Tag Archives: Songwriting

Gig Alert: SCALA Songwriters Showcase – July 28th, 2011

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Today I’m preparing for my first originals gig in a couple of months.

It’s a gig I organise for SCALA (Songwriters, Composers and Lyricists Association) showcasing songwriters who perform through my Open Mic Network and it happens tonight. It’s a great way to keep my songwriting chops up to speed.

As a musician who makes a living playing other peoples music, playing my own music is a real breath of fresh air for me. Even though I always put my own individual spin on the covers that I play, the greatest artistic satisfaction I get as a musician is through performing my own songs in front of a crowd that want to be there.

If you’re in the area the gig is at the Higher Ground Arts Cafe located at Light Square in Adelaide and the night kicks off between 8pm and 8:30pm finishing at around 11pm.

I’ll be sharing the stage with 3 other talented songwriters Bryan Foley, Martin Mount and Steven Fotineas with entry being $5 waged, $4 concession and $3 for SCALA members.

It’s going to be a great night so wish me luck.

Peace,

Corey :)

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CS Gigs: W/E Sunday July 31st, 2011

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Here are the gigs that I’m doing for the week ending Sunday July 31st, 2011

Make sure you mark them in your diary in BOLD RED PEN

For more information please go to my gigs page.

Hope to see you there,

Corey :)

CS Gigs: W/E Sunday July 24th, 2011

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Here are the gigs that I’m doing for the week ending Sunday July 24th, 2011

Make sure you mark them in your diary in BOLD RED PEN.

For more information please go to my gigs page.

Hope to see you there,

Corey :)

The Second Time Around – Song Video

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As promised here is the video presentation used at the CD launch of “The Second Time Around” a song written by myself, Heather Frahn and members of the Community Re-Entry Program at Flinders University as outlined in a previous post.

Here it is for you to enjoy.

Here is some more information about the Musical Brainwaves project from the YouTube page…

Musical Brainwaves was a group song-writing project with members from the Community Re-Entry Program at Flinders University in 2011. Collaborating with songwriters Heather Frahn and Corey Stewart the members contributed their own song lyrics, voices and artwork expressing positive viewpoints about their lives.

The creation of the song “The Second Time Around” brought much celebration of the things that inspire life and wellbeing.

CRP Members: Ben Howell, Cherrie Almond, Ron Brooks, Bernadette Circtzki, Joelene Schmerl, Adam Houston, Ralph Kloss, Zeke Langsford, Peter Coulter, Gary Irons, John Weston, Peter Guidera, Joanne King, Andrew King, Jayne Linke, Darryl Thompson, Cele Richardson, Meg Bartel, Luna Aboulhosn, Janma Gazmere, Jasmine Grace, Matthew Thomas, Karina Wight, Margaret Ellis, Christiana Wu, Louisa Schettini 

Musical Brain Waves was facilitated by Corey Stewart and Heather Frahn, with visual art assistance from Jasmine Grace. Recording and Music Production by Corey Stewart and Heather Frahn © 2011.

With thanks to Charmaine Mahar, Jaime Gardner and Roger Rees for their support for this project.

Let me know what you think.

Peace,

Corey :)

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Musical Brainwaves – The Finished Song

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In previous posts “My Involvement With Musical Brainwaves” and “Musical Brainwaves – Using The Home Recording Studio” you would’ve read about my involvement in this 6 week Songwriting Project held in conjunction with Flinder University and its Community Re-entry Program.

Well, last Friday was the CD launch party of the song “The Second Time Around” written by Heather Frahn, members of the Community Re-Entry Program and myself.

Held at Flinders Uni, it was a very simple affair with about 50 people ranging from members of the project, their carers and Flinders Uni staff and students in attendance.

After an introduction from the Co-ordinator of the Community Re-entry Program it was our turn to give an outline of what we had been doing for the last 6 weeks (well Heather did most of the talking).

