Sound Connections Unity’s New Thought Music Resource
Issue # 93 June/July 2013
Produced by Music Ministry Team and the Sacred Music Resources Department Richard Mekdeci, Editor Sue Riley, Team Chair Blair Tabor, David Ezell, Melinda Wood-Allen, Todd Lowry, Sheryl Meyers, Megon McDonough
This Issue’s Highlights by Richard Mekdeci —page 2 Sound Connections goes bi-monthly/Thank you, Carmen Moshier/SC-9 update
2012 Sound Connections Music Conference at Unity Village ─page 3 Add your voice to honor Daniel Nahmod at this year’s Grace Note Award Ceremony.
Feature Article —page 5 Cover Songs: Performing and Recording Them Legally by Sue Basko
CD Reviews—page 7 Sue Riley’s newest I Choose Love and, Pay Attention by Earth Mama (Joyce Rouse)
New Releases, Resources & Events —page 9 Richard’s brand new CD So Far So Good
Unity’s Online Choral/Ensemble Library in a nutshell—page 11 How to, where to and why to. Plus submission criteria to submit your own choral originals.
Employment Opportunities ─page 13 New! Experienced Music Director seeking a vibrant church community!
This Issue’s Free Sheet Music Offering ─page 14 “A Small Star” by Joyce Johnson Rouse – Inspiring, empowering. You’ll love it!
New Thought’s First Music Director Listing: Online Only Currently over 180 music directors in 41 states and Canada. Help us make this a complete listing for all of New Thought. Update/add your name to this valuable resource .
Master Index of all songs offered through UWM: Online Only Over 300 songs listed alphabetically, with songwriters and the book or resource they appear in to make it easy for you to find and buy the right music for your ministry. Download here.
www.unity.org/music [email protected] 1 This Month’s Highlights
Greetings, Sound Connections Family!
Bon Voyage! At this writing we are all workin’ overtime tying up loose ends and preparing to leave for 10 days on this year’s exciting Unity People’s Convention cruise. Debbie Ball is still re-arranging meeting spaces to accommodate the ship’s changing needs. Bud Mosley is carefully figuring the capacity-versus-load of the 9-passenger van he’ll be driving down to Fort Lauderdale, and Kim Shawd is preparing the minutes for the business meetings.
Sound Connections Goes Bi-Monthly I of course am working on this June/July newsletter, the first bi-monthly Sound Connections ever! As we look at ways to streamline our services, we realized that Sound Connections can be just as effective a tool and just as valuable a resource to our music ministries in bi-monthly form as it has been for the past ninety-two issues. Each issue of The Path will have a link to the current newsletter and features of what’s in the issue.
Remembering Carmen Moshier-Boeger The recipient of the very first Grace Note Award for outstanding contribution to New Thought Music made her transition on January 3, 2013. Carmen was among the first if not the first writer of what would be considered uniquely “Unity” music. Hugely prolific, she leaves behind an impressive body of work dedicated to her life in Unity, including 14 songs in the Wings of Song hymnal. She was living in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and was 90 years old at the time of her death. Thank you, Carmen, for all the great music! Carmen’s Obituary: http://www.hotsr.com/news/2013/01/06/carmen-f-moshier-boeger-262178.php
Richard and Paula’s Big Adventure! I’m soooo proud to announce my beloved wife, fresh out of Unity Institute and Seminary, will be senior minister at Unity Renaissance in Chesapeake, Va. She starts September 1. Many people have asked, “Will you be going to Virginia with Paula?” ... uhh, yes. And I will be taking as much of this job as I can with me. It will be tough leaving this great place and awesome coworkers, and Unity Village, but I knew this day would come when I said “I do.”
Great Issue This (Bi)Month If you have been inspired, impressed or moved by the music or the man, Daniel Nahmod, please help us honor him at this year’s Sound Connections by sending your “Daniel moment” testimonial for us to include in the presentation. (pg 3) An article on licensing cover songs, a great piece of free sheet music, reviews of two really great CDs, all round out this issue.
