JPF Home Page Forums Southeast US Chapter Message Boards Tampa Chapter Message Board Can I make a suggestion?

Like Jak, Alex, Steve, and others, I originally joined JPF to learn more to attempt to get a career in music. And I have learned a lot! Some was from the speakers we used to have early on (like Jak and Al, I am one of the original members of this chapter). But most of what I learned came through opportunities I found out about from networking with people in our JPF chapter. I probably never would have joined NSAI, gone to Nashville, Kerrville, and other places around the US and Canada if it weren't for info I got from other JPF members.

Guest speakers who are lawyers, radio DJs, BMI or ASCAP representatives, etc., would be good. But there is already so much knowledge within this chapter that needs to be shared. I'm sure there is a lot I have done and tried that others would like to know about. There is a lot that Jak, Jim Mason, Jules, and many others in this chapter have done that I would like to know about. This is so we all don't keep re-inventing the wheel and making the same mistakes over and over again.

Examples of things I keep hearing people ask:

What is TAXI (or NSAI, or BMI, or ASCAP, etc.) and is it worth it? Do you have any experience with it?

What is the minimum I need to start recording at home?

How do I get some local gigs?

How do I get a song recorded by a signed artist?

What is a publishing contract and is it useful?

How do I get songs into TV shows?

How can I improve my songwriting (critiques, writing schools or seminars, etc. Are they worth it?)?

How do I record and release my own CD?

How do I get my own website?

. . . and so forth. There are a lot of people in our local chapter who have already done this stuff and have experience they could share.

I would like to see some more formal exchange of this knowledge. A meeting once a month at someone's house or a library meeting room or a park pavilion or such would be good. We should have a chosen topic to start each meeting, with someone from the group, hopefully someone with experience in this topic, designated to lead that topic's discussion. Afterwards, we could open it up for more general questions or concerns people may have.

This is a suggestion. I think we accomplish more with suggestions that with criticisms. I would like to hear other suggestions. I'm sure some of you have ideas better than this.

Andy