The second of four batches of listener and guest songs for our songwriting challenge 2024 to write a holiday song. Melanie Peterson shared her song All Roads Lead to Christmas. Download the lyrics to follow along. using conventional holiday images in fresh new ways writing melodies that are sing-song and nursery rhyme-like writing with an economic …
Shows
Songwriting Challenge 2024: Listener and Guest Songs Volume 1
Our first batch of listener songs for our songwriting challenge 2024 to write a holiday song. Victor Hathaway shared his song Keeping Christmas. Download the lyrics to follow along. Pulling off a melancholy song on the ukulele Phil was reminded of the songwriter Moondog Changing the lyric and message a bit in your final chorus Steve …
Jimmy Dunne Says, write what you know
Jimmy Dunne Says is a collection of author and songwriter Jimmy Dunne’s best bite-sized stories that Americans everywhere are spreading and sharing. These stories are heartfelt, smart, and thought-provoking, and some will have you absolutely belly-laughing. Some stories about navigating everyday life today, some that take you right back to your childhood days. You’ll see …
Western Songwriting with Nathan Jacques
Hailing from the quiet, wooded, mountain towns of New England, Nathan Jacques is a singer/songwriter now based in Los Angeles, CA. Contrary to his geographical roots, Nathan paints deeply woven narrative stories in cinematic soundscapes that are undeniably and irresistibly Western. Starting with his 2021 debut album, ‘Loud Mind’, Nathan has been building his brand …
“You can jazz too,” says Nancy Blue
Nancy Blue has about 50 songs completed, many of which are similar to “jazz standards”. One person described her song “Darn Good Things” as like a classic Holiday song (not lyrics but melody and chords). But now it’s a new time – she began the jazz focus in 2012, now she’s on to making an …
Songwriting Challenge 2024: Neel’s multicultural approach to his holiday song
For our first host response to our Songwriting Challenge 2024 to write a holiday song, Neel shared the process behind his song Forest for the Trees. Download the lyric/chord sheet to follow along. We talked about: Mystery blobs washing up on Newfoundland shores likely man-made, says scientist | CBC News Listeners, you still have time …
Greg Wyard tells us to not get involved
Greg Wyard’s new song “Don’t Get Involved” is available on all streaming platforms, beginning September 13th, 2024. Inspired by tense moments we all face in daily life —like a heated confrontation on the subway or an episode of road rage —”Don’t Get Involved” explores the dilemma of staying calm versus reacting. With a backdrop of …
18 Songs in 15 Minutes with Amanda Sum
Amanda Sum is a performer and creator who dances between music and theatre. Her latest EP, does it make me naive if i’ve never been part of something where i’ve meant more to them than they did to me?, was released in June 2024, accompanied by a short film featuring 13 directors, which is due …
Writing through Synesthesia with Avery Raquel
Returning recently from Europe, where she performed, and earned her master’s degree in music from Berklee College of Music in Valencia, Spain, Canadian Billboard-charting recording artist and alternative Soul singer Avery Raquel has entertained audiences professionally for over a decade. She’s released 4 solo albums and two EPs now to critical acclaim. Her last self-titled …
Organic Songwriting with Kromatix_
Matthew Isaacs, aka Kromatix_, is a Neo-Soul and R&B singer, songwriter, recording artist, and jazz pianist emanating from Scarborough, Toronto, Canada. Known for his signature style, he blends sublime lyricism with groovy beats, trademark harmonies, and soulful chord progressions that simply compliments his euphonious vocal tones. Sharing his truth where original music and art connect, …
All about the post-chorus
For this special episodes, we talked about songs with a post-chorus. Our songwriting challenge for 2024 to write a holiday song. Please send us your answers to the challenge by November 18! What is a post-chorus? The Post-Chorus, And It’s Unsung Place In Pop Music – Vinyl Me, Please (vinylmeplease.com) The Power of Post-Choruses | …
Sherry Jacoby: working with a producer
Sherry Jacoby is a Toronto, Canada-based singer/songwriter who exercises her passion for telling personal stories through song. She writes indie pop/folk for the romantic heart, combining the influences of Sara Bareilles, Ingrid Michaelson, and Gabrielle Alpin. Sherry’s music story began when her mom taught her piano at a young age. Inspired by her mom’s talent …
Jade Turner: Songwriting without any instruments