Have a great summer!
Richard Mekdeci, LUT Sacred Music Resources Coordinator Unity Worldwide Ministries
www.unity.org/music [email protected] 2 Sound Connections Music Conference Ongoing Updates
Registration is only $199 until August 1.
Follow this link to register: https://www.regonline.com/soundconnections2013
This year’s keynotes!
Rev. Michael Gott – “A Prayer Twice Prayed” An amazing voice and an amazing minister. Formerly music director at Center for Spiritual Living in Reno, Nev., Michael now serves with Howard Caesar as associate minister of Unity in Houston, Tex. Michael’s music and message will inspire and uplift you. Michael’s keynote message is “A Prayer Twice Prayed.”
Daniel Nahmod - 2013’s Grace Note Award Recipient Daniel has taken the New Thought message to literally millions of people around the world through his music. It crosses all religious, social and cultural boundaries, and is sung in practically every Unity and New Thought church and center in the world. Daniel is also known for leading inspiring retreats and workshops.
Help Us Honor Daniel The Grace Note Award honors outstanding achievement in New Thought music. We are putting together the presentation for the ceremony, which will take place on the last night of Sound Connections.
As in year's past, we are opening up the presentation to include your input, so please send us a brief 1-2 minute video clip of your words of praise, gratitude and love for Daniel. Please submit videos only to ensure ease, expediency and flow when putting the final presentation together. Most of you have a smart phone or laptop with a camera (or you know someone who does), and we want to see your smiling faces as you give your kudos!
Please be sure to include your name, any church affiliation, city/state in which you live, as well as how Daniel's music has influenced and inspired you and/or your spiritual community over the years. Let's get creative and show Daniel how much we appreciate his phenomenal, healing, uplifting music! We need all video clips sent in to Jennifer Ferren by September 1, 2013.
You can send your video clip in multiple ways: via Dropbox.com or YouSendIt.com to [email protected] , save as a .mov file on a CDR and send to 186 Fay Drive, Kennesaw GA 30144, or text directly via smartphone to 770.289.1132. Thank you in advance for your collective energy as we honor one of New Thought music's most influential artists!
www.unity.org/music [email protected] 3 Don’t miss these other great presenters at this year’s Sound Connections!
David Roth has presented at 6 of our 8 Sound Connections conferences and continues to be one of the most-requested presenters. David will host our Silent Spirit Sharing and offer workshops on guitar technique, songwriting, and a conference favorite, “Writing a Song of Love,” a group co-writing session to create a song for a sick child. www.davidrothmusic.com
Michael Allen Harrison is back! This internationally-known Steinway signature artist, returns to bless our group with piano labs and a workshop on composition. Trained as a classical pianist, Michael believes classical music has the ability to tell a story like no other genre. Michael has an amazing 50 CDs to his credit. www.michaelallenharrison.com
Mark Stanton Welch , veteran New Thought performer, sound healer and vibrational alchemist, joins the Sound Connections staff of presenters with a workshop on integrating chant and mantra into your music program. For over 25 years his creations have touched and inspired New Thought audiences worldwide. Mark will also lead the morning meditaion/chanting sessions. www.musicforeverysoul.com
Dr. Judy Blackwelder is a Minister of Music at Unity of Music City in Nashville, Tenn., for over 14 years, composing, arragning and conducting music of all styles for the weekly and special services. She holds a PhD in Music Education and has taught in Tennessee public schools for over 35 years. Unity congregations in more than 20 states sing her music. She has two books of published choral and ensemble music.
Be sure to become a Facebook “Friend” and rate the page after your visit. Contact [email protected] or call 816.434.6845 for information on group rates.
www.unity.org/music [email protected] 4 This Month’s Feature Article
Cover Songs: Performing and Recording Them Legally by Sue Basko
This article is excerpted from Sue Basko Blogspot.com. The full article appears at http://suebasko.blogspot.com/2010/12/cover-songs-performing-and- recording_19.html
If you read my last post about Music Samples - How to Use Them Legally , you saw how complicated that is! Recording cover songs is much easier!
