What is a 30's Uke Girl up to these days??

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I’m a lifelong musician, been writing songs since I was 16. And, they got better with time and practice. Everything gets better with practice! As a wise man once said, “Don’t practice till you get it right, practice till you can’t get it wrong!” I love teaching ukulele, and also teaching voice and of course, songwriting. A song is nothing more than a story, and if you sing it as if it were a play, then you are using your voice correctly. If you write it as if it were a play, you engage the listeners. And bonus, if you use an instrument as an extension of your feelings, you can make the song soar. I intend to use this blog for the promotion of my ukulele passion, to introduce performers, review instruments, luthiers, and give links to great UKE websites. I also will keep links to festivals, events, and clubs. My other passion is biographical content, and I’ll be adding many of those, especially about the early artists from the 20s 30s 40s. A lost treasure trove of talent. Hope you enjoy the varied content. It will be eclectic, like me!

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Saturday, September 18, 2021

The Year that Music Owned!!

 Hi Boys and Girls, 

It's been a long year my friends. I haven't posted for ages because I couldn't get back into my blog!! YAY,  I finally got back in today! Sheesh.  I plan many posts going forward plus I need to clean up the links on the blog!! Today I post about how we survived, musically,  over the past 18 months!

The  pandemic era has really put a damper on live music, and most of us either lost all our day jobs or our night gigs,  or both.  I think most of us were fine with that,  really,  cause no one wanted to get covid nor spread it,  right? But, for musicians,  it really was a wake up call. 

The best of the best took to the internet and created new ways to display their talents,  and bridge the revenue gaps.  With sites like patreon,  and Go Daddy, YouTube and blogger mediums,  we saw amazing stars arise.  It was contagious!  Everyone jumped on board and the net flooded with tutorials,  original music, and  covers from professionals all the way to absolute beginners.  

Facebook, for one,   really grew musically. It was a way for artists to reach their fans and post links to their sites, enticing with videos,  live feeds, and zoom links,  etc.! Groups started up and major communities erupted. 

For example,  I started a group called Beginner Ukulele Hints and Helps  back in 2013. In 2019 we'd reached about 500 members.  I was ecstatic about that,  lol.  Then 2020 happened.  The group grew to over 6500 members.  It is a group where I invited uke players,  beginners and professionals,  to mix.  I invited professionals to post their web sites,  video tutorials and their shows/ festival schedules.  I also invited luthiers,  brand name manufacturers, and designers of Ukulele to post about new product. I even invited bloggers to post links to their blogs,  as long as it was related to the Ukulele.    We encouraged beginners to post their video journey as they learned,  grew,  progressed and we cheered them on.  It is a symbiotic group with everyone supporting each other.  Win Win! 

I also started a group called Ukulele Women,  yes,  exclusive for women and femme fatales,  where ladies support each other from Beginner to professional.  There,  I encourage women who have business in the Ukulele realm to give info to the group.  So,  merch,  CD downloads,  straps,  jewellery,  method books,  as long as it's Ukulele driven,  it's a plus on the page.  And oh the wonderful sharing of talent.  Women have truly been the driving force behind the uke movement world wide,  but most clubs and leaders in Ukulele are dominated by males.  No prejudice guy's,  jusssst saying that the average woman pursuing an ukulele career are less likely to be taken seriously unless they blow it out of the park.  I'm all about emerging artists and delight in promoting and encouraging the new up and comers to take charge of their careers.  I often post links to reliable sources like  Debbie Z Entertainment who holds workshops in Artist Development,  from songwriting,  to performing,  to the business of music.  Ukulele Women is now edging towards 2k. 

I've also seen many other groups pop up and grow relating to Ukulele,  and there is no end in sight!! Uke Lab by the fab Sky Richelle, Baritone: Beginner and Beyond,  Uke Players,  Cynthia Lyn with her 100 day challenges,  as well as the older well established groups such as Ukulele Underground! The lone uke player was not alone anymore!! Plenty of new and old groups to draw from!! 

Now things are slowly opening up around the country and we're seeing stadiums fill for sports and music venues realigning entrance protocol to allow crowds in to their venues. But I think this will be in addition to the internet music phenomenon.  No one is going to give up the online pursuit!

Music not only persevered,  it in fact became larger than life.  I think back to how music exploded during the World Wars,  and also how it became all to the 50s and 60s. With each strain on society,  music seems to explode around us.  The 80s were huge,  and then it all went into a steady hum, not so much died,  just sort of regulated itself with no leaps.  That is until the pandemic.  Again,  exponential growth,  regardless of being shut down.  In fact,  I really don't think we'd of had this growth if we weren't all stuck home with boredom and loneliness.  Right?

I had experienced covid first hand last year and it took at least 10 months for me to be able to even sing,  and then only sitting down.  Critical in the hospital close to 3 weeks,  flat on my back for 4 months,  I didn't miss a beat with music.  I personally nurtured and encouraged others to perform and post.  I lived my musical life vicariously through fellow musicians and celebrated their successes.  And I feel so fulfilled in my small part of the musical explosion!! Even though I've no videos to show my participation.  Lol.  But oh boy,  they are coming,  trust me.  I've had a year to write more music,  hah,  and now my voice is back!!

Upcoming,  we, The Mungos/ Reenee and The Rollers, have an outdoor Sip and Strum in October, the annual Getaway in November, Uke It Out 2 Day festival by WMNF Radio in December,  plus we are running the Ukulele open mic at the Whistle Stop in Safety Harbor every 4th Thursday.  Life is almost back to normal.  Now if we can ever get back to the library to run our South Tampa Ukulele jam,  that would be heaven.  I miss all our peeps!! 

Hopefully I can keep this blog working now.  And I can update all links to the festivals around the world and all the web links for artists and sites that I adore!! Also, I'll get back to writing those biographies of 30s, and 40s Ukulele Artists,  and catch up with interviews of new artists.  It's daunting,  trust me!

Ok,  y'all take care out there,  be safe and sensible,  keep playing your ukuleles,  and maybe we'll catch up at one of the festivals!!

Ever Strumming,  Norine Mungo 

Aka 30s Uke Girl!!!

Friday, April 10, 2020

The Ukulele Phenomenon , The Tribe, It’s one and the same!


People often inquire as to what drives the Ukulele phenomenon that is taking place world wide.  

My answer is that it's not the instrument.  And yet, it is.  The instrument is made affordable by many commercial manufacturer's,  lending itself to the masses.  There is something for everyone,  from the cheapest toy to the 35k “one of a kinds” with inlays and exotic woods.  With YouTube and music  store lessons,  many  loner students  can achieve high skills in a short time.  


