Are You Ready to Pitch? The Challenge – Week 2

On By Lily CIn Challenge 2012, The Business of Songwriting
Photo courtesy of Official U.S. Navy Imagery (Creative Commons)

Our blog has been abuzz with activity as songwriting bloggers from across Canada have been busy embracing the Canadian Songwriters Social Media Challenge outlined by Ariel Hyatt‘s “Music Success in 9 Weeks.”  Click Here for details.  If you’ve been tracking with everyone, you will appreciate that the level of experience and the goals of each songwriter are all over the map.  Such is the beauty of this challenge.  It meets each person wherever they are in their respective journey.

Week 2 promises to show even more diversity as it focuses on creating your pitch.  What I have found as a challenge participant is that each stage of this challenge requires you to “Know Thyself.”  After all, how can you put yourself out there in a clear and concise way if you don’t know what you’re putting out there.  Take a look at the pitcher.  He is focused and determined.  He is not just randomly throwing the baseball to anyone (which many musicians are prone to doing).   Let’s hear those pitches challenge participants!

Please post the following:

1.  Your elevator pitch.
2.  The URL to your Week 2 blog. (NOTE:  please post the exact URL to the entry and not just the general URL to your blog)

68 thoughts on “Are You Ready to Pitch? The Challenge – Week 2”

  1. My ‘elevator pitch’.

    To be fair, I’ve not received any comment on who people say they think I sound like. So, I’ve taken a chance and tried to make my own description. Here goes…:

    1. Pitch: “I’m a funkified, contemplative, MusiqalJacksoulChild-like, broken-hearted angel with an R&B core.”
    2. 2nd Blog link: http://jinraltao.bandzoogle.com/
    But, don’t take my word for it. Feel free to judge for yourself and post your thoughts on what you think of my “sound”.

    I eagerly look forward to your replies. And thanks.

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    1. Hi Jinral, you surprised me. I’d only seen your ‘cool guy in the hat’ photo and read the first word of your pitch..’funkified’. Expecting dance / beat / rap music would follow i headed to your blog/web and hear the music start… A lovely tender, enveloping voice like caramel. Best, T

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      1. Awww! My first ‘real’ comment. Thank you. (I promise not to erase it.)
        And you’re on point. Often when I meet people for the first time, I see how tense they and their misconception is that I’m a thug… until I smile and begin to talk. I immediately notice a change in their demeanor and they start to relax when they realize I’m just a regular guy (just tall). Really, though, I’m a softie at heart. I hafta be a good model for my kiddies. /:-)

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  3. Ok, so far this is what I’ve come up with;

    I’m an R&B/Pop singer & songwriter, with stylings similar to Alicia Keys or Tamia, hints of Eva Cassidy’s jazzy folk, and shades of Aretha Franklin’s old school soul.

    Here’s my blog link:

    https://www.tumblr.com/adriannesoundslike/16017686419/sac-social-media-challenge-week-2-the-pitch

    Again, check out my Soundcloud page if you wanna hear some of my music and give me some feedback of your own! http://soundcloud.com/adrianne_r/sets/adri-annesoundslike/

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  4. Andy Ruszel for my “band”, Andrews and Lawrence…are two people a family? are two people a band?

    The Pitch

    Andrews and Lawrence play Old Time Gospel Music. They pick and harmonize in the great brother duet tradition of the Stanley and Louvin Brothers and the Smothers Brothers. Their pledge: “We’re here to cheer the weary traveller.”

    Blog andrewsandlawrence.wordpress.com

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    2. Listened to your song, “Next To Me”.
      I like how you take the listener on a journey.
      Smooth and purposeful.
      Similarities to Sarah McLachlan for sure.

      I’m in the same boat as you are… difficulty describing my own “sound”. I’ll be re-vamping my Pitch.

      Week 2, and 7 to go. Keep on going.

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    2. I love both sentences–“we live in the neighborhood of folk-rock, but tend to travel” was pretty darn good, too! I’d shorten the second sentence to just “Dave Matthews and Vivaldi.” When in doubt, cut it out.

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  9. Hope this isn’t cheating…
    But, I re-thunk my pitch. I feel the last one was too wordy. Wasn’t quite satisfied with it.

    Because I don’t lock myself into any ONE particular musical style, it’s hard to describe my “sound”. But, I think the pitch below better describes “me,” artistically.

    “Jinral Tao is… Gospel roots. R&B core. Big on harmonies.”

    There! Much simpler.

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      1. Was having a hard time describing my sound (still don’t know if I sound like anyone out there yet).

        So it made more sense to define me. Much simpler… and to the point. Glad you like it.

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  12. WEEK 2

    “If James Taylor and Carole King had a baby boy (whose Godfather was Don McLean) and he grew up and married Taylor Swift, and if the two of them had a baby girl and made Carlos Santana her Godfather, and raised her in a house where Zac Brown Band was constantly playing on the stereo, and the baby girl grew up to be a singer-songwriter, That would be me.”

    http://www.maddyrodriguez.com/2012/01/if-james-taylor-and-carole-king-had-a-baby-me-in-15-seconds-and-cabagge-soup/

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    1. Hey Maddy,
      I love the analogy of the family….I would say however, that it is a bit too long. I had to re-read the last couple of sentences to make sure I got it. If you could condense it a bit somehow, I think you’d nail it……warmly….Sarah

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  17. Here is my pitch:

    “Sarah sounds like a grittier Norah Jones, and writes tunes marinated in jazz, sauteed in the blues with hints of folk and country.”