What is a cover song? A cover song is the everyday term for a song that is being performed or recorded by a different artist(s) than the one that wrote it or the one that first made it famous. For example, if you record or perform a Red Hot Chili Peppers song, that is a cover. According to the law, once a song subject to U.S. Copyright has been recorded and distributed publicly, anyone can obtain a license and record the song, and pay statutory royalty rates.
The amazing thing about recording cover songs: The most amazing thing about recording cover songs is that the statutory royalty rate is exactly the same no matter whose song you cover. The rate is the same whether you are covering Dave Matthews or the guy who plays the local open mic. This rate is set by law.
Mechanical License: The license to record and sell a cover song is called a mechanical license. A mechanical is any song recording, including vinyl, CDs, or digital downloads.
Mechanical License and Royalty Rate: A mechanical license is the compulsory license that allows you to record and sell someone else's song in the U.S., and in exchange you pay royalties to the songwriter at statutory rates, which is 9.1 cents per copy for songs 5 minutes and less. For songs longer than 5 minutes, it is 1.75 cents per minute, rounded up.
Why they are called "mechanicals." Back when the law was established, and even now, there were basically two ways to make music: live performances, or by mechanical means. Back then, that meant player piano rolls and heavy, breakable records. Today, "mechanicals" include whatever technology brings about. Not long ago, music was sold as records, 8-track tapes, and cassette tapes. Now it is sold as CDs and mp3s. Soon, it will be something else.
So, what does this mean? For the most part, it means that if you hear a song on the radio or on iTunes or on a bought CD, and it is not an opera or musical, and you want to make a recording of it yourself, but not a video, you can do that. That means you cannot use the compulsory licensing system to make a "cover" of a song from Les Miserables, but you can use it to make a cover of a song by The Ramones, System of a Down, Neil Diamond, Ben Folds, Vampire Weekend, Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, Simon and Garfunkel, etc. Note: If you want to cover a song from an opera or musical, contact the publisher directly and ask
www.unity.org/music [email protected] 5 permission. It is not automatic and they have the right to say yes or no and to charge as they will.
How to get that mechanical license: Some songs are listed with the Harry Fox Agency , which is a non-profit agency established in 1927 by the National Music Publishers Association to handle mechanical licensing on songs. Harry Fox will issue you a limited quantity license for song recordings that will be produced and distributed within the United States. This service is called "Song File." Harry Fox charges a $15.00 processing fee per song and the royalty fees for the number of copies you estimate you will sell. If you are making more copies, they have plans for that as well. This is a convenient way to get the mechanical license.
Limelight: There is a new company called Limelight which sells cover song licenses on its easy-to-use website. Limelight charges $15 plus royalties. Limelight represents the musician seeking the license. You can read more at: Limelight: Cover Song Licenses. An advantage in using Limelight is that they can get you licenses from all the independent songwriters, not just those listed with Harry Fox. Limelight is designed by musicians for musicians and is very easy to use.
Songwriters register with Harry Fox Agency: Harry Fox allows any songwriter who has at least one song being recorded and sold by a third party to register their songs with the agency. If you are a songwriter and you want other musicians to be able to easily locate your song to obtain a mechanical license, apply to Harry Fox, and if you meet the requirements, register your songs. This is especially important if you self-publish your songs. How is anyone going to find you to get a license or pay you royalties? Please note, ASCAP, BMI and SESAC are performing rights organizations and they do not handle mechanical licensing or mechanical royalties.
www.unity.org/music [email protected] 6 CD Reviews
To say I love, love, love this Sue Riley CD would be an I Choose Love understatement! From the very first crazy- Reviewed by: Jennifer Ferren cool, snappy track, “Blessed Be,” you realize this is Sue Riley as you’ve never heard her before.
The second track, “Dandelion Dreams,” is officially one of my all-time favorite Posi songs. Super-hip & Beatles-esque, Sue & Glen Roethel absolutely shine.
