I got an email today from a brilliant singer-songwriter and dear friend. He sounded broken. He is tired from working so hard to promote, manage, license, book, write, and market (and the list goes on) his music. He is sad that he is writing beautiful music but has to fight tooth and nail to get it heard.  Like so many of us music makers, he runs the risk of getting lost in the rubble that was once the music industry. For as often as I make fun of the self-importance and moodiness of singer-songwriters, I have to admit that I wholeheartedly believe in their value. They have and will continue to be our constant companions as we learn to love, grieve, lose and celebrate. 

So what happens when so many artists feel broken in today’s industry?  We are inundated daily with thousands of online resources to get our music heard. New ways to promote, increase our fan base, sell our music, ramp up our social media campaigns, etc, etc.  But where do we go with our hopelessness? Where are the resources that help us sustain a creative life when we feel battered and tired?  Who is teaching us to write well and often while we enjoy our relationship with music?  How do we encourage each other to find solutions that are fierce with authenticity and yet still practical and useful?

I’m not sure.  So, as I often do when I am wrestling with overwhelming questions, I have retreated into the bottomless expanse that is my strange imagination and have decided to create The University for Tired Songwriters. In my mind, these are some of the course offerings this Spring:

• Building Community: How your hometown, artistic community can safe your life
• Hopelessness: Why are you here everyday?
• How to Use Songwriting for Civic Engagement, Service, and Healing (Formerly, my career is not the most important thing on the planet earth)
• Artistic Commitment: How to talk to records labels, venues, and managers without losing your creative vision
• Listening: What is it and how do you do it in a capitalist market
• Determination: Unlearning what you learned on reality TV 
• Commitment: How not to be Kim Kardashian

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Note to Self:

• Write more lyrics today than status updates
  
• Commit to having something you are proud of before you blast the hell out of it on the Internet
  
• Turn off the computer.  Stop tweeting, social networking, stalking your peers on Facebook in jealousy and just WRITE
•  Grow an affection for song topics not related to romantic love
  
• Listen to opera and classical music
  
• Read more poetry
• Try new musical ideas
  
• Develop a self worth and self respect that you can always count on regardless of money, fame, or critics.  There is no writer that is loved or hated by everyone.
• Play with people who you believe in and who you like spending time with. 
• Your audience probably wants to hear something new.  Or something old in a new way.  Something that makes them feel less alone.  Less crazy, sad, pathetic, weird, foolish

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Super-duper-uber talented artist who writes awesome pop tunes seeks label to make me super-duper famous really fast and fill the massive void that narcissism has left in my life.  Artist is willing to work 100 hours a week or more in exchange for over-the-top stardom that addresses a terrifying fear of being alone, unimportant, and as worthless as my father always told me I was.  Artist has been spending majority of time facebooking, tweeting, and blogging to build fanbase but does occasionally play and write music.  However, this never EVER interferes with my strict social networking plan.  Artist excels at meeting new people and instantly overwhelms new contacts with tacky self-promotion.  Influences include The Beatles, Justin Bieber, and the radio.  Artist is single mindedly focused on fame and money and will most definitely neglect, or destroy if needed, any important relationships that do not further artist’s success.  My massive ego problems lead to thoughts of grandiosity which always lend themselves well to stints in rehab.  I have already planned out my VH1 behind the scenes story line.  I film all of my activities.  ALL of them.  Please contact me as soon as possible.  Ready and willing to do anything at anytime.  Cult resume available upon request.

Major label seeking young, desperate, and good-looking artist for record deal.  Applicant must take direction extremely well and have a history of cult participation.  A poor understanding of contracts, licensing, publishing, copyrights, and the real world is a must.  Due to the chaos and confusion of said major label, and the toppling of known infrastructure to the music industry, a willingness to continue hellish social media plan on own time is required.  Label will maintain most rights to most music and most money that comes in because that’s just the way it’s always been.  Once we release your record, we will be confused about how to make any revenue off of it considering half your fans will only buy 2 tracks on iTunes and the rest will just steal it.  Brainstorming sessions will include: stints in rehab or scandalous involvement with the British royal family.  Please be so desperate to be famous and to rise above the growing crowd of indie artists that you will literally do anything, we mean anything (*note importance of cult participation) to be famous.  If your album does not make our label money immediately, we reserve the right to abandon all marketing plans and leave you to make your way in the jungle of independent music.  Quality of musical talent and writing is irrelevant.  All ability levels may apply. 

Dark, poorly ventilated venue seeks accessible, fun band to play a 14-hour set on Monday nights for $7 (plus half of the tip jar). Our customers enjoy drinking, numbing out, and shitty nineties hits. Please be prepared to play exclusively upbeat and familiar music. Please avoid playing anything slow or thought-provoking. This has been known to break down our clientele into the fetal position as it brings home the emptiness of their sterile and predictable lives. Original music may be played ONLY if it sounds exactly like Bon Jovi. Or if it is about California. If playing original music, please do not play music that is interesting, rageful, rebellious, political, religious, or satirical. This causes customers to pay attention and open their minds. If playing original music, please sing only about romantic love or sex. These are the only themes allowed in our venue as every other topic known to mankind will bore our clientele. Expect to be completely ignored for the majority of the night except for the 30 seconds that some douchebag tries to pick up on you or some even bigger douchebag cries out ‘freebird’ and basks in the glory of being the center of attention for the first time in months. A guaranteed draw of 30,000 people is expected of the band if you want to be paid. Production fees are $9,012. Please be on time and polite. Call 1-800-cheapvenue and ask for Tim. Remember, there are a thousand indie bands in this town who want to play this gig more than you.

