Music by which to eat lunch

In an effort to promote culinary commerce, music-centered community and grammatical correctness, singer/songwriter Mark Kelly Hall will provide “music by which to eat lunch” at the Mudpie Restaurant & Coffeehouse on Saturday, June 5. The acoustic show begins at 11:30 am and continues until around 1:30. Admission is free.

Hall is a native of the Chattanooga area and now lives in Nashville. He addresses topics such as love, faith and the 70's, with an approach that is often humorous but always serious. His songs reflect the spiritual heritage of the Bible-belt South, combined with a lifelong fascination with American pop culture, and seasoned by his experiences in places far away from his native Tennessee. He performs an eclectic blend of acoustic folk/pop originals and favorites, flavored with congeniality, personal insight, and a touch of country blues.

Mudpie Restaurant
12 Frazier Ave
Chattanooga, TN 37405
Phone: 423-267-9043

Facts v. Truth

Cool.

I would've captured a screenshot that didn't feature the depressing "game over" but of course that would've required interrupting progress in the game. Which reminds me, did'ja ever notice that in movies and TV shows, players were usually shown ending a game with a big win, loud bells and cheering from the sidelines? Which showed that the creators of the movies and TV shows were either clueless about how these games normally end (in a loss of the final virtual life, or ship, or ostrich, or whatever, and a more subdued celebration of the score), or they didn't think enough viewers knew it and would be confused.

It's an odd feature of storytelling that sometimes the facts have to be manipulated in order to present the truth more effectively. Songwriters do it all the time. Not to mention producers of "reality TV." Guess it depends on the situation as to when "storytelling" becomes "lying," even in an entertainment context (director Oliver Stone, self-proclaimed "former Satanist" Mike Warnke, Milli Vanilli...any other examples come to mind?). I suspect there are some scientists using this principle to justify their public statements regarding global climate change. Which is why it's harder and harder to accept anything I hear from either side of the argument. Although those who claim graphs to be irrefutable proof and use terms like climate change deniers" (thereby subtly casting their opposition in the same category as Holocaust deniers) definitely reduce their credibility in my eyes.

At least with Pac-Man, there's no doubt who the enemy is. No wonder it's been such a popular game; we may not know when it will end, but at least we know how.

A Simple Choice

I watched the film You’ve Got Mail last night on TV. Shutup.

Anyway, I have to admit I enjoyed it this time around about as much as the first couple of times I saw it. Shutup.

There is one scene—scene transition, actually (I took a film class in college)--that impressed me the first time around and stuck with me.

It’s where the little bookstore has closed, and Kathleen Kelly’s dream, the only life she’s known, has died with it, and all is dark and dreary and sad in the winter night. Fade to black. Then fade into blue sky, trees blossoming along the sidewalk. The hope of new life (and love?) returning. Springtime in New York.

I think I would’ve caught the significance even without the film class. It’s pretty obvious, actually. Textbook. Downright corny, even. (This ain’t Ingmar Bergman, folks).

But then, a lot of good things in life are obvious, textbook and corny. For example, I have fond memories of family holiday gatherings where my grandmother cooked a big turkey meal and stayed so busy fussing that she seldom sat down to the table where we were all crammed in (and loving it), catching glimpses of the Lions playing on TV, and chatting up a storm…followed by the men mostly relaxing, the women mostly cleaning up and the kids amusing themselves as they do. And on our departure, my mother saying “Y’all come to see us,” and the liturgical response of “Y’all come see US,” knowing they probably wouldn’t come see each other until next holiday at grandmother’s, and would probably be OK with it.

Obvious. Textbook. Corny, even. But I wouldn’t trade it for “cool” at all (although I admit the Christmas dinner I had on a Hawaii hotel terrace watching the waves with new friends was pretty nice, too. But that’s beside my point).

In so many films, by contrast to this Hanks/Ryan gem, so much of the budget is dedicated to special effects and so little on character and story (I’m talking to you, Transformers and the latter Star Wars films), that they feel more like roller coasters than movies. And leave me cold. If I want thrill rides, I’ll take my great-niece to Lake Winnepesaukah again and try to forget how even welded steel can break and metal bolts can fail and turn a good time into the next YouTube horror show. (But it was fun, Katelyn, really. Although next time I may take a kid who’s too short for certain rides).

