Welcome!
The Songwriter’s Network hosts an industry speaker on the first Wednesday of each month via Zoom, and a Showcase (live performances) on the third Wednesday of each month. Please see below for our 2024 events and in Archives for previous events and speakers. Both speaker presentations/song critiques and showcases are archived on our “SongNet LA” YouTube channel.
Wednesday, July 17, 2024, 7:30 pm Pacific, SongNet Showcase
Two songs or 10 minutes on one of the nicest stages & comfortable venues around! Email songnetshowcase@gmail.com to reserve your spot! FREE! We will be broadcasting live on YouTube at our “SongNet LA” channel.
The Urban Homestead
631 Cypress Ave, Pasadena, CA. 91103
Near Orange Grove & Fair Oaks off the 210 freeway
July 3rd , 7:00 PM Kenji Nakai & Jimi Yamagishi
Once again, Kenji & Jimi will be on ZOOM to answer your questions & listen to your work.
Kenji will be speaking at another workshop earlier in the evening, but really wanted to hear your work AND invite friends from all over the world to see what SongNet is about so he’ll be logging in a little late & staying on a little longer!
Jimi will be leading off the first half of the event. With over 50 years in the industry and directing SongNet for half of that, he’s also got credits on 67 albums, toured up & down the west coast, done product development & consulting for several companies, done session work on countless projects has around 300 of his original songs posted online and more. Though he’s always said he doesn’t have the accolades & awards to prove his credibility, the artists he’s worked with and his years still in the game prove otherwise. He’s currently mentoring several artists at a couple of specific venues in the L.A. area, and is verifying how the industry has changed, working with “Still, A Round”, Songwriters in the round with a focus on great writing and personal stories. Though he’s always available to talk to, this is a chance to share in discussion with other artists & get a lot of other information & valuable commentary until…
Kenji Nakai will start off the listening session around 8PM. Besides starting a publishing company with Jimi a few years ago, Kenji is a very popular lecturer & educator and spends a couple of weeks in Tokyo every year teaching mixing & production. So hopefully some of his Japanese followers will log in for “lunch” (Tokyo time) to join our discussion.
Besides discussing YOUR finished projects & commenting on production & sound, we’ll also discuss your rough tracks too, for directions to consider as you move along.
Of course Kenji DOES have all those awards & accolades mentioned previously, with Grammy nods for work with many major artists (look him up, too much name dropping here messes with the algorithms) and recording credits with many more.
This is sure to be an interesting night, and a great way to prepare for next month’s PITCH NITE!
Email songnetshowcase@gmail.com to get the link and send MP3s and lyric files for listening and feedback.
Please do not send links to load or stream, as we’ve had problems with that in the past, thanks.
And of course it’s all FREE!
SEEYA THEN!
Wednesday, June 19, 2024, 7:30 pm Pacific, SongNet Showcase
Two songs or 10 minutes on one of the nicest stages & comfortable venues around! Email songnetshowcase@gmail.com to reserve your spot! FREE! We will be broadcasting live on YouTube at our “SongNet LA” channel.
The Urban Homestead
631 Cypress Ave, Pasadena, CA. 91103
Near Orange Grove & Fair Oaks off the 210 freeway
Wednesday, June 5th, 2024, 7:00 Pacific, SongNet Presents Andy Kahn
Andy Kahn is a manager of artist relations with Sixthman.
Since 2001, Sixthman has set the stage for moments that make life rock, serving over 300,000 guests on over 150 unforgettable vacations on sand and at sea with their favorite artists, athletes, actors, comedians and brands. These carefully curated, intimate events bring non-stop performances, artist collaborations, in depth panels and Q&As, fan-artist activities, museums and overall truly immersive experiences that celebrate community and change expectations of what a vacation can be. Sixthman’s domestic home port of Miami brings escapes for guests to dream destinations in the Virgin Islands, Belize, Honduras, Mexico, and The Bahamas, and recently expanded into Europe.
Andy has hired and onboarded their largest artist relations team to date, managing the day-to-day of each team member to help them and their events thrive and succeed, and created automated onboarding workflows that are used company wide by all new hires and iterated processes to help teams manage higher volume in a more efficient manner.
Some of you know friends who have found great careers playing for cruise lines. Most of you know about specialized “event” cruises and full-package entertainment events on land as well. Andy is a big part of that and will be answering your questions about how that is done and more! A great performer & songwriter himself, he recently booked a full night with his father, also a great artist, @ Kulaks Woodshed that you can watch online! He’ll be listening to what you do, commenting and helping you get the specifics on what it takes, FREE
Sixthman’s Andy Kahn
June 5th, 7PM on Zoom!