    Blog: http://www.quesarah.ca
    (for some reason, the URL comes up the same, when on my blog page….one must go the the site and visit “Blog” in the navigation bar.) Sorry for the extra step!

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  20. Kat Leonard combines the pizzazz of Liza Minnelli, the passion of k.d. lang, the wackiness of Cyndi Lauper and the sass of Madonna.

    Madcap and profound, Kat Leonard is a quirky pop music dynamo whose music oscillates unpredictably between heartfelt and hilarious, leaving you with the drunken joy of a sugar rush.

    I Promise You’ll Love Me

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  23. 1) Tracy Chapman reincarnated as Dido, The Cranberries meet Shakira, Sinead O’connor as Cher.

    2) The Pitch took me awhile to refine and therefore, I have two blog entries for this one. The first can be found at

    http://radiostar.supernova.com/KathrynBERRY/blog/7866/The-Blog-Challenge-Week-2–The-Pitch

    and the second is at
    http://radiostar.supernova.com/KathrynBERRY/blog/7866/The-Blog-Challenge-Week-2–The-Pitch#/KathrynBERRY/blog/7914/Week-2-The-Pitch-Continued

    Please watch the Vlogs that go with both enties. Thanks a bunch. I look forward to the week ahead. Happy Blogging to all 🙂 Kathryn

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  26. My elevator pitch as it currently stands:

    My name is Kimi Lyn Smith and I am a songwriter specialising in alternative rock and edgy pop. With influences including Garbage, Radiohead and Snow Patrol, I write delicately crafted songs with resonances of Fiona Apple, Metric and KT Tunstall, for myself and other artists with a commercial approach. Please get in touch if you’re looking for tracks to sync or for material to record.

    My blog entry is here: http://sneakyhooks.com/?p=140

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  27. I was advised by Ariel’s Mastermind Group to create 4 pitches: one overall umbrella for Word Maven Music, (which I’ve made using the 15secondpitch method) and one for each of the three areas I’m working in (which I’ve made short).

    1. Debra Alexander is the creative director of Word Maven Music. As a songwriter, teacher, coach, & collaborator, she specializes in finding the soul of a song, and works with wordsmiths and musicians to craft memorable songs that speak to a myriad of audiences. Her gift for language, her musical training, and her intuitive capacity to refine creative expression make her a dynamic writer, collaborator, and coach. Sign up for wordmavenmusic blog posts advocating appreciation and awareness for the art of songwriting.

    a. Debra’ Alexander is a dynamic songwriting collaborator who marries love of language, music theory chops, and classic song craft to speak the soul of a song.

    b. Debra is a songwriting coach & music teacher who helps wordsmiths and musicians write, play, and deliver better songs.

    c. Debra Alexander is a singer-songwriter whose set sounds like Joni Mitchell and Diana Krall meet for Brazilian coffee and are graced by the spirit of Ira Gershwin.

    http://bit.ly/xokk6q

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  32. I had only posted to our FB group and realized ooops forgot to post here.
    Here’s my elevator pitch:
    “FenSTAR brings light into darkness through her angelic sounds, soulful lyrics, transcending beats and is enchanting in her debut album DIVINITY as she mixes many genres of music; pop, dance, R&B, jazz, with a distinctive ethereal flare.”

    Week 2 blog: http://fenulla-fenstar.blogspot.com/2012/01/fenstar-in-nutshell.html

    Oh and I’m using this twitter account still as oppose to the one I posted last week: https://twitter.com/fenullafenstar

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  35. Finally! I was away on vacation and while I did my blog, I couldn’t post it until today! So here it is….would love to get your comments :)))

    1. Pitch: “Kristine St-Pierre is a chansionnière who wears her heart on her sleeve. Her honesty and grace, combined with her clear crystalline voice and folky melodies will bring you comfort, while her rollicking, bluesy side will keep you on your toes. With an effervescent stage presence and a smile a mile wide, you can’t help but listen and smile with her.”

    2. Blog #2: http://www.kristinestpierre.com/fr_home.cfm (still on the homepage, not sure how to get the specific link yet….but will figure it out!)

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  37. Don Sawchuk

    My name is Don Sawchuk and I am a Singer Songwriter specializing in bluesy rock and ballads. I am an exceptional guitarist with the energy of James Brown and the emotional singing style of Colin James playing superbly crafted songs that root for the underdog. I align the musical and lyrical content for maximum emotional impact to the listener. Come check me out in concert or on-line at http://www.donsawchuk.com. If you like what you hear, share it with others! Building community one song at a time.

    http://www.tumblr.com/blog/donsawchukprchallenge

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  38. Cheryl L’Hirondelle is a singer/songwriter, interdisciplinary artist and so much more, who is a ‘swift-flying songbird’ with a social conscience as big as the sky. Imagine a sound somewhere between the tonal shapes and edges of Mary Margaret O’Hara, Joan Armatrading and Buffy Sainte Marie with equally meaningful lyrics and evocative melodies that trace the contours of the horizon line. http://www.cheryllhirondelle.com

    http://cheryllhirondelle.blogspot.com/2012/02/week-2.html

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