So here’s a link to a petition that was started by your’s truly after years of Rush being ignored for induction into the Performers category in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.  Please pass it on and let’s get the quintessential Canadian prog rock band into the RnR HoF – where they deserve to be… It’s 2012 and too late for this year, but let’s put some pressure on for next year’s induction ceremony… Rush shouldn’t have to wait until 2112 when “the meek shall inherit the earth”, modest rockers that they are. Let’s make it happen in 2013!…  May the Muse be with Geddy, Alex and Neil… and no opinions should be divided on Rush getting this recognition!

From the Juno Awards site:

And here’s part 2 of the Juno Songwriters’ Circle courtesy of the CBC with Terri Clark, Max Kergan and Dan Mangan as host… May the Muse be with you as you listen and enjoy great Canadian (unsung) songsters!

From the Juno Awards site:

JUNO Songwriters’ Circle brings together some of today’s most talented Canadian singer/songwriters, sharing songs and stories on stage. Host Dan Mangan hosted the discussion, perform some of his hit songs and got up-close with audiences in this truly unique setting and not-to-be-missed event.

Participating Artists: Host Dan Mangan will be joined on stage by fellow 2012 JUNO Award nominees David Francey, Kiran Ahluwalia, Lindi Ortega, Max Kerman (Arkells) and Terri Clark.

CBC has a great podcast of the circle and here’s part 1… May the Muse be with you as you listen and enjoy great Canadian (unsung) songsters!

Well, Kathleen Edwards most recent release,  Voyageur, is the darling of critics, rightfully so, with its cathartic songs leading to new beginnings from a dissolved past.  I just wanted to share a quote from an interview by David McPherson in the latest Canadian Musician magazine (January/February 2012 edition).  The quote comes from a fellow Canadian singer-songwriter, Jim Bryson, who contributed to Voyageur via emailing parts and pieces of songs back and forth with Edwards (and is part of Edwards’ touring band and a proud new papa to boot – congrats!):

If Edwards chose not to use one of Bryson’s ideas, he didn’t take it personally. “I know how records work,” says the seasoned songwriter. “It’s like taking photographs. You take 100 and you may only use three of them. If it’s a signature part and you really feel connected to it you can have a discussion, but otherwise, if you are playing on someone else’s record, it’s theirs …at the end of the day, it’s her deal. It’s not like I can throw a barrel of monkeys down the stairs and mic it and expect her to use it.”

Now that’s an image that’s hard to get rid of… hmm… probably a novelty record in that idea… Don’t go calling the SPCA on me… I was only joking… But the lesson is to collaborate with respect for the song’s originator… now that I can work with and may the Muse stay with Kathleen, Jim et al… ZTHYW2D9WUC8

Well, now we can take the guess-work out of wondering if the songs we write will be hits… The science behind the ScoreAHit web app can be found here.  It’s all mathematics and formulae and “I’ve got algorithms”… here’s a very brief overview from the site:

The underlying assumption is that popular songs are similar with respect to a set of features that make them appealing to a majority of people. These features could then be exploited by Machine Learning algorithms in order to predict whether a song will rise to a high peak position in the chart. Machine Learning is a branch of Artificial Intelligence concerned with learning to perform a task based on examples — in this case learning to predict hit potential based on past hits and non-hits.

And here are the factors measured by the algorithm in a tag picture format:

Kudos to Dr. Tijl De Bie for his work on this… it looks like a lot of fun and I’m going to submit a song or two to the Songometer when I get the link by email invitation…

I’ll report back on whether I’ve got algorithm or not… May the Muse (and Math) be with me…

Check out this article from Real Science about a professional musician helping his 6th grade daughter with a science project by co-writing/producing/mixing a song about the Northern Lights – the good old Aurora Borealis – boy, probably broke the rhyming dictionary with that one! 

