My “Start of November 2010” newsletter.

This will only take a moment.
The band has one performance currently planned before the end of the year.
 
Wednesday, November 10, 2010 – 8PM
Brennan’s in Marina del Rey
4089 Lincoln Blvd, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292 (map)
50 minutes of music with the band. If you are in the area, or know someone who is, come on out.

On the Horizon
We are going to finish out the year with some new recordings and a new t-shirt design or two. Plus, look for an announcement, we have some shows planned in January and February already and two workshops on Business Strategy, Technology, Tools,  & Online Presence for Musicians.

Upcoming performances – house concerts and full-band performances:
We are going to be scheduling house concerts in: Salt Lake, Seattle, Scottsdale, Chicago, Colorado – and the list is growing. If you are interested in helping by hosting a house concert, please check out the house concert information page.

As far as full-band gigs: Las Vegas, Phoenix, Ventura, Santa Barabara, North Hollywood… (actually, all around So Cal).

Also, look for New Mexico, Florida (planning a "Festival in the Ferns" – this needs to happen) and hopefully both a workshop and a performance in Atlanta.

Until then, there will be some new music and new recordings and you will be the first to know.

Help spread the word and don’t be shy, say hello from time to time.

Thanks,
Matt Moran

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Upcoming shows at Butler’s Coffee in Palmdale, CA and with the band at Yankee Doodle’s in Simi Valley, CA.
My latest musical obsession – Paul Thorn.
And FREE CD update.

A few other items to let you know about…

The Band:
I’ve auditioned a couple guitar players and have one rehearsing with us tonight.

I am tentatively looking for a keyboard player and a backing vocalists. I say tentatively because I am not adding anyone to the band unless the fit is really ideal.

House Concerts:
We continue to reach out and get new house concert hosts. If you’ve wondered about house concerts – what they are, how they work, check out my house concert information page, the simple guide to house concerts, and the one page house concert guide.

The latest newsletter was emailed this morning. You can read it by clicking the image to the left.

Contains:

• Songwriter Showcase
• Recording news – including “Running”
• Band news
• The Songwriter Online info

Check it out!

Of special note: If you can help with a house concert in San Francisco on April 2nd, let me know. See the newsletter for more details.

It has been a wild couple of months. I’m not complaining.. just saying.
I am looking forward to the few scheduled shows coming up and getting back to recording.

One thing I’ve tried to internalize is that momentum can be established quickly by better monitor and control of your schedule.

This past month, with several projects hitting at once, I found that it eased my mind to put away all my recording gear. The fact is, having it available was a constant reminder that I wasn’t getting to it – and would not be able to dedicate the time to focus on it for awhile.

The schedule is still a bit hectic but we have created some space (both physically and time-wise) to re-initiate the recording project.

Additionally, I have started interviewing/auditioning band-members. I’ll be looking to perform with a full-band or some accompaniment by March 27th – the Oak Park Farmer’s Market gig.

Look for a new “behind the song” post soon. All about songs and lyrics and how they came about.

~ Matt

Next week, Tuesday, February 9th, I’m playing Genghis Cohen.

Performance time is 8:00PM and they have a few other songwriters filling the bill.

from a house concert in Arizona

My latest newsletter is available – read it here.

It includes lyrics and information on a couple recordings and house concert information. Most important, my new “One Page Guide to House Concerts”.

It also has a link to a video of me performing a new song, Decision Road

Check it out here:

In it I announce the work I am doing on my house concert resource page. I am greatly simplifying it because there are many of you who do not know what a house concert is or have expressed fear out how much work they must be.

They really aren’t a lot of work. Think casual, think fun, think unique.

I also update everyone on the progress of the CD, tomorrow’s showcase in Westminster, some other upcoming plans, and the song, “Little Bit of Everything” from the prior entry.

~ view online ~

In it, I discussed some of the challenges I had with my current recording and a rush of creativity.
 
I’m writing a lot of new songs – and while I am happy with the output, it sort of seemed to be derailing me from recording the current CD.
 
The fact is, it really isn’t derailing me. I am making headway with the new CD. A friend and fellow songwriter (Jim Pipkin) said to me, “Don’t bemoan the muse, Matt. She can be a jealous bitch!”

I’ll take his word for it. He’s been writing songs a lot longer than I have.

As a side note: I mentioned that my muse looks like Raquel Welch in 1 Million Years BC. He replied that I was lucky – his looked like Ma Barker.

Also, in fairness to the recording schedule, I have been interviewing/meeting with potential band-members. They have all expressed a desire to be part of the recorded project – and that makes sense.

So rather than simply plow through the recording process, I wrote up chord charts, arrangement ideas, and made demos for them to listen to and work out their respective parts.

One of them is recording at his home studio – remotely collaborating. The other, a female vocalist, is hopefully going to come by this weekend to record.

Needless to say, I really am not bemoaning the muse. Whether she looks like mine or Jim’s, as long as she feeds the mind and pushes the fingers, I’ll welcome her in.

Either click the image to the right or read it here.

Updates have been a bit sparse of late – mostly due to the schedule of recording, consulting work, and other writing projects.

I did recently provide an update to the Facebook Group – Performing Songwriters (United Worldwide) – covering some tools and technology to help the songwriter on the business side of product/merchandise and promotion.

I’ll be sharing that information here and at:
TheSongwriterOnline.

Stay tuned!

 
~ the latest newsletter ~