http://www.shaungroves.com/index.php The Music of Shaun Groves en shaunfanmail@bellsouth.net Copyright 2007 2007-08-13T07:00:00-06:00 http://www.shaungroves.com/site/i_needed_a_reason/ http://www.shaungroves.com/site/i_needed_a_reason/#When:07:00:00Z I needed a reason to buy a rap record.  And I got one. 50 Cent says: “Let’s raise the stakes. If Kanye West sells more records than 50 Cent on September 11, I’ll no longer write music. I’ll write music and work with my other artists, but I won’t put out any more solo albums.” A good reason to buy the Kanye West record on September 11th.  I’m marking my calendar. Musicians 2007-08-13T07:00:00-06:00 http://www.shaungroves.com/site/robbie_seay_for_almost_free1/ http://www.shaungroves.com/site/robbie_seay_for_almost_free1/#When:12:57:00Z Robbie Seay Band is offering two songs for (almost) free at freersb.com.  Hop on over and check out Brian‘s little brother’s band. Musicians 2007-08-07T12:57:00-06:00 http://www.shaungroves.com/site/going_the_way_of_the_travel_agent/ http://www.shaungroves.com/site/going_the_way_of_the_travel_agent/#When:05:58:00Z I was at a music industry event tonight and a guy with decades of experience in the business says something like “Record labels will soon be as relevant as travel agencies.” Orbitz killed the travel agent.  What’s coming (or already here) to kill the record label?  That was the topic of discussion.  What do you think?  Is the sky falling or are tales of label demise greatly exaggerated? Music Business 2007-07-30T05:58:00-06:00 http://www.shaungroves.com/site/but_first_maybe/ http://www.shaungroves.com/site/but_first_maybe/#When:02:29:00Z I have to write some very commercial music for my next CD eventually.  Don’t argue with me.  It has to be done.  And that’s not a bad thing.  But before I do that, I have to write this other stuff. It’s what’s in the pipes when the creative juices get turned on.  And they’ve been turned on this week.  It’s the unattractive sludge - confessions, prayers, worries, fears.  They all come spewing out first.  Then, when all that’s out of my system, I’m freed up to write whatever I want...within the bounds of my actual skill level at the moment. What’s come out first is a song called “Maybe.” I guess it’s the product of many months’ worry.  I’ve wondered if I’m supposed to keep making music or not, and while those are sitting in the corner minding their own business at the moment, I’ve written about them. This is what music was for me before a record deal: my confessional, a secret therapy, the megaphone I prayed through.  It’s been a couple years since it was that for me again.  I’m glad its back. So, this is “Maybe” - one verse and one chorus.  Don’t know if there’ll be more. HOW IT CAME: The verse melody came first with a first line for the lyric.  All at once driving home from the movies last night.  I called home and left that much on the answering machine.  Then I played with the verse melody all day in my head while I did other stuff like play with kids and eat lunch.  Then, one of the times I played the verse through in my mind the melody kept going into what has become the chorus now.  I thought maybe it was a prechorus.  But it was too long.  And big enough to stand alone.  WIth a verse melody, a first line, and a chorus, I sat down this afternoon to write the rest of the lyric.  It didn’t take more than an hour, which makes me wonder if it’s all that good yet.  But it feels good to sing it so for now I’ll leave it alone. I’ll work on it more someday and post any revisions I make.  Enjoy. MAYBE Words and Music by Shaun Groves (C) 2007 Dadgum Music (admin by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing)/ASCAP Verse 1: Maybe Maybe I’m a has been that just never was Four chords and melody sung just because Just because Just because it’s all I can do Maybe Yea, maybe I should go another way Put my six string up for other days Other days Other days much better than these Chorus: Or maybe Maybe you would like to interject Before I make a change and make a mess Haven’t you got anything to say Before I close this door and walk away Maybe you could burn a bush or two Any miracle or whisper now will do Please open up, say anything to me Anything to me But maybe Audio, How To: Writing 2007-07-01T02:29:00-06:00 http://www.shaungroves.com/site/she_dont_know_it_yet_is_finished/ http://www.shaungroves.com/site/she_dont_know_it_yet_is_finished/#When:01:53:00Z Here’s the final version of my first ever country song ”She Don’t Know It Yet” written by Brian White, Don Poythress and me.  Don’s the one singing on the work tape.  And the work tape is nicer than usual because I used my new Zoom H4 recorder. (Thanks for the buying advice, Carlos.) I’m not very good at collaboration, but this time it was worth making myself do the uncomfortable.  We write again in a couple weeks. She Don’t Know it Yet White / Poythress / Groves Miracle in flip flops In the frontyard spinin like atop Two years old and not a care With golden hair Wonder in her big brown eyes Purple snowcone smile She stands on daddies feet to dance Around her room She’ll grow up so soon And she don’t know it yet Ponytails don’t last And the days of hide and seek And Barbie dolls will pass She don’t know it yet That tiny heart in her Is gonna learn to love Gonna learn to hurt Daisy chains and swings ain’t all you get She don’t know it yet Feels thin and too tall Braces don’t help at all Seventeen and insecure It’s a scary world Homecoming and no one asked How’s she gonna live down that She’s caught somewhere in between The girl she was And all she’ll be She don’t know it yet Prom night pictures fade Like yearbook memories She’ll quickly turn the page She don’t know it yet That fragile heart in her Is gonna learn to love Is gonna learn to hurt Lonely nights and tears ain’t all you get she don’t know it yet But there’s a boy with a ring And he’s nervous as can be He’s gonna take her hand Get down on one knee She don’t know it yet But the loneliness will leave Love will take it’s place Her heart will take wings She don’t know it yet But all her yesterdays Dances, tears and dreams Have led her to this place She’ll look back without regret But she don’t know it yet How To: Music 2007-06-28T01:53:00-06:00 http://www.shaungroves.com/site/alternate_tuning/ http://www.shaungroves.com/site/alternate_tuning/#When:22:24:00Z I don’t tune my guitar in the standard way.  