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SONGWRITER’S WORKSHOP WITH GORDON BROWN
"EVERYONE CAN WRITE A SONG”
2-DAY SESSION
FRIday, JANUARY 20, 2012 & FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2012
6PM - 7:30PM (ages 11-14) &
7:30PM - 9PM (ages 15 and up)
FEE: $125
One of our most popular workshops, this one
fills up quickly!
The process of expressing feelings is one of
the most important elements in creating a song. You’ll walk away from these
sessions with a new sense of courage to “say what you need to say.” Learn how
to give your song its own unique stamp and give the listener something they
will never forget. We know you’ll love this workshop, and Mr. Brown.
Gordon Brown:
Growing up in the big shadows of his heroes
from Monmouth County, NJ, Gordon has written full records for his harmony based
vocal bands Highway Nine (RCA Nashville), Samhill (Sony/ Epic), Mr. Reality
(EMI/ SBK), as well as countless co-writes with major Nashville songwriters and
new artists such as Alex Brumel, Rick Barry, Jerzy Jung, Natalie Stovall, and
Corey Wagar. Over the last year, Gordon has been back out on the road
performing and touring around the world with Natalie Stovall, Jessie James
(Showdog /Universal) as well as with Corey Wagar, who has been on an American
radio tour in support of her debut single "Hurricane" that she wrote
with Brown. The track is currently #55 on the country chart and is getting
heavy airplay right here on the Jersey Shore's very own Thunder 106.
What can people
expect to get out of a two day songwriter’s workshop session?
During these sessions
all participants will be able to find their foundation in structure, craft and
most importantly, lyric expression. One
of the most rewarding parts of each session is when people come and either
perform their ideas or share their lyrics. Everyone lets their guard down and realizes that no matter which
type of music they may prefer, as creators everyone is created equal.
Do you need a musical
background or is it for anyone?
Anyone can walk in
and have an incredible introduction to the creative process. Some participants
have written hundreds of songs and some have never written anything before. There’s
only one thing that is required…the yearning for creativity.
I do and that is staying open to all possibilities. Sometimes
it’s lyric, sometimes it’s a musical riff or theme, sometimes it’s just the
sound of a certain instrument or maybe even the melody in someone’s voice, but
my process is just that …no rules, and you have to stay open enough to let
anything happen. The technique is in
capturing the moment of inspiration and turning it into an idea that you know
is going to tell a story and give the listener something to hold onto maybe
forever.
What are some things
that make you inspired to write music?
I could write you a
novel or two about this. How about this for an answer...ANYTHING.
As detailed as the flavored cream in your
coffee that you’ve never tasted before or the beauty in the color of the
autumn leaves as you remember what it was like to throw piles of them around at
six years old, or even the smell of cigarette smoke in the worn-in leather
seats while getting into your car with your best friend and going for a long
drive down Ocean Ave. into Asbury Park with nothing but excitement in your
heart as the radio is blasting …and that’s just off the top of my head so when
I say anything …I mean EVERYTHING. If
you are an observer of life then you can possibly turn it all into lyric and
song.
What is your favorite
part about the song writing process?
I love and respect every
piece of it. It’s an incredible process
that exemplifies so much of who we are. I love the initial inspiration, the fleshing out of the
arrangement, the tug of war between co-writers and the compromise, the
beautiful melody that can change your life with the right lyric, the honesty,
the emotion, the time spent in creating. Some of the best time I’ve ever spent writing
has shown me the therapeutic effect of writing and of course finishing. There’s
no feeling in the world like finishing a song you’re proud of and then
hearing the record in your head until you’re able go record and produce it.
Do you have any
advice/tips for someone who wants to start a career in the music industry?
I do but that would
be a whole other seminar!
Any advice/tips for
someone trying to write their own songs?
YES …and we go
through it all in the seminars. Being honest, being unique, finding your own
voice and telling your own story. If you want to do this it’s the easiest thing
in the world and I know how to prove it to you. I won’t let you fool yourself
into thinking that you can’t do it.
Even if you think have what some people call writer’s block, I can cure
it. That’s a money back guarantee. If you think you may have writer’s block,
then step into my office *haha*. You’ll walk out cured. Once we spend some time together you’ll see how I can help you
start to build your own catalog of material.