But the biggest thing driving this world event is community.  


It's something that was lost over the last 50 years,  the community bonding, and mostly due to technology.  I mean,  quilting clubs and bingo still gather the senior folks,  but the kids, teens,  young adults,  and mature adults,  well,  it's all been about TV,  computer,  iPads,  cellphones,  notebooks,  and social media.  Who wants to go outside let alone go to meetings.  


We see it every day, in restaurants where families sit with cell phones and notebooks, never conversing with each other, lost in some world of each ones making. 


But something shifted. 


 We saw some cool people were being videoed holding and playing ukulele.  As the idea took shape, first with musicians,  adopting the ukulele sound for their style of  music, followed by the local musicians gathered in  front rooms to jam with fellow musicians, a new desire blossomed amongst the onlookers. And that idea was , "That looks easy and it looks like fun!" Then friends of musicians joined in,  some having never played an instrument in their lives.  


As this expanded,  over and  over, in living rooms across the world wide stage,  many began to seek out other players,  via ads and meetup and Facebook.  Groups began to grow into clubs and some became societies.  


I’ve said, “Going to a uke event is like going to a family reunion,  without the drama.”  Everyone is happy that you're there,  and if you miss one meeting,  they are worried about you.  When you return,  they celebrate! We haven't seen this resurgence of community since the moose and eagle clubs were in vogue.  


For those who continue to scratch their heads over why the little uke creates such passion,  from the youngest player to the 80 year old in his rocking chair,  one needs look no further than the soul.  It's what's been missing,  don't you think,  for a very long time.  


Yes, the soul, the human spirit, it thrives on community, creativity, and music.


From the time of cave dwellers, pounding on logs, music has bound us together, in the best of times and the worst of times. It’s the glue that unites across all continents, and it’s universal regardless of the language, raising us up in our evolutionary journey.


The spirit  of Ukulele, Aloha Spirit, certainly has sparked a massive evolution in the world wide community. Via YouTube, Facebook, Meetup, Blogging, as well as performers in media, everyone is inspired and everyone wants to be a part of it. 


To see kids in a circle,  thrilled at learning a song together,  or a group of senior citizens singing and playing at a farmer's market,  or teens in talent shows bolstering their voice with the melodic uke, you'll notice a common denominator.  Their eyes are smiling.  Eyes are the windows of the soul,  they say,  and I haven't seen a person yet that doesn't beam when they are playing a uke.  Togetherness comes easy with the uke players.  And happiness is natural when you're making music.  


So  this phenomenon,  this movement,  is not losing steam.  And if anything, it's gathering souls by the thousands,  like a  soul magnet,  and the bigger it gets, the more power it propels as it gains speed. 


Since the outbreak of the Covid 19,  I’ve noted that ukulele sales are skyrocketing, and beginners are flooding YouTube and Facebook looking for lessons and help. But, even in lockdown and isolation, more than lessons, everyone is looking for ways to be a part of a group, a community, a friendship with others. And this just proves the point, that we’ve been missing this all along. It’s in our nature to seek community and to be “IN” music. The little ukulele, easy to play, easy to buy, no longer viewed as a toy, has heralded a new age. 


I am part of a group that started in a front room.  I wasn't there in its beginnings,  I was drawn into the vortex about three years later,  when that twelve had grown to over two hundred members.


I had always performed with bands, originals and covers, always with guitar, till I discovered the ukulele. And after 6 months of going to events with the original group, Tampa Bay Ukulele Society, I started a beginner session group in MY living room. And from that, I created the South Tampa Ukulele Jam, almost 7years running, the Rock the UKE theme took off, and the community began to grow exponentially! Community! It’s the driving force!


  And now, Tampa Bay Ukulele Society is in its tenth year on meetup,  the number has surpassed over 2500 members,  from all over the state of Florida,  and has members all over the nation who fly in as well as some international friends of our group.  Through jams,  workshops,  open mic's and multiple festivals,  and charitable work in the community,  the original group that formed in that living room some 12 years ago, created something that has a life of its own. 


So,  it’s not the ukulele, and yet, it is. It created a community.  As Luna will tell you, it’s The Tribe!
 It’s the Ukulele AND it’s the Tribe!  We can all be a part of one big tribe, together making music and memories, and lift each other up, cause that’s what good mates do! 

  I know that the universe works in mysterious ways.    It seems to me that in a time when we all needed to come together as the human family the most, this little musical sprite has wielded its magic, and is making us whole again.  Healthy minds are nurtured by music,  and community and belonging.  It fills our hearts with love for each other. It quenches our thirst for knowledge.  It exercises our cognitive presence,  being here in the moment.  


So,  next time you see a ukulele,  if you've never tried one,  pick it up,  give it a whirl,  and buy yourself the greatest gift you could ever have.  Cause if you listen to your heart,  it will lead you to a community like ours,  and you will never have to be alone.  Even if you're the first one in you're group,  others will find you. Play it,  and they will come.  


Ever Strumming, 

Norine Mungo
Aka 30’s Uke Girl
Tampa Bay  Ukulele Society BOD
 Event and  Performance  Coordinator 
Every Day,  It's An Ukulele Day 
Https://www.itsaukuleleday.com

Thursday, April 9, 2020

Beginner Ukulele Hints and Helps Group on Facebook

Hello fellow Ukers, 
I finally figured out how to get back into my blog. Not an easy feat apparently,  when your computer is on the fritz. 

Happy to say,  I've figured it out on my phone and next I will try the iPad.  Ok,  so,  you're getting the idea that I'm not a teen,  nor young adult.  That's right,  30s Uke Girl is ancient in a child's eye,  but let me tell you,  I'm still pretty savvy.  Hahaha. 

My information today is on a group that I started about 6 to 7 years ago,  on Facebook,  called Beginner Ukulele Hints and Helps.  It started out with about 80 folks,  mostly local,  and was a place for beginners and professional performers to meet and interact.   Beginners post questions and videos,  then peers and professional instructors give feedback. 

Let me tell you about the last 4 months.  We've been growing steadily over 6 years till about 5 months ago,  when we hit 1k members.  I was like,  whoah,  so happy to see so many artists,  luthiers,  bloggers,  providing so much info,  and many many beginners joining and learning. 

In the last 4 months,  we've toppled over 2k and daily growth,  as of last night,  2300 members. 

It's the quarantine!!! Everyone is buying Ukuleles,  and they are eager and hungry for knowledge.  And,  with so many professionals out of work,  festivals canceled,  workshops canceled,  I'm more than happy to let them post links to their patreon pages,  and websites,  to generate funds.  Even more thrilled at how they are engaging the beginners,  with how to's  and recommends. 

