History
SongNet is the brainchild of Los Angeles songwriter Linda Geleris. Early in her career, she felt the isolation experienced by many creative people and decided to do something about it. Since L.A. is “music city,” she suspected that there were other like-minded souls hoping to build careers in the music business.
In the back of her “Songwriters Market” book, she found a listing for NAS (National Academy of Songwriters), which at the time was meeting at the Hollywood Women’s Club. On the occasion of her second visit, she shared some of her M&Ms with a woman sitting next to her, whose husband had just been tapped to score his first feature film. Four months later, the couple called her up and said that a song was needed for the opening scene.
The next day, Linda ‘auditioned’ her song in the couples’ apartment for the director, producer and music supervisor. It could not have fit the opening scene any better, and the next day the as-yet unrecorded song was recorded and immediately placed into the film. This scenario taught Linda the importance of networking, being personable and pleasant, and sharing M&Ms whenever possible.
Next, Linda’s natural inclination to teach others came into play. Forming a songwriters network seemed like the next logical step. In a network, a group of songwriters would:
A) Learn the importance of networking with each other
B) Meet guest speakers from many different areas of the music business.
C) Encourage one another and share tips and advice
At a music seminar, Linda had recently been introduced to a gentleman who co-founded TAXI. She called him up and pitched her idea for hosting a network with music industry guest speakers, song critiques, and occasional open mics.
During the spring and summer of 1999, the ideas evolved and the periodic conversations eventually led to a commitment from Michael Lederer and TAXI to sponsor the endeavor. The first meetings were held at Beantown, a coffee shop in Sierra Madre, CA.
After promoting the ‘big event’ with flyers, phone calls and e-mail as best she could, there were seven people at the first meeting, including Michael and Linda. The meetings were once a month, and Michael would personally bring the guest speakers to address the group. Pete Luboff was one of our first speakers.
He was so knowledgeable, friendly and encouraging that he set the tone, from the beginning, that Linda was aiming for with the original concept of the network.
In April 2001, Thomas “Tommy” Honles & Jimi Yamagishi joined Linda to handle the rapid growth of the network, and created a leadership core to expand the range of opportunities available, secure a presence in cyberspace, and search for new avenues of support for SongNet members.
Enlisting the help of legendary promoter Bob Stane, SongNet soon found a home at the Coffee Gallery Backstage in Altadena. Just far enough outside of the Hollywood scene to avoid the attitudes, yet convenient enough for musicians all over the LA Area. The once a month showcases that were still held at Beantown were also moved to the third Wednesdays of every month at The Coffee Gallery.
Thanks to Tommy’s great webmaster skills & Jimi’s decades of experience in the industry, active local membership has grown into the hundreds, and cyber membership jumped to more than 45 thousand worldwide and continues to grow. Word of the network has spread and now many of the industry pros that were once unavailable now want to give back to our community & are lining up for a chance to share at a first Wednesday of the month meeting.
In spite of the rapid growth, SongNet continues to be a “warm hug in a harsh industry”, and as Jimi calls it, “Our Lil’ Songwriting family”. Our use of virtual meetings during the Covid pandemic not only provides a presence for established members, but also extends the SongNet family to virtually any geography.
Peer networking, and bringing together artists and people in the music Industry for mutual benefit has been the result. Artists who are looking pitch their songs to ‘the industry’ learn the ins and outs, dos and don’ts from the pros themselves. The music industry guest speakers come and form connections with up and coming music creators. These relationships are important, as the demand for quality music of all genres is high. The industry pros become aware of current trends in the community, and many find new artists music for their projects at SongNet. Everyone benefits from the network.
Currently, SongNet is hosting live showcases & in-person events at the Urban Homestead, an actual working farm in the middle of Pasadena California, with first-Wednesday seminars & workshops held virtually online thru zoom to accommodate our international members & following. Email showcase@songnet.info or songnetshowcase@gmail.com for information and links to upcoming events.