“Cool” (whatever that may mean to you at the moment) is hard to maintain (and expensive to produce, usually). It’s exhausting to keep up with it. Which is why I don’t really regret missing out on “Lost” (I didn’t think it was a good idea to watch a plane crash every week before I went to Africa in 2004, and I never caught up). What is “alternative” today is on the shelves at Wal-Mart tomorrow, at rollback prices. And if you have to make a lot of effort to attain cool, you’ve already failed. Part of maturity is learning to own your tastes and preferences, and not feel pressured to conform to the trends. I believe those who are brave enough to “embrace the corny” in their own lives and in others’ are happier (in contrast with those Goth people—so much makeup!). And eventually the deeper things in a person’s life may surface of their own accord, expressed in a natural eloquence and simplicity and originality. As a songwriter I can say from experience that “simple but meaningful” is an achievement. This is not to be confused, by the way, with “simplistic”—that would refer to an incomplete expression of an idea, where “simple” implies wholeness with brevity.

I’m not saying every choice should be for the obvious (see the previous post); we just shouldn’t be afraid to make it if it’s right.

Unfortunately, TV people are bound by the obligation to show commercials and look for places where they can go to breaks without violating the flow of the material. Given that most directors stay up long nights (and keep many other people up with them) considering and reconsidering how they’ve arranged every second of their work, if you ask them, they’d probably say finding good places for commercials in their films is a little like finding the right time during a eulogy to pass gas. In the case of You’ve Got Mail, inevitably the commercial comes right at the aforementioned fade to black (TV people are masters of the obvious choice—been there, done that), and by the time the ads are over, the uplifting effect of the coming of Spring is fairly diluted, if not destroyed. But thanks to Netflix, this is an easily avoided problem. So look for it, and you’ll see what I mean.


Or am I thinking of Sleepless In Seattle? When Harry Met Sally? Oh, well, you get the point. Shutup.

How to write better songs sooner

This list may sound a little harsh or negative, and I certainly don’t claim to have “arrived” as a songwriter myself (commercially or otherwise), but I have learned a few things over the years through both experience and observation, and I believe this may save some folks a step or two in writing better songs sooner. Take it as you will.

HOW TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM THINKING THIS IS THE FIRST SONG YOU EVER WROTE (especially if it is):

Don’t start out with any version of the phrase “I woke up this morning.”

Don’t include any of these phrases:
“walking down the street”
“walking down the road”
“trav’ling down this road”
“down on my knees, I’m begging you please”

Don’t rhyme “heart” with “start” or “part.”

Don’t say “inside my heart” when you mean “in my heart” and need an extra syllable.

Better, don’t use the word “heart” at all if you can help it (I think you can).

Don’t refer to the “feelings inside”—where the heck else would they be?

Better, avoid using the word "feelings" at all.

Don’t write about rain, especially as a metaphor for emotions, blessings, etc. Don’t even THINK of comparing rain to tears.

Don’t refer to dreams or flying, or even flying in your dreams.

Don’t rhyme “fire” with “desire.” Best to stay away from both words altogether.

Pick just about any line from the song “Amazed” by Lonestar…and don’t use it.

Don’t use words that neither you nor anyone you know whose first language is English would use in real life, just to make a rhyme and/or fill a space (unless you can do it with a wink). Desperation shows.

Don’t put the emPHAsis on the wrong sylLAble just to make it scan. That’s cheating (I’m talking to you, John Rich & Gretchen Wilson…”keepin’ it counTREE” indeed!).

Never mind that even the best of writers will ignore some or all these guidelines at some point. Some (even many) people have even had success doing it; but you’re not them. Yet. But if you make an effort to write fresh lyrics about real stuff, preferably from your own life, you’ll be one step closer. And at least your song will irritate the rest of us that much less. So until you can laugh with recognition at this article, then it’s for you. Please abide by it. You'll thank me later.

NOTE: This list does not apply to rap. No one expects rap lyrics to be good—at least not in the same way. Or anything close to it.

And praise lyrics are another level of discussion as well. Not because they're above criticism--just the opposite, I think--but because there are so many praise songs that show so little effort at maintaining any kind of lyrical standard, it's hard to know where to start. Besides, the people who write praise songs are often under the impression that their work is directly "inspired" (despite strong evidence to the contrary), so any analysis comes across as a spiritual attack or at best makes one sound like a cynical old coot. Assembling a random collection of religious and quasi-romantic phrases and setting them to music is not strictly "songwriting" in my view, but God uses the foolish to confound the wise, so who knows. God bless us all.