I'm going to be posting a lot more content on this blog now,  and cleaning up the site,  as far as festival dates e.t.c.  and I hope to find and bring you tons of info about great sites,  awesome performers,  and cool clubs. Heck,  we're all under quarantine till who knows when.  Right?? So,  I've no excuses to not brighten your Ukulele Day!!!

So,  back to  the subject at hand,  whether you're a professional or a beginner,  go check out Beginner Ukulele Hints and Helps  on Facebook.  You'll be glad you did.  Make sure you answer all the questions when you request to be a member.  Makes it easier for me as admin. 

Ever Strumming,
Norine Mungo
Aka 30s Uke Girl

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Festival Season has Arrived for Tampa Bay

Festival Season is here and in full swing in Florida!

Hurricanes be damned, Floridians love their festivals, and the little UKE is holding it’s own in a world of Rock, Blues, Bluegrass and Jazz.

30s Uke Girl here, and though I post sparingly, I’m going to ramp up the blog cause it’s time to take it to a whole new level! There are so many festivals for ukulele all over the world, and Florida actually has so many that folks are coming from far and wide to experience this epic phenomenon,

October kicks off with the Pinellas County Country Jubilee, and though not exclusive to uke, it will again feature a beginner uke workshop, and our band, The Mungos, will be kicking off the day at 10am.  Yes, with Uke’s! And yes, it’s the same band as Reenee and The Rollers, except this is our originals and it’s country. Lol. October 26th!

Next is The Getaway, Tampa Bay’s Ukulele Society Fundraiser, bigger, better, and SOLD OUT.  Held the 1st weekend in November each year, and for the last five it’s been at the Sirata Beach Resort! This year the headliners for our 10th Anniversary are; Craig Chee and Sarah Jo, Victoria Vox, Ukulele Russ , The Barnkickers, and Luna Artist, Jessica Rose. Our Host is the indomitable Mim! Also featuring jams and workshops with Petey Mack and Devon Scott. This year the festival sports a dual track for workshops, including a beginner track and an intermediate to advanced track. It kicks off Friday November 1st with the wild Rock Costume Theme Party Jam hosted by none other than 30s Uke Girl (aka Norine Mungo) and Vinny Mungo. With our band in tow, this years theme is Sock Hop. The festival ends on Sunday with a luau and music provided by Hawaiian Band Ty Olopai and Maupuana, Bobby, and T J Wedger. Vendors include Loprinzi, UKE Republic, Mainland Uke’s, Gulf Bait and Tackle, and our sponsor, LUNA GUITAR AND UKULELE!

As if that weren’t enough, December 7th kicks off the 5th Anniversary of WMNF’s UKE IT OUT! This festival is held in downtown St Pete at Cage Brewing, and sees crowds up to 700 ukemaniacs. Beginner workshop , Rock Jam with the Crowd, then over six hours of music by Bands including Junction 27, Reenee and The Rollers (aka 30s Uke Girl Norine Mungo), Tom Hood and the Tropical Sons, a Luna Artist tab, and many more tba.  Sponsored by WMNF, Tampa Bay Ukulele Society, Luna Guitar’s and Ukuleles, and vendor Gulf Bait and Tackle. Many IPAs and always great street food! Advance tickets available at WMNF 88.5 Radio, Tampa Bays Community Radio Station.

Not done Yet! February 2nd is World Ukulele Day, and we celebrate it on the 1st Saturday in February. This year it’s Feb 1st. World Ukulele Day Festival III. Downtown Dunedin, and I do mean downtown! In its third year, this free concert in the park is literally encompassing the whole street, with multiple performances going on simultaneously in the restaurants, clubs, and store fronts up and down Main Street. Starting at 11am, with children’s performance at the railroad museum, and buskers up and down main, till 3pm when clubs and performers gather into a sidewalk flash mob parade up aato Pioneer Park. Then the Dunedin UKE Club will lead a massive Jam followed by Headliners, Ty Olopai Band, Lil Rev, and finale The Super UKE Dance Band. Then the after jam party continues at the Honu Tiki Bar! Lil Rev will conduct 2 workshops at a venue during the day.
Bands so far during the street part are The Mungos, Tom Hood, Junction 27, Luna Artists TBA, and about 30 other acts. Vetting is going on now, so start applying!  Sponsored by Tampa Bay Ukulele Society, Luna Guitar’s and Ukuleles, The Downtown Merchants of Dunedin, with vendors Gulf Bait and Tackle, and Replay Guitar Exchange. Food vendors include Bayou Bistro Bites. Others tba.

But wait, there’s even more!! If that wasn’t enough, activities are planned in venues all week including workshops and concerts throughout Tampa culminating in the UkeApalooza Extravaganza at the Florida State Fair in Tampa Dec 8th! Whaaaaat? Yes, one whole week of a UKE in Tampa Bay Florida!!! Who’s ready for a Florida Vacay??? More to come on artists but headliner is Lil  Rev and it’s going to be inside with AC so get ready to have an amazing week long celebration of the Ukulele!

PS: March will mark the 10th Anniversary of the Tampa Bay Ukulele Society ‘s Ukulele Open Mic at the famous Whistle Stop Bar and Grill in Safety Harbour. This will be a night to remember, as Steve Boisen , founder of TBUS, joins The Mungos to cohost this party. This night will start earlier at 5 pm instead of 7.  We will be getting EVERYONE up and many surprises as well!

April marks our annual TBUS Picnic, always well attended, followed by May, National Play you Ukulele Day, in which we incorporate a twist, and party down dudes, another festival, UKE O De Mayo, date tba. Many performers, including Hispanic Ukulele, Art, Crafts, Children’s Performance, Contests, and workshops. Stay tuned!

I’ll be announcing more as it comes in, like the workshop on Feb 22nd given by, shut the front door, ONSONG CREW!!!    YES!

Ever Strumming,
Norine Mungo (aka 30s Uke Girl)
Tampa Bay Ukulele Society
Board of Directors
Event and Performance Coordinator
Every Day, It’s An Ukulele Day
Https://www.itsaukuleleday.comu

Sunday, August 26, 2018

Tampa Bay Ukulele Getaway 2018

Hey there Dudes and Dudettes!

 30s Uke Girl here aka Norine Mungo, and howdy do we have some fun news about the Tampa Bay Ukulele Getaway 2018!  

It's gonna be a  weekend packed full of activity and it is again at the Sirata Beach Resort!  Newly remodeled and bigger and better, the Sirata is def an affordable Luxury resort experience that has partnered with TBUS to bring you the best of everything that is Florida and Tropical. 


