Songwriters’ News April 2026

Songwriters’ News – Volume VI, Issue 4

Meeting Dates

By Mike Rudquist

Note: Please Note: Going forward, all online Zoom events will use the same Zoom link. Here is a member-only link to our "Member Event Access" page which has the Zoom link:

https://mnsongwriters.org/activities/member-event-access/

Also Note: All monthly MAS online meetings will be held within the same time frame of 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. (This does not include the Minnesota Homebrew Radio Show. See the event listing below for times.)

Monthly Mixer with Doug Millaway

Wednesday, April 1, 6:30 – 8:30

This meeting allows for all types of topics to be explored and discussed as it relates to songwriting – the writing process, production, inspiration, the music business – all topics related to the craft, production and business of songwriting. This is a moderated open discussion, and participants are encouraged to share their personal experiences and expertise.

Online Round Robin Song Share with Paul Nye

Wednesday, April 8 6:30 – 8:30 pm

This is a laid-back, come as you are type get together with fellow songwriters to share your songs in a take turns fashion either performing live via zoom or with a recorded version of your songs. Just for fun and just to get together and play. Even if you want to just join in to listen, this is the place for you!

Minnesota Homebrew Radio Show with Carl Unbehaun

Thursdays all month – April 2,9,16,23,30

Every Thursday evening from 6 to 7 pm, fellow MAS member and radio DJ Carl Unbehaun offers music written and/or performed by Minnesota musicians on his Minnesota Homebrew Radio Show. Radio station KSRQ in Thief River Falls (90.1 FM) streams Carl’s show via the Internet. On the FIRST Thursday of the month, Carl dedicates his entire show to music written by members of the Minnesota Association of Songwriters!

To submit your songs to Carl’s MAS-dedicated show or to have it played on any Thursday night, contact Carl at minnesotahomebrew@gmail.com.

To listen to Minnesota Homebrew on your devices, click here: https://mnsongwriters.org/activities/radio-airplay/.

Monthly Online Song Review Session Hosted by Doug Millaway

Wednesday, April 29 – 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

This is our general information and song review meeting. You are welcome to play an original song in any phase of its development or completion for purposes of potentially improving it based on feedback received.

Please refrain from submitting songs you do not intend to change from feedback given. You’re welcome to share those in our Round Robin Song session above. Our review sessions are one of the best opportunities to help you learn and improve your craft. Giving feedback on other writers’ songs, and listening to others doing the same, is a great teaching tool.

You may submit your song’s audio and-or lyrics only for review up to the time of the review session. Please note, we are limited in the songs we can fit in, so you’ll want to watch for the email announcement to submit them and get it in early. Please do not submit songs prior to the announcement to avoid missing out.

We will play an MP3 of your song directly in the room. While MP3s played digitally in the room are generally easier for people to hear, they are not required for feedback. We’ll also accept lyrics only.

Find more detail, go to our Song Review Meeting page on our website: https://mnsongwriters.org/activities/meetings.

You can check out all MAS events on our website calendar.

Live Events

In Person Workshop with Rachel Dunlap

Please join us on Saturday afternoon, April 25th, from 2-4pm to work on some writing exercises from the Pat Pattison book, “Writing Better Lyrics,” and the Andrea Stolpe book, “Popular Lyric Writing.” Sharpen your lyrical skills and generate song ideas by working on sensory descriptions and other techniques. If you want to connect with other songwriters in person and have some writing practice, then this workshop is for you. Hosted by Rachel Dunlap. Bring whatever you use to write with, and a device with internet capabilities and/or a rhyming dictionary would be helpful.

Summer schedule will be coming soon!

*Location* this workshop will be held at the Roseville Library in the board room on the 2nd floor, NW corner. Members of another local songwriting group, M.A.C.S. (MN Association of Christian Songwriters) will also be invited

Rachel Dunlap is an MAS member, drummer and songwriter. She plays the drums locally with the band Smooth Sensations and her solo music can be found on SoundCloud under the name Dunrap. Rachel holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Minnesota.

https://www.rclreads.org/locations/RV/

President's Message

Write the Song Only You Can Write
By Paul Nye, MAS President

Somewhere between the thousandth social media post telling us how to “write a hit” and the latest AI tool promising to generate lyrics in five seconds, it’s easy to start wondering:

In a world where trends move at algorithm speed, sameness has become surprisingly common. Scroll long enough and everything starts to feel like a variation of something else — similar grooves, similar phrasing, similar emotional arcs engineered for a certain reaction.

