Music Notes by Mark Jordan They Write The Songs Established in 1931 the Songwriters Guild of America is the country’s oldest and largest association for tunesmiths. Today, having recently merged with the National Academy of Songwriters, the SGA boasts a membership between 6,000 and 7,000. Besides offering songwriters help in improving their craft through workshops and the such, the SGA also acts as an unofficial union for songwriters, lobbying legislatures, auditing music publishers, and reviewing business contracts for its members. But even during Memphis music’s glory days, the group never had much a presence in town. Until now. In January, the SGA began a push to raise its profile in the Memphis music community. Plans call for the organization to host at least one major event in Memphis a month, usually on the first Saturday of the month. But this weekend, the SGA has organized a special weekend-long conference titled “Building a Songwriting Career … Memphis Style.” The event will run Friday through Sunday at the Heartbreak Hotel on Elvis Presley Boulevard. Registration is $175 for an SGA company, $230 for non-members. Seminar topics will include song pitching, the art of collaborative songwriting, and the business of music. One of those who will be leading the weekend’s events will be SGA vice president Rick Carnes, an author of hits for Garth Brooks and Reba McEntire and a former Memphian. Carnes was encouraged to return home professionally during a recent visit when he noticed that, despite the lack of music industry infrastructure, there were still a number of songwriters living and working in Memphis. “He was struck by how many writers there were here, and of course, there are a number of Memphis songwriters working in Nashville,” says Rundi Ream, southern regional director for the SGA. “Rick really wants to strengthen the Memphis songwriting community so writers don’t have to leave town to make a living.” For more information on the SGA and upcoming events, check out their Web site, www.songwriters.org. For more information on this weekend’s conference and to register, call (615) 329-1782 or e-mail at MemphisWriters@aol.com. New Stuff in the Bins EDITOR’s NOTE: At a recent Grammy in the Schools workshop on music journalism at the University of Memphis, I played “Breakdown,” the first track from Beanpole’s new CD The Stonewall Sessions, for a group of Memphis City Schools high school students and had them write a brief review. What follows are some of their responses. Beanpole is playing a CD release party at Newby’s Friday: “The background music catches my attention in the beginning and seems to be reminiscent of an early Third Eye Blind or Green Day. The lead vocalist sounds as if he enjoys the music he is singing. The song has true content and an underlying story, which can be an appealing fact to many. It ends with the guitarist and stays in your head even after it goes off.” — Steve Combs “I don’t like this song. The beat makes my head hurt. You can’t understand what it is saying. The music crowds the voice.” — Bathsheba Hyde “Toadies with a twist. Catchy guitar riffs and a nice even bass flow. Although somewhat creative, it’s nothing particularly new.” — Mark Mines “Beanpole’s music would be for a person who is laid back and just likes to ride. The whole time through the song the drums and guitar just jam away. This could also be great for the beginning of a concert. Great lyrics and you can understand what he is saying.”— Ahasuerus Hope New national releases in stores this week include: Bad Livers Blood and Mood (Sugar Hill) Neko Case & Her Boyfriends Furnace Room (Lullaby) Bloodshot Tommy Castro Live at the Fillmore (Blind Pig) Dan Castellaneta Two Lips (Oglio) — Debut album by the voice of Homer Simpson. The Chieftains Water From the Well (RCA Victor) Dokken Live From the Sun (CMC International) Sara Hickman Spiritual Appliances (Shanachie) Michael Hutchence Michael Hutchence (V2) — INXS lead singer’s posthumous solo debut. Yanni Songs From the Heart (Windham Hill) Yo La Tengo And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out (Matador)