Author: Admin

It is strange to think that you can be one of the most influential singer songwriters of all time and still have people shrug when they hear your name. As the talent behind iconic American tracks like ‘Somewhere Beyond the Sea,’ ‘Songwriters on Parade,’ and ‘All or Nothing at All,’ Jack Lawrence should be one of the most recognizable names in US musical history. Yet, most people are unaware that Lawrence was responsible for some of the biggest hits ever sung by ‘Old Blue Eyes’ himself.

Jack Lawrence was born in 1912, in Brooklyn, New York, to Orthodox Jewish parents. He was the third of four sons and the family, though loving and supportive, often struggled with money. This was compounded by the fact that his mother and father were first cousins, who had fled their home in the Ukraine to be together.

Starting Out as a Hopeful Musician

Throughout his childhood, Lawrence showed remarkable talent – he wrote a number of songs during his time at school, but was coaxed into registering with the First Institute of Podiatry by his parents. In 1932, he left the school with a doctoral degree. However, in this same year, he also released his first commercial attempt at a hit song.

It was only a matter of time before the young star decided to pack in podiatry for music. Fortunately, his first track Play, Fiddle, Play soared to the top of the charts and he became a member of ASCAP at the tender age of 20. During the early forties, he started to collaborate with other artists – together with a group of talented songwriters, he create a remarkable review called Songwriters on Parade.

Making a Name on the Showbiz Stage

The troupe played all across America, but the jovialities were to be short-lived. The Second World War broke out and Lawrence enlisted with the United States Maritime Service. Whilst serving as band leader, in 1943, he penned the official song of the Maritime Service and Merchant Marines – Heave Ho! My Lads, Heave Ho!

After his departure from the forces, the plucky New York native would go on to write a rash of popular tunes; from Yes, My Darling Daughter to If I Didn’t Care and All or Nothing at All.’ Yet, he was never really known as the face behind any of them – rather, Jack Lawrence penned the hits and ended up introducing the world to iconic artists like The Ink Spots, Dinah Shore, and, of course, Frank Sinatra.

A Great Legacy and an Ever Greater Love

The jazz inspired tune Beyond the Sea, which was created as a response to the Charles Trenet hit La Mer, is arguably the biggest hit that Frank Lawrence ever had. Yet, he followed it in 1954 with the Academy Award nominated Hold My Hand. Plus, one of the most interesting things about Lawrence is the fact that he had an intimate relationship with long-time friend and one true love Dr. Walter David Myden.

This was a very unusual situation for any gay couple, never mind one so intimately acquainted with the bright lights of Hollywood, to be in during the years before Stonewall. Whilst Lawrence and Myden were careful about how they discussed their relationship in public, it was widely known that the two were long time lovers. When Myden passed away of a heart attack, in 1975, it hit Lawrence hard.

Yet, Lawrence himself would go on to live a long and happy life. He died at the grand old age of 96, after suffering a fall at his home, in 2009. Even if his name is not always instantly recognizable to American music fans, his playful lyrics and deft way with words certainly are.

Singing without a musical accompaniment is very common in a lot of Christian musical circles. A lot of Gospel music, for instance, is sung by single singers belting out their passionate songs without any other form of music. The idea seems to be that one person’s voice for God can be just as powerful as a dozen voices singing together, and a musical accompaniment isn’t even necessary. Of course, Gospel singers will often sing together in a choir, but often times their voices still don’t get any support from a musical accompaniment. It gives the music a sort of earthy quality, which has helped make Gospel as appealing as it is.

However, there are plenty of Christian soundtracks that people can download for a reasonable fee online, and plenty of tracks that people will be able to order in general. These tracks can give people more options when it comes to the sort of music that they would like to perform when they are in Church, or when they are performing religious music at some sort of faith retreat or other event.

There are plenty of different styles of Christian music today, from the traditional hymns and classical music pieces to the Contemporary Christian tunes that are popular today. Contemporary Christian music will frequently make use of these sorts of pop accompaniment tracks for Christian worship, so the people who also order them or download them will almost feel as if thesoundy are recording their own Christian songs.