Tickets are just about gone, so if you're sitting on the fence, don't get disappointed if you miss getting one. 


With an all star line up,

Rachel Manke , Matthew Kirkland , Liz and Jim Beloff  ,
 Ari Chi and many new added activities, this is going to be one jam packed weekend of fun! 

Friday, after opening ceremonies, the crowd will move outside to the beach bar for open mic hosted by Mim of Mims Ukes.  Mim will also be our MC for the weekend and will do a performance on Saturday as well as  a SET UP workshop.  Now wouldn't you want to know how to take care of and set up your UKES?  Though, if you buy from either Mim or from Jim at Uke Republic they automatically set up your uke before shipping!  Open mic ends about 8pm.


Then the Friday night concert jam by Reenee and The Rollers (aka Norine and Vinny Mungo of the South Tampa Ukulele Rock Jam) starts up in the Ballroom about 8pm.  This years theme is  60s Folk Rock and Rock. The room will be Hippiefied and attendees are asked to bring their tye dye shirts and flowers in their hair etc. Peace Love Dove Baby!

  
 Then Endless jamming for sure, with a spare room set aside with AC or on the beach, ala natural.  Also, there will be some beginner sing and strum sessions on both days by Pete McCarty of whom you can read about here. From the infamous Memphis Flash Mob, Petey Mack will bring fun and laughter to our crazy weekend. 

Other new workshops include Songwriting, taught by Norine Mungo,  Nashville songwriter, member of ASCAP , under Norine Mungo Publishing, writer of It's An Ukulele Day  also recorded  by Ukus In Fabula


An Onsong workshop!  Yes, the dreaded beloved OnSong!!!! 


Of course there will be the huge Silent Auction again, our biggest fund raiser of the year, chaired by Pat Spera, who is still accepting donations.  This has been a highlight of this festival since it's inception.  Many folks have walked away with Ponos and Mighty Moes, jewelry, books, art, it is always new each year and our members from all over the world contribute, as this funds the charities that we are involved in.  

If that isn't enough for you, we raffle off a whole load of Ukuleles as well.  


Then on Sunday Mim hosts the Open Mic for groups, 3 or more, and then after the raffle and silent auction, we move out to the beach for a Luau lunch with music from Ty Olepai and band. 


Did I mention that lunch and dinner are provided on Saturday as well as the Luau lunch on Sunday?  All this with the price of your ticket. 


So there you have it, a tropical resort vacation with concerts, workshops, great food, epic jams and open mics, in beautiful Florida, the East Coast Hawaii!!!  


I'll be seeing YOU there!  


As Always,

Ever Strumming, 30s Uke Girl
aka, Norine Mungo , Reenee and The Rollers


Friday, May 26, 2017

South Tampa Ukulele Jam celebrates 2 Year Anniversary at Jan K Platt Library!

Dear Dudes and Dudettes,
South Tampa Ukulele Jam has been going strong for 4 years, and since moving into the regional library, we're hitting 2 years at Jan Platt, in South Tampa, Florida

We have covered Rock N Roll Themes every month for 2 years!  We've done Elvis, 80s Pop, Monkey's, Traveling Wilbury's, Day of the Dead 1 & 2 (performers who died ), Rock N Roll Christmas, Country Rock Christmas, Doo Wap, Surf, British Invasion, Country Rock, Woodstock, Heartbreakers & CCR, Folk Rock, Rock Musicals, and well, it just gets crazier each month! 

So, in June we do our encore for the year, 2 to 3 of the best loved songs from each months theme July 2016 through May 2017. 

But, for this July, 2017! Are you Ready??!!!!
2 Year Anniversary at Jan K Platt Library, bring snacks and bottled water/soda cause we're going to the MOVIES!!!!  Music that is!
 
"Guardians of the Galaxy 1 & 2!!!!"

Guardians One: 
Hooked on a Feeling-Blue Swede
Go All the Way-Raspberries
Spirit in the Sky-Norman Greenbaum 
Moonage Daydream-David Bowie
Fooled Around and Fell in Love-Elvin Bishop
I'm Not in Love-10CC
I Want You Back-Jackson 5
Come and Get Your Love-Redbone
Cherry Bomb-The Runnaways
Escape (The Pina Colada song) -Rupert Holmes
O-Oh Child-The Five Stairsteps
Ain't No Mountain High Enough-Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell

Guardians Two:
Mr. Blue Sky – Electric Light Orchestra 
Fox on the Run – Sweet 
Lake Shore Drive – Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah
The Chain – Fleetwood Mac 
Bring It on Home to Me – Sam Cooke
Southern Nights – Glen Campbell
My Sweet Lord – George Harrison
Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl) – Looking Glass
Come a Little Bit Closer – Jay and the Americans
Wham Bam Shang-A-Lang – Silver
Surrender – Cheap Trick
Father and Son – Cat Stevens.
Flash Light – Parliament.
Guardians Inferno – The Sneepers featuring David Hasselhoff

 Yes! We are pulling together all the songs from both movies and let me tell you, just like in Woodstock, where you all came in Hippie garb, lol, everyone is planning to come in the face color of your choice, and heck, might even see a Peter Quill or a Drax!  


This is REALLY cool music and of course, it's Rock, so, like, Rock On Strummers of little Ukes!!!!!  

I say each month that, "This is going to be Awesome!"  But I think that I will say that "This month is going to be EPIC!!!"  LOL

See you all there and keep strumming Peeps, it makes me very happy to see YOU happy! 

Again, if you want music emailed to you from these Rock Sessions we do each month, go to Meetup.com and make sure you join Tampa Bay Ukulele Society, it's free, and it will keep you up to date on ALL the activities around the Tampa Bay Area for ukulele events. Scroll to South Tampa Ukulele Jam and then follow directions for our email mailing list!  You will also find on the meet up site for TBUS:  Workshops, concerts, jams, lessons, library lending programs, open mics, TBUS has it all!  Folks from all over the world have come to Florida for vacation and showed up to jam or play at open mics with us. 

We also have a festival in November, called Tampa Bay Ukulele Getaway, a full weekend of music at the infamous Sirata in Clearwater Beach!  National and International Artists, Concert and Workshops, Luau,   Meet & Greet, Vendors, Auctions, Raffles, non stop music, play your uke at the beach, and leave tired, fulfilled, happy, and thirsting for the next Getaway!!!  

