Checking In...

You just never know what's around the next corner.

Truer words were never spoken. Though I won't bore you with the details, these past few months have been hectic. Fortunately, there's been JUST enough time left each day/week to get out and play some music. Unfortunately, my involvement with this site has been sacrificed a bit, BUT... I'm loving what I'm seeing/reading/hearing. And I'm really looking forward to catching up on all the posts and concentrating on the writing process when the time is right. In the meantime, everyone in the band is on the same page and that page says "GO PLAY YOUR MUSIC FOR THE PEOPLE!" And so, the people keep showing up... and we go. And what a ride it is turning out to be. But, I digress...

First, WELCOME to our new contributors. I'm still trying to figure out who is who, but keep posting and we'll become great friends, I'm sure.

Second, I have to give some love to my "brother in musical madness", Steve (the man who wrote about a hundred songs in a week or some crazy thing). Thanks for carrying the ball for a bit. I should probably call you and catch up soon. Look for it. Somehow, my friend, we've managed to keep this site running into our second year in the midst of real, everyday life. Family, jobs, kids, our other creative desires and other endless repsonsibilities keep pulling us in every direction.

But we're still here. And this place is growing.

So come on in, write a bit, sit back and listen... whatever feels right.

Peace,
John

The Apple Don't Far Fall From The Tree

I get an industry email out here in Southern California from a lady that helps place indie band's songs in TV and movie. A couple of times a month she has a question and answer email from people on the list.

This little bit dealt with apples...so I couldn't pass it up:

The artist's biggest problem is understanding that just because they wrote a song, that does not mean it's great. They have to get to the point of "is this the best I can do with this, and is it good enough, or should I toss it and start over?" It's like picking apples, not every apple on the tree is going to be great. Strange analogy, but the best I could come up with this early in the morning.
{Editor's Note--(this is the editor of the email letter, not Steve or John): That's a great analogy! I couldn't agree more. And lots of those apples may be fine to eat but how many are super large, juicy and amazing? Artists always think the last song they wrote is their best. Most often that is NOT the case. In fact, many artist's first albums are their best as they had their whole lives to write it and pick songs from for it. The second one is usually harder to come by as it has to be written in a year or two. Some apples look good on the outside but you bite in and get a worm. A good apple is like a good song. It takes a lot of time to grow them right, pay attention to them, nurture them, develop them (the trees, not the apples themselves). Think you get my drift.}

So the inability to know what's bad, good, or great (which is ignorance) is the downfall of most artists. And the refusal of constructive criticism.


I couldn't agree more with some of this. My latest song is usually my best (lol). I love them all like my children. Or, in this case, my apples.

Photo by Stephen Butler.

SongwritingApples.com!

Well, we finally did it. We went out and got us a domain name. Steve and I have been brainstorming about how to make this site a bit more useful, accessible, interesting and even fun. One of the first things that crossed our mind was registering out own domain name. Thus, www.SongwritingApples.com is born. Bookmark it and come back soon! We also registered another domain name, www.AppleOrchardSongs.com for the future. We aren't exactly sure what we may do with this one, but we've kicked around a couple ideas. We'll be sure to keep you posted! If you have any questions about Songwriting Apples check out the FIRST POST, which contains lots of useful info about the site as well as instructions on getting involved.

In line with the above improvements, we've also created a new e-mail address account with google. You can now reach us at: songwritingapples@gmail.com.

That's it for now. We're still working hard on more improvements for the site. Oh, and we're trying to write some killer tunes too!
John

The Story So Far...

We have a ways to go yet, but it looks like this Blog is going to live through its first year. December 21, 2006 is when this place came to life. We've all had a chance to contribute, sit back and read and even stay away from time to time. A few months in, after seeing we weren't going to get rid of him anytime soon, I talked to Steve and he agreed to act as "co-editor" of the thing. He's turned out to be the lifeblood of this Blog in some ways.

One thing that's been on my mind is how much or how little we each contribute to this good work. I know that in my personal situation, I can go a few weeks without posting. Seems to me there is quite a bit of benefit that comes with being a "co-author/contributor" here. Motivation, education, free publicity, entertainment, fun, friendship and fellowship are just a few. It also seems to me that we should all do our best to "pull our weight" when it comes to this work. Don't get me wrong. Steve and I are still willing to do all the heavy lifting (editing posts, trying to figure out how to host the mp3's, creating and maintaining a page for each one of us).

