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Dear
Writer,
Making
it in the music business requires talent, skill, persistence
and connections. To be a lyric writer, as with any other
kind of creativity, you need primarily four things:
the heart to connect with your subject matter -- the
willingness to listen (to both visible and invisible
muses) -- a working knowledge of craft to help give
form to the gifts of inspiration – and a continuing
urge to communicate. Ultimately, these things are no
different than agreeing to live with vitality, which
is never too big or out-of-reach once you’ve taken that
heart-first step toward doing something you love! Whoever
you are -- a songwriter or musician wanting to fine-tune
your wordplay, a recording artist looking for the words
to express your own unique light, a poet or journal
writer looking for wings to fly your words off that
flat page, or a 9 to 5’er broadening your horizons –
a little mentoring from someone actively working at
what you want to do can go a long way to shorten the
road to your destination. I’ve worked with aspiring
and established writers, artists and musicians in almost
all areas of music, including mainstream and alternative
pop, rock, R&B, country, folk, gospel, jazz, world and
theater. My aim is to simplify the learning process
and help you find your niche in the marketplace or go
to that next level on your chosen path more quickly..
If you really want to write songs and get them recorded,
you’ve got to go after it, and use every inner and outer
resource available to get yourself on the playing field
and in the game. The music business may be competitive,
but there's ALWAYS room for that next great song!
I
wish you the best of luck,…TERRY COX
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You may
pay for the following services via credit card through the PayPal
ordering system provided here,
or send a check or money order to:
Fisher
Queen Songs
P. O. Box 292
Cold Spring, NY 10516
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You
can do the following through any one or a combination of e-mail,
fax, snail-mail, telephone, or in-person if we happen to be
anywhere near the same geographical neighborhood - that means
New York City, upstate New York, some parts of Connecticut,
New Jersey, etc., or however far you're willing to travel!
I'm also available in the Nashville and Kentucky areas at
times, as well as Sweden and other parts of Europe. Please
contact me at FQSongs@aol.com
for info & scheduling.
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“I
am forever grateful that I am able to work with
Terry. Her feedback is always right on from both
a practical and aesthetic perspective. In a short
time she enabled me to move from "loose" lyrics
characterized by "interesting concepts" to structured
lyrics that expressed the same concepts in a much
more disciplined, commercially viable manner.”
(Joan
Wilson – corporate writer, pop/country lyricist)
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| 1st-time
Song/Lyric Critique & Career Consultation: 3 HOURS: $210 |
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| Working
individually in the beginning can help me to quickly get an
idea of where you're at in your development and the most effective
next step toward reaching your goals. Depending on your needs,
we'll review a bunch of your songs/lyrics, assess your strengths
and areas that still need work, determine the genre you are
or want to be working in, and work towards getting you ready
for potential collaborations and/or getting your songs ready
to demo and shop to the music industry. |
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| Follow-up
Song/Lyric Critique & Career Consultation: 1 1/2 HR: $85
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| I have
found that writers usually get very inspired by their first
individual session and want to come back for follow-up sessions
every so often to have new songs critiqued and to keep accelerating
their development. You can schedule regular weekly or bi-monthly
sessions - or simply whenever you feel you're ready for another
session. |
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| Single
Song/Lyric Critiques: 1st song/lyric- $25, each additional -
$20 |
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| This
covers initial review and critique of up to 3 rewrites if necessary.
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Crash
Course in Lyric Writing for Artists & Musicians: $475
(initial session plus 2 follow-ups) |
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| This
is geared to singers, musicians & recording artists who might
be in the middle of or about to start a project and need to
be able to write their own lyrics immediately. All aspects of
lyric writing are covered, including song structure and the
“Rule of 2,” common verse and chorus constructions, hooks and
title placements, imagery and metaphor, and the “3 R’s” of lyric
writing – Rhythm, Rhyme & Repetition, and more. For in-person
consults, first session is 4 hours, followed by two 2-hour sessions.
Long distance and on-line mentoring will be customized according
to your needs. Please contact FQSongs@aol.com before ordering.
