FUTURE MEETINGS

By Diana Black

June 4

"You be the publisher."

Bill Matz is planning a reverse in roles for aspiring songwriters. We get to sit on the "other" side of the table for a change.

June 18

Critique session.

July 2

Critique session.

July 16

*** OPEN FORUM ***

Your chance to talk, complain, suggest and compliment (we hope).

The board is hoping this meeting will give all members the opportunity to voice their opinions and expectations of the co-op. We are working on sending questionnaires prior to this meeting so that members can give some thought to what changes they would like to see and what we are doing that they would like to see more of. This will be an important meeting for all.

NEW VOICES HEARD

By Diana Black

Roscoe Bland, Gary "Doc" Dockery, Debbie Graf, Larry Standiford and Wally Stewart accepted the invitation extended to all new members to meet with the co-op board for an informal get together at the Rud on April 30th. Gathered around several tables pushed together, both old and new members seemed enlightened by the evening's discussion.

Enthusiastic is the word I would use to describe these new members; full of good ideas and willing to help.

Some ideas that came out of our meeting were: creating more opportunities for writers to perform their tunes; demonstrating how to make a demo on a four-track machine; touring a local recording studio; incorporating a "HELP!" column in the Letter; providing a better method of letting writers know where they can perform.

Thanks again to those members who joined us for the new-member night. Another new-member night has been scheduled for Monday, July 30.

MAY MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

By Diana Black

A dozen or more L.A.S.C. songwriters divided into three groups and spent the May 7th meeting time collaborating. Ideas came from catch phrases that had appeared in old copies of The Reader's Digest. (On-the-spot, off-the-top-of-your-head ideas can be VERY hard to come by, so we come prepared.)

The writers of at least one song are planning to continue their collaboration. Who knows where this might lead? A new feature was added to critique sessions at the May 21st meeting. To help members feel more comfortable about having their material reviewed and better understand the process, the following will be mentioned at the beginning of each critique session: only "opinions" are given; none of us is the "authority"; all suggestions given "free" to each writer, therefore "great idea" suggestions should be given privately for possible co writing credit.