On this program Bruce, Neel, and Phil, (and Linda) each brought a three-chord song to share. We looked at what each song needed to do (if anything) to compensate for the lack of chord diversity. We talked about: Now You’re Leaving by Bruce Harrott The Joker by The Steve Miller Band BBC by Ming Tea Street Spirit …
The Song Talk Team reviews songwriting apps, with special guest Allister Bradley, who went above the call of duty and showed up on crutches! Listen to the show We talked about: MasterWriter – a lyric-writing app with built-in thesaurus and rhyming dictionary Music Memos – like having a back up band in your pocket! GuitarTuna – …
The team shares tips on the different ways you can start a song. Starting from a bass line Starting with a beat Starting with chords Starting with a lyric or melodic hook Guitarists Picture Chord Encyclopedia Listen to the show
Eric Walker is a singer/songwriter from Toronto and a member of the blakeley walker band. He was a founding member of the Toronto Songwriters Association which has met the second Saturday of the month for the past 17 years. We talked about: playing Harry Belafonte songs on the ukulele writing a song with 47 chords …
Toronto native Marlon Chaplin returned to Song Talk Radio following the release of his new album, The Circle. He was joined by Sintja Baba for a live performance of Take Me There. Patrick Ballantyne filled in for Bruce – thanks Patrick! We talked about: The recording process, and pre-production Starting a song with a simple …
Maybe you didn’t ask for it but we did it anyway – the 90’s song draft – this time with Canadian songwriters. Blair Packham sat in for a sick Bruce, Vanessa joined the gang for her song picks, and much fun was had. Of the many writers of the Great White North, here are a …
Julian Taylor is a Canadian singer-songwriter formerly with the band Staggered Crossing. His songs have appeared in television series including Degrassi: The Next Generation. He now fronts the Julian Taylor Band. Julian dropped by the studio with his daughter Ella. We talked about: Skookum Music Festival, Vancouver Basic core band members together for 24 years! Music …
Virtuoso harmonica player and singer-songwriter Harpin’ Norm Lucien joined us to talk about two of his songs and why you need many, many harmonicas, ideally on a Batman-style utility belt. Sherry Jacoby filled in for Neel – thanks Sherry! We talked about: how to write simple songs that are also nuanced and have substance starting your …
Songwriter Richard Hunting and songwriter guitarist David Meirovich met at the Songwriters Meetup and started to work together. Listen to the show: What we talked about: Collaborating strategies Artist website: https://www.facebook.com/RichardHuntingMusic/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RichardHunting95 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo-WaQPdbGHA3A-zEr9aKRQ SoundCloud / MySpace: https://soundcloud.com/richardhunting And-I-Will-Do Lyrics All-Alone Lyrics
Composer, singer-songwriter, and piano virtuoso Jeff Alan Greenway joined us to talk about musical modes — what they are and how they are used in songs. Jeff went through each mode and sang a well-known song live with his piano. Listen to the whole show: Additional resources about modes: https://ledgernote.com/columns/music-theory/musical-modes-explained/ http://openmusictheory.com/scales2.html http://openmusictheory.com/popRockHarmony-EverettSystem2.html Here’s an easy to …
The Songwriters Association of Canada (S.A.C.) is a Canadian organization dedicated exclusively to Canadian composers, lyricists and songwriters. Their mission is to develop and protect the creative and business environments for songwriters in Canada and around the world. Have a listen to Patrick Ballantyne, Chairman of the Board, Mike, Music Marketing Coordinator and Shri, International Communications Coordinator, …
Carmen Toth stopped by to play our first attempt at a “Best Songs of the 80’s” Draft! Phil’s better half, Heather, volunteered to keep score: Bruce 8, Carmen 9, Neel 9, Phil 9. Listen to the episode: Let us know your fav 80s songs, and be sure to check out this super interesting video about …
Toronto singer/songwriter Michael Thorner dropped by the studio for a chat about his music. He brought two catchy tunes from his recent webcast/album release The ehMTee Show; Don’t Let it Go and Point Edward Fair. We talked about: chamber/orchestral pop Point Edward, Ontario church organist at 10! Mouth Congress (Scott Thompson & Paul Bellini) Marker …
OK, so we’ve got a thing for the cowbell. Or maybe that was just Phil. In any case, the under-appreciated cowbell gets the most love it’s had since Christopher Walken’s fever. We talked about: the history and distinctive sound of the cowbell the heyday of the cowbell in 70s rock syncopated vs. straight rhythms the …
Satellites front man and singer songwriter Fergus Hambleton stopped by and shared some reggae influenced tunes. Listen to the show: Watch the live performance:
Teen-aged jazz/soul superstar Avery Raquel joined us to talk about moving from covers of jazz standards to her own blend of jazz and soul to better connect with her audience. We talked about: Jazz standards by Chet Baker, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra Listening to songs analytically Tension and release in a song …
Okay, so you’re talented singer/songwriter and you’ve recorded a few tunes. Now you’d like to get some media attention to promote you and your music. In this value-rich hour, Phil explains some of the things you must NEVER do, and some the things that will work. We talked about: do NOT send e-mail blasts customized …
What a pleasure to have Dokter Nomi back in the studio to share his hooky pop tunes. This time, one of them was produced by our very own Neel Modi. During the show we talked about: the songwriting process (melodies first) starting with stories and poetry music scene in Kamloops, BC Louie, Louie how to …
For a special Father’s Day episode, we invited father and son Allister Bradley and Sean Bertram to share their experiences working on music together and independently. Friend of the show Dave Miner filled in for Neel – thanks Dave! We talked about: Sean starting out with piano lessons, Guitar Hero and Rockband Allister finding the …
Songwriter Dean Hajas stopped by and talked about grabbing inspiration and making a career in music. We talked about Dana-Keith-Dean-Hajas-22I-Cry22 lyrics Secure Our Streaming Rates and Royalties 4 Canadian Musicians Song creation strategies Pushing yourself Recommended reading: The Talent Code: Greatness Isnt Born. Its Grown. Heres How. The importance of expanding your world and networking Listen …
Toronto-based hip hop recording artist iLLvibe dropped by to share his music and his thoughts. Runner up to Drake for Toronto Rapper of the Year in 2016 and winner on “Canada’s Smartest Person” it was indeed an entertaining and informative hour! We talked about: vocal delivery style Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliot, Q-Tip, Grand Master Flash flows, patterns, and rhythms …
Good friend, manic composer, and musically big brained Frank Horvat joined us to talk all about key modulations, with three example songs. We talked about: the difference between borrowing chords and modulation chromatic alteration, where a single semi-tone difference can change the contour of your chord progression referring to the circle of fifths to see …
Songwriter DAHLIA stopped by after her tour in India to talk songwriting. Listen to the episode: What we talked about: How do you start a song? Are “hooks” teachable? Pulling apart your fav songs Getting Funding from the government Falling in love with your demo’s Jule’s first single Rick Beato “Why makes this song great?” …
It was Canadian Mental Health Week‘s 66th year and we thought we’d put a spotlight on songs that talk about the challenges of maintaining mental health. This year’s hashtag is #getloud. For this special show, we had guest host Adi Aman from Beige Shelter, and four songs that talk about mental health. We talked about: Beige …
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