Tom Willner Music - blog

Top Hollywood Music Supervisor Adds My Cover Songs to His Stash

tomwillner@yahoo.com (Tom Willner) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:38:28 PST

"Never give up. Never surrender."

After stomaching over two dozen rejections for my song submissions to publishers, music libraries, and music supervisors for placement in film, TV, ads, and more, this week I got some good news. (As Thomas Edison famously said, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that don't work.") Two songs were hand picked by an "A-List Hollywood Music Supervisor" for his "stash of covers for HIT Network TV Shows he's working on." From the posting:

A-LIST HOLLYWOOD MUSIC SUPERVISOR NEEDS COVER VERSIONS of ANY and ALL POPULAR SONGS from the last several decades for HIT Network TV Shows he's working on. He wants to hear whatever you've got, but it's got to be GREAT! Whether your COVER SONG is a guitar/vocal or a full production, this Supervisor's bar is VERY HIGH, and he'll need the recording, production, and vocal performances ALL to be TOP NOTCH. Quoting the Music Supervisor: "I want to build my stash of covers to use after we come back from Christmas break and into the New Year. Covers of HITS will get more play than B-sides, so let your folks know that. Cool, contemporary remakes always work well, and make sure to let them know that GREAT, EMOTIONAL VOCALS are most desirable." All submissions will be screened on a YES/NO BASIS by the Music Supervisor HIMSELF. The Supervisor will contact you directly if he is interested.

Well he picked two recordings of mine - My Generation (The Who) and Here Comes The Sun (The Beatles). Now I just need to see if he decides to use one in a show and contacts me. Send positive vibes. Here are the tunes:

&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://music.tomwillner.com/track/my-generation"&amp;gt;My Generation by Tom Willner&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://music.tomwillner.com/track/here-comes-the-sun-cover"&amp;gt;Here Comes The Sun (cover) by Tom Willner&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

New Song - Here Comes The Sun (cover)

tomwillner@yahoo.com (Tom Willner) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 08:15:28 PST

Here Comes The Sun (cover) by Tom Willner
Recently, a fellow parent and musician at my youngest son's preschool asked me if I would work with her to create a children's album for the school. The goal was to create a fun keepsake that could also help raise money for the school. I agreed, and we got together to start arranging and recording nine songs that are staples at the preschool. One of the songs she chose to do was Here Comes The Sun by the Beatles.

(Side note: there was a bit of a "sun" theme to the songs - You Are My Sunshine, Mr. Sun, and Sunshine On My Shoulder all make an appearance - though there are also other traditional ones like The ABC Song and If You're Happy And You Know It. I knew we were creating a hit with the three year old market when my son kept running in a circle and singing to the music as I worked on them, and said, "Play it five more times, Daddy.")

When it came to recording the Beatles track, she asked if I would take on that one myself which I was happy to do. One night last week we captured all her vocal and guitar tracks for the album, and this weekend I worked out the remaining arrangements, recordings, and mixes, including Here Comes The Sun. I wanted to do a simple arrangement in character with the other songs, and when I finished I knew I had the next song I wanted to release to you.

Here Comes The Sun was on the Beatles album Abbey Road, which was released the year I was born. I'm not entirely sure why I told you that, except that it seems to have a serendipitous tie to me recording it for my child's school many years later. I hope you enjoy it. You can download a free copy for your iPod using the download link.

I Want I Want I Want

tomwillner@yahoo.com (Tom Willner) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:38:27 PDT

Lately, I find myself suffering from GAS, or "Gear Acquisition Syndrome." It's an affliction that most musicians suffer from, and I am not immune myself. I'm obsessing a bit over my latest toy discovery, so much so that I even stepped foot in my current local music store of choice, Sam Ash Music, to see if I could try it out. Alas, the only one in the store was still sealed in the box, and they were hesitant to open it just for me to try. But without further ado, permit me to geek out:

Oooooh. The Voicelive Touch. If you believe the marketing, it's like the ultimate guitar pedal board, but for your voice. And it works with keyboards, too. What does it do, you ask? Why, it automatically adjusts to give your voice the best sound; adds reverb, delay, and other effects; adds realistic sounding harmonies; corrects pitch; and does loops. All that, and it slips onto your mic stand, and has a simple touch interface.

I currently bring a small mixer with reverb with me when I perform live, but this would be just too much fun.

To give you an idea of what this thing can do, just check out this video of the incredibly talented Laura Clapp, demonstrating the Voicelive Touch with a keyboard.

Don't you think I should have one of these? I already hear new, cool live versions of All Fruits Ripe and Little Miss Magic in the works...

