMASH!  (made some serious connections and we were offered a full night's gig)  From there, we headed over to The Commodore which was a swanky little club nestled right in the lobby of a Holiday Inn.  We ended up playing dead last for about 5 drunk people. Life is like a box of chocolates....well... you know the rest.

DAY - 13

First day in Nashville was amazing!  I flew in with my (incredibly supportive) girlfriend, Susie,  as well as my good friends and 'Sweet Angeline' co-writers  Liv Devine www.livdevine.com and Tyler James www.mrtylerjames.bandcamp.com.  We tackled the first day hard core with a publisher/songwriter critique hosted by major songwriters  and publishers Michael Martin and Dale Bobo.  We ended up pitching each song "Remember the Summer Nights" "Cupcakes & Wine" and  'I Swear  to You" and they loved them! We gave Michael Martin a cd and hope to schedule a meeting before we leave!

Then it was off to dinner and the Jeffery Steel concert.  (Jeffery Steel is the face behind tons and tons of hit country songs including the Rascal Flatts smash "What Hurts the Most").  Needless to say it was amazing!  Met some people there ...will be following up!

new songs posted:  www.sweetangelinemusic.com  

DAY - 12

Bachelor party in Montreal is over... now where were we?  Oh yeah, just sent an email to all connections made so far in Nashville.  Trip starts tomorrow!!  I'll be updating the blog daily with all that is going on.  So stay tuned and wish me luck!

Nashville here we come :)

DAY - 11

In Montreal, Canada on my best friend's bachelor party for the weekend.  So networking will be sparse.  I was able to do some research on publishing companies in Nashville and sent emails out to 2 big name places Curb records and Average Joe's.  These emails might go unopened because they're unsolicited...but I'm working on getting some solid names for these places.

Other news!   Check out my new side project "Sweet Angeline"  www.sweetangelinemusic.com 

*Its a contemporary country/pop group and songwriting team I started with my good friends and co-writers Tyler James & Liv Devine... take a listen and let me know what you think!

DAY - 10

I called back Jeremy Yohai, Downtown Music Publisher, (refer to Day 3) and we ended up talking for a while.  Really awesome guy, super nice and very informative!  He introduced me to a bunch of options for music and gave me insight to what major publishers are looking for...(actually it more or less finds them from what I now understand)  He told me to forward him some links to my music so he can check it out further and possibly forward to some contacts he knows who might be interested.  Overall, great conversation.  Hoping to stay on the radar.

Side note:  If you're reading and think you may know someone I should contact let me know!!  I'll do it tomorrow.

Cheers!

DAY - 9

Alright, just registered for a songwriter / publisher pitch session at ASCAP head quarters in Nashville on August 17th with a pro songwriter and major publisher.

"What the hell's a pitch session" You ask?    A pitch session is a bunch of hopeful songwriters in one room typically hosted by a pro songwriter and a publisher.  Each writer gets to pitch (play their song through a CD player) for the pro songwriter and publisher.  Usually they'll listen for about 1-2minutes and decide if they want to keep the song or give it back.  If they keep it, that's great news because it means they like it, might have a deal in mind and want to listen more in depth.  If they give it back, they might offer advice on how to improve the song or simply let you know that they have no use for this type of song.   Basically, its a nerve racking 1-2minutes listening to your hard work on the chopping block...if you believe in your song and are up for critiques its not too bad though.  The sweet taste of success isn't as sweet without the sting of rejection.

Keep your fingers crossed!

DAY - 8

Sent a demo out to Creative Services at Nashville's ASCAP location in hopes of getting a meeting with a pro songwriter or even a publisher while I'm in town August 17th-23rd.  Working on setting up more meetings / performances right now...

Also, just sent some new material to Audiosocket (company that licensed "Memento" with Hyatt Hotels)...Let's keep those deals coming!

DAY - 7

So, if you've been keeping up, a couple days ago my song "Start of Something Good" went national with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.  Today, to follow up the great news, I contacted the head marketing VP at BBBS head quarters about using the song in their TV and Radio spots.  Keeping my fingers crossed!  

Since its a Sunday there's not too much I can do in the way of contacting people so I did some research for the upcoming week. Found some publishing companies in Nashville that look promising!