What we'd like is for folks to just breathe some life into the place from time to time. Doesn't take much (just look at some of MY posts). With this goal in mind, I've added a paragraph to the infamous "first post" (which is a sort of "constitution/instruction book" for this blog):

About the only thing we ask is that you contribute. We understand that certain times of the year may be hectic (the holidays, summertime). With that in mind, we only ask that you go no more than 90 days without a post. Doesn't have to be a new song. Could be a useful website you've found, a photo or video that inspired you or even a rant about how uninspired you are! If you're not writing... cool. Just stop in and tell us. Let us know what's up. Let us encourage you!

If we don't hear from you for 90 days or so, we'll just assume you've gotten too busy to contribute or maybe your priorities have changed. That's cool. It happens. In the meantime, let's all do our best to make this a thriving/exciting place for songwriters. If you have any ideas on how we can improve this work, drop us a line. We certainly don't have all the answers.

So come on in, write a bit, sit back and listen... whatever feels right.

Thanks,
John

Welcome Summer!

Hey all... Just wanted to drop a line to try and keep up with Steve! Couple things, then I'm off to work.

1. I'm still not able to access the server to upload songs at this moment. Steve has a new one that I hope to have posted soon. Please check back soon!
   


2. Steve and I miss seeing some of you post here. Hope you're still doing well and, of course, that you're playing and writing and you'll be back posting here soon!


3. Summer is on our doorstep here in the midwest. All the usual "summer activities" are starting to bust out all over. Hope you're getting out and enjoying the weather!
   


4. On a personal note, the lyrics are starting to come again. Currently, I have three songs in varying stages of completeness. Feels like all are keepers. One is sort of about trying to find our way in this mysterious, wonderful life. The most recent one was inspired by a trip past my childhood home while I was biking a couple weeks ago. I'll leave you for today with a few short lines from this one...

this old house has nothing left for me
just sticks and stones as far as I can see

in my mind a movie plays of better days
and how it used to be

Late,
John

Summer Creativity

April is past and May is quickly moving along. The robin's eggs outside my bedroom window tell me that warm summer temperatures are just around the corner. Before you know it the leaves will be turning... wait, let's not get too far ahead of things here.

The past month or two have been slow around the Songwriting Apples Blog. We've had a few wonderful songs posted though! Be sure to give them a listen.

Personally, I've found that I have been spending a little less time with the six string and with the lyric notebook lately. Spring has sprung and I've been outside as much as possible. Family duties and outings are taking priority. This is all as it should be. Having said all that, I still plan on trying to write a song a month or so over the summer. Some worthy musical ideas are coming out of that new Martin and I look forward to finishing one of the new tunes soon.

Hope that you are enjoying the spring season wherever you are! Keep checking in and keep writing!
John

Another Great Month in the SAB

Well, February is coming swiftly to a close. Darn these months with only 28 days. We managed to write seven new songs between us this month. I noticed that all but one of them were posted before Valentine's Day. I'm sure that means something, but I don't know what it is.

We've written and posted 18 songs since Christmas! I don't know about you, but I'm really enjoying the songs and also the sharing of information asnd inspriration that goes on around here. On a personal note, I played one of the songs I wrote for this work out in public for the first time last week. Jesus and John Lennon made its public debut on February 16th.

On to March! Let me know what your goals are ASAP. I'm going with one this month. My focus got a little shifted the last part of this month as I played out live for the first time. My focus will likely stay on playing live for the next two or three months, but I'll grind one out this month!

Thanks for making it fun!
John

More Apples in the Basket

Although our blog title Songwriting Apples refers to another site that the original members of this site came from, we have two new members that we will be adding to the bunch.

Please welcome Eric Shouse and Jason Gaylor. Please continue to check their personal pages to find out a bit about them!

Come on in, write a bit, sit back and listen... whatever feels right,
John

Creativity Abounds

Thanks to Steve for our spiffy new Songwriting Apples banner! Looks great!

You've found the First Post!

Welcome to the First Post. This article functions as a sort of FAQ for the site. Read it through a time or two. If you still have questions, hit us up with an e-mail!

WHAT IS Songwriting Apples?