“I Am Love” and “May You See God” are strikingly beautiful in their simplicity and grace, this being one of Sue’s unique and distinct gifts as an artist.
“My Every Notion” is totally hot and reminiscent of Annie Lennox/Eurythmics.
I could go through each of the 13 tracks and sing their praises, but I encourage all of you to go to http://www.empowerma.com/i-choose-love-cd-sue-riley to purchase this work of heart and discover the magic on your own. Such a diverse array of styles, energy and musicality; I just smile at every track, thinking “Yes!”
Sue has co-written with some of Posi music’s most mega-talented superstars, including the aforementioned ethereal & awesome Glen Roethel (who appears more than once, can I get an “Amen”!), Faith Rivera, Jana Stanfield, Karen Taylor Good, Nathen Aswell and Penny Nichols, just to name a few.
Daniel Nahmod has done a stellar job sharing his talents as engineer, instrumentalist, vocal arranger and producer. It’s a thrill to see and hear Sue totally and completely blossom on this new compilation. She has officially not just upped her game, but upped the game for all of us.
We of the Posi tribe are intuitively supportive and loving when it comes to honoring each other, yet this triumph goes beyond intuitive niceties. This is simply a phenomenal collection of work, period!
Get the I Choose Love CD by Sue Riley at: http://www.empowerma.com/i-choose-love-cd- sue-riley
www.unity.org/music [email protected] 7
Pay Attention by Earth Mama (Joyce Rouse)
Reviewed by Sue Riley
I was first introduced to Joyce (Earth Mama) at the 8 th annual emPower Posi Festival this past January. I love her CDs. She has many beautiful chants and many, many songs intended to increase our awareness of our personal responsibility to our planet Earth. She has a light touch with her lyrics, especially in the songs where we are encouraged to be better stewards of our planet, and you will find yourself looking for extra ways to decrease your carbon footprint.
This CD is one of my favorites. The title song, “Pay Attention,” is just plain fun! We recently did it with our Doo-Wop group at Unity Church of Clearwater, Fla., and it was enthusiastically received. This song is upbeat, easy to sing, and has an empowering message. What more can we ask from a song?
“And Everybody Else” is a great song to use for any patriotic celebration. It starts with the adage “God Bless America” but then goes on to include “everybody else,” including some of the areas of the world where war and discord are currently rampant. Once again, in her gentle way, Joyce reminds us that we are truly all connected.
The CD also includes a bluegrass ode to the state of Virginia which is very sweet. Entitled “Virginia Beauty,” it could be used as an advertisement for vacation travel to the state of Virginia.
“Enough Is as Good as a Feast” invites us to appreciate the bounty that we have in our lives. Joyce lists many personal items that are in her home, which most of us will relate to, such as books of poetry and a piano. It is a sweet song urging us to look at our surroundings with different eyes and to detach ourselves from the notion that we don’t have enough.
“A Small Star” is a wonderful song that many of us know from Jana Stanfield’s recordings. Starting with the line “You don’t have to feel brave to be brave,” it is a wonderful accolade to personal transformation. *The lead sheet for this song is included in this issue as our Free Sheet Music feature!
Joyce is well-known at conferences highlighting Earth Day events and going green. Many of her songs are piano-based, and Joyce has sheet music for many of her songs.
Thank you, Jana, for introducing us to the wonderful music of Earth Mama!
Listen and buy at www.earthmama.org .
www.unity.org/music [email protected] 8 New Releases, Resources & Events
We invite you to send us news of CD releases, concert events, or YouTube links that you have come across that would be of interest to our community. It could be New Thought songs you’ve discovered on YouTube, touching stories for sermons, new music from your favorite artists or from your church. Links will be rotated off every 3 months. Send your link to [email protected] .