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Lyric
Doctoring & Translations
Contact
FQSONGS@aol.com
for Info & Fees |
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is a service available to artists & writers who need help revising
lyrics but don’t want to give away a percentage of their song(s)
to a credited collaborator. Lyric doctoring/corrections and
translations may also include foreign artists who write their
own lyrics, but whose native language is not English. Doctoring
and translation services are available for single songs or whole
record projects. |
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Writing
& Project Planning, Critique & Editing
Contact FQSONGS@aol.com
for Info & Fees |
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is a mentoring program customized to your particular needs for
writing projects covering a wide range of formats, i.e., concept
CDs, musical theater, poetry, short stories, children's stories,
books, and any particular creative difficulties, issues or challenges
you might be dealing with. |
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Beginning and Advanced workshops available.
For dates & locations, please contact FQSongs@aol.com
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"I
met Terry at a time in my life when I knew I had
to do something, ANYTHING (within my moral code)
to improve my craft. I knew that might mean taking
some "hits " along the way - that I'd have to
learn to listen, take criticism, (gasp) maybe
put away old comfortable habits, and try some
new approaches. And Terry did not disappoint!
After our first session I felt stripped to the
bone. But with the next workshop, I began my "re-construction.”
Three months later, I identify myself as a songwriter
fir st, (social worker, second) . But most of
all I've become more intimate with the world around
me, more honest with myself and stronger all the
way around. Thanks, Terry, not just for pushing
me off the cliff...but for knowing that I could
fly! --Okay, maybe corny but true...”
(Eileen
Kiniry, pop/country singer-songwriter)
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| Group
Song Critiques: 2 HOURS - 6 people at $35 each |
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| An ongoing
group forum for trying out new songs, sharing critiques, information
& networking and exploring potential collaborations. |
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Group
1 and 2 Day Workshops (minimum 5 people)
Contact FQSONGS@aol.com
for Dates & Fees |
| Individual
song-critiques and a crash-course/review of common song structures,
"hooks" and their strongest placements in a song, the 3 R's
of lyric writing - rhythm, rhyme & repetition, and the "Rule
of 2" that builds a song from top to bottom and keeps the energy
exciting all the way to the last note. We'll also explore the
magic of inspiration, solutions for "writer's block," collaboration,
networking, shopping tunes and any other questions that come
up! |
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Contract
Reviews, Negotiations, Advice, etc. for U.S. and/or Foreign
Publishing
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| An artist's
business world revolves around the record company. The writer's
business world usually involves music publishers. When you start
to get your songs placed on records, you may be approached by
a publisher to do single song publishing contract(s) or even
a staffwriting or catalog deal - or you might want to start
checking out publishers on your own or with a manager or attorney.
The publishing world can be very confusing, but after years
of using lawyers I finally became knowledgeable enough to negotiate
my own publishing and subpublishing contracts, and I'm often
called upon as a writer-friendly advisor in other writers' negotiations
to review contracts, terms, etc. Nobody has your best interests
at heart more than you do. I can help you understand what your
lawyer should be trying to get for you and how to handle certain
concessions you might be asked for if you're a newcomer. If
you're doing a single song contract that offers only a small
advance, you can save yourself some legal fees if you have an
understanding of the basic terms and parameters that can protect
your work and accomplish a fair agreement for all parties. You
may contact me at FQSongs@aol.com
to discuss your specific situation. |
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I am available
for speaking at seminars, meetings, music expos, industry
panels, and schools on the following subjects:
- all aspects
of the art, craft & business of song/ lyric writing
- the magic of
inspiration & ways to conjure it
- solutions for
"writer's block" & other writing challenges
- creativity
as "instructor of life" - how writing accesses knowledge
- creative &
professional development for writers and artists
- music publishing
for writers & artists (both domestic & foreign markets)
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"Just
a quick note of thanks for the workshop. You are
such a great teacher. I felt your feedback for
everyone was right on. But always delivered with
love and kindness and such compassion for where
each one of us was (is). Thanks for talking about
the fear…..I think what I took away was 'Stop
thinking about myself and simply focus on the
work.' And the concept of letting the material
come into the world and have a life of it's own
really appealed to me – I can let these ideas
come in and I can be their steward…."
(Eileen
O’Hare, writer/creative consultant/story editor/screenwriter
- Oxygen Cable Network, TriStar TV, Disney, etc.
– and lyricist)
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| Fees
to be negotiated on a per-event basis. Contact FQSongs@aol.com
for details.
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