Here’s a sample lyric:

Blue and purple nitrogen
Aurora, you never know how much I adore yaʼ
My magnetic field of dreams
Making magic out of photon streams
Those endless nights in the northern lights
Aurora

Maggie, the 6th grader, talks about the song here:

I know that there’s math in song, but apparently there’s science too… May the Muse stay with this Daddy-Daughter team!

Just found a nice resource from Geek-Mom’s blog detailing songwriting contests and tips… you can find it here and get to entering the contests Julia “Jules” Sherred (Geek-Mom) sets out…

Just finished watching a beautiful documentary about Ron Sexsmith’s troubles to get a “hit” in the land of radio (a la Bob Rock as Producer). I’ve been inspired lately by many things, some sad, some happy… This film had both… the praise and adulation of his peers and the “wall” that he can’t break through to reach a wider audience – and in the mix, such wonderful works of art, including the title to the film Love Shines.  Ron writes some haunting melodies with lyrics to match… watch this film!

Love Shines in our grief… A childhood (and adult) friend of mine passed away recently… a widower himself, he leaves behind a daughter… so much pain…

Love Shines through our happiness. My wife and I saw Paul Simon at Massey Hall recently and, just last week, Elvis Costello and the Impostors at the Sony Centre (nee O’Keefe then Hummingbird).  So much talent, so much joy brought to so many.

And to bring it all full circle, there was having Elvis Costello talking about Ron Sexsmith in Love Shines and calling him a “Man Out Of Time” (basically). Beyond belief…

May the Muse be with you all… and trailer below

Former American Idol judge and music publisher/songwriter Kara DioGuardi and singer-songwriter Jewel will co-host a new show on Bravo titled Going Platinum.  The ten-episode reality competition is currently in production and is slated to premiere in 2011.

The program will focus on singer-songwriters as they write their own songs. It will feature 12 musicians competing in songwriting challenges – from dance tracks to love ballads. The winner will receive a $100,000 cash prize, a publishing deal and a recording deal with RCA/Jive. 

Said Jewel, "I am excited to be a part of this show because as a songwriter, I understand the dedication and struggle these musicians are going through." She added, "This series will showcase the passion, talent and determination it requires to become a hit songwriter, and in the end we will find the next big music star.”

"Hit songs are the backbone of the music industry, and as a publisher, nothing excites me more than finding new songwriting talent," DioGuardi said in a statement released by Bravo. "I am happy to be a part of a show that helps up and coming songwriters pursue their dreams, while giving the public a look into the creative process."

Canadian Radio Star, the 18^th annual national songwriting competition, is now accepting entries and online submissions from aspiring and proficient songwriters – published or unpublished – across the country.  Sponsored by Astral Radio, and presented in association with Canadian Music Week, the contest offers emerging artists the opportunity to submit their songs for the chance to win thousands worth in music equipment, services and more – including $10,000 in cash.

"Songwriters are at the core of our rich musical heritage," says Rob Braide, Astral Radio. "Their songs define our lives and our landscape.  Through initiatives like Canadian Radio Star, we have the opportunity to discover, empower and promote the stars of tomorrow, while contributing to Canada’s vastly thriving music scene."

New to the Canadian Radio Star competition this year, songwriters can submit their songs directly online at www.radiostar.ca to the participating radio station in their area.  Entries are open now until 5pm EST on December 13, 2010 – the contest’s close. 

Complete details and contest rules can be found online at www.radiostar.ca.

Songs will be judged by Canadian radio programmers, music publishers, recording industry executives, and successful songwriters.  Regional winners will be declared by the participating radio station in each market, with a combined public and industry vote determining the Grand Prize winner. 

The 2011 Canadian Radio Star will be announced on Saturday, March 12, 2011, during Canadian Music Week (March 9-13, 2011).

"In many ways, this competition offers a launch pad for the careers’ of aspiring Canadian songwriters," says Neill Dixon, President of Canadian Music Week. "It opens doors to new possibilities, provides unrivaled exposure, and puts the songwriters’ songs directly in front of a commonly unreachable audience.  Astral Radio’s dedication to this project is commendable and underscores our mission to develop Canadian talent."