New Song - Sing It Out (new version)

tomwillner@yahoo.com (Tom Willner) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:29:21 PDT

Sing It Out (new version) by Tom Willner
This month's new song is actually a new version of one of my most popular tunes called Sing It Out. My good friend Ben Wakeman co-wrote the lyrics, and we recorded this one with Chris Kearney for our band Screen Door's album Greener back in 2003. Well, recently I found this listing from an A&R exec looking for a song:

ADULT CONTEMPORARY SONGS needed for a female British artist a la SUSAN BOYLE. The A&R exec at the Label tells us they're looking for songs with "strong lyrical sentiments of hope, honesty, new beginnings, etc." Lyrics can also be "reflective or nostalgic" and can even go so far as to suggest themes such as "unrequited love" but should also convey a "glimmer of hope." This comes straight from the source, so keep it in mind when submitting. Nothing depressing, cliche or gimmicky! Give this artist's incredible voice something MAGICAL and MEMORABLE to sing, at the level of "I Dreamed a Dream." Remember, she can cover any existing song. Let's give her something new and exciting she CAN'T RESIST! Vocal and instrumental demo presentation must be top-notch!

I decided to submit Sing It Out, but I wanted to present it a little differently than we did back in 2003. So I recorded this new version, and while it was not selected, I got some very nice feedback:

A very pretty song with an emotionally-gripping lyrical sentiment. Very nicely-crafted and professionally-presented in terms of vocal performance and instrumental performances/overall sonic quality. While possessing some traits that address the listing's stylistic requirements, the song also has some Jazz-leaning chordal/melodic elements and arrangement touches which take it slightly off-target for the listing.

Overall comments:
Hi Tom,
Thank you for the chance to hear and review "Sing It Out," I enjoyed listening and it's certainly a high quality work that is, in my opinion, slightly off-the-mark in the ways indicated in my Style comments above. This "Major Label High" bar listing required a great deal of scrutiny on all fronts, but please keep up the good work; you're clearly talented!

I was quite pleased with the critique, and decided to share the new version of this song and the story behind it with you. I hope you enjoy it, and let me know what YOU think!

New Music Video - Rain

tomwillner@yahoo.com (Tom Willner) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:58:37 PDT

Growing up, I heard stories from my parents, both Hungarian immigrants, about living through war. My mother hid in a dirt basement whenever soldiers came, and remembers watching a bomb land in their garden which miraculously did not explode. She saw friends get taken away, never to be seen or heard from again. My dad spent seven years in a refugee camp, most days eating only potatoes. He had been shot at numerous times. Both suffered and lost belongings, friends, and family.

It's not the type of information I read about in history books, nor hear about on the news. Although I did not experience war firsthand, I feel their stories gave me a unique perspective. I've always wanted to create something to pay tribute to the people who have actually felt the true costs of war.

A decade ago, as I watched us go to war in Afghanistan, then Iraq, I thought a lot about the people in the war zone at the time. It moved me enough to write the song "Rain," which is that tribute to both the civilians living in a war and the soldiers sent to fight it. With the war still continuing there ten years later, I was moved again to do even more with the song, this time incorporating the images of actual people involved. I searched for Creative Commons photos on Flickr, and put together this video.

The first verse of the song tells the story of an Afghan girl living through the war. The second verse tells the story of the fiance of a soldier going off to fight. Both of their stories are of loss and hardship. But the bridge is a dream of hope - when the hurt is replaced with love, when fear no longer falls from the sky. I hope this video further helps share my hope for this song and for a world where our children will never have to know what war is truly like.

New Song - Parts Gone Missin' (demo)

tomwillner@yahoo.com (Tom Willner) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 12:11:09 PDT

Parts Gone Missin' (Demo) by Tom Willner It's been a while since I shared a new song, so I decided to post this even though it's still just a demo recording - me and piano. Let me know what you think. This one is inspired by my old flame cancer, with whom I had a rocky relationship at best. I thought it might be fun to create a song where I sing to the ol' Big "C" as my former girlfriend, and what better genre to do it in than country! I've posted this on my music page where you can stream it, or if you provide your email and zip you can download a copy for yourself.

In Rememberance of 9/11

tomwillner@yahoo.com (Tom Willner) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 05:45:00 PDT

&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://music.tomwillner.com/track/battery-park"&amp;gt;Battery Park by Screen Door&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;
In honor of the 10th anniversary of 9/11, I'd like to share the song about that day from my old band Screen Door. The words are by Ed Scheiblin, and the music is by Ben Wakeman and me. The performance is by Screen Door, which is Ben on vocals and guitar, Chris Kearney on drums, and I'm on keyboards and vocals.