Once we finished Heather put on a video collage she made out of all the photos and images taken during the project with the finished song as its soundtrack. Well, there was not a dry eye in the room, it was very powerful stuff. it went down so well Heather was asked to run the video again.

The launch was a great success.

Heather and I during one of our recording sessions

While I was watching the video I was feeling the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and cold shivers running down my spine. This hardly ever happens to me at all but last Friday I was deeply touched, moved and inspired by the event.

I realised that over the past 6 weeks I was provided with proof that music can still matter and that it can still make a profound difference in people’s lives.

I was immensely proud of what we had all achieved with the writing of the song and especially how the finished product sounds as it was totally recorded at home.

Here is the finished product for you to enjoy.

The Second Time Around

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Once I get hold of Heather’s video montage of the song I’ll post it up here.

You have to see it to believe it.

Peace,

Corey :)

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CS Gigs: W/E Sunday July 10th, 2011

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Here are the gigs I’m doing for the week ending Sunday July 10th, 2011

Make sure you mark them in your diary in BOLD RED PEN ;)

Hope to see you there,

Corey :)

Musical Brainwaves – Using The Home Recording Studio

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In an earlier post I mentioned that I was involved with a community songwriting project called “Musical Brainwaves” with good friend and award winning singer/songwriter Heather Frahn.

Well, today and tomorrow, Heather and I will be completing the recording of the song “The Second Time Around” for the project. This will be the first time that my home studio will be used to record something that will be formally released to the general public (albeit a limited release of about 50 copies).

Heather has brought over her mobile recording booth (which I’ll be purchasing for myself later on down the track) to ensure that we get the clearest recordings possible.

I’m really excited about this because it marks another milestone in my learning the craft of recording audio at home however, if I was asked a few years ago whether I would be excited about recording something myself I would’ve said a resounding NO as my answer.

There was a time where I was really afraid of the recording process and always thought that recording music in a studio was something “other people did.”

I have tried a few times over the years to put together a home recording studio but I never used it through the fear of not recording something good.

How silly is that? Me being scared of a medium that if something is not right I could always delete and start again.

Anyway, yesterday I tidied up all of the audio tracks that Heather and I recorded at Flinders Uni over the last three weeks (some choral work in the chorus and some spoken word bits in the bridge) ready for the final instrumental overdubs.

Control Room

Keys & Headphones

Heather’s Portable Vocal Booth

Today is when the real fun begins…

Peace,

Corey :)

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What Does A Leap Of Faith Feel Like?

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Last night at the Open Mic @ The Dan (a weekly Open Mic that I run) I was having a chat with someone who was just about to experience her first time performing at the Open Mic.

She was very, very nervous and was almost in tears with the thought of getting up on stage and bearing herself to a room full of musicians who she felt were way better than her.

She was having second thoughts about performing and she was up on stage next.

I could only imagine that for someone who has only just started playing the guitar not even six months ago, the thought of coming to a well attended Open Mic full of quality performers such as the one at The Dan would be unthinkable.

She was grappling with the concept of stepping right out of her comfort zone and taking a leap of faith.

As I was chatting to her I was starting to think what a leap of faith would feel like and how I could adequately put the feeling into words. I then had a moment of clarity where I was reminded of the first time I jumped off the high diving tower at the local swimming pool many, many years ago.

I could remember in every detail walking up the ladder towards the top, giddy with anticipation but intensely nervous at the same time.

I remember being up there for what seemed like eternity, and having the feeling of being completely paralysed by fear but I couldn’t climb down from the platform as the fear of losing face in front of the others kids was stronger.

I remembered finally taking a deep breath, running towards the edge and (with an almighty scream) jumping in.

This flashback I experienced only lasted for a brief moment but in that moment I was taking the leap of faith with her.

Just before she went on stage I told her of my diving tower analogy and that by going through with her performance she will change her worldview (and her place in it) forever.

She then got up on stage and put in an absolutely wonderful performance.

Come to think of it, I’ve never jumped off the high diving tower since that day.

Peace,

Corey :)