And yet, the songs that endure — the ones that stay with us — rarely feel manufactured. They feel specific. Personal. Transparent. Honest. Authentic. Almost inconveniently so.

What should I be writing?
What’s working right now?
What are people streaming?
What will get noticed?

Those aren’t bad questions. But they’re not the most important ones.

The better question might be this:

What’s the song only you can write?

And yet, the songs that endure — the ones that stay with us — rarely feel manufactured. They feel specific. Personal. Transparent. Honest. Authentic. Almost inconveniently so.

They don’t sound like they were written to fit a lane. They sound like they were written because the writer had to write them.

I’ve written a lot of songs over the years. My songs, like a million others written, will likely not change the course of popular music. A handful, though, feel different. Not because they’re cleverer. Not because they follow a trend. But because they came from somewhere real — a move, a loss, a doubt, a memory, a long drive, a conversation you or I couldn’t shake.

Those songs didn’t start with “What’s working right now?”

They started with “Why can’t I stop thinking about this?”

That’s usually a clue.

AI can suggest rhyme schemes. It can mimic structure. It can analyze patterns in successful songs. And as a tool, that’s fascinating. But it cannot live your life. It cannot feel your specific regrets, your small-town stories, your private wrestlings, your particular joys. It cannot remember exactly where you were when something changed you.

Only you can do that.

And here’s the paradox: the more specific you are, the more universal your song becomes.

When you write in generalities, listeners may nod politely. When you write something painfully specific — a pothole that took you back home, a hospital lobby moment, a memory you didn’t expect to surface, the loss of a loved one — people lean in. They recognize themselves in the details.

We sometimes assume that to reach more people we need to widen the lens. In reality, depth often travels farther than breadth.

Writing the song only you can write also means giving yourself permission not to sound like anyone else in the room. Not every song has to chase the same production style. Not every lyric has to prove how clever you are. Not every chorus needs to shout. Some songs whisper. Some ache. Some smile quietly. Some dance.

Your voice — not just your singing voice, but your perspective — is your greatest differentiator. You don’t create your songwriting voice. You uncover it.

Carlos Santana has a great story. He said when he’s invited to a session, rather than asking what the client wants, he listens to the track and figures out how he can be Santana on the song and in the room. That’s his voice. And that is likely why a client hired him to play on a project.

MAS is filled with writers at different stages: beginners, seasoned veterans, hobbyists, professionals, storytellers, worship writers, folk purists, pop experimenters. That diversity is not something to smooth out. It’s something to protect.

So this month, instead of asking, “What should I write?” try asking:

What story am I avoiding?
What experience changed me?
What question won’t leave me alone?
What do I believe that costs me something?

That’s often where the real songs live.

Trends will shift. Platforms will change. Formats will evolve.

But the song only you can write?

That never goes out of style.

— Paul

Editor’s Notes

By Mary Kealy-Falk

We’ve got a lot going on in the newsletter this month so be sure to scroll all the way down to catch everything. It’s great to see all the doings that our members are involved in with a multitude of ways that they express their love of music, performing and songwriting. We are very fortunate to have a hobby, muse, vocation or job as a musician and/or songwriter and it’s amazing in all the many ways that our members pursue their musical and songwriting talents. We’re so happy to be able to share your good news through your notices and contributions to the newsletter. Please keep letting us know what is going on in your songwriting lives with whatever comes up in your musical world!

Putting it Out There

Events and Happenings you are participating in or something you have accomplished and want everyone to know about.

It Works for Me

Anything and everything that makes your songwriting better, easier, or more satisfying.
by William (Billy) Lang

What Works For Me?

This is not the only way, just one way I stumbled upon while creating this story.