OK, that's it for now, been busy, I try to get back here as often as I can, but soon, this is all I will be doing!!!  Retirement is on the horizon and then Vinny and I, 30s Uke Girl, AKA Reenee of Reenee &  The Rollers, will go on the road with our Ukulele Songs and teach the world to sing and play our original, It's An Ukulele Day!!!!  
Ever and Always, 30s Uke Girl!!! 

Monday, November 21, 2016

SongWriting! 101 and 1/2 by Norine Mungo

So here is a post I wrote awhile back on my blog, I Sing Folk Songs, about the art of songwriting.  I am copying this over from that blog, so, no, this is not plagiarism, lol, cause I wrote it in the first place.  Haha. But I get lots of questions about songwriting and I have done many workshops at festivals about this subject, so here is my version, pieced together through the years, of how to write songs. 

Now, I wrote this for the Folk Writer who, notoriously , writes 20 verses and does two songs an hour.  Yeah, that one!  I help people narrow the focus of what they are trying to say in their song, and engage the audience into their story.  This works for ALL songwriting, so, without further ado: Songwriting 101 and 1/2 by Norine Mungo aka 30s Uke Girl!

Welcome to Songwriting 101 and ½
Because the hour long songwriting workshop is nowhere near enough time to do more than inspire you to write, I’ve created this mini book for you to read after our session today. 
Your mentor, Norine Mungo
So, who am I to be teaching YOU how to write a song.  I know what some of you are thinking.  LOL.  So, I will give you a little background on how I got here first, before I dive into this lesson.

I’ve been writing music since I was 16.  Was it great music at first? Mostly not!  But it was a start, and it is so cool now to go back to those beginning songs and compare them to what I’ve written over the past few years.  If you see the growth in your music, you are going in the right direction!
Through the years I have picked up knowledge from so many sources and applied them to my songwriting. I’ve read books, talked with mentors, upped my skills on the guitar, and practiced writing something every day.
When I was performing in our Country Rock Band, Reach For The Sky, we were the house band at a club in Santa Clara, California, called The Horseshoe Club.  That is where I met Joan Baez.  She used to come in with her friends from the Arthur Murray dance studio, and she loved dancing to western swing.  One night, as I was sitting down on a break, she turned to me and put her hand on the back of my hand.  I turned to her and said, “Hey Joan!”  I mean, it is Shut The Front Door, Joan Baez touching my hand and looking directly at me!
She said, “I like your songs. You are one of the most prolific songwriters I’ve met in a long time.  How many songs have you written?”

I said, “Well, about 40 now.”  I kept calm but my heart was racing just a bit.
She then said, “You are killing your voice in these clubs when you have a skill for writing.  You need to get out of the clubs before you ruin your voice.  And, you need to write every day.  Write 300 songs.  Once you’ve reached 300 songs.  Nobody can stop you.  You’ll be that good!”
It’s not like we became buddies or anything.  It was just that one chance encounter.  But I did ask about the 300 songs.  I was thinking, How will I ever get to 300?

She told me the most important thing I learned about songwriting. “Every idea for a song should be written down.  Once you’ve put any work into that idea, no matter where you are in the process, it is now considered a song.  It might not be complete yet, but it is a song!”
It took a life time to get here but, I now have over 350 songs. 
Another thing that has helped me in my writing is that I have been a performer most of my life, from childhood on.  Starting with 17 years of dance school, leading to high school and college musicals, then vocalist for disco bands, rock bands, country rock bands, jazz standard trio, western swing, and of course, Folk music. 
As a performer, I see the song from two perspectives:
 Can I dance to it? And, can I sing it? LOL.
Also, as a performer in live shows with bands, I know that the set list must be diverse enough to keep the audience listening or dancing.  With that in mind, you can see how it translates to my songwriting.  I write each song with a beat to tap your foot to, or with emotional lines to deliver an impactful memory. As I write each one, I try to make them different beats and keys and content so that, once I have enough for a show, the audience gets a diversity that keeps them excited song after song. 
Welcome to my world! It is a chaotic one at best.  I can’t even drive to the store without seeing something that influences me in a way that I want put it down in writing.  
My little pamphlet is created to take you on this journey and help you think like a well rounded writer! Enjoy!
OK, enough about me, on to the mentoring of YOU!!
Where Do I Start My Song??
That is like asking, what comes first, the chicken or the egg?  In song writing, I think that you can approach each song from a different angle, and as long as you eventually get all the parts going,  you will finish strong.  For some, the words come first, or just the story idea, or  poem.  For others, they start writing a melody that leads to a feeling or emotion and the words come after.  Like I said, there is no right or wrong on where you start, but where you finish is the key. 
 
Christopher Cross spoke about his song, Once You Get Stuck Between The Moon and New York City, the theme for the movie Arthur.  He was flying in over New York to work on the song for the movie, and they got stalled due to bad weather.  Like 3 to 4 hours, hovering above the clouds, waiting to land.  He said he looked out and saw the moon shining down on the tops of the clouds and he thought, “this is what it’s like be stuck between the moon and New York City” and once he thought it, it stuck.  He got pen and paper out and began the song in the air.  I am pretty sure he finished it before they landed.  
Your inspiration can take you on a great journey, as you develop your idea into words and music.
As for me, I view songwriting from multiple vantage points.  The story, the poem, painting the picture with words, the melody, the lead riffs and musical hooks, and harmony, all come into play with everything I write.  
This is not to say that all songwriters will come at their songs from so many directions.  Many songwriters are lyricists, and many are strictly composers, dealing only with one aspect of the song. 
I think, though, that in the genre of Folk, Bluegrass, Celtic, Cajun, and most Americana and Roots music, the artist, like me, does a bit of everything.  Therefore, I will approach this mini class with the slant on creating the whole package for you.  
But, given that, I want to impart to you a love of writing the story of the song! That is what people expect when you call your music Folk.  If  you don’t have any starting point yet, but you feel you have a song idea.  Try to write down your thoughts first, not even poetically, so it’s just your outline of a story.  You will be amazed at how the song starts developing from there!
Writing Formula Story Folk Songs!
Why Formula??
 It is not a sell out, regardless of what you’ve been told! There are purists’ out there that say a formula kills the buzz.  I don’t buy that! You need to think formula as you are creating your work, just like a painter.  He does a sketch, then a base coat, then layer upon layer of colors until he/she has a masterpiece.  They follow a formula! 
Granted, we could take a monkey and hand him a couple of different paint buckets, and let him slosh it on the canvas.  That is cool.  But the attention span  of the viewer will be brief, and the memory of the slosh marks won’t stay in the viewers mind for very long.  Unlike  Starry Night or Water Lilies, whose marks and swirls, make you look at the paintings in depth. These are paintings that have endured through time because they evoke an emotion.  Without all the layers that the master artist created, they would be nothing more than slosh marks.  (Though, at the time they were created, there were some purists who said Monet and Van Gogh’s paintings were just slosh marks. LOL)
I like to compare writing songs to painting masterpieces.  I want to leave something enduring, and timeless.   It takes practice to become a master.  If you are serious about writing music, then you must practice  your art every day! A painter and a novelist will tell you to paint or write everyday! So practice, think formula and have fun. It is a gift to your audience!
              