P.S.: On a positive note: there are many popular songs we could use as a standard to measure the quality of our lyrics. One that is way up there in my book is "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses" written by Gene Nelson & Paul Nelson and recorded by Kathy Mattea. This is possibly THE perfect country song; one of 'em, anyway. It's simple, it's emotionally provocative, and it illustrates the theme (of the man's "countdown" to his ultimate goal of retiring to be with his wife) in a subtle way that is not just clever--it's brilliant. Eighteen...dozen...ten...four. Brilliant.

I'd be interested to hear what songs anyone else would put in either category of cliched or sublime.

Waterworks...and the opposite

Here's the reason I was off from work unexpectedly today...and will be tomorrow...and will continue to be for who knows how long.

The office is most likely OK; it's well above the waterline; just half a block down 3rd Ave. from the Davidson County Court House and public square (between the extended paths of the two bridges in the middle of this picture, on the right side of the river).

Our usual parking lot (on the other side of the river, also between the bridges, between the round white storage tanks and the stadium in this picture) is underwater. It doesn't drain well at the best of times, so this is no surprise to me.

For my part, I can't help thinking I could get a lot done if I could find a place to park and get in. Assuming the power's on. However, there's a lot going on and we're not quite essential enough to be allowed in. (I'm choosing not to take that personally). So we're on forced vacation; no complaints here, given the impact this flood is having on so many.

The big project coming up this week was to print the annual budget to be presented to the Mayor. Don't know if that will be postponed...but I have a feeling the numbers would need to be adjusted significantly if it is to reflect the new economic reality the flooding has brought to the city and county. Or they could leave it like it is...making it more like MY budgets...over-optimistic and not necessarily based on reality!

Spent some time and energy helping a couple of friends clear some wet stuff from their garage. Glad to be able to offer a little help to someone...yet it's a drop in the bucket (so to speak) compared to how much more there is to be done.

Just ran across this video of a fish caught by the same friends' neighbors yesterday...shoulda brought our nets!



People have made the statement "Well, we'll be able to tell our grandkids how we experienced this." Can't say that thrills me; even if that's true (it assumes there won't be events that eclipse it...we'll leave that discouraging thought for later) I'd trade that privilege for a retelling of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" if it meant this had never happened. The kids would probably not be listening anyway without a fullblown multimedia presentation wired directly into their brains. Sheesh!

Filling the Celtic Cup with music, May 7

Forget the Sunday morning burnt toast and lame greeting cards; this is how your mom REALLY wants to celebrate Mother's Day.

One Day In Ellijay, April 17

Looking forward to playing this event in Ellijay, Georgia, presented by The Orchard Church to benefit Casa de Misericordia (House of Mercy) Orphanage in Coahuila, Mexico. My friend and occasional stage partner Charlsey Etheridge invited me to be a part of the festivities. She's on the bill as well as guitarist Dave Mohr. [As I mentioned in a previous post, the three of us are also playing the evening before at the Mudpie in Chattanooga see the two in action here)]. There'll be all manner of food, fun and frivolity for a good cause.

Schedule:
12:00 The Orchard Band
12:30 412 Orchard Youth Band
1:00 Matt & Joe with CC Morgan
2:30 The Voice
3:00 Seth Shelton
3:30 Mark Kelly Hall
4:30 Erin Burr
5:30 Dave Mohr
6:30 Charlsey Etheridge
7:30 Calhoun Christian Band

For details click here: www.onedayinellijay.com

Math Problem...or Pronoun Trouble?

Ran across this ad on craigslist:

looking for a person to book shows worth while for this band by using this link http://www.southfest.com/tennessee.shtml

we are www.myspace.com/rustysharpthings

paid per gig booked. you get 90% of what we get paid. no joke. we get nothing you get nothing. we get a grand you get $100.

thanks.

Let's see...I get 90%...so if the band gets paid $1000...that means I get...$100. Hmm. That doesn't sound right. Dang, this music bidness is more complicated than I thought!

Oh, well, they sound great and have cool art; guess a person can't be expected to do everything well. I just hope whoever wrote this isn't the one counting the money after the shows.