And this confuses a lot of people.  I get asked “How’s your guitar tuned?” more than anything else.  More than “How’d you get your hair to do that?” or “Are you related to Sara Groves?” So, here’s the answer.  Here’s how I tune my guitar and how to play a few simple chords in that tuning. How To: Music 2007-06-24T22:24:00-06:00 http://www.shaungroves.com/site/ilike/ http://www.shaungroves.com/site/ilike/#When:18:11:00Z Check out iLike.  Installing iLike’s “sidebar” on your computer uploads a list of your most played artists to their website and promotes those artists on the thousands of facebook and myspace users that have added an iLike widget to their pages. Marketing 2007-06-15T18:11:00-06:00 http://www.shaungroves.com/site/this_is_what_it_feels_like/ http://www.shaungroves.com/site/this_is_what_it_feels_like/#When:16:33:00Z ...to hear your song on the radio for the first time.  Congratulations to Gotee‘s newest artist, Stephanie Smith.  I’m hoping to interview her for a podcast in the future.  She’s reportedly an amazing girl - only 23 - working at a Starbucks in Franklin, Tennessee and wooing radio at the same time.  She spent three months working with a tribe in Africa before moving to Nashville, living on $1 a day, and getting her head put on straight.  Now it’s in the music business.  What a contrast.  What a great conversation could be had. Musicians 2007-06-14T16:33:00-06:00 http://www.shaungroves.com/site/she_dont_know_it_yet/ http://www.shaungroves.com/site/she_dont_know_it_yet/#When:01:31:01Z The co-write with Brian White and Don Poythress went well today.  I brought them a completed chorus melody with hook and the basic premise of the song and we wrote from there.  The hook is “She Don’t Know It Yet.” Apparently, grammatically incorrect is good in country music.  But sappy is not.  So we struggled with how to write a song about a girl at age two, age seventeen, and age twenty-something, about her transformation from a carefree child to a teen full of insecurities and into a confident woman in love.  How do you do that without being sappy? We settled on being a little emotional but not to a Butterfly Kisses degree.  I learned that sap keeps songs off the heavily male influenced country radio stations these days.  I also learned that positive is bad at country radio.  We had to add some darkness to the first chorus because of that, which meant sacrificing some of my own preferences and plans for the song, but that’s co-writing.  You give and you give up and you hope you gave and gave up the right stuff.  And you never know.  That’s possibly the hardest part of a co-write for me.  I always wonder if I could have done just as well or better by myself - not because I’m a great writer - I’m not - but because I’m a different writer from the guy(s) I’m in the room with.  It’s hard to give up on my original vision and trust someone else’s vision instead. This is probably why I don’t co-write often.  OK, I haven’t co-written anything in seven years.  I took a break.  But I’m back.  And I think what we came up with, when it’s finished next week, could be something great.  We’ll see.  I’ll post audio when I get it.  For now, here’s the first verse and chorus.  I forgot to write down the second one, which is my favorite. She Don’t Know It Yet Words and Music by Brian White, Don Poythress, Shaun Groves (Copyright 2007) Verse 1: A miracle in flip flops In the yard Spinning like a top Two years old and not a care Golden hair Wonder in her big brown eyes Purple snowcone smile She stands on daddy’s feet to dance Around her room She’ll grow up so soon Chorus 1: She don’t know it yet Ponytails don’t last Or games of hide and seek And riding piggy back She don’t know it yet This tiny heart of hers Is gonna learn to love Is gonna learn to hurt Daisy chains and swings ain’t all we get But she don’t know it yet How To: Music 2007-06-14T01:31:01-06:00 http://www.shaungroves.com/site/country_today/ http://www.shaungroves.com/site/country_today/#When:15:53:00Z I’m writing country music today.  This afternoon I’ll sit in a small room with my guitar and a piano and two great writers: Brian White (Rough and Ready and Watching You) and Don Poythress (You Remain and Comfort Me). Between them they’ve written for everyone from Willie Nelson and Trace Adkins to Sheryl Crow and Sir Cliff Richard to Avalon and Michael English.  I’m out of my league and I know it.  And thankful I have friends like Brian White willing to take a risk on me like this. I’m coming prepared with a couple melodies and a couple lyrical hooks to write around.  My hope is something I bring to these guys will jump start the makings of a great song.  You never know though.  That’s the frustrating thing about co-writing for me.  Sometimes lightning strikes and two or three guys whip out a song faster and better than they could alone.  Other times the chemistry isn’t right, the ideas fly but fall short again and again, and you leave with nothing to show for hours of music making. I’ll post later this week about how it goes and maybe even be able to post a rough draft of whatever we create.  Let’s see how it goes first. How To: Music, Music Business 2007-06-13T15:53:00-06:00