What ARE Formulas!!!!!
Odd place to start when we are talking about Folk music, but let’s look at Rock for an example of formula!
In Rock N Roll, you will find mostly hooky lines and dance grooves, lots of repeats, and many story lines that are simple themes.  Yet, they are very successful! Why? Well, that’s because they give the listener something to grab onto.  When those lines repeat, and are simple, we tend to sing along, don’t we? That is what makes them memorable.
Also part of the formula is the chord progression.  The absolute basic chord progression is 3 to 4 chords.  Some songs have only two chords.  Some even only one! Experiment with the different keys and progressions to get diversity in your portfolio of songs.  Because chord progression in another whole subject, I will only tell you to learn from some good books that teach the number system and how the chords go together.  Again, it is like learning to paint.  If you look at a color wheel, there are certain color families that go well together, and some that look just awful.  The same goes with chord progressions.  Put the wrong ones together, and it is like nails on a chalk board.  LOL.  
Like I said, for this pamphlet, we will concentrate on structure and leave the actual chord selection for another class.
Rock N Roll!
Many Rock songs have the simple formula of:
A Lead Intro, 2 verses, a chorus, a lead, 3rd verse,  last chorus and lead out with musical hooks throughout the song.  
Let’s take that apart and explain as simply as we can  for the novice writer. 
1.      The lead intro is something that might stay on your mind after you hear it.  Like Smoke On The Water, you will hear that guitar line in your head just from my stating the title of the song! If you are too young, and have never heard it, go look it up on the net!  That is a quintessential Intro Lead.  Also, Day Tripper.  Both of these songs lead intro repeat throughout the whole song making them the most memorable.
Another example of an intro lead line is The Air That I Breath.  This line NEVER repeats again in the song, but as soon as you hear it, you know what song it is.  One last lead line I can mention is Surfin’ USA . Again, it is played one time, at the beginning, never repeats again, but was so strong that you jump up to go dance as soon as it starts.  If you are not familiar with any of these songs, look them up on YouTube.
Yes, not every folk song is going to get that type  of a lead in.  But why not strive to create a memorable line so that everyone will automatically know the title  of the song when you start your riff! This line can be the same as the melody of the chorus. It can be the melody of the first line of your song.  Or it can be something that never repeats again in the song.  Remember, this is your starting point that gets the listeners attention.
2.    In rock, there is also something called a musical hook.  This is a musical line you play on your instrument that repeats in between your verses.  It could be the same as the intro or, preferably, this is a new line that traverses the verses and choruses.  It acts like a bridge without words. Listen to Chad and Jeremy’s A Summer Song. You will hear the opening riff repeated throughout the song.  This is  a musical hook!
3.    The 1st verse should set up your story.  Like any good story, you need to get the audience’s attention with this verse.  And, even more importantly, the first line should be the bait!   A great example is Downtown.  “When you’re alone, and life is making you lonely, you can always go, Downtown”.  You automatically want to hear more of the verse.  Another example is Aqualung.  OK, it is harsher, but think about it.  The first line is, “Sitting on a park bench, eyeing little girls with bad intent”.  You are hooked into hearing the rest.  One of the best lines I have heard was from Eleanor Rigby.  “Eleanor Rigby, picks up the rice in  the church where a wedding has been, lives in a dream”.  Those opening lines make you want to know more about the person, place or thing in the song.
The rest of the first verse expounds upon the first lines.  Just like the first paragraph in a good book.  You make or break the connection with the audience in that first verse.  Make it strong.
4.    The 2nd verse goes into more detail about the situation, place or person.  I would compare it to the frosting on the cake.  1st verse is the cake, 2nd verse is the frosting.  Don’t you think it is funny how people remember and sing along with the first verses and choruses of songs, but mumble the 2nd one.  That is why.  It is the frosting.  Certainly important to the content of the story, but let’s face it.  You can eat cake without frosting, but you usually don’t sit down and eat  bowl of frosting without the cake. 
This verse is certainly important though.  Remember, you’ve already opened strong with a character or statement, and now you want to give some background on that person or statement.  Like in Come Dancing by The Kinks,  the first verse talks about the situation when  their favorite dance pallor gets mowed down for a parking lot, and ends with My Sister Went There On A Saturday. Then the second verse goes into detail about the sister and her dates.  The second  verse expounds upon his sister going dancing.
5.      OK, the Chorus!  There are many rock songs that repeat the same melody for the chorus.  In fact, Tom Petty sings Run Away Train as the first verse AND the Chorus.   But, essentially, a good chorus will evoke the emotion of the song, and it is a point of differentiation musically from the verses.
 
The chorus will raise you up with higher notes and get louder, or bring you down with lower notes and become quieter.
 