Last November when I joined MAS and saw Mary's request for newsletter input, two sections stood out to me as possible ideas or titles:

"Putting It Out There" and "It Works For Me"

I replied to Mary with those comments, then later with a few lines that rhymed based on her prompt for a song idea. I left that in the not so trusted hands of Google Drive, until recently when I stumbled across it again. I decided between the rain, sleet and snow of our most recent wintery mix to revisit that concept to see if I could find a story.

Chapter One, the 1st version was titled: What Works For Me. I sang that to myself along with playing guitar, adjusting the phrasing to fit into the same boring Cowboy chords and melody I always play. Next I plugged it into Soniva several times, continuing to tweak the words along the way. In Soniva, if you don't supply a Title, it will guess at possible options. Some were not bad, so I put them in a list to be used later.

Chapter Two, I played my wife one of the recordings and asked her to come up with a title. She listened but couldn't understand all the words in the chorus. She said it sounds like he's saying Doctor Seuss. After I got done being mad because she couldn't understand my latest Dylanish poetry, I added Doctor Seuss to the list Soniva gave me.

Chapter Three, What Works For Me became Ain't No Script, drawing from the list created before. The story was basically the same as the initial concept, some of the more cliche lines were replaced. I thought there was some good stuff there, just didn't think it would find a home in this song.

Chapter Four, I turned to Suno for guidance, wisdom and hope not to wind up in prison. Feeding it a recording from Soniva and then my guitar Cowboy chords along with the lyrics that have evolved. Now that I listen back to the recordings, the final melody was basically the sloppy fingerstyle guitar I was playing. Suno played it better than I did when I recorded it from my recliner while the storm continued to remind us that spring isn't here yet.

Ain't No Script definitely Ain't finished and may never be, but at least I learned something along the way as I weathered the storm. Credit, if they so desire goes to my Co-Writers:

Mary, Soniva, Suno, Andi my wife, Greg and Brad

You're all welcome to any Royalties, you can squeeze out of this Turnip :-)

Lyrics: Ain't No Script V4 – William (Billy) Lang.rtf

Suno Recording:

Feel free to share any thoughts, hopes, wishes or prayers on this idea or if you would like to try a cowrite sometime, wlang72@gmail.com.

Billy

Greg Connor

Greg Connor is a member of the 6-piece Minnesota River Band. Stop by for some good music and check out the MINNESOTA RIVER BAND website.

April 11 – 6:30-8:30 PM
Pitchfork Brewing Company
745 Ryan Drive, Hudson WI

April 14 – 6:30-8:30
The Savage Tap
12925 Eagle Creek Pkwy Savage MN

Tom Peschges

MAS member Tom Peschges is proud to announce the upcoming release of his new Album ‘Born at the End of the Line', comprising 10 original songs. About half of the songs were co-written with award-winning veteran songwriter, Tim Stafford. Tom is a storyteller in the style of his songwriting heroes like Guy Clark, Shawn Camp, John Prine, and many others. The first single, Red Wing Station, is out on all the streaming platforms. A second single, “Ten O’clock Town” will drop on March 5th. The entire album will be available for streaming on April 9th, but you don’t have to wait. The entire album is available now, on Toms website; redwingstation.com.

Tom Peschges Singer / Songwriter
Tompeschgesmusic.com
The Double Down Daredevils
tompeschges@gmail.com612-232-5292

Paul Vance

MAS member Paul Vance will be the Featured Artist at the open mic at the Rail Werks Brewing Depot in Columbia Heights on Monday, April 13, and at the Finnish Bistro in St. Paul on Sunday, April 19. The featured artist segment of the show begins at 6:30 pm at both venues. The Rail Werks is located at 4055 Central Ave NE, and the Finnish Bistro is at 2264 Como Ave. Stop in, bring your guitar, and share a couple of tunes!

It Works for Me by Paul Vance
Writing to (or from) a Title

When my songwriting drain gets clogged, I often find that writing to a title can be more effective than an entire bottle of Drano to get things moving again. A working title is a very useful tool in figuring out where to begin, or where one wants their song to land. The great lyricist Ira Gershwin is quoted as having said, “A title is vital – once you’ve it, prove it.”