April showers...make good Mudpies

Charlsey Etheridge & I will be bringin' it back to the Mudpie in Chattanooga, Friday evening, April 16. She continues to impress me with her vocal talents, her cool songs (whether she's doing an original or a classic), and the fact that she doesn't even have to look at the lyrics! (Hey, I claim to be a song WRITER, not a song MEMORIZER; never have let go of that visual connection, I suppose. Occupational hazard, maybe. Or maybe I'm just a control freak.).



Plus, she has a faithful following, some of whom aren't even related to her. Some new fans from the Feb. show are shown here. Talk about a beautiful audience! This is the kind of motivation I need to keep my eyes off the cheat sheets!


We might even have a guest guitarist named Dave Mohr backing us up (i.e., making me sound good and her better); that is, if we can coax him over Monteagle. He's done well to get as far south as Nashville, seeing that he's fresh from Chicago. Check out him and Charlsey from a recent performance:



See details and more dates at www.markkellyhall.com.

Fallen Angel, the premiere

Really looking forward to seeing this film. I've known about it for awhile, but just found out it's premiering at a theater about 3 blocks from my apartment, April 20. Got my tickets right away!

I was a fan of contemporary Christian music as soon as I heard it. It was in the 70's, and unless you count the music I heard at church that was made mostly by adults and aimed mostly at teens, the first CCM music I remember hearing was by Andrew Culverwell (or just "Andrew"). My mom brought his album (on cassette) home from a convention of GA's (Girls in Action, a Southern Baptist missions education program/club that I'm pretty sure has changed its name for obvious reasons). Songs with a beat, with guitars, and clever lyrics that had a serious biblical message but peppered with a sense of humor ("There'll be bread in the city tomorrow, in the city tomorrow there'll be bread. If you say you don't believe and...[something]...you can't conceive, in the city, tomorrow you'll be dead"). Can't remember it all, but I liked it.

After discovering more CCM artists such as Sweet Comfort Band, Degarmo & Key, Amy (of course) Grant, the Imperials (having evolved from Southern Gospel to what came to include an Earth Wind & Fire imitation) and even a Swedish (?) hard rock group called Jerusalem, I worked backward in music "history" to find Larry Norman. He's considered by most to be the father or grandfather of popular Christian rock. Very strange (and therefore cool) stuff; very creative, and most of it not churchy at all. However, the church crowd would hear his post-rapture lament "I Wish We'd All Been Ready," when it became a youth choir favorite and was heard (if I'm not mistaken) in the film "A Thief in the Night," a forerunner (so to speak) of the much-later "Left Behind" series.

Turns out, the more I've read by him and about him over the years, Larry had some serious issues, and was not the most mentally stable individual you could meet (possibly due in part to an in-flight head injury, but he was already pretty weird). For awhile he accused Bill Gaither (though not by name) of stealing his material. Come to think of it, not the most unlikely thing he said...but the fact that he even talked about it, much less posted it, was unusual in the music biz, especially the Christian music biz.

My interest in the music offered by the CCM industry (which is what it became) has waned over the years, to the point where I seldom listen to CCM radio. I feel like I know what they're going to say already, and it's mostly aimed at teens anyway, and I'm one of those people who are less than impressed with the lyrical depth of it all, and maybe I'm too close to it in some ways to get excited about...so for the most part it doesn't speak to me much. My own music has followed the same trend away from overt religiosity. I'm more impacted by the truths that hit me when I'm not looking, and from unlikely places. And I think it's more of a challenge to write that kind of song, as well, while at the same time I can do that kind of song anywhere without feeling like I'm pushing something on someone who, rather than responding, is more likely to be turned away by the effort. Parables rather than sermons are my favorite model for songwriting. Everyone knows the stories are more interesting and more memorable.

Anyhoo, I look forward to a fascinating and possibly disturbing time seeing this film--like a NASCAR crash--especially given the things it promises in its trailer to cover. However, I think it's a healthy thing that the truth is known about Christians as famous as Norman was (to his fans), and as much as he influenced the whole genre of CCM (intentionally or not). The church tends to put famous Christians in an impossible position: we revere them as saints and apostles, yet hold them to standards we ourselves don't really believe possible (or necessary, for that matter, thanks to grace) for anyone to maintain. The result is that any hint of the failure that is inevitable in a human life is bound to be a stumbling block. We set a trap, and condemn our catch. Silly, when all along, we've been told there's only one perfect Man, and He's our only legitimate example for life.