It can get a different beat or less instrumentation, or added instruments! 
Bottom line, it is a change point in the song that keeps the interest going and gives the audience something to grab onto.  It breaks the monotony of too many verses!
 A great Rock chorus example is Stand By Me.  The instrumentation is doing the same 4 chords as the verses, but, the lyrical movement and the melody change the beat of the song at that moment.   And everyone sings along with that chorus.  Another example is Pinball Wizard.  The verses are frantic and draw you into the energy of a pinball game, but the chorus changes to Attitude, with the beat and words and melody giving you the vision of someone who is the king of the pinball game.  Go listen to it again, you will see what I mean.  After the chorus, it goes back to the frantic motion.
6.    The 3rd verse should give closure to the song.  It should resolve the  story in some way.  If the gist of the song is , I’m  A Loser, then the resolve could be, But I Am Going To Get Better, or, I Will Never Be Anything Else, or But So Are You.   See what I mean?  Let’s say the gist of the song is about love.  The last verse is going to resolve whatever you’ve been speaking of in the rest of the song.  Just like the final chapter in the book reveals the bad guy, or tells of the fairytale ending in a love story, your final verse will give the listeners closure and solve the mystery for them.  Etc.  Great example of a final verse is from You Don’t Know Me.  The resolve of the song is that he/she walks away, never knowing that you love them. 
7.     Many  songs add a bridge in the middle or towards the end of the song.  A bridge usually has far less lines in it than the verses and choruses, or it could be more.  It is almost always an entirely different melody than the rest of the song.  The bridge is usually a retrospective moment in your story.  It is a side story to your story, or an early resolve of  the situation you are speaking about.  It is not something that you will repeat anywhere else in the song.  And, not all songs have or need a bridge!!!  But, if it can be effectual to the purpose of the song material, then develop a bridge! An example of a great bridge is from a country song, In My Dreams.  It starts with two verses, the chorus, a verse, then the bridge, then a fourth verse resolving the story, and a final chorus.  It has the lead in and outro as well.  This is a well placed bridge!!
8.    The last chorus is usually a repeat word for word of the main chorus.  This is what the listener remembers most.  It pounds the message into the brain as to the gist of the song.  Not all songs end on a chorus, but many do.  Also, many songs will follow the formula but add the first verse after the last chorus, repeating that introduction to the song.   Again, this makes your song more memorable.
Another thing to note about a chorus, first or last, and hopefully both, is if you can repeat a line from one of the verses in the chorus, you have done what they call in soccer, a Hat Trick.  Talk about a Lyrical Hook Line!  Also, if this lyrical hook line is super strong and much repeated in your song, you might want to make it the title of the song!
9.    Finally, your outro should be a musical figure that takes you out of the song.  It can repeat the chorus or the verse, acting as a tag at the end and lets the listener know that the song is over.  It is the Ta Dah of your song.  Another way to do your outro is to tag your last lyrical line of the chorus or verse.  So, as in Goodness Gracious Great Balls Of Fire, you repeat the last line “You Broke My Will, But What A Thrill, Goodness Gracious Great Balls Of Fire”, twice at the end. That is a perfect tag.
Standard Formulas!
Ok, so enough about Rock! LOL.  Let’s talk more formula.  There are many ways to configure your Folk song.  Here are some simple formats to play with.
1.      Intro, 1st verse, chorus, 2nd verse, bridge, chorus, repeat the 1st verse, tag last line, outro. 
2.    Long Intro (going through the melody of your song musically), chorus, 1st verse, 2nd verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, outro.
3.    1st verse (starting song with the words right away), 2nd verse, 3rd verse, bridge, outro.
4.    Intro, 1st verse, bridge, chorus, 2nd verse, lead line (can be a repeat of the verse melody), chorus, 3rd verse, chorus, outro.
5.     Intro, 1st verse, 2nd verse, chorus, lead line, 3rd verse, chorus, outro with a tag of the first lyrical line of the song.
6.    Chorus, 1st verse, Chorus, 2nd verse, Chorus, 3rd verse, outro on the Chorus. 
There are many more ways to combine your verses and choruses effectively, but use these as a starting point to refine your direction!  You will use these and other formulas you find to keep your song moving, and making it very interesting for the listener!
So what defines a Folk Song!
The difference in our genre of music is that we want to tell a story, or make a statement.  Maybe it is a funny story, or a sad one, or just a good story about a person, place or thing.  Maybe we are passionate about a cause or a situation out there in our community or the world at large.  But what I’ve seen happen, many times, is that writers in our genre tend to get stuck on the story verses, and never develop the song into a formula composition that hooks the listener and engages the audience into participating with the writer. 
You know what I am talking about. You’ve heard those songs at the open mic nights, the ones with 20 verses, each one different, that go on, and on, and well, you might be one of them, so don’t feel bad.  This is what this mini crash course is all about. 
So, let’s say you’ve already written that 20 verses.  A novelist will tell you that they just write everything down and then they revise later.  
Good advice for a Story Folk Writer.  Go ahead, write it all down.  Now prepare yourself to let some of them go.  Or incorporate the most important points from each verse into less verses.  Keep in mind, like a good story should, the bait lines, the frosting, and the resolve.  The choruses can be as simple as repeating a specific point line from your verse.  Take that line, and add more thoughts to it, creating about 4 lines, or 2 lines, or 3 lines! Or, like the Beatles, Just keep repeating, I Wanna Hold Your Hand!  LOL. 
Remember,  don’t get hung up on what comes first, the chicken or the egg.  I get asked all the time, “Do you start with a melody or the lyrics, or do you write a poem and put it to music later?”
I think that everyone comes up with their own method of putting the songs together.  It isn’t right or wrong to start with any of those.  The words might come first for you, and  melody develops around the rhythm of the meter of your poem.  Or, you might be one who starts humming a tune and then you develop words to match your melody.  It is all good.  
No matter where you start, it’s where you end that matters!  Follow one of the formula’s to make sure that once you’ve got your words and melody, you will have a viable finished product that the public would be interested in hearing.  
The greatest cause in the world, sung without some type of formula, will fall on deaf ears.  People get bored quickly.  
We are in a world of fast pace, remote control change artists who can’t even sit through a TV show without flipping the channel constantly.  Think of that when you are singing your song to an audience.  Keep that song flipping for them from interest point to interest point, or they are off to doing their grocery lists in their heads. 
Also, if you are doing a whole show based on your songs, remember to set up your show list with diverse keys, beats, and subject matter.   Again, you don’t want to have everything you write sound the same.  That is why I give you so many formulas to choose from.  Practice using a different one for each song you start.  That way, you will sound interesting all the way through your set. 
Lastly, concerning the length of your song, a good 2 ½ minutes to 4 minutes, tops, is best.  That is a standard timing for air play on a radio.  My friend Jane Gill, author of the book, A Matter Of Pride, once said to me, “I am always amazed how a songwriter can say in one page of music, what it takes me 250 pages to say!”  Think of that when you are struggling to give up those 20 verses.  A great song will still only be one page of typed words!
If you find your typed song hitting two full pages with standard font, or worse, going to the third page, I am telling you to cut that baby down!
As To My Method!
Ok, here it goes. I am consistently starting my songs differently every time.  I have stood in the keyboard section of Guitar Center, and heard a drum beat that sets my mind awhirl.  The melody or words just start popping into my mind, and next thing you know, I am running to the counter asking for pen and paper.  I write a few of my thoughts down, and then when I get home, I fiddle with those thoughts. 