Where do titles come from? Here are a few places I have found them:

Reading with your ears

Just about every songwriter whose work I admire has said that reading – anything, everything – has provided them with many of their best titles or ideas. This can take the form of keywords, phrases, or whole sentences (be careful how you use the latter – there can be copyright concerns, of which we should all be aware). Take a look at a book’s table of contents. Are there any chapter titles or headings that might make an intriguing song title?

I was once reading a piece of fiction in The New Yorker where an author had used the phrase “worry trail.” These words fairly sprung out at me at the time, and I wrote a song to that title in which the singer is “wearing a worry trail” into the floor of their house, waiting for their loved one to come home. In another instance, I was in Cincinnati, OH performing with a band I was in during my high school years (many, many years ago now!) and read a piece in the Cincinnati Enquirer about Lt. Sharon Ann Lane. Lt. Lane was a US Army Nurse from Canton, OH who was killed in Vietnam on my seventeenth birthday. As it would turn out, she would be the only American servicewoman killed by enemy fire in the Vietnam war. Her story stayed with me and became a song I wrote a couple of years ago called “I Wish.”

Watch television and movies with your songwriter ears

There are some great writers working in television and film, and they come up with some outstanding grist for the songwriter’s mill! One example is the line, “You had me at hello” from the film Jerry Maguire. A songwriter friend of mine who lives and works in Nashville told me that they attended an opening weekend showing of that film, and that as soon as Renée Zellweger’s character spoke that line four songwriters abruptly left the theater! I don’t know whether or not this is true, or if Kenny Chesney was one of those writers, but he had a huge hit with a song of that title (co-written with Skip Ewing). Another well-known example of this type of “borrowing” is George Strait’s number one hit “Blue Clear Sky” (written by Bob DiPiero, John Jarrard, and Mark D. Sanders), which title came from the film Forrest Gump.

Eavesdrop

People say the darnedest things in public, and in so doing can provide a vigilant listener with an excellent title (or story line) or two. Have you ever heard someone having a telephone conversation in a public place? I know many songwriters who’ve put other people’s words to creative use.

Along these lines, I have occasionally challenged myself to write a song based on the next thing I hear someone say. Even something like “Paper or plastic?” can draw a song out of an imaginative writer (“Paper or plastic – not a promising start/But once I had asked it I found a way to her heart…I said ‘Paper or plastic,’ now we’ve got romance in the bag”). I said imaginative, I never said good.

Keep a “Hook Book”

At a songwriting seminar in Nashville several years ago I first heard someone talk about a “hook book,” which is essentially a notebook (in my case now several notebooks) in which one writes every title idea or story idea they want to tuck away for immediate or future use in a song. If you’re like me, musical ideas for songs come fairly easily. The problem I run into often is, “what is this?” Looking through your hook book can be a great way of matching a title or idea to a riff or other chunk of music that you’d like to work with. For people who like to start with lyrics, having a resource like a hook book is a great way to help you answer the question, “what am I writing today?”

I’m sure many of you have your own ideas about how to keep yourself from getting stuck in your writing, but I hope some of this is helpful to you. Happy writing!

Rebecca Aadland

Rebecca Aadland & her All Star Band
Apr 9 | 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm | Crooners Supper Club
Indie Folk/Rock Originals – Warmth, Humor & Unguarded Honesty
https://www.croonersmn.com/event/rebecca-aadland-her-all-star-band/

Rebecca Aadland Discusses Her Upcoming Third Album
by Emily Gedde | Mar 2026
https://maplegrovemag.com/rebecca-aadland-discusses-her-upcoming-third-album/

Don Strong

Don Strong – I Don't Know if I Like Love.pdf

I Don't Know If I Like Love is my most recent Don Strong, Music Producer compilation—feeling creative with Rocío del Pozo. Scan QR code to listen to album at SoundCloud!

