Write Away Magazine Dec 2019

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So This Is Christmas... An In our last episode, one of the points we touched upon was the need to tell a story that was new, or at least an emotional groove that was new… .”Love is great”, we said, was a statement that, while true, was so universal as to be the worst of all artistic sins: not interesting. And if there were a “runner-up” prize for “Most dangerous quagmire for new songwriters”, what could be a more deserving candidate than Christmas! (we note, as an aside, that topics like this are particularly perilous for new, upcoming songwriters…..songwriters with widespread, universal appeal seem to get away with generalized pap they call universal much more easily...did Paul McCartney just click to a new webpage? Well, if so, I hope he took his Christmas bells (and John Lennon’s children’s choir with him…..but I digress) Christmas! Where religion, family, food,... and toys coalesce….and don’t forget alcohol! If, as the rehab counselors say, addiction is a downward spiral of chasing a first time high over and over, but never quite as good….well that’s an apt description of what Christmas becomes for many adults. That’s a whole nother book! The problem for songwriters, however centers around the fact that so many people already have very strong emotional impressions from idealized (half remembered) childhood experiences--they already “know” more about Christmas than you could possibly tell them. But they want you to try. Sales of Christmas songs clearly holler that (or “carol” that, if you prefer). The waterfront, unfortunately, has already been well covered, which accounts for the further and further “reaches” in order to say something new…. did the authors of “Grandma got run over by a reindeer” just click to a new webpage? Could they take the barking dog Jingle Bells people with them? This is kinda for songwriters, ok. Actually, though, Grandma and her reindeer are actually what you need,or so I would suggest: something outside the sappy “Love is great” song...with “love” changed out to “Christmas”. Which brings us to a personal story: In 2014, I decided to take up the challenge of a Christmas song. Hazardous, I knew….but hadn’t I already written the “Best Song in the World”? Well, I hadn’t...but I was runner-up (twice) in a contest called that. And I still had those Elixir coated guitar strings I had won as “honorable mention” in a Billboard songwriting contest….so I was clearly qualified ( I thought) to take on a challenge that had reduced so many talented writers to….dreck. But what to do…. what fresh spin could I possibly…...AH HA! It came to me in a great moment of clarity (or so I thought). I scribbled a few lines, and called the band for rehearsal. I began teaching them my epic: “All I want for Christmas is...a divorce”. Suddenly, my wife Amy, who rarely takes interest in musical matters, burst into the room. “Did you write that? Is that yours?”, she asked. “Uh…..maybe”, I sheepishly replied. There was a pause that perhaps seemed longer than it was…...and she responded “That’s the best song you EVER wrote!”....I couldn’t be sure, but she SEEMED neither sarcastic nor upset…..I chalked it up to the power of ART….I think. You decide, here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-c4G- F4Rxpc www.wildcatohalloran.com And Merry Christmas….also Happy holidays, Blessed Kwanza etc 12 www.writeawaymagazine.co.uk
Bill O’Halloran d What Have You Done? www.writeawaymagazine.co.uk 13
Page 1 and 2: Issue No:12 The Lyric Writers Magaz
Page 3 and 4: A Word From The Editor... A very wa
Page 5 and 6: The Lyrics Doctor nres, but even th
Page 7 and 8: Daryn Wright ’s Magic Bag aryn Wr
Page 9 and 10: Trevor Dimoff riting Next Year? Wha
Page 11: Paul Sykes ael’s Vocals differenc
Page 15 and 16: Simon Wright or You collaborate thr
Page 17 and 18: Happy Ron Hill ime I’ll Be Home
Page 19 and 20: Lyrics Life In Lyrics website - www
Page 21 and 22: John Nicholson s Past www.writeaway
Page 23 and 24: Dave Sutherland f Christmas www.wri
Page 25 and 26: Stephen Kalpin O LONG Short Bio: St
Page 27 and 28: T h e David Michael Rose S h e p h
Page 29 and 30: Augusto Flameño Monsayac hristmas
Page 31 and 32: James K Victor We’re Glad to crea
Page 33 and 34: Sydney Westan er 31st The new year
Page 35 and 36: Jason Baker astime ues While I have
Page 37 and 38: Queen Regina Of The Gigglefits rist
Page 39 and 40: Bob Love ew Christmas Tree with a c
Page 41 and 42: George Michael We’vetaken a look
Page 43 and 44: George Michael George Michael Album
Page 45 and 46: Jimmy Travis Band tmas Without You
Page 47 and 48: Dave Eidson I am a 63 year old man
Page 49 and 50: Nick Lawrence istletoe For Me www.w
Page 51 and 52: Colin B Leonard Guide Me Home Verse
Page 53 and 54: and available on Sound Cloud, iTune
Page 55 and 56: Rollin Jewett On Christmas There ar
Page 57 and 58: Bamil Gutiérrez Collado tmas Time
Page 59 and 60: Don Murdock s To Me the session in
Page 61 and 62: Mike Turner Christmas I’m happy w
Page 63 and 64:
Jane Shields Merry Christmas Merry
Page 65 and 66:
Richard Solleveld ree Of All ow. ea
Page 67 and 68:
Ric Angus Call This song was writte
Page 69 and 70:
Linda Harborth re Did You Go Seems
Page 71 and 72:
Gary Snead e Mistletoe I’m a sing
Page 73 and 74:
Stanley Thompson f Christmas ‘60
Page 75 and 76:
nk Kitty Pete Marksteiner www.write
Page 77 and 78:
Ron Todd s Is Here ed to go for som
Page 79 and 80:
Paul Michel It is as if everything
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Write Away Magazine Dec 2019

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