BREAKING NEWS! This month’s meeting will be held at the Jefferson Center as usual, NOT at Bob’s house. STORY ON SVSA PAGE 2. MUSIC NEWS JUNE 2018 JUNE FEATURE ARTICLE A Musician’s Mental Health: ASHLEY LUCAS A Conversation by Ashley Lucas we more, or less, in touch with In the past when I’ve written our emotions? Do we have to be the feature article for the newsletter, CRAZY to want to pursue a career I’ve focused on interesting song (or hobby) as a songwriter? All structures or SVSA-related topics joking aside, are we more likely – you know, light-hearted stuff. to suffer from depression and/or However, the recent suicides of anxiety because we’re creatives? And Avicii, Kate Spade, and Anthony what comes first: the depression or Bourdain are weighing heavy on my the music? mind. Honestly, I’m still reeling over A recent study conducted by the loss of Chris Cornell. And Kurt the University of Westminster Cobain. And Donny Hathaway. And investigated 2,211 musicians, 71.1% Elliot Smith. And Nick Drake. of whom said they suffered from What is it that makes musicians panic attacks or anxiety; 68.5% said so susceptible to succumbing to they had struggled with depression. suicide? Are we naturally more But does depression attract us to sensitive than non-musicians? Are See Feature Article, page 2 The next meeting of 7:30 and will last until provide at least 25 PAYING YER the SVSA will be held the last song critique is copies of the lyrics. DUES WEDNESDAY JUNE 27 finished, or 10:30 p.m., Critiques are limited Pay at a meeting, pay in the LL Rice Room at whichever comes first. to members only on our website, or mail the Jefferson Center Members may submit but non-members $35 to: in Roanoke, Virginia. one song for critique (on and guests are SVSA Doors will open at cassette, CD, phone, encouraged to sit in on P.O. Box 698 7 p.m.; the meeting computer, or you can the discussions and begins promptly at perform it live) and should exercises. Salem, VA 24153 June monthly meeting to be held at Jefferson Center as usual Due to unforeseen circumstances (plus a forecast of sketchy weather) SVSA Board Member Bob Schmucker will NOT host the SVSA’s June monthly meeting at his house on Wednesday, June 27th. The meeting will be held in the LL Rice Room at the SVSAers Aspen and Alice Black are Jefferson Center in Roanoke VA as usual. As always, doors open wrapping up their midwest tour. See at 7:00 p.m. and the meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. their busy schedule on page 14. FEATURE ARTICLE Continued from page 1 “What IS it that makes musicians so susceptible to succumbing to suicide?” being a songwriter/musician? Or stress that comes with being an voice. He was in the middle of does being a songwriter/musician artist. a national tour. He was making make us depressed? Let’s think Alternatively, it’s been found vacation plans with his wife just about that. that a high proportion of people hours before his suicide. Maybe he It’s hard to be us sometimes. with existing depressive illnesses did have it all. We put a lot of ourselves into are drawn to working in the arts. Is Maybe that was the problem our craft, and most of – he had fulfilled all his the time we do that for goals, he was a very absolutely nothing. We YOUR STORY IS successful musician, are often told “no” – “No, IMPORTANT. he had family, he had we don’t want you to play fame, he had wealth, this gig.” “No, your song but perhaps despite all isn’t good enough to win that, he STILL wasn’t this competition or to get happy. I imagine it would cut.” be very hard to come Sometimes we to terms with the fact don’t get applause for a that you were unable performance. Sometimes to find contentment in people don’t even listen. We get internal chaos required to become “everything he ever dreamed of.” little if any pay and often must a truly great artist? If so, do we We’ll never know, but I sure wish fit music into a full-time work/ really want to stifle that creativity he had stayed. family schedule to maintain with medical treatment? The fear I wish they had all stayed. financial stability. and paranoia that comes with that And I wish you would stay. If you Also, it’s typical for question is pretty intense. are reading this, and you feel sad, performers to have a pre-show It’s easy to think that Chris please speak up. drink to shake the nerves. One Cornell (or any of the folks In the SVSA, we hold those drink can turn into ten relatively mentioned