Battery Park
Words by Ed Scheiblin, Music by Ben Wakeman and Tom Willner

They knocked down the walls of Jericho
Killed the children in Jerusalem
Stamped out sin in Rome and Berlin
Turned it dark in Battery Park

I've known the thrill of the grand ideas
Wet dreams of the new perfect regime
I've run from all the pain and the fear
If heaven is filled with men like these
I'll stay in the dark of Battery Park

If you're in the dark take my hand
I'll lead you through the ruins of Rector Street
So we can marvel at the work of man and know
Love will make its last stand
In the dark of Battery Park

Snapshots and memories are all that remain
Weddings and parties when hope was alive
Diggers and the dogs search the sun and the rain
Dead or alive you don't leave your brothers behind
In the dark of Battery Park

If you're in the dark take my hand
I'll lead you through the ruins of Rector Street
So we can marvel at the work of man and know
Love will make its last stand
In the dark of Battery Park

I gave my blood at Mount Sinai but no one came so I
Walked down Broadway toward the fire in the night
Filled with hate for the big lie, the glint inside the martyr's eye
There were guns on the rooftops, body bags on the pier
Somewhere beyond all this terror and fear
Beyond the cries of the children, the stench of the grave
I know I'd only have my revenge
When I found someone to save

And if you're in the dark take my hand
I'll lead you through the ruins of Rector Street
So we can marvel at the work of man
and if you're in the dark take my hand and know
Love will make its last stand
In the dark of Battery Park
Battery Park

PopTech Music

tomwillner@yahoo.com (Tom Willner) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 11:28:06 PDT

PopTech Mixtape Vol. 1 by PopTech

Back in 2006, I had the privilege to go to a conference called PopTech in Camden, Maine. It's like the TED Conference except without the former presidents and $30,000 price tag. It was hands down the best conference I've ever attended. One of the cool aspects of it was that they had some amazing musicians perform in addition to great speakers (Chris Anderson, Craig Venter, Richard Dawkins, Thomas Friedman, just to name a few). Well, I just got word that PopTech released this "mixtape" of 10 performances from several of their conferences. I personally had seen and met both Reggie Watts and Rodrigo Y Gabriela there. (This is also where I met Jonathan Coulton, though he's not on this mixtape.) Reggie Watts is an amazing improviser, using a looping pedal and interesting effects to create his art. Rodrigo Y Gabriela are two guitarists who are half percussionists with an incredible style of performing. You'll probably recognize some others in this mix. These are all live, and all wonderful. They are all in my iPod now, and my latest music (re)discovery! Enjoy.

All Fruits Ripe Album Now A Free Digital Download

tomwillner@yahoo.com (Tom Willner) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:48:39 PDT

All Fruits Ripe by Tom Willner I have been doing a lot of research lately about the current state of the music industry. Between Music 3.0 by Bobby Owsinski, The Long Tail and Free: The Future of a Radical Price by Chris Anderson, and quotes like this one from Tim O'Reilly: "Obscurity is a far greater threat to authors and creative artists than piracy," I've been rethinking my own approach with my music. This past weekend I had a great friend and fellow musician, Lori Lynn Barrett, recommend me to her several hundred friends on Facebook which prompted me to change the price of the digital downloads for my latest album, All Fruits Ripe, to be "name your own price." Basically, I wanted to give everyone the option to download the album and any individual song for free. Also, I like Bandcamp's option to "Name Your Price," which allows me to leave it up to you to decide to buy it if you so choose at whatever price you'd like. If you choose $0.00 as your price, all they ask for is your email address and zip, so that I can send you my monthly newsletter (which you can also unsubscribe from at any time).

For those who get my music from iTunes, Amazon, and other places, their prices remain the same. This is just a bonus for the really cool people who come directly to my site!

So starts my experiment with a new pricing approach for my music. Let me know what you think. If this goes well, I may extend it out to my whole catalog.

Paris Music Video

tomwillner@yahoo.com (Tom Willner) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 04:00:10 PDT

I just got back from a trip overseas, where I got to spend a few days in Paris. I couldn't help but to take videos and photos using my digital camera and cell phone to make a totally awesome low-budget music video for my new song "Paris," the closing song on my new CD "All Fruits Ripe." Click the pic above to view it on YouTube or here to download.

For my fellow geeks out there, I used a small Pentax Optio digital camera and an HTC Android cell phone. I put together the video using Microsoft MovieMaker. And for the curious, my daughter took the video of me walking in front of the Louvre.

The song "Paris" was a collaborative songwriting effort with co-writers Ed Scheiblin and Ben Wakeman, and is available for download here (shameless plug).

For My Fellow Dads

tomwillner@yahoo.com (Tom Willner) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 07:39:13 PDT

My youngest and me

I have so many things I am delinquent in posting about - the CD Release Party, TV appearances, other shows - but since this weekend is Father's Day, and as a Dad myself, I decided to post something for my fellow Dads instead.