How do you like
touring?
I love it. It is one
of the great pleasures of life. Waking
up in a different city every day with people you share your dreams with and
then getting to perform and bring your music to audiences all over the world. Even on the bad days, it’s still the greatest job in the world (besides
writing and producing in the studio).
What is your favorite
part about it?
If you ever meet
anyone I’ve toured with, they will all tell you my favorite part is the sharing
of a meal after a great show. Sitting down to have a “family dinner” and
laughing, drinking, eating and sharing a dream. It feels like it’s your gang against the world, and every time
you make it to that meal, you’re on top and ready for the next challenge.
What has been your
favorite place to tour?
There have been quite
a few. Over this past year I was
fortunate enough to travel with Natalie Stovall, to go perform in Italy, Spain,
Africa, The Kingdom of Bahrain (yes, 10 minutes south of Saudi Arabia) as well
as this past summer going to Japan for a few shows playing lead guitar with
another great artist, Jessica James. Going overseas is an incredible experience
and seeing the world through the eyes of a guitar gives you a whole other
perception about people and their society.
Once we finished up
her debut record earlier this year, Corey Wagar and I have been touring
nationally, doing radio performances of our songs live on the air since April. When we’re not playing at our home away from
home, The Stone Pony, or in Nashville with the full band, we’ve been traveling
all over the country. Corr and I like
to get out and explore and really take it all in, whatever city we may be
in. We were just in Memphis eating ribs
and walking down Beale St. singing Marc Cohn’s “Walking in Memphis".
What is the craziest
thing that’s ever happened on tour? (Or any funny/interesting stories from the
road)
You’ll have to go to
my Facebook page for that, and if you want the real drama and gossip you’ll
have to follow me on Twitter …and yes it’s all up there for
you to see in living color.
You toured with Corey
Wagar and you wrote the song “Hurricane” with her and now the song is currently
#55 on the country chart. How does it
feel to have a song on the charts?
It is the big reason
you do this …to connect with an audience …to help give an artist everything
they need to get out there and conquer the world. “Hurricane” is her story and together we get to tell her
experience and give people a real sense of who she is. Don’t cross her path,
cause she’ll break your heart and blow you away and I just might be
standing right beside her when she does it *haha*. We have a lot of fun with
that one and it was the last song we wrote for her debut album (GTR
Recordings). Her new single just came
out and is already flying up the chart in half the time of the first one. The path to success that Corey is on is
incredible. We have been working together
for well over two years now, performing in little bars everywhere across the
country as well as in Jersey and Nashville. She is going to be one of the
biggest stars country music has ever seen, and even pop music for that matter. She has some very big news coming over the
next few weeks. It’s beyond
exciting. She is so talented and one of
my dearest friends, a musical soul mate and I’m very proud of her and her
incredible journey.
What is it like
teaching all ages?
To be honest, it’s
really fun when you’re with anyone who wants to learn. I’ve had 60 year-old
kids in the workshop and 14 year-old adults.
It’s really great because I’m the biggest little kid anyone’s ever met
so I have to bring everyone in the seminars down to my maturity level *haha*. No matter what age, as long as they can stand me talking for 90
minutes plus, we’ll have a great time.
Is it an adjustment
to switch gears from touring to teaching?
Only when I am
complaining that no one took out the green M&M’s from each candy bowl before
every performance *haha*. I don’t really
call what I do, "teaching". It’s more
like having a meeting and I just happen to be the mediator.
Do you apply the same
processes you use in songwriting to the workshop?
The exact same ones,
and I will detail them as much as every participant would like to know
throughout the two-day workshop.
Who is your biggest
musical influence?
All of the great
authentic artists of our time, including a few from our very own back
yard. They say the apple doesn’t fall
far from the tree and I’m proud of where I’ve grown up musically as well as
where that influence has lead me to throughout my career.
If you could tour
with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?
