LBMC New Appointment - Woytopia Festival

I'm very excited to have accepted a 14 week contract as Event Manager for the upcoming Woytopia festival being held on Sunday 31st October 2010 at Woy Woy on the NSW Central Coast.

The Peninsula Environment Group (PEG) is proud to present “Woytopia”, a green living festival that has evolved from successful Sustainable Living days held the past two years by PEG as a means to engage and educate the community about living in an environmentally sustaining way to lighten the human footprint on the planet.

Woytopia will include stalls, educational talks, food, music, films, dance and fun activities for the kids. Through advertising and promotion, the festival committee expects around 1000 locals to enjoy the event.

Stalls: Environmentally friendly, organic, natural, and/or sustainable living products and services. Local sustainable businesses including solar power, rainwater tanks, local organic produce, natural beauty products and bush tucker as well as local green community groups are encouraged.

Entertainment: Music and Dance from around the world. Indigenous, South American, Folk, Indie, ZUMBA, Drumbala Drum Circle and more! Woytopia performances will take place throughout the day and include something for everyone.

Food: Delicious sustainable food options at affordable prices will be available on the day from a variety of local growers and food retailers.

Green: Featuring a full program of green activities, Woytopia includes talks on solar power, energy saving, climate change and sustainable home design, and workshops on beekeeping, worm farms, keeping chickens, no-dig gardening, starting to grow your own veggies, as well as a selection of short film documentaries on green themes. There will be a “Bike Zone” with bike repair workshops and electric bikes demonstrations and, weather permitting, a Solar Oven demonstration by local school students.

Fun for the Kids: Woytopia will feature a great program of kid’s entertainment with native animals from Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park, and green themed activities such as worm farming, recycling, solar power and Aboriginal culture. Other activities will allow kids to express their creativity with music, dance, drumming, a giant mural and mask-making. Plus, what festival would be complete without a jumping castle, train ride and gyroscope - and there’s loads of safe, fenced, green space for kids to run around and let off steam.

LETS Trade Day: Find out about LETS, the great local exchange network where you can trade goods and services without money!

Inclusion: Festival goers will enjoy taking part in creating the massive Dreamtime mural and adding their thoughts and ideas to the Woytopia wall.

Woytopia is a ‘Wastewise’ event dedicated to the reduction of landfill. It’s a great family fun day with food, music, stalls and lots for the kids to do, as well as inspiring ideas for making life a little greener. Be excited by Woy Woy’s newest festival. Woytopia.

Australian Songwriters Conference - Thank You

To all my wonderful ASC 2010 family and friends,

This is just a quick note to say thank you all so much for your lovely emails and phone calls the past few days. I will reply to each of you individually but my inbox is overflowing so it may take me a little time.

My heart is overflowing too. My vision for ASC is that it not only gives you a place to learn your craft and further your songwriting career, but that it also provides a haven of support and nurturing. So many of you, attendees and faculty alike, have expressed your joy at experiencing all these things - and that leaves me feeling a depth of gratitude that is beyond overwhelming.

ASC wouldn't be what it is without the openheartedness of the faculty. We were all very blessed to have an incredible team of professionals joining us this year. It was, without a doubt, the most cohesive faculty we've ever had, and each one had valuable insight and wisdom to share, don't you think?

Jason Blume's passionate and charismatic approach to learning the tools of great songwriting is quite definitely the cornerstone of the event. Thank you so much, Jason, for all you are, and all you bring, to ASC.

Alan Roy Scott brought a special and exciting new slant to the event with the way he work-shopped songs on the spot. Wow! That was amazing. Alan, thank you for joining us this year - I hope you'll come back to share your experience and expertise with us again.

Shane Nicholson, Mia Fieldes, Di Torossian, David Rowley and Laurel Smith - Thank you all so much for sharing your knowledge, wisdom and time with us. Each of you gave wonderful talks that were relevant, interesting and very well received. I have heard wonderful reports from many of the attendees about each of you, and you all truly encompassed the meaning of openheartedness that is ASC.

To our brilliant dedicated mentors; Lyn Bowtell, Toni Koch, Ross Stagg, and workshop presenters; Andrea Szabo and Doreen Van Bree - many thanks for your dedication and the time you spent with attendees. You were all amazing and inspiring, and I truly appreciate each and every one of you.

A massive thank you goes out to Sean Rudd of Peppertone Productions and Scott Cairns for their great work in the Production Room this year. I've had fantastic feedback from the attendees who spent time recording and learning from you both. This element of the event has proved itself to be incredibly valuable for attendees and I really appreciate the time and effort you put in up in the"Blue Room". Kudos to you both.