My memories of my Dad are great. I remember every day after school, I'd wait until he got home from work, then we'd toss the fishing poles into the back of the truck and head to Dunkelberger's Pond - legendary for it's both hungry and tasty largemouth bass. One particularly fruitful evening, we nabbed over a dozen, each at least a foot long, and were cleaning and fileting fish well past dark. He also used to drive me over 30 miles each way each week to my piano and organ lessons, because we had found a former Juliard professor willing to take me on just over the border in New York state. As I closed in on the legal driving age, he'd often let me drive part of the way home. When I got my first house, he came to visit, and basically did non-stop house projects from the moment he arrived until he left, all to make my life a little better, a little easier.

Sadly, I lost my Dad to cancer before he had a chance to meet any of my kids. I spoke last week at the opening of a Relay For Life, and talked about my Dad's final days. I was surprised at just how choked up I got. He obviously had a profound impact on my life, and over a decade later, I still miss him quite a bit. I hope I can live his legacy and make my kids' lives a little better, a little easier, too.

When my first child was still riding in a car seat, one day she was doing the ol' "arch your back and scream" maneuver to avoid the dreaded five point harness lock down. I was Louis C.K.-level frustrated, and in desperation started doing the first thing that popped into my head. I sang. Turned out, it was quite a good distraction - she immediately calmed down and stared at me, eventually smiling as I gently placed her in her car seat and strapped her in. When I closed the door, I had to pause for a moment to savor that moment of Dad ingenuity, before making my way to the driver's seat.

I eventually took the little song I made up at that moment into my studio where I created a recorded version. So for Father's Day, I'd like to share with you that silly little song, my ode to myself and all Dads; please enjoy "Daddy Daddy Daddy."

Download "Daddy Daddy Daddy"

Moses Lake Relay For Life in the News

tomwillner@yahoo.com (Tom Willner) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 09:35:37 PDT

Steven Wyble/Columbia Basin Herald

For the fourth year in a row, I had the honor to perform at the Moses Lake, WA Relay for Life. This year, I was also the guest speaker at the opening ceremonies. The local newspaper, the Columbia Basin Herald, covered the event, took photos, video, and even live-streamed the event.

Click the picture or here to read the story.

Also, they put together a video of the event, which includes my speech from about 4:30 to 8:25; and from 8:25 - 12:05 I'm performing. Here's the video:

New Album Available for Immediate Download

tomwillner@yahoo.com (Tom Willner) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 07:25:12 PDT

"All Fruits Ripe," my latest album, is now officially available and spreading its way across the internet. You can download your own copy right now, order a CD, and listen to the whole thing right here. It will be making its way to iTunes and more soon. I'll keep you posted, and thanks for supporting my music.

All Fruits Ripe by Tom Willner

Pre-release of All Fruits Ripe CD Available

tomwillner@yahoo.com (Tom Willner) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 09:20:44 PDT

All Fruits Ripe CD Cover

It has arrived! With the CD Release party officially scheduled at Smith's Olde Bar in Atlanta on May 28th, at 9 PM, I have made a special pre-release available online of my newest CD "All Fruits Ripe." You may already know some of the songs on this album, but some are brand new, and all have been mastered by award winning mastering engineer Earle Holder, engineer to multi-platinum artists such as Public Enemy. I've made two songs available for immediate download, the title track All Fruits Ripe and Baby I Love You Too. Order now, and get the two songs immediately and the rest on May 28th. You can also order an autographed CD, which will be sent on May 28th and comes with the same download deal.

So order your copy of All Fruits Ripe today!

And if you're in Atlanta, mark your calendars and come on out to the CD Release party at Smith's Olde Bar, complete with the Urban Blue band and special guests!

Washington Tour - Pictures and Video

tomwillner@yahoo.com (Tom Willner) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 04:00:19 PDT

Performing at the Roxy Wine Bar - click for more pics

As mentioned in my last post, March 2011 marked the kickoff of my Awesome Two Show Washington Tour. The general consensus: it was awesome.

Actually we got quite good reviews:

"You guys played SO tight...Great stuff with a great message. From the warmup song to the finale (great pick for the final song by the way), everything was top-notch and of professional quality. Perhaps most importantly (being in a band myself) was the fact that you guys genuinely had a great time up there and it showed. Doing the thing you love to do while sharing it with others. Doesn't get any better." - Kevin Selby

"Thank you for performing at our fundraiser, everyone had a great time! The Roxy show was an absolute delight!" - Terry Moore

And, the Pillar Rock Grill show raised over $14,000 for Relay for Life to fight cancer. Rock and roll.