That’s a great
question at the perfect time with all my favorite legends about to go out on
the road next year. I would go with The
Eagles next year for their 40th anniversary, to sing in that harmony blend and
ride the jet planes with Frey and Henley, The Stones (because it would probably
be the last chance I would ever have to do that) or Springsteen because I
would cherish and fortify the neighborhood camaraderie *haha*. However I wouldn’t complain if you put me on the Lady Antebellum, Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney, or Little Big Town tours
either. I’m sure I could make myself
useful singing along and playing some ol’ guitar.
What was it like
through your career to open for Bon Jovi and Springsteen?
I’ve been very
fortunate to get to share the stage with some of the legends from our music
community. Jon gave us our first big
arena shows a few years back and also asked my band to open for them at the
Fastlane in Asbury Park where we both have our earliest musical roots. That was quite a night. We had just put our first record out back
then and David Bryan (Bon Jovi Keyboardist) was one of the first people I ever
handed a demo too. He looked at me,
noticing it was me and said “You’re the kid that handed me that tape in the
back of The Count Basie Theatre!” We’ve been
friends ever since. I’ve also had the
great privilege of being on stage alongside Bruce a few times through the years
at The Stone Pony and Tradewinds. But the greatest honor by far was performing
in Highway 9 with Bon Jovi and Springsteen at The Basie during the series
of shows put on during the tragedy of 9/11.
I never felt so proud to be a musician, to help comfort the families of
the victims and stand with my neighbors and musical heroes.
I’ve noticed you’ve
worked with a lot of Nashville songwriters. Do you prefer country music over other
genres?
I don’t prefer
it. I just love it. My personal life kinda reads like a country
song, so it’s very easy for me to exemplify it. Truth be told, some of my favorite artists of the last 15 years
are country artists. Little Big Town,
Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, Eric Church, The Band Perry, Jason
Aldean, Lady Antebellum. It’s amazing music.
Big harmonies, stories and songs.
Basically everything we’ve grown up with here on the Jersey Shore except
with a little pedal steel thrown in for good measure and a side helping of
grits.
What can we expect
from Gordon Brown in the upcoming year?
Well, that is a great
question because just over two years ago my life was about to have a very
different path. I was planning on
spending my life with someone that didn’t share my dream anymore, I was about
to embark on more Writers In The Raw Shows and spearhead the 5th Annual Wave
Gathering Music Festival in Asbury Park. However what I do best got the best of
me…writing and performing…and I started driving along my own ‘Broken Road,’ if
you will.
I would have never
imagined that I would have just had the year I’ve had touring all over the
world and having two charting singles.
If there’s one thing I can depend on, it’s the fact that everything is
going to change and next week I may be making someone’s next record, or going
out on the road as someone’s gunslinger or going to give some songwriting
seminars or getting the chance to help my best friend move. Maybe even doing
nothing but sitting home and writing new songs about all the great experiences
I’ve been fortunate to have.
What I’m learning to
do is cherish every day that I’m lucky enough to get to do this and survive by
making music. I have been lucky enough
to share dreams with people I truly care about and want the best for. Lucky enough to continue to know that at any
moment I can get a call and go to a writing session, or go out and tour the
world at a moment’s notice. I am lucky
to live for what I love and be blessed to love what I do.
Do you have any
upcoming shows/songs/news coming up?
YES, a ton and it will all be on my Facebook page and Twitter feed. We just wrote and recorded a few new songs
with up and coming pop star in waiting, Jackson Harris from NYC. There are a
few touring possibilities coming up with him as well and I just finished a few
great songs with another young brand new country female upstart from Brick,
NJ. People are going to be shocked how
country music is starting to grow here at the Jersey Shore. I love that after
all these years people are coming up to me saying “you were the first person to
ever get me in country”…and that’s because my bands Mr Reality (SBK/EMI),
Samhill (SONY/EPIC), Highway 9 (RCA NASHVILLE) made records that were all based
on it. I’ll be doing some more writing
with Natalie Stovall in January and then there is some very big news coming
from Colts Neck’s very own Corey Wagar, an artist I am so proud to have helped
develop, write songs and tour with for the last couple of years. I think 2012
is gonna be such a great year that even The Mayans will wish they were still
around for it! I’m very excited to live and breathe it in, one day at a time.