Email songnetshowcase@gmail.com to submit & get the link!
More about Sixthman:
https://www.sixthman.net/about
Wednesday, May 15, 2024, 7:30 pm Pacific, SongNet Showcase
Two songs or 10 minutes on one of the nicest stages & comfortable venues around! Email songnetshowcase@gmail.com to reserve your spot! FREE! We will be broadcasting live on YouTube at our “SongNet LA” channel.
The Urban Homestead
631 Cypress Ave, Pasadena, CA. 91103
Near Orange Grove & Fair Oaks off the 210 freeway
Wednesday, May 1, 2024, 7:00 Pacific, SongNet Presents Jeff Weber
Jeffrey Weber has produced over 185 CDs with two Grammys, seven Grammy nominations for artists like Nancy Wilson, David Benoit, Steve Lukather, the Utah Symphony, Jackson Browne, Marcus Miller, Tom Scott, Chick Corea, Stanley Clark, Etta James, the Count Basie Orchestra, Ritchie Blackmore, Pat Boone, Buddy Miles, Billy Preston, with at least seventeen top ten albums, two number one albums releases on almost every major label and more.
His books, “We’ll Get Back To You! Even Bigger Lies Of The Music Business” and “You’ve Got A Deal! The Biggest Lies of the Music Business” reference some of his thirty-five plus year career in the music industry, from A&R, Music Supervision, Production, Sales, Business Affairs, concert management and more.
He’s produced shows for the Atlantis Resort, NASCAR, the Breeder’s Cup, Chicago White Sox, Cystic Fibrosis, KTLA, Netflix, and helped give back to the community producing The Band From TV, comprised of famous television actors who travel the country raising money for their selected charities.
He’s re-defined the business model for a record label ranging from contracts to innovations in sales, marketing and promotion, to re-invent and re-energize relationships between artists and labels, and artists and consumers, with format-breaking levels of transparency and unique partnerships in all label/artist/fan relationships. His innovative concepts were the operational foundations for two labels distributed by Fontana (Universal).
THIS is a guy you NEED to know!
May 1st 7PM PST on ZOOM
email songnetshowcase@gmail.com for the link & to submit your mp3 and lyrics (txt file please) for listening!
Wednesday, April 17, 2024, 7:30 pm Pacific, SongNet Showcase
Two songs or 10 minutes on one of the nicest stages & comfortable venues around! Email songnetshowcase@gmail.com to reserve your spot! FREE! We will be broadcasting live on YouTube at our “SongNet LA” channel.
The Urban Homestead
631 Cypress Ave, Pasadena, CA. 91103
Near Orange Grove & Fair Oaks off the 210 freeway
Wednesday, April 3, 2024, 7:00 Pacific, SongNet Presents Chris “Hot Rod” Long
One of the most popular mentors at TAXI, CHRIS “HOT ROD” LONG began his career as a music journalist and concert promoter in 1989. By 1991 he had his first A&R job at Chameleon Records under producer Chuck Plotkin (Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan), and was responsible for signings of Kyuss and Ethyl Meatplow. Through the years, Chris worked with such bands as the Stone Temple Pilots, Rage Against the Machine, and Ice T’s Body Count, and served as an A&R marketing consultant for The Los Angeles Times, Delicious Vinyl, and Fuel 2000 Records –– working with Jethro Tull, Julian Lennon, and Ian Hunter.
Chris also managed Platinum-selling band Crossfade (Columbia)- whom he found through TAXI – and co-managed Jonah with legendary music attorney Alan Mintz. He was the first person to shop Christina Perri to major labels, currently manages Ed Sloan (Crossfade) and Trent Rush, and serves as a consultant for several labels, publishers and Paris-based playlist/blog curation company, Groover.
As always, email songnetshowcase@gmail.com for the ZOOM link. To submit your song, send us your mp3 and lyrics files.
Free!
Wednesday, March 20, 2024, 7:30 Pacific, SongNet Showcase
Two songs or 10 minutes on one of the nicest stages & comfortable venues around! Email songnetshowcase@gmail.com to reserve your spot! FREE! We will be broadcasting live on YouTube at our “SongNet LA” channel.