Canadian Roots/Americana singer-songwriter, Jade Turner, is a multi-award winning artist whose powerful, soaring voice and masterful storytelling captivates listeners with every song. The 23-time Manitoba Country Music Award nominee, is a member of the Misipawistik Cree Nation and draws deep inspiration from the cultural tradition of storytelling. Her authentic, relatable catalog of music has earned her notable …
How to run a youTube channel with Creative Sauce’s Mike Enjo
Mike Enjo is an Australian Singer Songwriter and Producer. He is the founder of the YouTube channel ‘Creative Sauce’ which has over 140,000 subscribers, and endeavours to open up the world of home recording to old and new musicians alike. We talked about: Our songwriting challenge to write a holiday song – and thanks to …
How to use Declarative Choruses in your songs
In this special episode, we talked about songs that feature a declarative chorus. We talked about: Our songwriting challenge to write a holiday song How declarative choruses tend to show up more in rock songs Our blog post on 7 ways to bring variety to your collection of songs Our guest Jordan Paul and his …
Anne Stott and political rabble-rousing through song
Anne Stott is a singer/songwriter, actor and political rabble rouser who has brought her elastic and enigmatic sound and edgy compassion to audiences along the Eastern Seaboard and beyond for over two decades. Her second album, LOVE NEVER DIES, peaked at #19 on the Relix Magazine radio chart. Water to Blood is a song Anne …
Bad Parade: Working with a Publicist
Kari Zalik is the founder of Bad Parade, a full-service music publicity company specializing in creating custom campaigns for musical artists to secure maximum exposure for their work across television, print, radio, and digital media outlets. We talked about: misconceptions about what services a publicist does or does not provide publicists needs time to build …
Minimalist songwriting with Sarah Tolle
Sarah Tolle is a singer-songwriter and actress based in Vancouver, BC. Her musical style is marked by a genre-bending, freewheeling, eclectic spirit. Her songs emanate a sense of wildness grounded in a timeless, almost ancient sound. They’re inspired by themes of freedom and peace, in compositions that blend house beats, sweeping orchestras, Celtic melodies, and …
Writing a “Sad Banger” with Ian Janes
Despite being known across the globe as an R&B and Soul-Pop focused artist, Ian Janes was a Semi-Finalist on SiriusXM’s Top of The Country contest, and wrote a Blues song on Matt Andersen’s 2023 JUNO nominated Blues album, “Matt Andersen and the Big Bottle of Joy”. His music has been streamed millions of times across …
Singing and writing as a Duo with Monet & Christian
Monet & Christian are an alternative/folk duo hailing from Toronto and Saint John, New Brunswick. Their music focuses on tight harmonies and thoughtful lyrics about finding your place in the world, and draws influences from as many different sources as possible, from Simon and Garfunkel, to Florence + The Machine, to Led Zeppelin, to even …
Writing a song in 3/4 time with Greg Wyard
Greg Wyard is a popular Toronto performer known for his live solo and band performances in and around the Toronto area. He is also an accomplished singer/songwriter who has recently emerged from a few years of dormancy on that front, releasing new songs such as Suddenly Everything’s All Right and Guns and Money, which have …
About the Springtide Music Festival with Tania Joy
Folk-Roots artist Tania Joy is the Co-founder, Executive Director/Artistic Director of Springtide Music Festival, a non-profit organization led by a volunteer team of business leaders and local musicians which draws over 70 acts to various venues from breweries and bistros to bookstores and clothing shops in historic downtown Uxbridge, northeast of Toronto. Springtide recognizes that …
Songwriting Challenge 2024 Launch: Write a holiday song (with Melanie Peterson)
We’re excited to launch our songwriting challenge for 2024 to write an original holiday song. Helping with the launch, singer-songwriter Melanie Peterson picks two of her favourite holiday songs and talks about what makes them great. Check out our dedicated page for the songwriting challenge to write a holiday song, including all our past holiday-themed …
Arranging vocal harmonies with AV and the Inner City
Established in Edmonton’s inner city neighbourhood of McCauley, AV & The Inner City is a recently formed, all-female Soul/Roots vocal group, originating from the weekly collaborative porch concerts put on during the pandemic by multi-award winning local artist AV (Ann Vriend). In a testament to their incredible talent, the diverse group of Edmontonian singers brought …