The Publisher Pitch Sessions were a great success, with a number of talented attendees gaining the attention. Thank you Robert Case of New Pants / Old Pants Publishing, Matt Donlevy of Peer Music, Steve McPherson of Hillsong Publishing, Lisa Fiene of Lizard Tunes / Copycare Pacific, Sven Tydeman and Ritchie Neville of Kittygroove Productions and David Rowley of Rowley Music for taking time out of your busy schedules to listen to the fantastic music of our attendees this year. An extra special thank you to Rob Case and David Rowley who spent the weekend mentoring as well as inspiring us all.

My thanks goes out to all the songwriter organisations who joined us again this year to ensure that our attendees were made aware of the services available to them: Songsalive!, Australian Songwriters Association, Songwriting Society of Australia (the three groups also forming A-Song), APRA and Nashville Songwriters Association International. The work each organisation does is absolutely vital to Australian songwriters and I appreciate all of you being at the ASC again this year.

To our sponsors; Industry & Investment NSW, Regional Development Australia (Central Coast), Gosford City Council, APRA/AMCOS, Ettalong Beach Tourist Resort, RAW Music & Media Group, Macron Music, Peppertone Productions, Kittygroove Productions, Songsalive!, and Wattlegum Web Works - a big thank you for your support and assistance this year. Most of these sponsors have been with us since the beginning and their ongoing support is gratefully acknowledged.

A big thank you also to my ASC Team: Rusty Wallis of RAW Music & Media, Eliza Warner from Eliza's bookkeeping, my wonderful and hard-working executive assistant Kerrie Garside, Michael Kucera who looks after all the AV so well, Terri Rowe for a great job capturing all the wonderful moments on photos and video, Karise Higgins who helps all year long at ASCSA Song Feasts and Gatherings, and also worked so hard during the ASC, Rhubee Neale, our beautiful and hardworking event assistant whose grace and calm demeanour are always a joy, and our newest team member, Trish Griffiths who worked hard in the lead up to, and on the day of, the Ettalong Beach Acoustic Buskathon this year. I couldn't have done this without you all by my side.

That's it for the moment. I will be sending out updates and information about upcoming events through ASC Songwriter Assist and some of the initiatives I am hoping to move ahead with over the next few months. There are a number of great activities coming up so look out for my emails.

Fianlly, thank you to Toni Koch, Lyn Bowtell and Robert Case for the beautiful song they wrote for ASC. "The Power Of One" is phenomenal and I'm still overwhelmed by your thoughtfulness, love and support. To all who sang and played on the stage, fell off the stage (Toni!) and forgot their lines on the stage (Terri!) - you took my breath away and reminded me that "The Power Of One" truly stems from the Power Of Many. I love you too.

Be happy, be inspired, be creative and above all else, be true to yourself.

Hugs,
Lisa

Price of Consultations and Coaching... You decide!

Here's a new concept... Have one hour career/song consultations or life/career coaching sessions with me through my private business, Lisa Butler Music Consulting - and you choose how much to pay me! That's right. I am trialing a "Pay by Donation" fee system for the next few months.

I consider it an honour and a privilege to have the opportunity to do what I love to do and be paid for it. I'm choosing to follow my dreams, and that is such a blessing. I want to share my expertise, experience and knowledge with you to help you achieve your dreams too. Getting started is not always easy, and finding affordable help and support along the way can be even harder.

WHY AM I DOING THIS?
There are two reasons why I'm letting you decide how much to pay.

1. I want my services to be available to everyone in the music industry, regardless of your financial situation - so pay me what you can afford to pay.

2. I'd rather you pay me what you think the consultation or coaching session was worth. Whether you are really happy with the information and assistance you receive, or you don't feel I was as helpful as you hoped I would be, you have the opportunity to pay me accordingly.

Even if you feel the consultation or coaching was incredibly helpful, but you can't afford to pay very much - that's fine too.

WON'T I LOSE MONEY?
No. I believe in what I do, and I believe I do a great job helping songwriters, artists and musicians achieve their dreams so I also believe that in the end my income will balance out. Some people will be able (or will choose) to pay more and some people will pay less, and that's okay.

Its a win-win situation, so why not book in today? You have nothing to lose.

To find out more about my services go to www.lisabutler.masonia.net and contact me directly on mobile 0412 149 094 or email lisabutler@masonia.net to make enquiries or to book your consultation or coaching session.

Publishers and Song Pitching

I remember the first time I pitched my songs to a Publisher in a face-to-face situation and how that felt for me, so I thought I would write a few words of encouragement and some of my thoughts on the process.

