Songwriters’ News – Volume V, Issue 7
Meeting Dates
By Mike Rudquist
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, July 2, 2025, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
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.
Minnesota Homebrew Radio Show with Carl Unbehaun
Thursdays all month – July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
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/.
Online Round Robin Song Share with Paul Nye
Wednesday, July 9 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!
Monthly Online Song Review Session Hosted by Doug Millaway
Wednesday, July 23 – 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
President's Message
By Paul Nye
About That Song Review You Got
Over the past month, I had one of my songs reviewed by two professional songwriters. Both offered a familiar critique I’ve heard more than a few times:“Your second verse should really be your first verse.” It's a classic bit of reviewer wisdom—so common, in fact, I’m beginning to wonder if it’s just something reviewers say when they’re not quite sure what else to suggest. Kind of like a default setting for critique.
Still, I took the advice seriously and did what any songwriter with a shred of humility (and a decent pair of headphones) would do: I flipped the verses.
Immediately, the song lost its shape. The emotional build fell flat, the story felt scrambled, and the whole thing read like a movie that starts with the sequel. I tried line-swapping, reordering, even tweaking the melody. I also got some thoughtful suggestions from a fellow SongTown writer (Nashville songwriter community), but none of the edits quite landed. Everything felt… off.
So, I turned to that other modern songwriting partner: ChatGPT. I laid out the situation as objectively as I could and asked for a second opinion. To my surprise—and slight relief—it sided with the original version. The AI pointed out that my first verse set the stage, gave necessary context, and let the second verse deepen the
story. Rearranging things broke the arc and dulled the emotional punch. And the bridge? Right where it belonged.
What I learned (again) is this: Even experienced reviewers can miss the mark.
Their advice is often smart and well-meant—but it's still subjective. And in most online song reviews, let’s be honest, the feedback is based on one quick listen—maybe two if you’re lucky. Sometimes they don’t even make it to the bridge.
Meanwhile, you—the songwriter—have probably lived with a song for weeks, if not months. You know what you were trying to say, how hard it was to say it, and what thread ties the whole thing together.
That doesn’t mean we should ignore feedback. Far from it. Good reviews can reveal blind spots, spark new ideas, and challenge you to improve. (I certainly have gained and learned so much about my songwriting through reviews.)
But you don’t have to take every suggestion as gospel. Filter it through your own sense of the song’s purpose, story flow, and emotional arc. For the record, the song I’m talking about is Cowboy. There’s a lyric video on my YouTube channel if you’re curious. Is it perfect? Nope. But it holds up withoutneeding a long-winded backstory—and that, I think, is a sign of solid writing.
Next month, I’ll dig deeper into the concept of “emotional arcs” in songwriting.
Spoiler alert: it’s more than just making someone cry in the third verse.
Stay tuned—especially if you play guitar.
Paul Nye
Editor's Note
By Mary Kealy-Falk
Welcome to July! I hope everyone is having lots of summer fun – and performing your songs for your friends out in the back yard on warm summer nights! Also be sure to check out the schedule of MAS events in the newsletter. We don’t take a summer break on bringing you the best song dialog, song jamming just for fun, song radio airplay every Thursday night, and song review of your original songs in progress.
Also, if you haven’t gone onto the MAS website in a while, you will see some neat updates to the visuals there. Lots of new photos of MAS members and new layout designs. Be sure to check out the song showcases section. You’ll see lots of photos of MAS members performing in live showcases throughout the years.
Our webmaster, Richard Schletty would also like to remind everyone of the following:
Past MAS Songwriters' News issues are here: https://mnsongwriters.org/category/songwriters-news/
Also check out the member happenings in the column “Putting it Out There.” Members are announcing some very cool events and happenings this month. And President Paul Nye and Brad Dunse, member and publisher of The Acoustic Tunesmith, have some great articles that will give you food for thought on how to practically manage the emotional aspects of being a songwriter.
So, enjoy the newsletter, enjoy our great summer months, and best of all, enjoy being a songwriter!