Another time, I will see something in the news, or hear a story about someone we know, that makes me think deeper about the person, place or thing.  I fiddle with the story a bit, fleshing it out and then start working on a melody line or lyrics.  
But mostly, I like to start with a story.  I push myself to come up with new stories that I have totally made up in my head.  Like my song, Mrs. Edna Pomeroe.  She doesn’t exist.  I put myself through writing exercises all the time.  I thought of writing something about all the women I knew who were now alone, having outlived their husbands.  From that exercise came one of my most requested songs!
Now It’s Your Turn!
So here goes, your exercise for your brain muscle! 
1.      Write down possible story lines every single day.  Get a journal and keep jogging down your thoughts as they hit you.  If you are at work or in a situation where you can’t write in your journal, see if your phone has a recording section to speak your thought into it.  My android has something called rich text.  OMG, it has saved my mind.  I get a thought and I grab my phone and write myself a message.  If you are driving and you have hands free, you can call yourself and leave yourself a voice message.  LOL.  Yes, I have done that!!
2.    Every day, take a look at those thoughts in your journal, and pick one to work on.  If you have a computer, and you have Word Document, it is awesome cause you can play with the story, developing  the thought.  
I have all these mini stories just floating around waiting to gain my attention.  That is why, even if you are working on some songs already, keep revisiting that journal as well.  What only slightly drew your attention before, might later become a passionate thing that you want to write about.
3.    Every good story needs a person, place or thing! In a novel, you need a protagonist. It can be a static or dynamic character.  Dynamic meaning growth!   In my song, Jacque, the character is dynamic in that he crumbles from what once were great dreams and ambitions to being a chalk artist on the street.  In other words, there is movement in the characters life, for better or for worse. 
In Will McLean’s songs, he developed his characters from real life personalities and places from Florida History.  Your character could be a Lake, or a Mountain, or your character could be The Boy Next Door, or The Girl At The Soda Shop.  Your character could be Single Moms, or The Fight To Save X, Y, Z Place.  It could be a past President, or a War Hero.
 Your person, place, or thing is the key element to your story song.  If it is fictional, be as creative as you’d like with your character.  But if it is about a real person, or a real place, then get all your facts, do the research and paint that picture as accurately as you can. 
4.    Willie Nelson once said, “I never write my new song down until I can remember it from day to day.  If  I can’t remember it, no one else is gonna remember it either!”  I liked that.  That is why I just write down thoughts.  When I am starting to create  the meat of the song, I many times just play the guitar and start playing with words and let the whole thing sort of develop for a couple of verses.  I am not going to lose the theme as it’s been jogged down, but as to the content of the actual song, I wait an hour before I even start writing the words on paper.  When I come back to it in an hour, if I still have the melody and words in my head, I know I am on to something that others will remember too.  This is just a method that I use personally to judge the metal of the song. 
You might think, NO WAY, and write down every rhyme that comes into your mind. That is fine too, and if that works for you, then use it.  But if you find that your songs get boring to you, or to those that are listening, then you might want to resist that way and follow Willies!  I can say that I became a much better writer after learning this discipline!
5.     Feedback! Humble yourself to accept feedback from friends, foes, peers etc!  Tell your friends though that you want honest feedback!  When I am writing my novels, I get certain friends and family to read my works as I go.  I get great feedback that helps me stay on target with my story, and to keep the reader engaged and invested in the saga. 
You need to do the same thing with your songs before you go public.  Now, not everyone is going to like what you wrote.  But if the majority of your proofers like what you did, then add it to your show.   If you get the soft shoe shuffle from your friends, get them to tell you why.  Did you write too many verses? Did your song stay on theme throughout, or did it stray to too many thoughts that confused the listener as to what the main subject was about.
Ask them to sing the chorus with you.  If they can kinda repeat that chorus, this is a very good thing.  When you are done singing to them, ask THEM what the song was about, don’t YOU tell them.  This is very important as you will learn quickly whether you have something interesting that caught their attention. 
6.    Now that you’ve written your song, and you’ve proofed it with friends and peers, and you’ve done it in front of strangers, and everyone loves it, and you go running to your home recording studio, and you make your own CDs, and everyone loves it, and some national company hears it and decides they want to go to the Real Studio, get ready to rewrite your song! Producers will notoriously change many things about your song.  They may change your intros and outros and the leads and hooks in between.  They may ask you to rewrite the chorus, or change and tweak the melody.  
     Now this is where you decide whether doing what the producer wants is going to make you feel like a crazy sell out!  If you have doubts about that producers ideas, ask them to show you some before and after work that they’ve done and make your decision based on whether or not you think that they actually improved the artists songs.
Remember too, that if they make major changes in your song, they will own part of the song as a co-writer!  It is one thing for a producer to arrange the song for you, adding other instruments etc, but to change words and melody gets into copy write issues.  Be aware of what you are giving up!
You may be one who wants total artistic control of your work.  You may feel better about just doing your own CD’s, booking your own gigs and staying local, or small touring of small events.  That is great.  Just know and be true to yourself.  You want to be a happy artist.  But if you feel you have a really big message to give the world, then you will probably have to work with a producer that will want to influence the direction of the song. 
Take heart though, cause YOUR song might be so good, and complete that they don’t want to change a thing! But in reality, that usually never happens.  LOL. 
Last Thoughts
I know this is a short recipe on how to write a song, but I hope it inspires you to create better songs going forward.  If I’ve influenced you and motivated you to get out there and start writing, I hope you will email me and let me know of your journey and your successes.  Nothing would please me more. 
In parting, when I was in my 20’s, a band mate recommended a book to me.  It was called, “If They Ask You, You Can Write A Song”.  It was all about formulas and it changed my direction for the better. 
I also became a better writer when I learned to play my guitar better.  Learning to play more than those 5 basic chords is real handy! 
So moral of the story:  Don’t be resistant to knowledge and skill!  Develop both and you will increase your happy factor and your credibility with the music industry as a whole.  
Do you need to spend 70,000 dollars on a college degree to be  great songwriter?  Well, Will McLean certainly didn’t!  Does theory help.  Yes, it certainly can.  But the most important thing in songwriting is. . . . Can you be creative????  I know that my mother in law can play the piano like she is in a symphony, but she has stated many times, if the song isn’t written down, she can’t play it.  And as to writing her own material, she said that she had never even attempted it.  So, you see, her theory didn’t produce a songwriter in her!  It made her a great musician!  Theory can’t replace creative thought.  But theory can take creative thought to the next level!  
What I want to you think about is this.  Am I a creative person?  Can I play an instrument to show other musicians what I am hearing in my head. Can I write a formula song that the listener is drawn to.  Do I wax poetic? Do I like telling stories?
If you answered the creative part with a positive, that is the chef in you.  The instrument is the pot in which you are going to cook. The formula is the recipe. The poetic is the ingredients.  The telling story’s is the serving of your dish!   Now get cooking!!!  Writing!!! You know what I mean!!! 
Ever Yours, Norine Mungo southtampaukulelejam
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