INSIDE TRACK FOR SCREENWRITING AND STORY STRUCTURE WITH PETER FOX
Tango 101: Introduction to Argentine Tango for Absolute
Beginners
WITH Sergio
Segura from Strictly Tango NYC
SATURDAY, JANUARY 28 0r SUNDAY, JANUARY 29
3PM TO 5:30PM (BOTH DAYS)
AGES: 16 TO ADULT
FEE: $35 (per person) OR
$65 (per couple) - No Partner Necessary
In this 2 1/2 hour class
students will learn all the basics of Argentine Tango: musicality, walking,
turning, posture and couple connection. Instructors will offer individual
attention to facilitate learning and help each dancer gain confidence and the
true spirit of Argentine Tango.
Sergio Segura: Sergio's
passion is teaching! He developed the Learn Argentine Tango dance system and
has produced five Tango teaching DVD's. He founded "The School of
Traditional Argentine Tango", now called Strictly Tango NYC based in New
York City, in order to extend Argentine culture to other communities and
promote tango
INSIDE TRACK FOR SCREENWRITING AND STORY STRUCTURE WITH PETER FOXSATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4 & SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5
12:30 TO 6PM (BOTH DAYS)
FEE: $279
In this intensive weekend, aspiring writers will learn about story structure as it applies to film, and will learn to construct a working screenplay using Hollywood standards. Character development, story structure and cinematic plot development will be examined in depth; as well as how to get your finished work into the hands of Hollywood decision makers and agents.
You have
family members in the film making industry. How big of an influence was that on
you?
My Father was a theatrical publisher. His plant was on twenty Fifth
Street in Manhattan. From the time I was in kindergarten, he would sometimes
wake me before school, tell me to put on a suit, and then drag me into
Manhattan with him. I would spend the day with him; meet rock stars, movie
stars and producers. He published the souvenir program booklets sold at the
shows. He handled the Beatles, the Stones, and Frank Sinatra. When I was 8, Jim
Morrison tussled my hair. Then I would go back to school, and tell my school
chums, who would mostly respond with blank stares as if I were from Mars. But
it was the program booklets that my dad published for the movies that first got
me interested in film. I would read the stories of how the movies were
produced, and the writers, directors and technical people and their process
fascinated me more than the actors or even the films themselves. My mother was a
retired ballerina. Her career ended when she began having children, seven in
all. She danced with the Royal Ballet of London, and once performed for the
Queen of England when she was 18. Us, kids, all seven of us, were required to
study ballet. Sunday mornings were for opera, usually Gilbert and Sullivan. My
parents were both very cultured people and yes, their influence was huge.
What was it
like having your grandmother be a silent film star?
My Grandmother was quite regal. Her Sicilian accent
was so thick that when talkies were invented, she could not make the leap. She
died when I was five or six, but I have vivid memories of her.
Did she
give you any advice for getting into the film industry?
Not directly. But she emphasized reading and
literature. She believed in strict discipline and focus, especially when it
came to reading and writing. That was a big gift from my grandmother, but I
didn’t know it at the time.
What made
you transition from performing stand-up to screenwriting?
Stand up comedy is the roughest
job in the world. I had always written, from the time I was six or so, and I
had tried the stand-up route when I was in college. I had always toyed with the
idea of writing a movie, but knew nothing of the process. But once I began, the
deeper I got, the more it fascinated me, and the more I wanted to know. I am
still learning. Stand- up was lots of work with no reward. Both my parents
taught me the importance of being a working
artist, as opposed to a struggling one. I wanted to make a living in the
film business. I felt that my chances were better as a screenwriter.
You’ve
worked with some impressive people in the business, what were some of the
lessons you’ve learned?
Among the most important lessons is the importance
of “going the distance.” Alexandra Rose emphasized this to me. It is not
uncommon for a screenwriter to write thirty or forty drafts of a screenplay
before it is ready to sell. David Foster taught me the importance of clear
characters, clear conflicts, with genuine dialog, as opposed to dialog that is
stilted.
Do you have
a certain process when you write?
