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STRATEGY FOR THE DAY: chew on it

I feel like I'm in the middle of one of those acts where they spin a plate on top of a stick, then another, then another. Gotta keep everything going or it all comes crashing down. It's not all that bad - just a feeling like I'm barely keeping up with everything.

I just finished a new program for the Tedscapes channel on Ted Airlines. I found some great new music I'm thoroughly enjoying (one of the side benefits of Tedscapes). 'Italian acid jazz lounge' is the new fav-rave. Brazillian style soft grooves, chill electronica, head-bobbing mixes. Schema Records founder Nicola Conte is at the center of it. I used his piece "The In Samba (Kyoto Massive Mix). Check out the Break 'n' Bossa compilations for an overview of the entire scene. Turns out that Thievery Corporation, another favorite, has a label of their own called ESL - Eighteenth Street Lounge - that includes Nicola Conte, Soulstance, and the Sofa Surfers among others.

I've been putting in two afternoons a week as a TAXI screener and really enjoying it. There's the thrill of hearing new songs that are really good - I usually find one or two (sometimes more) per session. And for those people who are still getting their songwriting chops together, It's a lot like one-on-one mentoring. I'm giving the same kind of feedback in writing that I give face-to-face in my songwriting classes. I hope it helps and try to always keep it positive and encouraging. By the time people are submitting songs to TAXI, they've invested energy, time, blood, sweat, tears, and some money in a songwriting career and they've earned the right to be treated with care and respect. They won't get it too many other places in the music business. The more involved I am with TAXI, the more impressed I become. They are definitely the only ones who've made the independent A&R thing work and they do it very well. For more info, visit their web site at TAXI.com. You can always view the current pitch sheet (Industry Listings, they call it).

Just finished taping an interview for Ted Eclectic, another inflight channel on Ted Airlines. This one will feature the new Nick Drake CD in November-December (Made To Love Magic). I was asked to share a few thoughts on individual songs and his life. I'm definitely more at home with the music end of things.

I'm teaching a songwriting workshop today in Ventura, California which is about an hour's drive up the coast - beautiful scenery. Staying with friends in Ventura tonight then I'm headed further north to Avila Beach for an overnight, then back to L.A. Hope the plates keep spinning while I'm gone.

Read A Brief History Of Love Songs by Robin Frederick at the Sound Experience Music web site.

Copyright 2004 Robin Frederick. All rights reserved.