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The Australian Songwriter Issue 150, October 2020 First published 1979 The Magazine of The Australian Songwriters Association Inc. In This Edition: On the Cover of the ASA: Jazzy Dale performing at the 2019 National Songwriting Awards Chairman’s Message Editor’s Message Important Announcements Jazzy Dale: 2019 Winner Of The Youth Category Wax Lyrical Roundup Greg Barnett: ASA Member Profile Sponsors Profiles Members News and Information Steve Montgomery: 2019 APRA/ASA Songwriter of the Year Latest Music Releases From ASA Members And Friends Michael Lehnen and Catherine Lehnen: ASA Members Profile Mark Cawley’s Monthly Songwriting Blog The Load Out Official Sponsors of the Australian Songwriting Contest About Us: o Aims of the ASA o History of the Association o Contact Us o Patron o Life Members o Directors o Regional Co-Ordinators o Webmaster o 2019 APRA/ASA Songwriter of the Year o 2019 Rudy Brandsma Award Winner o 2019 PPCA Live Performance Award Winner o Australian Songwriters Hall of Fame (2004 to 2019) o Lifetime Achievement Award (2017) o 2019 Australian Songwriting Contest Category Winners o Songwriters of the Year and Rudy Brandsma Award (1983 to 2019) Chairman’s Message Hi Everyone, As I write this, further lifting of restrictions for live music performances in New South Wales are being announced. Fingers crossed, soon the number of opportunities for Songwriters to perform their compositions at gigs will increase substantially. This also augers well for your Board’s plans to hold the 2020 National Songwriting Awards in February 2021. In the meantime, judging for this year’s competition gathers momentum, with the Short Lists having already been announced. The next rounds of arbitration are now taking place. Top Thirty in every Category will be announced sometime in November so please keep an eye on the ASA Website for further updates. Vice Chairman and Editor, Alan Gilmour, has once again come up with an e- Newsletter of considerable substance, to whet your appetite as we emerge from ‘live gig lockdown’. Please enjoy it to the full. I’m sure it won’t be long until we get the call to strap on guitars, sit down at keyboards, take up microphones etc, and bring some new music to crowds once again. Please don’t forget to support our Major Sponsors APRA and Wests Ashfield by becoming Members. We all need to work together to achieve a better future for all, as we come out of this pandemic. It feels good once again to be able to say “see you at the Wax Lyricals”. Denny Burgess Chairman Editor’s Message Hi Everyone, Welcome to Edition 150 of The Australian Songwriter. In this edition, we are featuring interviews with two of the 2019 category winners, Jazzy Dale, who won the Youth Category and Steve Montgomery, who won the Australia and Ballad Categories, and was named the 2019 APRA/ASA Songwriter Of The Year. We also have ASA Member Profiles on Greg Barnett and Michael and Catherine Lehnen. And of course, don’t miss Mark Cawley’s monthly songwriter’s blog. Take care and stay safe, Alan Gilmour, Editor and Vice Chairman Important Announcements Short List Announced in the 2020 Australian Songwriting Contest. The ASA received a record number of entries in the 2020 National Songwriting Contest, and as a result, judging has taken longer than expected. However, the short-list has now been selected by the first-round judges and entrants have been advised of their short-listings. Congratulations to everyone who are now moving on to the second round of judging and thanks to everyone who has entered the contest. Short-listed entries will now go on to the second round of judging from which the Top 30 songs in each category will be chosen and the finalists notified. We hope to have the Top 30 (or more due to the large number of entries) out during November 2020. The Top 30 songs will be placed on the ASA website and will be published in the November ASA magazine. Further judging will select the Top 10 songs in each category as well as the Category Winners. The Top 10 songs will be announced at the 2020 National Songwriting Awards. Winners will receive their trophies and prizes and will have the opportunity to perform their winning songs to the awards night audience. As in the past, the 2020 APRA/ASA Songwriter of the Year will be announced from among the Category Winners. The 2020 winner of The Rudy Brandsma Award for Songwriting Excellence will be announced from the ASA member entrants who are present at the 2020 National Songwriting Awards. If the live event is unable to go ahead due to the current venue restrictions, the winner will be selected from all ASA member entrants in the contest. ASA Wax Lyricals Check with your local ASA Regional Co-Ordinator about the monthly Wax Lyrical events in your area. Most live events are on hold due to the current health crisis, but some have continued with strict social distancing in place. Some ASA Regional Co-Ordinators are holding virtual Wax Lyricals over the internet. 