I spend at least 8 months to a year doing the various steps required
before I actually sit down to write the actual screenplay. When I finally
arrive at the screenplay stage, I lock myself in a quiet room, ideally in a
quiet locale, with absolutely no distractions. Sometimes I go to Key West, (no,
not because I love Hemmingway), but mostly I will go to the woods, or at home
if all else fails. That part of the process lasts four or five days, fifteen
hours or so each day. I emerge a week later, unshaven and exhausted. But to
finish is exhilarating.
What was it
like being a reader at Universal for Alphaville Pictures?
Intense. Cotty Chubb and James Jacks were great
mentors. Very strict, no room for error, but it was great. I read and passed on
Good Will Hunting when I was there. It was an early draft, not the version that
made it to the screen. When I gave them my coverage, I backed up my opinion
with where it didn’t work, and my bosses were impressed.
You were an
assistant to producer David Foster. How did this help your career?
Mr. Foster is a living legend. You could sit in a room with him for five
minutes and leave the room a changed person. He is that great. His sons, Gary
and Greg, also work as producers. He is a great mentor and continues to be one
to this day. I worked on The Mask of Zorro during preproduction and it was
quite a valuable experience, reading the earlier drafts of the film, meeting
Martin Campbell, the director, and the stars. Through David, I also got to work
quite closely with Robert Altman, on a project called Wildcard, which,
unfortunately, did not make it to the screen.
What
inspired you to create The Inside Track for Story and Cinematic Structure?
I attended a workshop in NYC by one of my competitors, and discovered
that he didn’t know what he was talking about. I knew that about half of what
he was putting out there was just not true. He threw someone out for asking a
question. It was then that I figured out that I could do a better job. I had
done standup, was a childhood actor, and did not get nervous speaking for large
audiences.
What can
someone expect to get out of being involved with your workshop?
They will learn how to find their story, place it
into a cinematic context, or, if they chose, a literary context. They will
learn how to get themselves in front of an A-list agent of film industry
decision maker without going through being ripped off at some “pitch fest”,
most of which are total rip-offs. They will know how to nail their pitch, make
it past the gatekeepers, and stand on their own two feet, without fear, and
make their work known.
What
lessons have you taken away by this workshop?
What I do is not scripted. It has
never been presented exactly the same way twice. I take questions. Each time I
present the workshop, I grow, I improve the presentation, and feel humbled and
privileged that I have the opportunity to help people find their stories. Many
times, people come to the workshop with stories from their own lives.
Storytelling is a very healing experience. It helps people cope with terrible
things that sometimes happen. It helps people gain closure, or to create a new
beginning. So, when they tell me that I have helped them with some aspect in this
regard, it makes the sixteen hours of lecture worth it’s weight in gold, to me.
Do you have
any success stories of people who have taken your workshop?
One of my former students now works at Paramount as a reader. Another,
from Asbury Park, is now deep in the development process with an Academy Award
winning producer, and another from Long Branch, has made several pitches in Los
Angeles. To be optioned or produced is a steep, tough mountain. One of my
students will get to the top very soon. I am not the least bothered by
naysayers who say: “yeah, but no one has made a movie yet.” People who make
that statement know zero about the film business.
What does
2012 hold for Peter Fox?
The Workshop will be presented in
New York City for the first time ever. I have support from a major public radio
station in NYC and it will be presented from their space. I am going to travel
to Melbourne, Australia, Dublin, Ireland and London, England this year to
lecture. Of course, the Count Basie is my home away from home, and I hope that
I will always be able to present the course there. I will be interviewing Rex
Reed at Fairfield University in CT on January 29th. So far, 500 tickets have
been sold, and I am very excited. I will continue to write for both IMAGINE and
VENU magazines. I will continue to assist my top two students in their efforts
to get in front of major producers, and hope to identify other promising candidates who are ready to
make that leap. Last, I am in
preproduction on a project of my own, which I hope to begin shooting in Fall of
2012.
IMPROV COMEDY WORKSHOP
WITH MICHAEL O'KEEFFE
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18
1PM TO 2:30PM
AGES: 13 & UP
FEE: $20
With 20 years of experience
as an improv performer, musician and educator, Michael O’Keeffe will
teach the basics of comedy improv : how to listen, how to have clarity in
communication, how to determine choices instinctively and spontaneously. Great
fun and a perfect enhancement to your acting skills.
