My Favorites

Here are links to some of the sites and services that I have found valuable for music and songwriting. 

1 Shot Studio  www.1shotstudio.com

A small but well-equipped and economical recording studio in Woodinville, WA.  Operated by musician/producer Dylan Fant. 

American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers  www.ascap.com

One of the performing rights organizations (PROs – the others are BMI and SESAC).  This is a membership organization of “music creators” which provides important information and services, as well as licensing and distribution of royalties. 

The Bluebird Café  www.bluebirdcafe.com

This strip-mall tavern in Nashville has a longstanding reputation as a premier venue for songwriters – a place where the audience really listens. 

Calton Cases  www.caltoncases.ab.ca

If you ever plan on checking your guitar as luggage on an airplane, you really need a solid case.  This one has worked for me. 

The Guitar Shop www.theguitarshop.us

This store is located just south of Dupont Circle at 1216 Connecticut Ave NW in Washington DC. That is a long way from Seattle, but if you are in that general area, you really should check it out. The Guitar Shop has been around since 1922 and carries an eclectic assortment of vintage/collectable guitars and some new instruments. From the entrance at street level a well-worn stairway leads up to the shop which is more like a guitar-nut’s attic than a typical store. If Stephen Spellman, the owner, happens to be there, you better be ready to spend some time talking about guitars and the parade of prominent musicians who have passed through over the years. If you can’t find what you want, they can get it for you. Stephen found me the Johnson resonator (see Guitars and Gear). He also talked me into ordering that Breedlove Custom 12. Sure he made a buck or two, but it turned out to be the guitar I really wanted.

Mike Lull Guitar Works  www.mikelull.com

A good guitar with a bad set-up is still painful to play.  A properly set-up guitar is a beautiful thing.  This is the place I recommend to get things right – anything from a simple set-up to a neck reset on a vintage Martin. 

NashCamp  www.nashcamp.com

Think of this as a summer camp for songwriters - with beautiful surroundings and gourmet food - held at a restored Civil War era mansion in Cumberland Furnace, Tennessee, a little West of Nashville.  There are sessions on basic songcraft, song critiques, song-pitching, and workshops on the music business – all with established writers and publishers.  The week also includes concerts and performance opportunities, including a last-night concert at the Bluebird Café.  NashCamp director Cindy Sinclair makes all this happen, along with a Bluegrass Week and Fall Banjo Retreat. 

Resources For Seattle Area Songwriters  www.songspace.net

Information on performances by local songwriters, as well as various artists, venues, open mics, etc. 

Victory Music  www.victorymusic.org

Acoustic music resources for the Pacific Northwest.  Check out the event calendar and listing of open mics.

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