Dig Deep is the name of a song by North Dakota singer-songwriter Elicia Faul. it's also the first track in this little, digital-only producer’s compilation. I met Elicia just prior to the pandemic and it was then that we began work on her album. Mostly mixed remotely, The one major recording studio of note in Bismarck was closed because of the pandemic. Taylor at Red Dot Recording was our go-to guy in Bismarck, North Dakota. I found him using a technique that has served me well as a producer- when I am out of town and trying to get something done, just call the local music store for a studio lead! So I called Solid Rock, the largest music instrument store in town and I got the local hook-up. Red Dot is where Alicia recorded her basic vocal and guitar tracks (no “click”, au naturel). We teamed with a wonderful Chennai, India-based musician/engineer named Nithin D’mello a talented, sweet guy, who has great connections with a plethora of talented musicians in Asia.

Let’s Just Say Farewell is a tune that Nithin also mixed. The the icing on this cake is the lead vocal of my dear creative friend, Rocio Del Pozo, a young vocalist based in Buenos Aires. The tender, teen rap is by “Chris” one of my former high school students- but it goes back so far I can't remember his last name. Hopefully I'll be able to find him and give him proper credit.

Will We Be Happy Together I originally wrote with saxophonist Dave Binney many years ago in NYC, when I was chasing the Def Jam dream. This track is a wonderful updating of the song with arrangement by Facu Vidal, another brilliant Argentine musician. Vidal is probably the number one call player in Argentina for any kind of recording or live performance. Lead vocal of Rocio del Pozo.

I Don't Know If I Like Love was originally composed as a theme for my short film script Salsa Queen. The album cover photo by Atikh Band (on unsplash.com) reminded me of the story and the theme song— all about dancing, relationships and tattoos- sung by the amazing Julie Burgos.

Tie My Shoe is written by contemporary Korean jazz-pop artist Lee Jin Ah —an amazing composer/pianist/singer. As a tribute I wrote an English lyric to her lovely yet funky melody. My words are a totally different story from the original Korean lyric. I hoping she will approve! Songbird Rocio Del Pozo sings the lead, with funky, swinging saxophone work by my friend, Andrew Schwandt, here in Minneapolis.

Time On My Side -features the original solo guitar music by Danny Fromm. I kind of blew it up with some lyrics because I really like his groove. We have an incredible alto sax solo by jazz master David Binney, as well as some super tasty tenor work by Andrew Schwandt.

Beautiful another beautiful tune from Alicia's album, mixed by Nithin D’mello, features the gorgeous, international violin and cello work of Fenney Daniel and Charlot Rivera.

I want to sincerely thank all the wonderful musicians and audio engineers who brought their skill, creativity and love to manifesting these special songs. These are fresh—just for you, so that you can taste what I have been “cooking”. Thank you for giving these a listen. I hope you will enjoy them!

www.TheSongwritersCircle.org
www.MyDeliciousMedia.com

Kudos and Congrats

Tony Wentersdorf

For the past 12 years, every April 1 st (April Fool’s Day), we at Walker Church have a tradition of celebrating that day in a special way. We call it HOLY FOOL and have a variety show featuring various Walker poets, storytellers, jokesters, and musicians who regale the audience with funny songs, skits, stories, and jokes. For the first ten years, my good friend and singing partner Mary hosted this event. And for the past three years, I was the emcee. I participated in this event from the very beginning by performing a variety of funny songs, skits and impersonations. One year I dressed up as Charlie Chaplin’s Little Tramp and did a mime routine a la Chaplin. Another day I joined another Walker member to make up a Laurel and Hardy skit. I’ve also done a Mr. Bean sketch and a comical dance routine. This year, I’ll be the emcee and l dress up as Tiny Tim. I will do a song of his called The Old Front Porch in which I sing in both my normal voice and in a falsetto a la Tiny Tim. Yes, each year I look forward to looking at the funny side of life and playing the fool.

HAVE A LISTEN

One song I want to feature in this MAS newsletter is called LET’S HEAR IT FOR SWEET MUSIC . It is on my most recent 2025 CD which is called Golden Nuggets Stew. The name of the album refers to a weekly support group I’ve participated in for the past six years.