2020 National Songwriting Awards Ongoing venue restrictions at the Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL Club have meant that the 2020 National Songwriting Awards, which were scheduled for Wednesday 28 October 2020, have been deferred until a date in February 2021, yet to be fixed. The ASA is working towards this new date, but due to the current health crisis, the situation is subject to ongoing review. If the health crisis has not resolved by year’s end, the ASA will investigate the viability of doing an online virtual awards presentation. Jazzy Dale: 2019 Winner Of The Youth Category Jazzy Dale was the winner of the Youth category in the 2019 contest with her song, Better Place. We caught up with Jazzy for a short chat. ASA: Welcome Jazzy, tell us about your winning song? Jazzy: The day I wrote the song, I was actually going to the studio to continue working on another song I was working on, and I got news that one of my best friend’s Dad had suddenly passed away, so I decided to write a song about that and write it from her perspective as if she was singing the song to her Dad. ASA: And where do you record your songs? Jazzy: The Artist’s Studio in Randwick. ASA: What are some of the influences for your music for e.g. do you have artists that you like to follow and get inspiration from them? Jazzy: I would defiantly say Kirby. I like the R & B kind of Gospel vibes that she has. My music style changes a lot, so I will have a new favourite every week. ASA: When did you first start writing songs? Jazzy: Probably about three years ago, so I haven’t been doing it long, but I loved it the moment I started. ASA: Do you write with an instrument? Jazzy: Mostly I do all the stuff on the computer and sometimes I just tinker around on the piano and guitar to find certain chord progression or certain notes or a melody. ASA: How many songs have you written? Jazzy: I would say probably forty and I have got about thirty completed with demos ASA: Do you enter any of these songs into other contests. Jazzy: Yes, I do a bit actually. ASA: Have you ever won any prizes? Jazzy: I have won a few. It’s cool because they give you gift vouchers and that’s how I bought my first two guitars. ASA: Where do you think you will be heading with your career? You are young and you have a whole career in front of you. Are you interested in making music a part of your life? Jazzy: Definitely, I would be happy with anything to do with music. I do love recording and I love writing songs and performing ASA: Where do see yourself in ten years’ time? Jazzy: It’s hard to say, I just envision myself in the music industry. ASA: An international star up on stage with Taylor Swift supporting perhaps? Jazzy: One can only dream, I do like a good breakup song. ASA: Breakup songs have been done to death but we do love them. Do you like writing them or what sorts of songs do you like writing? Jazzy: For me I just go with what I am feeling or real-life situations. I find those things easier to write about. ASA: Well thank you Jazzy it’s been a pleasure chatting to you. Wax Lyrical Roundup Due to ongoing venue restrictions, only a few of our regular monthly Wax Lyrical open-mic nights are currently being undertaken around Australia. Those currently underway are subject to strict hygiene and social distancing measures. Some ASA Regional Co-Ordinators are doing virtual Wax Lyricals, so check with the ASA Regional Co-Ordinator in your area. ASA Northern Rivers NSW, 3 October 2020, Dunoon Sports Club ASA Newcastle NSW, 16 September 2020, Carrington Bowling Club ASA Member Profile: Greg Barnett ASA: Greg, you seem to be bucking the trend in a field renowned for the youth of its aspiring new/emerging artists? Greg: I gave up on the ‘aspiring’ tag a long time ago and never had the good looks or marketability to be ‘popular’. But modern DIY music production costs you nothing once you have the basic gear, so I can put my particular skills, sensibilities, creativity and motivation to work. ASA: What was your musical journey? Greg: A pianist and guitarist from my early teens, I witnessed the inventiveness of the 1960-70’s and the rise of the singer-songwriters.