Category Archives: Great Organizations

Great Organizations, Great People, Music, Music Business, Music Education, Roy Elkins, Uncategorized

Ben Hans – Instructor – MATC Music Program

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 Milwaukee Area Technical College – Instructor Ben Hans

Ben Hans is an instructor at the Milwaukee Area Technical College Music program.  The curriculum focuses on the business of the music industry. Along with the business, recording and technology classes are taught as well. It is an excellent program.

Ben Hans

Several times a year I have the privilege of speaking to students at various universities and colleges in Wisconsin.  Topics may include entrepreneurialism, pitching your music or the general music industry.  One of those classes that I speak with on a regular basis is the aforementioned music program at MATC Milwaukee where Ben is the instructor. He is a passionate educator with a deep concern about the well-being of his students.  Ben is an accomplished musician himself and has been involved in many recording projects including his own releases.  But more importantly, he is a great teacher and it is obvious that his students admire and respect him.

This past session, I spoke to several classes about many music industry topics. These classes always have engaged students with interesting questions and perspectives. Part of their educational process is to write a review of my presentation as required by their instructor.  Below is their review of the class.

Roy Elkins

Founder, Broadjam, Google+, Onliner Notes, MySpace, Music Industry Views, News & Reviews

Additional links & good organizations – Madison Area Music Association, Willywash, Dallas Songwriters Association – one of the best in the business, Les Paul Foundation

Press & educational links – Moving To Nashville  Some Of The Best, More Of The Best, Hangout June 6, 2014, “Blanket” Music Licensing, Examiner, Isthmus Rock The Vote, Broadjam 6-Pack, Celebrating Sonic Foundry,  Getting Your Music Into Film, Project Famous – Great Photographer, Models of Opportunity: How Entrepreneurs Design Firms

 

 

 

Community, Great Organizations, Great People, Madison, Roy Elkins

Willywash Project – Madison City Creed

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Willywash: Below I have posted the Madison City Creed for the Willy Wash Project. Please note this was transcribed grammatically “as is” from the original.  Roy Elkins

Here is a link to an article the Willywash group.

Yahara River WillyWash

I BELIEVE IN MADISON, The Four Lake City.

I BELIEVE in her PAST achievement, in the men and women who created and conserved that I might produce and earn, enabling me to buy and pay, in the courage of her pioneers whose wisdom and foresight built between these lakes a well – planned organic city, every foot of whose ground is worth in gold its market value because the brain and brawn of man has added wealth to nature’s own endowment.

I believe in the reality of her PRESENT, a present that combines the push and friendliness of the newer West with the reflection and poise of the older East, a present which makes her the distributing center of one of the most productive agricultural sections of America, the heart of the richest dairy region in the world, the location of going industry and commerce, and the focus point of miles of railroad trackage, that converges into this hub like the spokes of a wheel from nine directions, a present that makes her the seat of the government for forward Wisconsin, the home of the state university that spells freedom and utility, and the birthplace of so powerful an influence for the well-being of humanity that thousands are attracted annually to this center of achievement in democracy.

I believe in her ability to become the FUTURE, a city of even greater influence and power, a city destined to become the abode of one hundred thousand people, where the poor shall be less unhappy, the rich less self-satisfied, for the one shall have a more intelligent understanding of the other; where jails shall be empty of prisoners, streets clear of beggars and neither shall the aged in want be cast upon the charity of strangers; a city where friends shall be true friends; neighbors real neighbors; a city where the strong shall really sympathize with the weak; where there shall be even more respect for those who have traveled the longer road; and even more hopeful confidence in the promise of glowing youth; a city where progress shall be the result of retaining the good of the old and accepting the tried of the new, where co-operative competition shall be the ideal in trade, live and let live the slogan of business, serve others well to successfully serve self the policy of industry and commerce; and finally, where each and every citizen shall be a community builder in fact, as now in name.

AND I PLEDGE TO MY CITY a more complete understanding of her problems, a more liberal conception of her limitations, a more hopeful attitude toward her possibilities, a more generous contribution to her needs, and a more active participation in the broader functions of her citizenship in order that my city may become a greater credit to herself, to Wisconsin, to America and to God because of my having lived in Madison, “The Four Lake City.”

If you would like to get involved in the Willywash project, please go to the Willywash website or leave your comments here.

 

Press & educational links – Hangout June 6, 2014, “Blanket” Music Licensing, Industry Projections, Celebrating Sonic Foundry, A Music Platform, Project Famous – Great Photographer, Models of Opportunity: How Entrepreneurs Design Firms

 

Great Organizations, Great People, Great Songwriters, Music, Music Business

Dallas Songwriters Association Annual Songwriting Contest

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Dallas Songwriters Association Annual Songwriting Contest - Grand Prize Judge Roy Elkins

For the past several years, I have had the honor of being the Grand Prize Judge of the Dallas Songwriters Association annual songwriting contest.  In my opinion, the DSA is the premier songwriting organization in the country.  Not only do they hold their grandaddy songwriting competition annually, they hold numerous other events monthly that are all focused on perfecting the craft of songwriting. In July alone, there are 7 events on their calendar including open mics, song swaps, a workshop, a showcase, a cultural exchange and they’ve just launched their annual contest. Congrats to Barbe McMillen and the entire group at the Dallas Songwriters Association as the organization is celebrating their 27th anniversary in 2014.

This year will be the 10th year I have been involved (I think it’s 10) in the Dallas Songwriters Association contest and some of the best independent songs I have ever heard came through this competition. As I was creating this blog, I was looking at the reviews from the previous years.  My guess  is that I have written about 100 or so reviews about the top songs. Kudos to the writers as I remember just about every song in the list.  Lots of good memorable stuff.

Below I have posted some of my favorites that I found links to on Broadjam.

Do You Believe by Jay + Tonic, Delete by Noel Cohen, No Hard Feelings by Shane Martin, Hell Freezes Over by Liz Miller & Tom Stipe, The Morning You by Andy Taylor, My Devil Does by Will Hopkins and Dig Into Reading by Randy Sauer.  These are just a few of the winners.

Dallas Songwriters Association Annual Songwriting Contest - Michael George Band on BroadjamMy favorite to date is still Here’s To Love, by the Michael George Band.  It’s a song about peace and done so tastefully with a deep baritone voice.  No matter what mood you’re in when you listen to this song, you will feel at peace by the end of it.  That’s the brilliance of it. This is also in my personal all time favorite playlist.

Here is the winners blog for further reading.

If you would like to read reviews of other songs, please visit Onliner Notes.  Lots of great songs and feedback is featured there.

If you are a songwriter, whether you live in Dallas or not, give the contest a shot. You can enter it here at Broadjam. If you live in Dallas, get involved with the Dallas Songwriters Association and you will become a better songwriter.

Press & educational links – Hangout June 6, 2014, “Blanket” Music Licensing, Industry Projections, Celebrating Sonic Foundry, A Music Platform, Project Famous – Great Photographer, Models of Opportunity: How Entrepreneurs Design Firms