New Releases
I Choose Love by Sue Riley Produced by Daniel Nahmod and co-written with Posi music’s finest, this new collection from Sue Riley is an expression of a growing artist’s craft and her commitment to the genre. Classic songs for your ministry. Reviewed this issue (pg 7) Listen and buy at www.empowerma.com/i-choose-love-cd-sue-riley 6/7
So Far So Good by Richard Mekdeci Includes “All Is Welcome Here,” “No One Gets to Heaven,” plus originals written and co-written by Richard. Daniel Nahmod’s production gives this a fresh new sound and flavor. “So Far So Good is so delightful, I recommend it only to folks who want to hear great singing/musicianship, uplifting lyrics and heart-healing songs! So far ... very good!” Megon McDonough www.emPowerma.com/so-far-so-good-cd-richard-mekdeci 6/7
Soul Rekindled by Richard Carr This is my first release in ten years. Much has happened since then, most notably my leaving New Orleans in the wake of hurricane Katrina. Also, there was a very big shift in my everyday awareness and how I look at and deal with the world around me. This album is a brief glimpse into that process. Live and studio tracks. www.RichardCarr.com . 4/13
Resources & Links
Out of a Nation’s Sorrow by Clark Ford Friends, I have written a song in memory of the children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, Conn. (Dec 14, 2012), called "Out of a Nation's Sorrow." The minister of my church asked me to write the song, and it was performed for the first time on May 26 at Unity Church of Ames, Iowa, by the choir. I have set the music to pictures from Sandy Hook. Am hoping to arrange the piece for a larger ensemble including children's choir for performance commemorating the one-year anniversary of the tragedy. Any help I can get would be appreciated! Here is the YouTube link to my video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK1-zFD8pH4 Blessings,
www.unity.org/music [email protected] 9 Clark Ford, Ph.D. Associate Professor Food Science and Human Nutrition Department Iowa State University 515 294-0343 [email protected] 6/7
Colors by Kira Willey—One Sunday this song was presented by a soloist who asked that the children stay in the service during her song. People of all ages loved it! Since then the congregation as a whole has sung this song a couple of times, when it matched the minister's theme for the day. We like it.—It’s pretty easy! Can be done with or without harmony. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur5AYncDDE0 Submitted by Bev Wright, Victoria, BC
Spirit SongScribe Music Transcription My name is Deana Ingraham Gurney. I transcribe your original songs, creating professional-quality lead sheets (vocal melody in standard notation, with full lyrics and chord symbols), in high-resolution printable PDF form. www.spiritsongscribe.com
Events
Be the Love 2013 A Meaningful Retreat Experience Hosted this year by Regina Dawn Akers with guest presenters: Scott Grace, Earl Purdy, Diederik Wolsak July 12-14, 2013, at the Guest House Retreat Center in Chester, Conn. Learn more about the facilitators, the facility and register at www.bethelove.us . If you have questions, email [email protected] or [email protected] .
Sacred Music, Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu August 7–17, 2013 Join Charlie Thweat on a sacred journey in Peru Follow this link for complete information and flyer http://wizard.musicangel.com/images/Peru_Flyer_Full_Size_2013_resized .jpg Follow this link to see a 4-minute video that will make you want to sign up now. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6ixSGO2f0I&feature=youtu.be
Check out InnerNetEvents for upcoming festivals, concerts and events in your area.
www.unity.org/music [email protected] 10 Unity’s Online Choral/Ensemble Library
Who can find something useful at Unity Worldwide Ministries’ Online Choral/Ensemble Library (OCEL)? • Everyone, including you • Choral directors, of course • Musicians who perform Positive Music • Truth students who listen to Positive Music • Ministers who use Positive Music in your services
Features you can find when you visit the library include: • Sheet music for various types of choral groups • Sheet music for small vocal ensembles • Sheet music that can be used as solos • Links to recordings of Positive Music • Links to the websites of well-known and emerging New Thought songwriters • Contact information for ordering custom arrangements for the performers in your church • Ideas you can use in creating a beautiful church music program • Affirmations found in great Positive songs • A spreadsheet listing songs found in Unity Worldwide Ministries’ print publications
Advantages of getting your sheet music from the library include: • Instant access • Easy evaluation of songs through sheet music samples, audio samples and complete lyrics • Search capability, so you can find songs containing keywords in a minister’s talk • Easy-find features, with every song listed by Musical Style, Performance Medium and Subject • Integrity with copyright
To find all this and more, go to: www.heartwindmusic.com and click on Unity Worldwide Ministries’ Online Choral/Ensemble Library.