Larry Norman was many things. Musical genius. Prophet. Great entertainer. Sinner. But fallen angel? Nope (that would technically make him a demon, beyond redemption). Just another fallen man. Those are everywhere (such as behind my keyboard right now). But not all permanently down, thank God. Thank God, for sure!

Music to warm the soul

Here's one worth dropping five whole dollars for: seeing Heather Morgan and band at Douglas Corner, a cool venue at 2106 8th Avenue South, Thursday, Feb. 18 at 8:30 pm NST (Nashville Standard Time).

Heather's talent only becomes more evident as time progresses. The folks in charge of the Country Throwdown Tour apparently agree with what I've been telling y'all for years, since they've added her to the tour. She'll be appearing at venues around the nation May-June along with Jamey Johnson, Little Big Town, Montgomery Gentry and more. It'll be a mix of big-stage shows and, just like you find at co-sponsoring venue the Bluebird Cafe, writers in the round. She's excited about it, obviously, and I think she'll have lot of new friends and fans by the end of the summer.

* * *
CLICK HERE TO SEE PICTURES FROM THE GIG.

...AND HERE TO SEE A COUPLE OF VIDEOS. --MKH, Feb. 20

Beauty tips from Mom

Sometimes I worry about my mom. She says Sarah Palin would be really pretty if only she'd get herself some contacts and get rid of those glasses. (I'm serious, and so is she).

Online ads make strange bedfellows

You know, this practice of topically relevant advertising on websites, where the ad is placed on pages that have content related to the product or service, is quite ingenious. A good thing for advertisers, who can get their messages to their target audiences, and good for web surfers, since the unvoidable ads are, if not less annoying, then at least sometimes actually useful.

But even a system like this, with all those computer geeks and marketing minds working together, can go astray from time to time. Hence this ad for a devotional book for couples, on a message board for singles:
(Click to view at full-size)

Hey, it could've been worse. Much worse. In fact, maybe this one IS on purpose; it's a reminder to all of us still looking for that special someone who can love us for (what's left of) a lifetime (and vice-versa), that the grass isn't necessarily greener on the other side, and that marriage isn't all roses and champagne--that it takes effort as well, because life is a struggle whether solo or in tandem.

Still pretty funny. Especially since Anita is a friend of mine. A professional comic, in fact. Joke's on her! Or us. Or not.

You never even called me by my name

I've been a casual witness to quite a few hopeful openings and almost as many "wonder what happened to?" closings of businesses offering food, music and (usually) drink. Usually from the sidelines, where I notice a new name in the music listings or see the promotional efforts in the local media.

I also have a touch of experience in marketing, especially from the presentation side of things; logos, concepts, copywriting, etc.

So I feel like (or like to think) I have a certain sense of whether a place is doing a good job of establishing a foothold in the hearts and minds of the public, and more importantly, the budget of its target audience (assuming it has one in mind).

I worked at a cafe just off Music Row called Edgehill Studios Cafe for a couple of years, getting the word out about the place and its events through music listings, printed calendars, flyers, radio spots and the ever-changing PowerPoint presentation running on the flatscreen TV behind the counter.

It was an ongoing effort (and often a losing battle) to get people to say the name, the whole name, and nothing but the name of the cafe. Especially one of the original owners (a big-idea guy). Sure, as long as we all knew what we were talking about, fine, but effective branding is essential, as any marketing novice or Disney employee will tell you, so name consistency kind of, uh, matters.

One day we heard from someone who had tried to find us by calling information and they were told we weren't listed. Then I noticed we were listed in the phone book as Edge Hill (2 words) Studios Cafe. Which explains the EH logo (which, I was told, was given about a day's worth of design consideration--not enough, people). I couldn't help but think that if I'd only been there at the beginning, I could've prevented some confusion. My strong recommendation would have been to drop the "studios" altogether; even though it supported the cool concept of a multifaceted creative space...it also no doubt confused people, given our aforementioned location off Music Row (where there are a remarkable number of recording "studios"). And we got one inquiry from someone looking for living space (another kind of "studio"). Or maybe they would've ignored me altogether, I don't know.