One of the things I've learned about Publishers, and I see it all the time at the Australian Songwriters Conference, is one Publisher saying they don't like a song, and the next Publisher saying they love it! Yes! Personal taste does play a role in the choices a Publisher makes, and in the comments you receive from them, but more importantly - Publishers are looking for songs that fit their agenda. They have album, TV, film and advertising projects coming up all the time with very specific music and song requirements and part of the Publisher's job is to fill those requirements with their writer's work. They may hear songs they like, but pass on them, simply because the song doesn't fit the immediate requirement, or they may like to hold onto a song they hear for future possible use - especially if they can hear quality in the songwriter's other work too.

Most (but not all) Publishing experts have a musical background so they understand the basic structure of a song. Most however, do not know the first thing about songwriting. They know what they like, they know what the audience wants to hear - that's their job. They also know when a song doesn't sound 'right' or 'ready', but they are rarely able to tell you why - or how to 'fix' it. They can tell when a song needs more work and whether it is the melody, lyric, chorus or hook that needs refinement - and the comments they make are always valuable and worthy of your further consideration. If you need help in processing the comments that are made to you, or you're not sure how to make the changes that are suggested, or you just need clarification or a more in-depth critique of your song, I can help you with that.

As a songwriter, one of the tasks you will find an absolute necessity is rewriting. I know - we all hate the word! After all, our babies are perfect just the way they are, right?

No one is going to force you to rewrite your song/s. If you are writing for your own pleasure and you have no big career aspirations, keep enjoying your craft and your songwriting just the way it is. If you do have career aspirations, then rewriting must become a regular part of what you do. It really isn't a dirty word.

Look at it this way. A song is like a baby. A baby has to be nurtured and loved, yes. It also needs to be disciplined, educated, and taught good manners - so that it will grow into a wonderful well-adjusted and happy adult. A song is the same. It also needs to have love, education and discipline poured into it, by way of reworking, rewriting, going over every single line and making it the very best it can be so the song can really shine.

When we pour out our hearts and imagination to create a song - that's art.

When we rewrite using the tools of good songwriting - that's craft.

A great song is the result of both.

So, don't be afraid to rewrite your songs. Again, if you're not sure where to start, I can help. Go to my personal website at http://www.lisabutler.masonia.net/ for more information about my services. Oh - and don't forget that the Australian Songwriters Conference is coming up in June and our main seminar facilitator is Jason Blume who I believe is the most inspirational and brilliant songwriting teacher you could ever learn from. To be a professional songwriter, Jason Blume says that as well as a good working knowledge of the craft of songwriting, you need two things -persistence and a tough skin. He's so right!

Well, I'll leave it here with some final thoughts: - Keep loving what you do; when given advice from experts in the industry, take what you need and leave the rest (but be honest with yourself about what you need); don't take the rejection of your work personally; and surround yourselves with a supportive network of friends and peers.

Regards,

Lisa Butler

Lisa Butler Music Consulting

Lisa Butler Consulting - A proud Sponsor of the 2010 Central Coast Acoustic Awards!

Lisa Butler Consulting - A proud Sponsor of the 2010 Central Coast Acoustic Awards!

I'm so delighted to be involved with the inaugural Acoustic awards, which is being presented by Erina Fair, 2GO and Image Focus.

As part of the Acoustic Awards Grand Prize, and through the Australian Songwriters Conference, I'm offering two complimentary spots to ASC 2010 in June. Other prizes being offered by sponsors include a 4 track EP studio recording, a publicity photo shoot and performance bookings.

I'm also offering complimentary career consultations to the heat winners through my private Consulting & Coaching website at http://www.lisabutler.masonia.net/.

- AND, I'm also honoured to have been asked to be a judge during the competition. I know I'll enjoy hearing all the wonderful and talented musicians and artists!

For more information about the 2010 Acoustic Awards go to www.myspace.com/ccacousticawards

Welcome to my Blog!

Welcome!

Thanks for checking out my blog. You'll find lots of information about me and the work I do within the music industry at my website , so I'm not going to repeat it all here. Nor is this a place where I will talk in-depth about my work with the Australian Songwriters Conference or ASC Songwriter Assist Inc. If you would like more information or regular mail-outs about either of these ASC initiatives, go to their respective websites and sign up for the newsletters or e-zine.

This blog is a space where I'll talk about the craft and business of songwriting, share my thoughts, experience and understanding of how things work in the music industry and also tips for for songwriters, performing artists and musicians with the music industry. I will also use it to keep you up-to-date on my public appearances, workshop and seminar dates.

If you have any questions about the work I do, or you would like to book a consultation or coaching session please feel free to contact me privately at lisabutler@masonia.net

I'm looking forward to sharing with you!

- Lisa Butler