The tour began on Wednesday when I and two other members of the Urban Blue band - Adam Coletta and Lee Hansen - flew out to Seattle, where we met up with bassist Kile Jackson. We rode to a studio that belonged to drummer Wade Reeves to practice. This was the first time the five of us had ever played together, and we had only one shot to rehearse before the shows. Well Kile and Wade are consummate professionals and a joy to play with. We'd run through quite a bit of material before calling it quits at 1 AM. This basically meant that we east coast guys didn't get to sleep until 5 AM our time... Ouch. Though, we are musicians.

Thursday was a day off to explore Seattle, where we enjoyed the sights, food, spirits, friends, wind, and rain. (Elsewhere there were earthquakes and tsunamis, which we didn't discover until the next morning.)

Dancing at the Pillar Rock Grill - click for more pics

Friday, however, was showtime. After the trek across the mountains which gratefully was passable, we performed at the Pillar Rock Grill in Moses Lake for their annual Relay For Life Dinner, Dance, and Auction. The show was a lot of fun. My favorite comment was when one person said, "they really did a great job with that song - who did it originally?" The song was one of my own from my upcoming album.

Saturday arrived and it was off to Kennewick to do it again. The time change and lack of sleep had started to take its toll on me as I started to get sick and lose my voice. Not what you want to happen right before a show. I started the day with tea - Earl Grey, hot - and rested my voice until showtime. The Roxy Wine Bar was a really cool place, and though my voice wasn't at 100% we kicked off the show. We played two sets, and thankfully, I still managed to belt out the high notes on the closer "Sing It Out."

The whole trip was an absolute blast. It just doesn't get much better than making music and hanging out with a group of great people. I can't remember the last time I laughed so much, it was almost cathartic. To give you a little taste of what I mean, here's a video of Adam and me goofing around at the Roxy show:

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>
Sesame Street and My Generation Mashup

Many thanks to Terry and Don Moore and Donna Anderson for treating us like rock stars and making the whole trip happen. Terry took all the pictures and video, which I shamelessly stole from her Facebook profile. Next month: Florida!

The March 2011 Awesome Two Show Washington Tour

tomwillner@yahoo.com (Tom Willner) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 07:38:06 PST

Flying out west today with fellow musicians Adam Coletta and Lee Hansen, and joining Kile Jackson and Wade Reeves in Seattle, to perform two shows in Washington. Click below the map for details, and follow the fun on facebook.

View March 2011 Awesome Two Show Washington Tour in a larger map

Independent Musician Stories: 2) Three steps, no fail

tomwillner@yahoo.com (Tom Willner) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 04:00:13 PST

Back in the early days of dreaming about a career in music, I was always looking for good information to help me achieve that dream. Oh sure, I would be lying if I said I didn't imagine getting signed to a major label, touring, and performing in stadiums to thousands of adoring fans, but I was pretty sure the jump from recording songs on a four track cassette recorder in my basement to super stardom involved quite a few steps in between. I always had a bit of a practical streak in me. Back when I turned sixteen and many of my fellow classmates were talking about the Chevelles and Camaros they desperately wanted to own, my dream car was one with four wheels that started every time I turned the key. So I guess it made sense that the book I was drawn to was one by Jana Stanfield called The Musicians Guide to Making and Selling Your Own CDs and Cassettes. This seemed a much more attainable step from my vantage point, not to mention that the subtitle, How to make tens of thousands of dollars a year performing and selling your own music, sounded like a respectable realization of my dream.

The book was terrific, and exactly what I needed at that moment. Stanfield detailed all the steps she took and things she learned that enabled her to go from having a career in broadcasting to having a career doing what she truly loved, music. I felt the similarity to my own situation; I decided to get an engineering degree rather than one in music so I'd have something to fall back on, yet that fallback position quickly became my career that seemed to continuously pull me further and further away from my dream.

Interestingly enough, there was one thing from this book that has consistently stuck with me more than anything else I've read or any advice I've received. She called it "three steps, no fail." It basically goes like this: You need to build a bridge from where you are to where you want to be. You don't have to be able to see the other side, just the first three steps. Once you take the first three steps, you'll be able to see the next three. And the three steps must each be something you couldn't possibly fail doing in a week's time. That's it. It's that simple, which is why I think it's so powerful.

Now I have always been a compulsive list maker. I occasionally stumble across lists I made years ago, and I can't help but test how well I did accomplishing each of the goals or tasks. Surprisingly, the results are usually favorable. It kind of falls in line with an idea from Deepak Chopra, which is about the power of intention. If there's something you want, make your intention known and the universe will respond. Ever notice how if you write something down, you almost don't need the paper anymore to remember it, but if you don't write it down, it's so easy to forget? I believe there is a power in making these lists, in setting these goals, and making that intention known even if it's just to yourself. One of my most noteworthy and visible to-do lists is one my wife and I made years ago on a chalkboard in my house with the following tasks on it: replace screens, yard sale, re-pot plants, sign up for yoga and aerobics, cure cancer, become daddy/mommy. They are all crossed off, except cure cancer, which I am too nervous to cross off, even after over a decade of being cancer-free.