Putting It Out There
Mary E. Strand
Mary Strand will be celebrating the release of her second album, I Don’t Need Your Permission, at an album release show on Thursday, July 31, at the Hook and Ladder. Bands: The Silent Treatment, The Customers, Mary Strand & The Garage, and RuDeGiRL. Doors open at 6pm, music starts at 6:30pm. The album itself releases on August 1.
Tom Mobry
Hi All!
July is a little slower paced for me.
- July 10th: Songwriters in the Round at the Confluence Hotel in Hastings. 7pm
- July 13th: Parley Lake Winery in Waconia from 1pm to 3pm
- July 17th: The Grand Event Center in Northfield with Samantha Grimes 6pm to 9pm
- July 19th: Badger Hill Brewing in Shakopee 3pm to 5pm with Dan Andreasen and Michael Ray Pfeifer
I have started hosting "Tap In Tuesdays" musical events at The Savage Tap in Savage, Minnesota.
On the 1st Tuesday of every month, I host a Songwriters Showcase featuring local songwriters in a Nashville Rounds style show. 6pm start time.
The 2nd and 4th Tuesdays I host the Open Mic from 6:30pm to 9:30 pm.
On 3rd Tuesdays there are Songwriters Spotlight featuring local artists from 6pm to 9pm.
It's great to provide an outlet for local musicians who may not otherwise have the opportunity to get their music out there.
Tom Mobry
tommobrymusic.com
Paul Vance
MAS member Paul Vance will be performing a show at the Finnish Bistro on Friday, July 18. The show begins at 6:30 pm and ends at 8:00. The Finnish Bistro is located at 2264 Como Avenue in St. Paul. Paul also recently released a single called "Short Season," which is available on most streaming platforms.
The Unlikeliest, Smart Songwriting Tool That’s 100% Free
By Brad Dunse
There’s a ton of tools out there for songwriting. Everything from smartphone apps, MasterWriter, digital recorders, Band-in-a-Box, online memberships, Suno, all the way down to a pack of pens and pads from your local All-Mart if you’re an old schooler. Thing is, they all hit your wallet in some way. But one of the smartest, most valuable songwriting tools you can get is 100% FREE.
And get this, you can start using it before you even finish reading this article. That is, if you jump on it faster than a Minnesotan on a Tater Tot Casserole.
This tool doesn’t just show you where to improve your songwriting. It also tells you where you’re nailing it. It’ll pick you up by the armpits when rejection leaves you wondering, “Why didn’t I train for the X Games Extreme Ironing competition instead?” Oh, and you can even use it for your website, Electronic Press Kit (EPK), or newsletter—if you’ve got one. And today, this incredible tool is absolutely free. What’s more, the more you use this tool, the more valuable it becomes to you.
Crazy, right? So, what is it?
Welcome to the Victory Vault.
The what? The Victory Vault. Your personal songwriting stashes of every awesome thing anyone has ever said about your music and songwriting.
Hold up now. I saw that eye roll. This thing does some incredible stuff you probably haven’t thought about. I’ve used this tool for over twenty years, and I can tell you, in the right situation it’s a game changer. You’ll see why in a sec. Plus, it’s plain simple to use.
Every time someone says something cool about your music or writing, you save it. I’ll show you how in a bit. For now, let’s dive into why this thing is pure gold.
1. A confidence booster when you need it.
The most obvious perk? It picks you up by the arm pits when you’re songwriting is in a slump. Sometimes, you think, “Man, this song is a freakin’ masterpiece!” But then you play it for someone, and they just blink at you in confusion. No one gets it. Ouch… bummer. If you’re new to songwriting or feeling insecure about your work, rejection can sting. That’s when you start shopping Amazon for that X Game ironing equipment and burn cream. But imagine this: when you’re down and questioning whether you should even bother writing songs, you crack open your Victory Vault and read this: “I have heard a lot of folk performances in my life, and few of them really moved me the way your music did last night, and I really mean that. “It got through to the crusty old locked-up guarded defensive disappointed discouraged rusty part of my soul and woke it up. I thank you for that.