The place is still going strong (or at least going; I haven't seen the books). No doubt due to sensible and hardworking management (who are welcome to hire my talents again, by the way). It helps that its main product offering is a legal and addictive substance (caffeine). And it has a great location, and it's a cool space. And I like to think I helped, too.

[UPDATE: New owners took over and wisely dropped the "Studios" part of the name. The place is still open as of January 2014].

Another great little venue with identity problems, this one no longer with us, was located in the building occupied by what had been Sole Mio, and now houses the downtown Copper Kettle. The well-meaning and much-appreciated folks who wanted to make it a songwriters' mecca started with a down-home approach to the menu and called it Ga' Dang. Surprisingly, Ga' Dang did NOT serve Vietnamese cuisine. If you say the name with a strong Southern accent and draw the first part out, you may get it. Yeah.

Then, thankfully, the name was dropped and replaced with Lyrix. Big improvement, but I couldn't help thinking "80's karaoke bar." Didn't keep me from playing there, or enjoying it. Actually, the name was the only negative thing about it, other than the fact that they appealed to songwriters who are not known for big tips (or big orders).

Here's one that is, for me, very close to good: Pick's. Decent logo, but why the apostrophe? Does it belong to someone named Pick? If they'd left it off, it would have that image of guitar picks lying around after the songwriters impress everyone with their craft...as well as implying that this place is full of things you would choose ("pick"), and it also could be taken as a sports context (as in "first round draft."). My hunch is they thought the apostrophe was necessary to make it plural. Sigh.

I remember one place in Chattanooga called "The Place." 'Nuff said.

On the other hand, some establishments broadcast the wisdom and good taste of their owners with every mention. They don't have to be terribly self-explanatory or "cool" or stylish or French (please no). The best names are reasonably simple to say and spell, memorable, and meaningful. They at least have something about them that the target audience would be able to relate to in some way. The "Tin Roof"; even if you don't know why that's relevant, you picture it in your head immediately, and it implies a rustic (but hopefully not rusty) charm. The "Wildhorse Saloon" tells you what it is and beckons you to stride on in, cowboy hat optional (unless you're a tourist, in which case it's mandatory). "Mercy Lounge" is a little offbeat, with a spiritual/intellectual air, but "mercy!" is also a Jerry Lee Lewis exclamation, so you get that, too.

Maybe I'm just oversensitive to this issue given my own name issues. But in case you start your own business, especially in Nashville, please get some opinions (preferably including mine--as you may guess, it will not be difficult) before you order that metal illuminated sign.

Good news, bad news

Good news: I have President's Day off (Monday, February 15) because the print center I work for closes when our client (Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County) takes a day off.

Bad news: my choices are to work in another location, take an unpaid day, or burn a vacation day on a Monday when I have little hope of having anything to do that is interesting or necessary.

Good news: maybe I'll get a sweet Valentines Day gig the night before and need to sleep late or travel home.

Bad news: given my current relational status and history, it's statistically unlikely that a Valentines Day gig wouldn't be extremely depressing. Refer to the post-breakup scenes in "The Wedding Singer" for clarification.

Good news: if I did get the above gig, I'd have the whole day to recuperate from the aforementioned aftereffects.

Bad news: I'm being incredibly self-involved by worrying about this at all, much less blogging it.

Good news: I have a job, I have vacation time, I have a day off, I'm single and not completely out of hope (relationally or otherwise), I'm sure that nearly any gig would be in itself the best therapy available (especially paid...so call me) and I have a blog to work out all this stuff and hopefully enrich someone else's experience as well.

Good news wins!

The Three-Hour Tour

Gearing up for a series of shows in early February; it occurs to me that that would be a really good time to be healthy and for the weather to be good. Feel free to join me in prayer to that end! And my car; let's keep those wheels moving!

For details on each show, click the flyer. Feel free to distribute any way you can. And it'd be real nice if you could drop by one or more of the shows, too. Or send a friend.

Thursday, February 4, 6-9 pm
2nd Avenue Cafe
204 Cumberland Street East
Cowan, Tennessee 37318
With Charlsey Etheridge








Friday, February 5, 6-9 pm
The Mudpie
12 Frazier Avenue
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37405
With Charlsey Etheridge








Saturday, February 6, 6-9 pm
The Celtic Cup
106 North Anderson St.
Tullahoma, Tennessee 37388
With Joni Bishop

Learn from the best: Steve Seskin & co.