This song was inspired by my response to the sorry state of our nation since the Orange One was elected president in 2024. In verse one, I express my dismay at all the negative news I hear on the air waves every day. The second verse uses a double- entendre, and is a play on words. It mentions certain the months of the year (March through August) which double as the names of musicians who play different instruments. In the chorus, I invoke the power of music and songs to transform the mundane and negative into a celebration of life. Here I express my hope for better times ahead.

Let's Hear It for Sweet Music
By Tony Wentersdorf

Everywhere we turn now, folks have differing views,
With wars and strife a-raging, there’s nothing but bad news.
We’re locked in constant conflict that robs us of our peace,
Can’t seem to get together to put our hearts at ease.

CHORUS: Let’s hear it for sweet music that makes us want to smile,
Let’s hear those voices singing that make our lives worthwhile,
Each season has its melodies and soothing lullabies,
So, join those rousing choruses and bid our woes goodbye.

While April strummed her uke, and May picked her guitar,
June sang us her favorite songs that could be heard afar.
March blew on his black kazoo while tapping with his feet,
And August slapped his lively bass to keep a steady beat.

CHORUS

Roy Liljequist

Yesterday’s Corn
https://youtu.be/ATfQOKE3TBc

This is Roy Liljequist.

I consider myself a singer/songwriter. My biggest achievement is putting the thoughts in my head that I'm not good enough aside and getting up in stage and playing my songs anyway. When I put myself on stage I feel like I'm outclassed but I come out of the performance feeling glad I did it despite myself.

I perform at county fairs, an occasional brewery and smaller more intimate venues.

As far as my writing technic is, l originally started by making up words to other people’s songs then use random chords and then the song becomes totally different. Now I play chords and just start singing and words come out. Other times I use a voice recorder along with Word and write down ideas.

Sometimes I count the syllables, so it flows poetically.

I don't have a favorite song I wrote but if I had to choose, it would be Yesterday's Corn.

Funny Stuff

Doug Millaway

Familiar Chords, Fresh Songs
Three progressions—and why they’re not the problem
By Doug Millaway

Most of the time, a song doesn’t start with some big, original idea. It starts with something you’ve played a hundred times. You sit down, your hands fall into a shape they already know, and there it is—same chords, same movement, something that feels familiar before you’ve even decided what to do with it. And there’s usually a moment where you think, “Well… this has been done.”

But that’s kind of the point.

Those familiar chords aren’t getting in your way—they’re giving you somewhere to stand. They let the listener settle in before you ask them to feel anything new. You’re not trying to reinvent the foundation. You’re deciding what to build on top of it. Take something like G–D–Em–C. You don’t really have to think about it—it just shows up. And because it’s so easy, it’s also easy to dismiss. It can feel like you’re not doing anything that hasn’t already been done a thousand times. But if you stay with it for a minute instead of moving on, something starts to shift. You play it once the way it usually goes, then again with just a little more space, or a slightly different entry point, and suddenly it feels less like a pattern and more like a moment. The chords didn’t change—but the way they landed did.

Then there’s the progression that starts on the minor chord—Em–C–G–D. That one always feels a little more personal right out of the gate. Like you’re stepping into the middle of a thought instead of introducing one. I’ve found that this kind of progression doesn’t need much from you. In fact, it usually works better when you don’t try to dress it up too much. A small shift—letting something pass instead of landing square on it or holding back just a beat longer—can change the entire feel. It’s subtle, but it’s the kind of subtlety people feel even if they can’t explain it.

And then you’ve got G–C–D. About as straightforward as it gets, and somehow still doing exactly what it’s supposed to do after all these years. That one has nowhere to hide. If it feels flat, it’s not because the chords are lacking—it’s because of how they’re being played. This is where everything else steps forward: the groove, the phrasing, the way you hit the strings, the space you leave between things. Two people can play those same three chords and end up in completely different places, and it has nothing to do with the progression itself.

At some point, you start to realize that everybody’s working with the same basic materials. Same chords. Same progressions. Same starting points. So, the difference isn’t in what you choose—it’s in how you handle it. Where you begin. What you repeat. What you let breathe. What you don’t touch at all.

The chords might be familiar. But that doesn’t mean the song has to be.

Doug Millaway
Mill Away Publishing
Blind Owl Studio