The second edition of MyChicagoLivingRoom features Emily Claire Palmer and Charles Murphy of the sparkling Chicago duo Duck and Goose.  My very first show in Chicago was a songwriters showcase with Emily.  We have since grown up together as artists moving from open mics to Chicago gigs to recordings to tours.  Nearly a year ago she joined forces with the extremely talented Alabama man Charles Murphy.  They started with their roots; farmers markets, children’s shows, and house concerts.  However, they have quickly become a favorite among musicians and (adult) fans on account of their pure harmonies, their honest and universal writing, and a down home charm that has become irresistible. 

They brought over some Chinese take-out and a bottle of whiskey one night in June for our recording of the aptly titled June Song.  The cat loved the banjo!

Duck and Goose released their first EP this July which will be available online soon.  Check them out HERE for updates on their virtual release.  They are also known for their incredible video collection with the help of our favorite, Zack Whittington, who filmed the Transistor Sessions for us.  Check out their YouTube channel.  Thanks Emily and Charles!!

Check out my video with Left Turn at Albuquerque’s Sarah Scanlon!

When I first got into the music scene, I knew nothing about the musicians and venues in the city.  I also knew about four people. Total.  Luckily, it was only a matter of time before I fell in with a community of people centered around The Windy City Open Mic, The Red Line Tap, Chicago Acoustic Underground, and a group of hard working musicians out in the world singing their song.   Early on I met the formidable Sarah Scanlon and the multi-talented Jeff Churchwell at the Red Line tap; l ong before they formed the band Left Turn at Albuquerque with Joe Nemec.  We were all fast friends and have watched each other grow, learn, screw up, and succeed. 

I don’t think artists do well in vacuums, alone in their studios grappling with their art and seeing the light of day only once every few weeks.  I think they flourish and do well in the company of fellow artists.  In a community of support.  Because the artistic life is a journey of inevitable highs and lows, losses and gains, courage despite fear. 

Left Turn has worked HARD this past year at writing great music, defining their craft, performing, and recording their first album!  I had the privilege of singing on the title track, Sparks in Broad Daylight.  Their CD release show is Sunday, June 26 @ 7:00pm at the Bottom Lounge - 1375 W. Lake Street, Chicago, IL.  Other acts include: Aaron Williams Band, 3 In Counting, and Trevor McSpadden and the Peacekeepers.  So proud to know this amazing and talented band!

If I let you deep enough inside to wake the ghost

        Will there be a bitter army waiting at the coast

Ask the moon, she always tells the truth

        I always thought the night was built with walls

To keep out all the light, I couldn’t see at all

        You keep saying look up at the stars

                              I guess I never thought to look up that far

The Women in this Family by Jane Thatcher

Installment Three of the Transistor Sessions.  Ira Ochs on cello, Sarah Wong on violin, Zack Whittington behind the camera.  A very special thanks to our friends at

Transistor, www.transistorchicago.com

5045 N. Clark St. Chicago 312-863-1375 Open every day 1:00-7:00 p.m

Last fall I was hanging posters for my CD release show and walked into Transistor, the “equal parts art gallery, bookstore, CD & record shop, specialty audio electronics boutique, and more, broken into two halves: sound + vision” epicenter of Chicago.  The walls were covered with photographs, clocks made from vinyl records, concert posters, and one-of-a-kind lamps.  There were records, books, and vintage electronics filling every corner of the space.  Andy, half of the enchanting married couple that owns the store, greeted me and mentioned that they do live shows.  I told him I was most definitely interested.  I bought a book about Patti Smith’s first album and as I walked the half block to my apartment I felt like I was one of the few people holding the greatest indie-hipster secret of all time. 

I have since played several shows at Transistor, recorded two podcasts, and played on one of their live Sunday Session radio broadcasts.  They have helped me promote shows, put on Chicago Acoustic Underground showcases, and even fund raise for my roommate’s sick cat.  It has become clear to me that Andy and Rani (the other half) do much, much more than run a store.  They are creating a community built around art, music, film, and learning that supports the artistic and creative life.  Individually, as business owners, artists, and people, Andy and Rani are warm, super intelligent, creative and giving.  I can still remember hanging out in the store, my shoes kicked off, long after close while they listened to me wail about the music industry and told me to just be myself.

A few months ago I got together with cellist Ira Ochs and violinist Sarah Wong to work on a video series after seeing the work of videographer Zack Whittington.  I first learned about Zack through his work with dear friends and Chicago duo, Duck and Goose.  In the true spirit of an artistic community, Rani and Andy opened their shop to us on one rainy Sunday in March and let us have at it.  We filmed three songs; Red16, Let Go the Lightening, and The Women in this Family with little more than two microphones and a hand held camera.

I love the videos because there is so much to see in that shop.  I love that you can hear the rain and the cars driving through it on Clark street.  I love that those videos will forever remind me of my favorite apartment in my favorite neighborhood in the city.

Check out the Transistor Sessions on YouTube and then head over to Transistor - 5045 N. Clark St. Chicago .  The shop itself stands on it’s own and if you are anything like me, you will be hard pressed not to find something you HAVE to have.  But in addition, you can check out their Tuesday night film series and their live Friday night shows.  You can listen all week long to the official Transistor radio show.  You can take painting, drawing, lamp building, Adobe Workshop, Photoshop, and graphic design workshops.  Everything is BYOB and all ages.  Thank you, thank you to Transistor for all you do!!

5045 N. Clark St. Chicago 312-863-1375 Open every day 1:00-7:00 p.m.

www.transistorchicago.com