Just got the word that the Steve Seskin Songcrafting Seminar is coming up, Jan. 22 - 24 here in Nashville. This town is host to a lot of seminars, workshops and meetings dedicated to improving your songwriting skills, and numerous individuals with various degrees of industry cred offering to help you for a fee. The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) would be in the top of my recommended list...and I wouldn't mention the bottom, even if I had anyone in mind. This is not an NSAI event, but it offers the same quality of instruction from some top writers in the field. It's not cheap, but if you want to improve your ability to communicate through words & music, or just hang out with the experts, it's a good value.

You can see what Steve and his talented friends will be offering for this weekend of instruction and inspiration by clicking here. This page includes a link to course descriptions.

Additional pro writers participating in the weekend include Allen Shamblin ("I Can't Make You Love Me," "He Walked On Water") and Gretchen Peters ("Independence Day").

If (like me) you already know everything there is to know about songwriting (HA! as if), and you just want to see a great concert, Steve will be performing at my former workplace-away-from-work, Edgehill Studios Cafe, on Friday Jan. 22. Admission for non-conference folks is $10. See photos from a previous event here.

For more info contact Claudia Young.

This blog post was MY idea

Here’s something you’re not likely to hear at your next party: “I’m an advertising professional and the new ad campaign for Windows 7 was my idea. You know, the commercials where a pc user brags about how he thought of a fairly obvious computer function, and e-mailed Microsoft about it, and voila! It showed up in Windows 7? Brilliant, don’tcha think?”

The reason you won’t hear this (other than the statistical unlikelihood of those particular ad execs showing up at your party) is that pretty soon people will realize how faulty this premise is, and it will not be something its creators will brag about, or even admit to once the checks are cashed. (Of course, the MONEY may be something they're willing to open up about).

The main problem is that this approach assumes that either:

1) ...the folks at Microsoft are too dense to have come up with these ideas themselves, and rely on the suggestions of customers to improve the product…with no compensation or real recognition for them, by the way,

OR

2) ...pc users are so egotistical, deluded, and/or stupid they assume that when a new product feature shows up in a product made by a huge corporation, it’s because they sent an e-mail to suggest it, and NOT because of the expensive ongoing process of research and development that any competitive company conducts.

Yep, this is a great campaign…if you work for Mac. Or if you have Al Gore as a celebrity spokesperson.

Really puzzling that this made it through the meeting(s). OK, OK, I know, the message is supposed to be "our customers are smart" and "we listen to our customers' suggestions." But at version 7, this begs the questions "Did you think we were idiots up until now?" and "What have you guys BEEN doing with our suggestions all this time?"

I think when it comes to consumer technology, customers expect a company to be led by geniuses who are in touch with their needs, so that new & brilliant features are implemented even before the customer knows it's possible, much less desirable. This is how Mac is perceived...and I'm saying this as someone who actually prefers pc's for the most part. This campaign will not help overcome the "cool" factor of the Mac.

Making your customers and your client look like idiots, and thereby supporting the smug, superior assertions of the competition in THEIR advertising…well, let’s just say this is an unconventional approach to getting more business for your agency. Just make sure your receptionist has some busywork to do to kill time when the phones go silent.

Makin' music at the Mudpie

Come by, have a bite and enjoy!

I’ll be sharing the stage with Charlsey Etheridge (bluesy acoustic pop, a la Sheryl Crow) and Brandon Maddox (clean-cut country, with a tip of the hat to George Strait). Like me, they're "ex-pats"--former Chatt-areans now living in Nashville. Come witness the homecoming!

BTW, the Mudpie is surrounded by shops full of those items women describe as "so cute" and men "thatsnicehowmuchisit."

Saturday, December 26, 2009
11:30 am - 1:30 pm*
(or later, depending on YOU, the audience)

Mudpie Restaurant
12 Frazier Ave., Chattanooga, TN 37405
Phone: 423-267-9043
FREE admission (but bring a couple bucks for tips; we're not poor, but we're not proud, either)

For the ladies: a Breath of Heaven

Here's one for the ladies...or for the guys who see no irony in Frasier Crane's affinity for bath salts and aromatherapy. Contact my friend Diane to purchase. (Click the pic for details).