News and Reviews

March 15, 2007 Gene’s Songs Picked Up by Triplestrand Productions

Triplestrand Productions provides promotional services for independent musicians in the Country Music genre. Founder Dixie Vornbrock asked me to submit some of my songs to their website and the compilation CDs that they send out to DJs in the country market. The first two songs I sent in - Changing Horses and One Good Day – got a modest amount of airplay. More recently, I submitted We Don’t Have To Say Good-Bye, and that got played over 70 times during the first two weeks in March. If you’re interested in more about this check out www.triplestrandproductions.com.

 

February 28, 2007 Gene’s Album ONE GOOD DAY is on iTunes!

Thanks to a deal with the CDfreedom store linked to my website, my album One Good Day is now available on Apple iTunes. Just go to the iTunes music store www.apple.com/itunes/store/ and search for “Gene Zierler” in the artist category. Actually, “Zierler” works just as well, since I seem to be the only one in there at the moment. You can get the whole album or individual songs. The songs are not exactly flying off the virtual shelf, but I have sold some in Europe. Isn’t that cool?


September 3, 2006 ONE GOOD DAY in Victory Review

My new CD ONE GOOD DAY was reviewed by Tom Petersen in the September issue of Victory Review. Here is what he wrote:

“You might call this an inspirational or “affirmational” record. Before he was Dr. Gene Zierler, Professor of Surgery at UW Medical, he was a kid with an electric guitar chasing dreams of being, say, a Kingsman someday. A career, a marriage, a kid, and some mid-life self assessment later, he’s One Of Us, who will never be a Kingsman but who still keeps a guitar handy…Zierler also happens to be talented, highly intelligent and able to share his thoughts and feelings on record. He’s venturing out into public, now, shaded Taylor in hand, and this CD is a terrific introduction.

Zierler has a mellow sound that lets his poignant observations come through. He’s affable without being silly, humble without being self-deprecating, and herein lies the record’s strength: We, too, can make it through life’s rough spots and moments of doubt and loss. The standout tune is “The Only Thing Missing Is You,” which is Harlan Howard-type songwriting, and on which Zierler fleshes things out with bass and banjo for a full country sound. Welcome to your new career, Gene!”

 

 

August 27, 2006 Berklee Songwriting Workshop

Since I was going to be in New England for a family reunion in late August, I signed up for the Summer Songwriting Workshop at Berklee College of Music in Boston - an intensive program that ran from August 23 to 26. This was a more “academic” experience than most of the other workshops I have attended, which is not surprising given Berklee’s reputation as one of the premiere music schools in the country. For me, the highlights included sessions on Melody/Harmony and Lyric Writing Strategies with Pat Pattison, Songwriting from the Listener’s Perspective with Mark Simos, and the Singer/Songwriter Workshop with John Aldrich.

I would estimate that the average age of participants in this program was somewhere in the late twenties, and the energy, enthusiasm, and talent of these young musicians was impressive. After playing at the evening open mics, I got quite a few comments like: “I really like your songs – they remind me of the music my parents listen to”. My song Waves on the Water was especially well-received, so I have put it up on the site for listening (see the Home or Songs/Lyrics pages).

In addition to getting more feedback on new songs, it was interesting to get a more technical perspective on songwriting. By the end of the workshop, I felt like my songwriting horizon had expanded even further. More information on this workshop can be found at www.berklee.edu.


August 5, 2006 NashCamp

I returned to the NashCamp songwriting workshop for my fourth consecutive year from July 30 to August 4. This takes place on the grounds of a restored Civil War mansion in Cumberland Furnace, Tennessee, near Nashville. Guest instructors this year included Tim Stafford, Lisa Palas, Claire Lynch, Rick Carnes, Pat and Pete Luboff, Mark Brinkman, and Gary Talley. My main goal was to get reactions and feedback on some new songs, and that mission was accomplished. I also had the opportunity to discuss my songs with several Nashville publishers, and, as expected, the experience was humbling, enlightening, and ultimately very encouraging. The workshop concluded with a concert at the Bluebird Café, and I’ve posted a few pictures from this event in the Photo Gallery. I left Nashville feeling like I have a lot of work to do, but also with many new ideas and a sense that I am on the right track. If you’re interested in more information on this workshop, see My Favorites page and check out www.nashcamp.com.