(Earl is a coordinator of the Louisville Workshop of the Nashville Songwriters Association International.)
Opportunity is here again in Louisville.
Serious songwriters, or those with an inkling of curiosity, have an opportunity to attend, at a bargain-basement price, a first-floor workshop with professional songwriter Rick Beresford.
Beresford wrote "If Drinkin' Don't Kill Me (Your Memory Will)" by George Jones and has many other cuts to his credit.
Pat Huber, Executive Director of Nashville Songwriters Association International, said of Beresford: "As director of Song Writer Services, Rick Beresford is a professional Nashville songwriter with one distinction: He truly enjoys sharing his two BMI awards, a Music City News award and has had cuts by such artists as George Jones, Don Williams, Mickey Gilley, the Everly Brothers, BJ. Thomas, John Coulee and Brenda Lee. And, being at performer himself, he has recorded two independent albums. He has developed the training material currently being used in the NSAI Workshops across the country and is in the process of writing his first book, "Master Songwriting Expanding Creativity."
Beresford will discuss songwriting techniques and conduct a critique review of songs on a cassette that are brought by writers to the Seminar.
Pat Huber will discuss NSAI's.purpose and functions and will answer questions about the music industry.
Past coordinators and members who have supported the Louisville NSAI Songwriters Workshop will receive a Tenth Anniversary certificate. They are the ones who have made the Louisville Workshop Ga continuous success and also the reason Louisville has the longestrunning NSAI Workshop extension of the Nashville-based. organization, which began in 1967.
The early evening showcase (which is included, along with lunch, in the seminar package) will feature past and present members who will sing their own songs in the lounge. Rick Beresford will perform, closing out the seminar and Louisville's first ten years of assisting and guiding songwriters in the music business.
That guidance began for me when I was fortunate enough to catch an interview of Mickey Clark (Writer of "She's Gone to L.A. Again" and "Cardinal Cannonball") on WHAS-TV in October of 1981. I attended the next NSAI Louisville meeting. Tony Lindaur and Dot Elpers, the first coordinators and Maggie Cavender, NSAI Executive at the time, had already laid the foundation two months earlier for the Louisville NSAI Workshop, then referred to as Louisville Lyrics. It has been very beneficial in the improvement of my songwriting skills and also has provided a rewarding friendship with many who have similar interests. I look forward to seeing old friends and new opportunity takers. -