Sent this by my sister Susan Bordo, whose Substack "BordoLines" inspires me daily. A pleasure to find Persephone's tune, since I'm prepping my radio show for this week (Thursday, May 2, 10 am - 12 noon, "a Miniature World with host Binnie Klein")......Having just made a late-in-life foray into songwriting (gulp!) after decades as DJ, author and psychotherapist, I relate to much of what was said about the difficulties of the music industry, and also how to describe one's music, etc. I hope to connect with you, Persephone! www.inthesetrees.bandcamp.com
Thank you both, Eleanor and Mary! What most resonated with me (I am not looking to tour nor for an agent, and Eleanor was right that I'm pursuing multi-disclipinary arts, although I do not paint/draw!) is this:
1) Eleanor - I absolutely loved your visceral reaction! The people asking me are well-meaning, when you tell people you're a songwriter/recording artist they want to know "what type of music" and that's not an easy one when I don't consider myself a genre artist, I'm simply creating pieces which have to go where they go rather than follow a genre.
2) Mary - Dana Gioia's answer is absolutely exquisite. This describes my journey of discovery through music.....immersing myself in the sound and then taking the words and writing them to explore the visual arrangement of them. I've done this so much and for decades with Suzanne Vega, who I highly recommend for you to explore as a female songwriter who has at least as much if not more to say than Dylan and Cohen.....I have more favorites than I could possibly recommend, but "Penitent", "Song in Red and Gray", "Soap and Water", "Priscilla", and well, see? I can't pick.....the list goes on and on.....
Both of you inspired many ideas for me to explore, thank you so much for putting my question in the queue and thank you for continuing to share your stories and insights!
This isn’t a feeling, but what I first thought of with the phrase “a dozen long stemmed roses” was crinkly plastic, the powdered flower food I associate with my mom who always has some kind of flowers in a vase, cool dark green, and a general sense of expensiveness
"While riding on an elevator with an agent ... Eleanor pitched her novel and was picked up." This is hilarious. An elevator pitch in an actual elevator : ) BTW which elevator? That's about the only thing I haven't tried : )
Mary, like the teacher you also are in addition to writer, the resources you offer up here to respond to the question are varied and full of possible assistance. I'm struck that Gioia, in his response to you on form in poetry, doesn't insist on established formal patterns:
"When poetry loses its ability to enchant and almost hypnotize the reader into an emotional bond with it, it loses the magic that great poetry needs."
Hear, hear.
And you provide the Hitchcockian master class in elevator pitches! Fabulous.
Addressing, I think a challenging question, you and Eleanor together really couldn't have offered a better response.
Sent this by my sister Susan Bordo, whose Substack "BordoLines" inspires me daily. A pleasure to find Persephone's tune, since I'm prepping my radio show for this week (Thursday, May 2, 10 am - 12 noon, "a Miniature World with host Binnie Klein")......Having just made a late-in-life foray into songwriting (gulp!) after decades as DJ, author and psychotherapist, I relate to much of what was said about the difficulties of the music industry, and also how to describe one's music, etc. I hope to connect with you, Persephone! www.inthesetrees.bandcamp.com
Thank you, my beautiful teacher!
Thank you both, Eleanor and Mary! What most resonated with me (I am not looking to tour nor for an agent, and Eleanor was right that I'm pursuing multi-disclipinary arts, although I do not paint/draw!) is this:
1) Eleanor - I absolutely loved your visceral reaction! The people asking me are well-meaning, when you tell people you're a songwriter/recording artist they want to know "what type of music" and that's not an easy one when I don't consider myself a genre artist, I'm simply creating pieces which have to go where they go rather than follow a genre.
2) Mary - Dana Gioia's answer is absolutely exquisite. This describes my journey of discovery through music.....immersing myself in the sound and then taking the words and writing them to explore the visual arrangement of them. I've done this so much and for decades with Suzanne Vega, who I highly recommend for you to explore as a female songwriter who has at least as much if not more to say than Dylan and Cohen.....I have more favorites than I could possibly recommend, but "Penitent", "Song in Red and Gray", "Soap and Water", "Priscilla", and well, see? I can't pick.....the list goes on and on.....
Both of you inspired many ideas for me to explore, thank you so much for putting my question in the queue and thank you for continuing to share your stories and insights!
This isn’t a feeling, but what I first thought of with the phrase “a dozen long stemmed roses” was crinkly plastic, the powdered flower food I associate with my mom who always has some kind of flowers in a vase, cool dark green, and a general sense of expensiveness
"While riding on an elevator with an agent ... Eleanor pitched her novel and was picked up." This is hilarious. An elevator pitch in an actual elevator : ) BTW which elevator? That's about the only thing I haven't tried : )
I watched the video and read the post with a great deal of interest. I wasn't aware that poets needed to pitch a collection. Much food for thought.
Mary, like the teacher you also are in addition to writer, the resources you offer up here to respond to the question are varied and full of possible assistance. I'm struck that Gioia, in his response to you on form in poetry, doesn't insist on established formal patterns:
"When poetry loses its ability to enchant and almost hypnotize the reader into an emotional bond with it, it loses the magic that great poetry needs."
Hear, hear.
And you provide the Hitchcockian master class in elevator pitches! Fabulous.
Addressing, I think a challenging question, you and Eleanor together really couldn't have offered a better response.