“Your melodies have true emotional impact that I have seldom seen the equal of.”That was emailed to me by a folk artist sitting in the audience one night. That’s powerful. A total game changer.
I have a song with a super sensitive topic. I never play it out because I felt it could hit too close to the bone for some. In my vault, I have two entries with killer remarks. One by an international artist who had asked to cover it himself, and the other by a #1 hit Nashville songwriter who compared it to well-known hit songs—if gotten in the right hands. I can tell you, back in the day when those ups and downs got to me, entries like that put my shoulders back, chin up, and the will to continue my writing.
2. It tells you what’s working.
Sometimes, we’re so deep in our own music we don’t see our strengths until someone else points them out. Take the comment above. That folk artist was deeply moved by emotional songwriting and melodies. That told me something about what I was doing right. My goal was to reach people, inspire them, make them feel something. Based on her words? Mission accomplished.
Your Victory Vault isn’t just a pep talk, it’s a roadmap showing you what you do best. If multiple people say your lyrics paint vivid pictures, lean into that. If folks tell you they can’t get your melodies out of their heads, trust that instinct.
This isn’t about patting yourself on the back, it’s free market research on what makes your songwriting special so you can repeat it.
3. It shows where you can improve.
A Victory Vault doesn’t just highlight what you’re crushing, it can also show what needs work. Let’s say a few people tell you, “Your songs tell great stories.” Awesome! Now, challenge yourself to level up your melodies, and look for comments on those, too. Sometimes, what’s not said is just as important as what’s said. In that folk artist’s comment, she never mentioned laughing. That told me I might be lacking humor and lighthearted songs in my writing. That’s great feedback without her having to say it. One person’s opinion is useful, but when you start seeing patterns in feedback, that’s when this tool really shines.
Bonus Perk. It helps with your promotion. For performing songwriters, a Victory Vault is great for marketing. Once you have permission, comments like the one from that folk artist make great testimonials for your website, press kit, or even as proof for doubting family members. You know, the muffin-topped brother-in-law at the family Christmas party who asks, “So, how’s that songwriting thing working out anyway?” Imagine handing them a few pages of your Victory Vault entries. That should do the trick. But wait, there’s more…
Bonus Perk #2: A journal through time.
Your Victory Vault also works like a journal. Make sure to timestamp your entries. You’ll see how much you’ve grown over the years just by tracking what fans say about your work. There are people in my vault I don’t know personally. Some people I respect deeply. Sadly, there are some who have passed on over the years. And others? Well, we’ve lost touch and maybe it’s time to reconnect.
Okay, we’ve reached the point here where talk is over… time for action.
Let’s get your Victory Vault up and running.
- Name it what you want. Victory Vault is just a name I came up with for this article. Truth be told, mine started out as Dumps Buster. I never changed the name because I got used to how I look for it on my computer. But you can call it whatever creative name you want. It’s yours, own it.
- Put in a format you’ll use.
You’ll want to create it in a format that’s easy to use. Personally, I use MS Word. To some that might seem just above chisel and stone. But I paste in the actual email comments I get.
I have a link to a voice mail message someone left. I can link to gig pics or hand-written notes as well. But that’s what works for me. You might choose something like the Evernote app for your smart phone. It can handle a pile of different media as well. Or you may go old school and print out the emails and put them in a book. Create one in the format that works for you, so you actually use it.
- Find a comment you can dump in your vault.
Right now, stop…
Go find an email or written note or recording you can dump into your vault. If you don’t have one, email me a song at info@acoustictunesmith.com and I’ll listen to it. There’s no doubt I can find something honest and positive to say about it. That’ll prime the pump. So, there’s no excuse here.
Don’t underestimate the value of this tool. Even if you are a seasoned writer and are well past doubting your calling as a songwriter, it’s so cool to go back and look at all the forgotten comments. So, I have one last question.
Are you going to take advantage of this 100% FREE songwriting tool, or what?
Because the world doesn’t want you to stop writing, it needs your songs.
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