Only Three Days & Counting Down Until the ASG's 5th Annual Songwriter's Symposium Rocks Austin
When: January 9-11, 2009
Where: Hilton Garden Inn in Downtown Austin, Texas
Time is literally running out now to register to attend the 5th Annual ASG Songwriter Symposium. As an added bonus for one lucky songwriter, every registered attendee this weekend will have a chance to be chosen for a songwriting mentorship with hit songwriter-producer Radney Foster, who has penned such classics as "Just Call Me Lonesome," "Nobody Wins" and "Raining on Sunday," which Keith Urban turned into a #1 Platinum smash. However, the real prize is being present at the 2009 ASG Songwriters Symposium, which rocks downtown Austin this coming weekend.
The roster of Platinum songwriters serving as instructors for this year's symposium is now eight deep, including Gary Nicholson, Monte Warden, Kimmie Rhodes, Chuck Cannon, David Lee, Bill Carter, Ruth Ellsworth and the legendary Sonny Throckmorton. Among the remaining faculty are songwriters and producers, including Gurf Morlix, Jimmy LaFave, Marvin Dykhuis, Will Sexton and Stephen Doster. The music publishing triumvirate of BMI's Thomas Cain, Montage Music's Bobby Rymer and Austin's very own Brandi Warden of red hot Moonkiss Records, will anchor the song pitch sessions throughout the weekend looking for the next hit song. That song could be yours. But, as they say, you have to be present to win. While the bulk of the faculty is in place now, ASG Executive Director Lee Duffy is sure to have a surprise or two in store.
We wish to extend our apologies to those of you who have been patiently waiting for additional instructor information before you make your decision to attend. We are compiling bios and profiles, as well as the final schedule of workshops and song pitch sessions. We will be releasing new information every day as fast as we can create it, so check back as often as you wish. We do promise you one thing, the ASG Songwriter's Symposium is the best value on the planet and we guarantee your experience will be one of the most positive investments you have ever made in your songwriting. So, go ahead and commit to yourself right now to make 2009 your best songwriting year ever and take the first step towards that vision by attending this weekend's Symposium.
Remember, you could find yourself in discussion after discussion about your songs with Platinum songwriters, music publishers and producers all weekend long and receive a lifetime's worth of experience and wisdom from music industry professionals in about 48 hours of whirlwind activity. Whether you just want to learn how to write better songs for your own satisfaction, or whether you are planning to record a record and tour Europe next year, the 5th Annual ASG Songwriter Symposium is your next step towards achieving that vision for yourself.
Don't let this weekend pass you by.
Gurf Morlix is one of the very best guitar players and producers of Americana music in the whole world, as well as an outstanding singer-songwriter. From 1998-1996, Gurf primarily performed the role of guitar player and producer for Lucinda Williams all the way through her now classic record Car Wheels On A Gravel Road. Since 1999, he has been all over the place as a musician, engineer, mixer and producer out of his Rootball studio in Austin where he has produced a growing number of excellent records, including Slaid Cleaves Broke Down, Ray Wylie Hubbard Snake Farm, Mary Gauthier Mercy Now and Tom Russell Love and Fear, among many others. He is presently in the studio with Betty Soo, 2008's Kerrville Folk Festival "Best New Artist," who also happens to be an ASG Director. He has also worked with a diverse roster of artists in one role or another, including The Band of Heathens, Peter Case, Sam Baker, Jimmy LaFave, Ruthie Foster and Ian McLagan, just to mention but a few. In between all of this activity, he has produced and released a number of his own records, including Fishin’ in the Muddy and Cut ‘N’ Shoot. He is also a member of the Austin Music Hall of Fame. In his first year as an ASG faculty member, Gurf will be leading a seminar in record production on Saturday.