Simply put, it's a place for songwriters. The people who hang out here are people who want to be challenged and inspired! Each month begins a new challenge cycle. With every new challenge each writer will determine an individual goal. For some this may be four songs in four weeks. For others, perhaps one. Maybe your goal will be to just work up some great lyrics or finish an older tune. The idea here is to be accountable to the group, be more productive and learn about the craft.

SO WHAT'S THE STORY BEHIND Songwriting Apples?

This work (it's more of a labor of love) began in December of 2006. Two fellow musicians met on the message board for a band called Over the Rhine. The message board is titled The Orchard, and members of the board refer to themselves as "apples" (they don't fall too far from the tree, do they?). Hence, Songwriting Apples was born. Since then others have joined in and become a part of this community. In a short time it has become a place for friends to come together in the name of songwriting.

WHAT IF MY SONGS ARE NOT AS GOOD AS I'D LIKE?

Join the club! Don't be self-conscious. We're not looking to produce the next Let It Be, Imagine, Folsom Prison Blues or Somewhere Over the Rainbow here (but maybe we will now), just to try and move out of our "comfort zones". We're not here to judge these songs or compete with one another. Only to break through the barriers which lie between ourselves as artists and the creativity which leads to writing great songs! We are here to find our muse!

MY SONGS ARE PROBABLY NOT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR...

First, we aren't "looking" for songs, we're trying to write them just like you. We're here to offer motivation and help! There are no rules about these songs. They can be short, long, well produced, a single take recorded on a clock radio with a guitar and vocals or even a short acapella piece. The main thing is to complete your individual goal with each cycle.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Steve and I have agreed to maintain the site (with the exception of your posts, of course) and provide web space to host the resulting MP3s. Authorship on Songwriting Apples will be limited to contributors or co-authors, but anyone may view and/or comment on our work. Hopefully, our music (the good, the bad and the ugly) will have a greater audience this way. And maybe others will receive inspiration from our efforts.

WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH THE MONTHLY CHALLENGE?

Well, we're glad you asked. One of the reasons this site came to be (and a good part of why it's still here) is the monthly challenge. Each month our members choose a goal related to songwriting (but not necessarily related to apples). Maybe you'd like to write one new song this month. Or maybe you've got a few songs laying around and you'd like to finally record them and then post them here for feedback. Maybe you're on a "lyrics" kick and your goal is simply to write a set of great lyrics for your next song. Once in awhile we'll hit you with a special challenge. This could be a "love song", "number song" or some other particular subject matter. Whatever it is, we hope you use it as motivation to get (or keep) your songwriting on track! Just let us know what your goal is and we'll put it up there for all the world to see. You'll be surprised at how motivating that can be!

OK... I DIG IT. HOW DO I GET INVOLVED?

There are a couple of ways for you to become involved with Songwriting Apples:

1. Become a contributor. Simply write a song and/or an article at least once every 90 days and send it to songwritingapples@gmail.com. Maybe a new song, maybe just a few observations on songwriting or music in general.

2. Become a co-author. Ok, so now you've been around awhile and are a pretty regular contributor to the site. We want to give our best contributors the ability to post your own articles on Songwriting Apples! We'll hook you up with the necessary info to do this. Steve and I will still retain the ability to edit your posts, but only to keep things looking spiffy around here. We'll try not to touch your content.

About the only thing we ask is that you contribute. We understand that certain times of the year may be hectic (the holidays, summertime). With that in mind, we only ask that, as a contributor, you go no more than 90 days without providing something for the site (co-authors will likely contribute a bit more often because, well, that's how they roll). Doesn't have to be a new song. Could be just lettin us know about a useful songwriting website you've found, a photo or video that inspired you or even a rant about how uninspired you are! If you're not writing... cool. Just stop in and tell us. Let us know what's up. Let us encourage you! Take a look at some of our previous posts if you're still not sure what to write about!

I'M IN! NOW WHAT?

If you'd like to participate (submit articles and songs to this site), e-mail us at songwritingapples@gmail.com. Once we receive your e-mail, we'll send you a response that will give you additional details. After that, you're free to start sending us articles and songs! Looking forward to working with you...

So come on in, write a bit, sit back and listen... whatever feels right.

Thanks,
John Natiw & Steven Wesley Guiles
Co-Founders/Editors - Songwriting Apples