OK, so back to three steps, no fail. That method has had a hand in almost every success I've experienced in my music career - CD releases, my musical, press, gigs, travel, contracts, you name it. I take things one or two projects or opportunities at a time, and while lately I have begun setting larger goals and creating a business plan, I still take these small steps toward things that I know I want to do at the time without fully knowing where it will take me. This week, I decided to contact venues about a CD release party, contact an event planner for ideas and potential help, and create this blog post. Last week I made a band rehearsal plan, sent off my new CD and artwork for replication, and had my lawyer review a publishing contract. They are all achievable single steps to take in my musical journey of a thousand miles, and it makes it possible to make progress toward what I want while I'm doing what I must.

Have you ever used this method or something similar? What were your results?

Independent Musician Stories: 1) The Artist's Way and My Musical

tomwillner@yahoo.com (Tom Willner) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 04:44:45 PST

When I was undergoing treatment for testicular cancer, I began reading "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron. For those of you not familiar with it, its basically a course to help you become more creative. Two of its main tenets are that you should journal every morning and have a block of time each week where you go do something fun just for yourself. One thing Julia Cameron wrote would happen, is that after some time you'd start noticing these epiphanies, or creative ideas, that would occur while writing your journal entries. Well, I did experience that, and one day I had something happen that basically changed my life. I had been toying with writing a song or songs about my experience with cancer, but that day I got this clear idea to write an entire musical show about it. The whole idea started fleshing itself out in front of my eyes as fast as I could write it. I turned to a new page and wrote "Turning Thirty" at the top, which was the name of the musical. The reason for the title was that I was diagnosed with testicular cancer right around my 30th birthday. Then I started writing titles to songs - about five of them right on the spot (which ultimately turned into 17). Then I'd write one of the titles at the top of a new page and start writing as fast as I could about that topic. Eventually, I'd take the two or three pages of what I wrote for that particular title, picked out the specifics I really liked, and formed them into a lyric, editing and rewriting them until I had a lyric I was happy with. Finally, I sat down and wrote the music. The whole musical came out this way, in a very top down fashion, which was the first time in my life I had ever done something like that.

Here are some pictures of the actual pages I wrote back then (click to take a closer look):

I began recording all the songs myself, while I was writing them and still going through treatment, even though many of them required multiple "characters" singing different parts. It took me a year to get through all of my treatments, and about the same amount of time to finish all the songs. You can hear those original recordings here:

Once I finished all the music, I started looking at writing the book, or script for the musical. Since I had never written a musical before, I enlisted the help of a friend, Jonathan Uffelman, who had a Masters of Fine Arts in theater. He suggested I write the main outline of the story first, then we'd go back and forth in emails with edits. I had already submitted my new musical to about six local theaters, three of which expressed some level of interest. This pushed us to write the book quickly, and we finished our first version in about a month. As it turned out, nothing with the three theaters panned out, and I got discouraged and let my new musical collect dust for several years.

Finally, my experiences with my music "career" over those years reached a tipping point for me. I decided that I wasn't really doing what I wanted to do with my music, and that I had been sitting on this body of work I had done that I was very pleased with that I needed to get in front of an audience. I (half) joked that I needed to do something with "Turning Thirty" before I turned forty. So I set about scheming how to make a show possible. I knew what I didn't know, which was how to stage a musical, so I turned to someone who did. I met Bill Duncan at my kid's school doing a fundraiser show for the arts department. I approached him about my musical, and he graciously accepted the task of helping me turn it into a show. Ultimately, together we recruited about ten other people to help make the show a reality. We presented the live debut of Turning Thirty on October 25, 2008. It was recorded, and I created both a CD and DVD of the performance. We had an audience of close to 150 people and received a standing ovation. You can hear the recordings of that show here:

and watch a video trailer of highlights here:

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; 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Since then, we have performed variations of the show three more times, and it has raised over $6000 for charities, mostly for the American Cancer Society. You can find out more about the show at the website turningthirty.org. I've started dreaming up new ways to take it to the next level, but, as with most experiences in my music career, some of the attention I got from this show led to other music opportunities. More on that in some future post.

I hope you enjoyed the first post in my series on independent musician stories. What did you think? I'm thinking about doing this as a podcast as well - would you like that option?

Independent Musician Stories

tomwillner@yahoo.com (Tom Willner) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 10:22:40 PST

Happy New Year! I hope your 2010 was great, and that 2011 is a healthy, happy one. 2010 was another good year for me musically, and I'm hoping 2011 keeps the trend going.