The Urban Homestead
631 Cypress Ave, Pasadena, CA. 91103
Near Orange Grove & Fair Oaks off the 210 freeway
Wednesday, March 6th, 2024, 7 pm PST, SongNet Presents Ben McLane
How often have you heard “Get it in writing”, followed by “GET AN ATTORNEY”? if the wrong things are written, getting it in writing isn’t enough! Ben McLane is one of the most active attorneys in the music industry. His website has some of the best free FAQ resources around. He gets it, & gets it done. As the former head of business affairs/CFO for JWP-USA/BMG Records, working legal and business affairs at Rhino Records, Priority Records and as a talent scout for Sire Records, Ben is one of the few attorneys who know both sides of the table well. His book, Music Business in 10 Easy Lessons is an informative and fast read about the basics of this industry.
With Attorney of the Year & more gold & platinum record awards than any wall can handle, his cred list reads like a Billboard top 40 chart. With clients like Gilby Clarke, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Marty Balin, Ralph Tresvant, P.O.D., LL cool J, Brian Austin Green (yeah, he produces too), The (Dixie) Chicks, the soundtrack for “Above the Rim” & many more. His site: www.benmclane.com, is an amazing resource unto itself, & a great place to start your professional journey into the industry, where his posted articles provide more information than some PRICEY seminars we’ve been to!
Anyone that can afford to give this much away is someone you NEED on YOUR side! He’s coming to share his knowledge, answer your questions & listen to your stuff… FREE! We suggest reading the articles on his site prior to coming so you don’t ask redundant questions, Then, you’ll have some serious specific questions to bring. The kind that usually cost money. Submit your demos & lyric sheets too. If he likes what he hears, you might be next on that client list!
Ben McLane @ SongNet
March 6, 2024, 7PM ON ZOOM! FREE!
Email songnetshowcase@gmail.com for the Zoom link & to submit your mp3 and lyric sheet files for a listen!
Wednesday, February 21, 2024, 7:30 Pacific, SongNet Showcase
Two songs or 10 minutes on one of the nicest stages & comfortable venues around! Email songnetshowcase@gmail.com to reserve your spot! FREE! We will be broadcasting live on YouTube at our “SongNet LA” channel.
The Urban Homestead
631 Cypress Ave, Pasadena, CA. 91103
Near Orange Grove & Fair Oaks off the 210 freeway
Wednesday, February 7th, 2024, 7 pm PST, SongNet Presents Fett
If you’ve been to the TAXI road Rally, you know Fett! One of the most popular mentors & speakers, Fett is an independent music producer and engineer, author, music career coach, and co-founder of the Azalea Music Group in Nashville. He helps artists and songwriters reach their fullest sonic and emotional impact with the recordings he produces, and also teaches them how to do it themselves.
Fett is the author of the popular book Fett’s Mixing Roadmap: A Step-by-step Guide To Mixing Music In The Studio (available at Amazon.com), founder and host of EmpoweringWomenInAudio.com, and teacher of hands-on recording and production clinics for women. He is the former Technology Editor for Performing Songwriter Magazine. His diverse list of clients includes Davy Jones of the Monkees, Grammy-winning songwriter Don Henry, and international guitar virtuosos Tommy Emmanuel and Muriel Anderson. Although he works with folks of all stripes, Fett is particularly known for working with women, and people who are 50 and over.
Email songnetshowcase@gmail.com for the Zoom link & to submit mp3 and lyric files for review! FREE!
Wednesday, January 17, 2024, 7:30 Pacific, SongNet Showcase
Two songs or 10 minutes on one of the nicest stages & comfortable venues around! Email songnetshowcase@gmail.com to reserve your spot! FREE! We will be broadcasting live on YouTube at our “SongNet LA” channel.
The Urban Homestead
631 Cypress Ave, Pasadena, CA. 91103
Near Orange Grove & Fair Oaks off the 210 freeway
Wednesday January 3rd, 2024, 7:00 PM Pacific, PITCH NITE
with Joanne Ledesma!
Joanne Ledesma will be coming online to find new material to place, publish & promote for a couple of companies she has acquired & partnered with recently. Joanne’s placed composers and producers with key writing positions & signed numerous artists in to film & TV music agreements which can be heard on South Park, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, CW network, Tri-Star Pictures and more.
She has said many times “SongNet is one of my first go-to organizations because the quality of work and PEOPLE are the BEST!” Many of you have done pitch nights before. submit your best work, as well produced as possible with a copy of your lyrics and make sure you have all your clearances from those that worked on the project with you. If you’re looking to polish your music, market your talents, sell your songs, create a demo, or educate yourself on the music industry, or just hear some GREAT stuff you’ won’t hear anywhere else, You’ll be here!
Email songnetshowcase@gmail.com to submit your mp3 and lyric sheet files and get the zoom link for the event! And as always, it’s FREE!