The OCEL is administered and hosted by www.heartwindmusic.com , David Ezell, President.
For a small choir (up to 10 members), full choral arrangements are $15.00. For a larger choir, the price is $25.00.
www.unity.org/music [email protected] 11 Online Choral/Ensemble Library Submission Criteria Submissions will be an ongoing process, so if you have a choral arrangement of an existing New Thought song or an original choral song for any theme or special service, you can help us build a huge library of available material for you to have at your fingertips.
• We are asking for “print-ready” arrangements in PDF format, professionally transcribed in Sibelius or Finale formats with piano or lead sheet and voice parts included. (Contact Richard Mekdeci for a list of qualified arrangers who can help prepare your scores for publication.) • When possible, please include an MP3 audio of the song being performed. This does not have to be a professionally-done studio recording, but enough to give the buyer an idea of the complexity and feel. A good-quality, live church performance should be adequate in most cases. • Please include a lyric sheet for each title and a suggested usage for each song (e.g., Christmas, Volunteer Sunday, Burning Bowl, general use, etc.). • Songs will be screened for quality, sing-ability, and lyric content to insure compatibility with New Thought theology. • If you submit an arrangement to an existing song that you did not write, you should have permission from the songwriter for that arrangement. When you are paid for sales, you will be responsible for compensating the authors through whatever agreement you have with them.
To select and purchase choral music, you can go to http://www.heartwindmusic.com/unwomionchli.html.
For information about submitting songs for inclusion in the library, go to http://www.heartwindmusic.com/absusotobein.html .
www.unity.org/music [email protected] 12 Employment Opportunities
Experienced Music Director Seeking Church . Greetings from beautiful Miami, Florida! I am a choral director/musician seeking a musical director post in a vibrant community, preferably in an inspiring natural environment. My years of being a church musician, educator and director are diverse, ranging from directing traditional choirs, gospel choirs and jazz ensembles, to assembling original music ensembles, facilitating circle singing and creating space for collective compositions. I am committed to raising humanity's vibrational level and fostering a deeper spiritual connection through music. Will re-locate for the right position. Kathleen Hollingsworth, [email protected]
Unity Church of Christianity, Topeka, Kansas : Accompanist Wanted Applicants skilled on a digital keyboard (ours is a Roland) are encouraged to apply for an audition now by calling 785.478.1333, or emailing [email protected], or sending a letter to Rev Michael Jamison, Unity Church of Christianity, 9126 SW Tenth Avenue / PO Box 750658, Topeka, KS 66675-0658. Salary for this position is $300 per month for the 90-minute weekly rehearsal and 90- minute Sunday warm-up and service. Check out our website at www.unity-of-topeka.org .
Center for Spiritual Living, Sarasota, Fla. We are a growing and lively congregation of 50- 60 members. We are initially looking for Sunday music coordinator/vocalist with keyboard to lead congregation in songs and chants, to provide Sunday solos and accompaniment to guest soloists, and to bring in guest musicians occasionally. Work with minister (Rev. Karen Wolfson) to coordinate the music with the message. Sunday service is 10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Contact Rev. Karen Wolfson, [email protected] .
www.unity.org/music [email protected] 13 This Month’s Free Sheet Music You’ll love this empowering message from Joyce reminding us of our uniqueness and power to make it through the tough times and inspire others.
This service is offered with permission from the author. Please contact the author to request more copies or other arrangements. If you would like a piece of your sheet music offered in Sound Connections, just send a PDF file of your song to [email protected] .
www.unity.org/music [email protected] 14
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www.unity.org/music [email protected] 15