I've had a number of friends and fans of my music suggest that I write about my experiences as an independent musician. So I've decided that this year, I'm going to use my blog as a way to do just that: with regular posts I plan to tell stories about being an independent musician that will hopefully give you some better insight into the songwriting, performing, recording, marketing, technology, and more that makes up a life in today's music business. I may also have guest musicians make posts.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Anything in particular you'd like to hear about?

Free Download - The Christmas Song - All Other Music 50% Off

tomwillner@yahoo.com (Tom Willner) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 05:07:00 PST

The Christmas Song by Tom Willner listen and download it for free

There's something magical about this time of year, something that helps bring me closer to the things that are important - service, giving, family, enjoying the moment. But there's also something that can often make this time of year more superficial - shopping, commercialism, materialism. Well, I'm going to take a shot at bridging that gap with music.

First, I've recorded one of my favorite Christmas songs, and have it available for you for free - my gift to you. (I've sent money to Mel Tormé and Bob Wells, who wrote it back in 1944, so that I could offer their wonderful song here.) Just click on the play button at left to hear it, or even better, click on the download link and have a copy of my version for yourself - for free. I hope you enjoy it, and it brings you and yours joy this season.

Second, I'm trying out a wonderful new service, Bandcamp, to make my music available, and in honor of the season, I am offering all of my music, digital MP3s as well as physical CDs, for 50% off. That way, you can get one yourself, and give one as a gift; or buy the CD for someone for half price and get the MP3s free for yourself. Get some quality, inexpensive gifts - MP3s, CDs, DVDs - and share the joy of music. You can also pick up a copy of my Relay for Life Songs 2010 CD where the proceeds go to the American Cancer Society to help find a cure for cancer.

Click here to get wonderful gifts for the holidays for half price using the discount code holidaysale.

I wish you all peace and joy this season and always.

New Song - Jump Jive An' Wail

tomwillner@yahoo.com (Tom Willner) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 05:38:10 PDT

I love this tune. It was originally released in 1956 by Louis Prima (who also penned "Just A Gigolo" on the same album, "The Wildest!" that year). My kids are also familiar with his work as the orangutan King Louie in Walt Disney's animated feature "The Jungle Book."

The song was covered by the Brian Setzer Orchestra in 1998, which was when I discovered it. Brian Setzer won a grammy for his performance. He was largely given credit for ushering in the swing revival of the 90s. When asked about that, he said he had always been playing swing, it's just the rest of us that started liking it again.

So here it is in 2010 covered by Tom Willner and Urban Blue. I hope you enjoy it!

Download Jump Jive An' Wail

Sounds of Hope Concert

tomwillner@yahoo.com (Tom Willner) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:42:37 PDT

Tomorrow, I will perform at the Sounds Of Hope Concert in Columbus, OH. Created by the terrific organization Christians Overcoming Cancer, monies raised in support of this event will be distributed to the Dollars Allocated To Assist (DATA) program, Life Care Alliance’s Columbus Cancer Clinic and the Survivorship program of the American Cancer Society. From the event literature:

The “Sounds of Hope” Benefit Concert with Special Guests American Idol Runner Up Diana DeGarmo, National Singer/Songwriter Tom Willner, Vision Company and several local groups and artists.

Click here to learn more.

I'll be performing No Time Like Now, What Would You Do, and Every Candle Has A Name. Also, they will have the national debut of COCs 2010 "Faces We Remember" Video which is set to Every Candle Has A Name.

Come "Like" my music page on Facebook to get the play-by-play this weekend:

Tom Willner Music on Facebook

The June Tour

tomwillner@yahoo.com (Tom Willner) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 07:10:22 PDT

Part 1: June 4-5, Moses Lake, WA

It was May 6, 2008 when I received an email from Terry Moore joking about having me perform at the Moses Lake Relay for Life, and 24 days later, that's exactly what I did. One month after that, I had a Northwest Fan Club (with Terry as prez), and another month later my NW Fan Club celebrated the internet release of my song All Fruits Ripe with the creation of the All Fruits Ripe Martini at Michael's On The Lake. Each year after, Terry would help bring it up a notch. In 2009, I returned for two shows, the Relay for Life, and one at Michael's On The Lake where I was joined by guitarist Marcus Ruffalo. In 2010, I've performed four shows (so far!), two with my band Urban Blue at Michael's Market and Bistro and The Pillar Rock Grill (a Relay fundraiser that raised over $20,000!), and then back solo for these shows in June at the Relay for Life and Michael's On The Lake. It was another great time, and now we're scheming for the next round, which might even be later this year...