Also, (if anyone is reading this) if you have a contact for me to reach out too... I will do it THAT day!  Anyone and everyone in the music biz is game.  my email is mynameisaugust@yahoo.com Cheers!

DAY - 6

Nice little Saturday...while hanging out by the pool I contacted Lisa Johnson and Brooke Primont from Razor and Tie Music Publishing.  www.razorandtiemusicpublishing.com  I met Lisa and her husband Doug in L.A. at a music convention back in November.  They were SUPER cool and really gave me the time of day  (I basically stalked them before getting the nerve to strike up conversation).  Razor and Tie is an awesome New York Publishing company and love to get my foot in the door!

I also called Jeremy (refer Day 5)  got his voicemail and left a message.

Gotta gig in West Chester PA tonight @ an Italian wine bar called Teca.  3 hours of playing cover music and getting yelled at by drunk people to "play MY song".  Come hang out if you're around town!

Day - 5

Feeling super blessed today!  Just got word that "Memento" from My Name is August's debut album '8' has been picked up and licensed by Hyatt Hotels to be played in their hotel bars and lobby's around the country!!  Cheers to Eric Schwank (writer) for penning an amazing song.
Listen http://mynameisaugust.bandcamp.com/track/memento

Also, Jeremy from Downtown Music (refer to Day 3) got back to me today and told me to give him a call! Gonna follow up tomorrow...

Today I contacted hit songwriter Jason Blume for some tips on my trip to Nashville as well as to ask about recording studios he recommends.  Been writing A LOT of Country tunes lately and need a good Nashville studio to cut some authentic demos.

DAY - 4

Today a family friend gave me the contact information for an entertainment lawyer in the area -  Excited to explore this new opportunity!

Other great news..the song I wrote for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Burlington, Camden & Gloucester Counties has gone national!!! Check out the song and video on youtube http://youtu.be/FBQXJ-1ibjc

Also discovered SPONY...( http://www.sponyonline.com/ )..a group that allows songwriters to pitch their songs to a panelist in New York City!

DAY - 3

BIG day! A couple highlights...

Started off the morning the right way....wrote a new song with my good friend and long time bandmate Eric Schwank.  Its an uptempo, country, rocker called "My America" intended for a Trace Adkins, Josh Turner, Brooks and Dunn type of act.  Check out the rough demo we cut this morning! http://mynameisaugust.bandcamp.com/track/my-america-demo

Booked a writing session with HIT songwriter, J Fred Knobloch!!  J Fred has been such an inspiration over the years, getting to write with him is a huge honor.  Check out his endless list of amazing songs and career highlights  www.jfredknobloch.com

Finally, to close out the day, I emailed Downtown Music publisher Jeremy Yohai.  Jeremy is an incredible publisher with a wealth of knowledge. We met about a month ago at a songwriting seminar and I'm hoping to get on his radar.

Day 3 is donzo and just in the nick of time!

DAY - 2

I opened for John Eddie back in Winter 2011.  Just contacted him and his road manager Carol via email today.  Hoping they know someone I can contact in Nashville.

John Eddie is an AMAZING singer-songwriter... Kid Rock just cut one of his songs called "Forty" (Its pretty bad ass!)  Check him out  www.johneddie.com

I also contacted Ritchie Rubini, a Philly producer & songwriter who used to be in the band The Caulfields.  He has recently started a music placement company that places songs in TV and Film. Hoping to make a connection.

I know its only Day 2 but already feeling good about this :)

DAY - 1

Today is August 1st. Just so happens to be the day my grandpop was born, his first name was August. The name was passed down to my dad who in turn passed it down to me.  I thought this was the perfect day to start this adventure.  So let's keep this short and simple.

Today I emailed Barbara Cloyd, Nashville songwriter and booking agent at the world famous Bluebird Cafe, (where Taylor Swift got signed) in hopes of booking a showcase gig while I'm in Nashville Aug. 17th-23rd.  I also bought tickets to see the famous songwriter, Jeffrey Steele (basically wrote every Rascal Flatts smash hit!) perform at the Tin Roof in Nashville.   I was given a tip that this would be a great night/place for networking.  I'll let you know how it goes.  Cheers!