Indeed, some people might want to do covers of some of the Christian songs that are available today, and they are going to need to have these sorts of tracks in order to perform them properly. While it is still possible to do a compelling cover version of a song while singing it independently, it is often going to be more difficult for all but the most talented singers. They are going to need more support for their voices, especially if they are trying to project their voices. Naturally, even the most talented singers aren’t going to be able to do completely accurate renditions of any songs unless they have the right accompaniment tracks. People are used to hearing the songs performed a certain way, and these songs are rarely going to be performed in a way that doesn’t involve any instruments other than the human voice unless the song in question is a popular Gospel song. People will have so many more options when they have the right accompaniment tracks for Christian worship available.

There are entire websites devoted to this sort of thing today. There are a lot of passionate worshipers in the world today, and many of them are in a position in which they would like to be able to do their favorite religious songs justice. The website ChristianSongTracks.com is a great place to start for a lot of the people who are looking for these particular accompanying tracks. Many of the downloads from this website are relatively inexpensive. Most of them cost between five and twenty dollars, although they certainly run the gamut. From that point onward, the musicians will have access to these tracks, and they will be able to do all sorts of things with them. Naturally, iTunes has plenty of worship tracks available, so people do not necessarily need to go to all of the specialty sites in order to find all of the tracks that they want.

The website FamilyChristian.com has more selection in terms of accompaniment tracks. Often, musicians will be in a situation in which they are trying to locate one particular track and they are having a difficult time doing so, since there are so many accompaniment tracks out there today. However, given the plethora of resources available on this subject today, the people who are willing to search long and hard enough are sure to be able to find everything that they’re looking for, hopefully in time for the show, the service, or the event. Even if they have to dig for a little while in order to find the track that they’re looking for, it should be there somewhere online.

Have the lyrics dried up or does the music just not seem to flow? Do you feel uninspired or is your usual creative process failing you? A songwriter’s workshop can help you get over this bump that all musicians encounter during some point in their career.

1. Your Style

Your individual music style is inherent to the type of songs that you can produce. Many songwriters don’t like to stray from the style that they have become accustomed to creating. However, during a dry spell, it can be very useful to learn new music styles and begin incorporating these into your existing repertoire.

In fact, finding new ways to use rhythm, melodies and harmonies can often improve a song writer’s existing talent and open new avenues for creating music.

2. Exercise Your Creative Muscle

Although workshops geared towards your particular artistic medium can help deal with issues specific to that art form, don’t ignore the basic fundamental of creativity, itself. The Creativity Workshop is an organization that delivers writing workshops which cover all aspects of opening up your creativity as an artist. Sometimes the problem isn’t with songwriting, but is actually a block in the creative process, in general. For some, this might be the best place to start.

2. Workshop Feedback

If you feel your issue is more specific to your artistic medium, rather than overall inspiration as an artist, then it will be a good idea to get feedback from peers or professionals in the music industry, in a workshop that is specific to your craft. In a songwriting workshop, you will be given the opportunity to play your songs and allow others to criticize and praise the music and lyrical composition.

While this will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, you will need to keep an open mind during the process. If you do not handle the criticism in a constructive manner, it could frustrate your writer’s block further.

But it is not just the criticism that will benefit you but your ability to take on new ideas to inspire you to greater heights.

3. Brainstorming

Brainstorming sessions are an essential part of any songwriting workshop. These sessions will allow you to tap into other writer’s ideas and creativity to open your mind to new directions that your music could take. At the same time, you will be able to apply your music composition skills and talents to other’s writing.

Brainstorming often allows songwriters to open their minds to new ideas and ways of creating music. This can be incredibly inspiring and freeing.

4. The Theory

Creating music is really a learned skill, rather than a talent that a person is born with. Therefore, it is helpful for a songwriter complement their unique talent by learning some of the theory behind the music that they create.

A song writer’s workshop can provide you with a better understanding of how to best implement a melody, harmonic progression, tempo and groove. You should also learn different lyrical composition techniques and how to best apply these to your music.

Finding out more about different music genres, musical influences and the history of modern day songwriting will benefit your creative style in the long run.

5. Recording

Every songwriter needs to be able to record their work to submit it to various producers. Knowing the best methods and techniques involved in producing a good demo are essential to success in the music industry.

6. The Business End

If it is not the creative process but rather your ability to profit from your talent that is troubling you, a songwriting workshop can address these issues. You will learn more about the legalities around producing, publishing and your rights. You can benefit from understanding how to treat your talent as a business rather than just focusing on your creative process.

The workshop should also provide new songwriters with some hints and tips on how to break into the music industry and make their name known. Also, you should acquire some marketing skills and strategies to improve your ability to get your work produced and published by major players in the music industry.