Click here to see photos from the Relay for Life

Click here to see photos from Michael's On The Lake

Part 2: June 18-19, Anacortes, WA

It was January 31, 2009 when I received an email from Jean Houston joking about having me perform at the Anacortes Relay for Life. We tried to make it happen that year, but weren't able to, so Jean herself performed "Every Candle Has A Name," my song co-written with Jack Storey at the Anacortes Relay. We stayed in touch over the course of the year, and in 2010, Jean made it happen. I got to come out to beautiful Anacortes, WA to perform at the Relay for Life, and perform the following night at Randy's Pier 61. It was a terrific experience, and you can read more about it here in my previous blog post. Prez Terry Moore and several other key members of the NW Fan Club made the trip out to Anacortes to attend the Randy's Pier 61 show, and thanks to her I have pictures and videos. I posted the videos out to YouTube, but I'm making them available for you to download below.

Click here to view photos from my Anacortes show

Click here to download the live video of "Madeline Rose"

Click here to download the live video of "Have A Ball"

Part 3: June 26, Lawrenceville, PA

It was December 16, 2009, when I reached out on Facebook to long time great friend and musician Chris LaVancher to see if he'd like to do a show together (and go bowling like we used to in high school) back in the old hometown. He liked the idea, but I didn't do anything about it until one day I randomly posted about doing a show together more publicly on Facebook, and got a significant number of comments from other old friends who wanted to come. Well, that little stunt made it expand to a number of other people, and before I knew it great friend and musician Lori Barrett - current judge in the Twin Tiers Idol Competition 2010 - got in on the action and soon the three of us were scheming about venues, songs, arrangements, and more. Lori reached out to Gwen Walker - voice teacher at Point Park University - (long time friend and musician - you're probably getting the picture) who also joined in. It grew into something quite special. Lori learned a bunch of my songs, and performed a number of them on stage with me (including a fantastic performance of "Get Through This With You" from my musical Turning Thirty); Lori, Gwen, Chris, and Chris's wife Esther all joined in on "All Fruits Ripe" and "Sing It Out" with me as well. Chris and Esther opened the show; Lori played next and I joined in with her, Gwen performed a couple of tunes that I accompanied, and then I performed. There was a terrific crowd at The Lakeview Lodge, and it was quite a memorable show. Lots of high school classmates and even our band teacher Bill Berresford and elementary school principal Jack Novak came. We're all hoping to make this an annual event, potentially in alternate locations. The whole thing was recorded by Tim Dart who did an amazing job with all the sound - I'm waiting to hear it and will share if we get some good stuff!

Click here to view photos from my Lawrenceville show

Click here to read a terrific post about the show on BlaiserBlog

Live Videos from Anacortes, WA Show

tomwillner@yahoo.com (Tom Willner) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:42:58 PDT

This past weekend I was invited to perform in Anacortes, WA at both the Relay for Life and at Randy's Pier 61. Both shows were a blast for me. Anacortes has no shortage of incredible talent, and at the Relay I got to share the stage with Emily Leopold, a young, beautiful, and talented singer, songwriter, and piano player. I wish I was as accomplished as she is when I was her age! I also got to hear the Bards of KeyPoynt, and met and hung out with members Nathan and Amanda McCartney. Both Nathan and Amanda came to my show the next night at Randy's Pier 61, and performed their own songs in between my sets. Incredibly talented and fun, you should check them out! The Bards of KeyPoynt describe their music as "medieval-celtic-piratey-gypsy" and it all fits. I can't wait to work with them again.

I am so grateful to Jean Houston for inviting me and arranging the whole trip. That's all her equipment I am using in the photo, and as an accomplished musician herself, I'm hoping to perform more with her next time. We all had a great time at Randy's Pier 61, a wonderful place with a gorgeous view of the water and neighboring islands. They made me feel right at home.

Finally, I'm grateful for my fans from Moses Lake, WA - Donna and Al Anderson, and Terry and Don Moore - that traveled five hours to come see my show. As always, Terry was armed with her camera and took a lot of photos and videos. Click on the links below to see me performing Have a Ball and Madeline Rose at Randy's Pier 61.

Watch "Have A Ball" video

Watch "Madeline Rose" video

New Song and Video - Wrong Side Of The Door (Live)

tomwillner@yahoo.com (Tom Willner) — Thu, 27 May 2010 13:20:14 PDT

Thanks to everyone who came out to an early show last weekend to catch Urban Blue and me at the Red Light Cafe. I didn't get any video or photos (anyone else get some they'd like to share?) from the show, but I did get a recording of the music. So this month I've posted "Wrong Side of the Door (Live)" from the show. I hope you enjoy it.

However, I have gotten such great photos from other shows this year, that I decided to put together a quick video for the song as well using pictures from our other recent shows. I've made them both available for download below, and the video is also on YouTube. Those of you who have subscribed to my podcast, you should automagically get both of these on your iPod/iPhone/iPad/iBrain.

Download "Wrong Side Of The Door (Live)"
Download the video
Watch the video on YouTube