earlier) had it all. He had with sensitive souls in the highest quickly. Addiction is a common a large, loving family. He was a poet. regard. Our space is a safe space. way that creatives cope with the He had the most unique, powerful You are wanted here. 2 | SVSA MUSIC NEWS | JUNE 2018 Coffee HouseOpen Series Mic talent performance contest still looking was fun for contestants for all The Smith Mountain Lake Arts Council presented an SVSA Songwriters Night as part of their The Bedford ongoing Coffee House Series on Bulletin June 8 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in gave over downtown Moneta VA. some serious Light fare, beer, and wine were newspaper available at the Cash Bar. space on May SVSA performers arrived at 31 to the SMAC 5:30 for a soundcheck. SVSAer (and / SVSA Coffee performer) Larry Sakayama set up House Series the PA and manned the controls for Songwriters the second set. There was uniform Night. appreciation for the fine sound of the program. SVSA Board Member Mike DeGiorgi was the liaison between SMAC and SVSA. Advance ticket sales were brisk and there was a large crowd on hand. All the performers appreciated the audience’s kind attention and enthusiastic support. Ten SVSA members performed, with Britt Mistele and Kathy Acosta vocally backing the second set group. First set songwriters were Mike DeGiorgi, Celie Holmes, Randy Williams, and Larry Sakayama. Stepping up for the second set were Mike Franke, Larry Helms, David Simpkins, and Greg Trafidlo. The SVSA is an affiliate member of SMAC and SMAC has a long history of support for the SVSA. This is the second straight year the SVSA has taken part in the SMAC Coffee House Series. POST-GIG IMPRESSIONS • Larry Sakayama: “Thanks to all for putting on a great pretty eclectic two sets of songs. Thank you all for show. Everyone really enjoyed it.” participating.” • Celie Holmes: “I hope everyone had as much fun as I • Greg Trafidlo: “Thanks to Mike DeGiorgi for putting did!” it together. It’s no easy task. It’s always great to play to • Mike DeGiorgi: “Great show, peeps! I got lots of an audience that’s that quiet (except if they are slowly nice feedback from the crowd and we delivered a moving toward you). 3 | SVSA MUSIC NEWS | JUNE 2018 FROM ESSAY TO SONG LYRIC by Bill Stanton I reached back into my first life Moving right along: A few issues ago experience with recorded music and And suddenly there were I wrote an article came up with this: albums, concepts in the for the SVSA songs News entitled I do vaguely remember 78 RPM Themes that hung together – “Technology and Thick shiny vinyl … I was Sergeant Pepper, Blonde on Songs.” Basically, somewhere around 10 Blonde the article explored Nat King Cole and Patti Paige The Byrds, Jefferson Airplane, the evolution of came into my life The British Invasion, Oh Yes technology and Way before rock and roll and I was very much in heaven its effects on the songwriting and adolescent strain and strife This music was the best recording industry. The second verse moves on to I traced the journey of a Hank my musical adolescence, rock and And then: Williams song called “A Tear in roll and 45 RPMs: My Beer” from its initial recorded Pretty soon cassettes took format on primitive canisters and And adolescence did arrive when over … they were everywhere how it was miraculously recovered 45’s hit the scene And then CDs would last from an attic in San Antonio moved Top 40 hits, Cousin Brucie, forever … oh yeah! to a studio in Nashville where Hank music hard and lean So what the hell is streaming? Williams Jr. recorded the song as a Elvis, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry ... I have no idea duet with his long-deceased dad. drove me nuts And why do I need iTunes? … The point I was trying to make American Bandstand everybody it all sounds kinda weird was how fragile the lives of an danced, couldn’t get enough The chorus ends it: incalculable number of songs can be The chorus echoes the theme of as technology continues to alter the Technology just rolls right the essay: landscape of the recording industry. along Interestingly enough, the writing of Technology just rolls right But what about the songs, this article actually triggered off the along baby … what about the writing of verses to a song that, it But what about the songs, songs? turns out, I am now working on. baby … what about the Actually this song is probably The working title of the song songs? a cry for help.