Songwriters Monthly

Sherry Lynn
Alex B
Jodie
Saueraker
David Fiorenza
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Special Edition
Contents
Editors Notes . . . Page 2
Sherry Lynns Beautiful Life . . . Page 4
Alex B: Working Like A Champion . . . Page 8
Exponent Entertainment: Making Its Dent In The Music Scene . . . Page 10
Editors Notes
Several months back, I had big plans. After over 20 years of writing solely about
music and songwriting, stories started trickling in from other creative disciplines:
film, fashion, writing, and even cooking! Its possible that these stories were always
there, but I just never paid any attention to them. Not to get all new age-y or
anything, but I decided to open myself up to these new stories and start a
publication in which I could literally cover anything.
I planned, plotted, interviewed, and wrote feverishly to prepare for this new venture
that I would call Cut To: a title acknowledging the fact that I would cutaway
from music to cover virtually anything else. About the time everything was falling in
place, my writing started to receive attention, an editor liked what I did, and I was
offered a job as a national entertainment journalist.
A real paying job.
Dont get me wrong, I had derived an income from my writing throughout the early
years, but once everyone had a blog and would eagerly write for free, it made it very
tough to find a way to earn a living with words.
So, I took the position at AXS.com, mistakenly thinking, Yes I could meet my daily
deadlines at AXS.com and still produce two monthly magazines. After about six
weeks of four hours sleep each night and making little to no headway on my two
magazines, it became pretty clear that I needed to focus on my paying job... or else
I would lose it. [And just so you dont think Im slacking, besides my writing gig, I
also had a full time teaching gig and two other part time jobs. No complaints, I love
everything I do, however, there are only so many hours that we get.]
I decided that I had to make that hard call: the magazines would go on hiatus.
Songwriters Monthly material would start being published on AXS.com in between
my regular assignments, and Cut To: material would wind up on Examiner.com. With
a humiliating amount of unpublished interviews, that meant I was letting down a
fairly large number of actors, musicians, authors, chefs, etc. Most were extremely
understanding and willing to wait or eager to do something completely new for a
different outlet. Others, however, were not so understanding. Or even nice.
After the dust had settled and my strategy was in place to start moving forward
again, I realized that still left me with one loose end. Long, long, long time
contributor, musician, and good friend David Fiorenza had graciously been doing
interviews and writing stories to help me with my workload. I couldnt run Davids
stories on sites where I was personally contracted to produce unique content, so he
started a Facebook page called Philly Area Music Reviews which I urge you to
check out! to bring attention to deserving artists. Still, I had three excellent
Fiorenza originals in my possession that were written specifically for Songwriters
Monthly. What to do?
This David Fiorenza-written special edition of Songwriters Monthly, thats what!
Enjoy! P.S. Thats David on the left performing in his duo Fiorenza-Dowlin.
Sherry Lynns Beautiful Life
by David Fiorenza
Preparing for my interview with Sherry Lynn, I had so many questions and I
wondered if she would take the time to indulge me. From her greeting, Hello David,
I knew I was speaking to a true, down-to-earth country artist. Our interview took
place on a beautiful sunny afternoon when both of us could have been enjoying the
first rites of spring. However, Sherry took the time to discuss life, music, Nashville,
Crystal Gayle, and the Grand Ole Opry with me.
Songwriters Monthly: How did you get to sing a duet with Crystal Gayle?
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Sherry Lynn: I opened up for her at the Broadway Theatre in Pitman, New Jersey.
After the show, we got to talk with Crystal, her road manager, and her husband Bill,
and they were all such great, down-to-earth people. I admired Crystal when I was
younger, and my Aunt Debbie had long hair, like Crystal, that I use to brush. I
thought just opening up for Crystal was a dream, but to sing a duet with her was an
amazing experience!
SM: How did you know what song to record?
Sherry Lynn: Both of us were looking for a song that was suitable as a duet and
had a good positive message. We looked at many songs and agreed upon Beautiful
Life written by Danny Wells. Hes written so many good tunes from George Straits
Check Yes or No to Rascal Flatts These Days. We recorded the song last
December at Audio 51 studios in Nashville. It was truly an incredible experience to
be able to sing and record in her studio. She is such a legend in country music.
SM: Who was the producer on Beautiful Life?
Sherry Lynn: We were able to get Ted Hewitt, who produced many of Rodney Atkins
number one hits. Crystals son, Christos Gatzimos, was the engineer. Everyone
worked so well together.
SM: Tell me more about the new CD, A Beautiful Life.
Sherry Lynn: We recorded the CD in Nashville at Ronnie Milsaps studio. Here I was
recording the CD and it involved another country legend: Ronnie Milsap! The studio
is known as Ronnies Place. It was a great experience that I will always remember.
SM: Could you tell me more about Ronnies Place.
Sherry Lynn: So many artists have recorded there, from Tammy Wynette to Loretta
Lynn. The soundboards and other equipment still had the Braille next to the knobs
from when Ronnie recorded there. To be able to record in Nashville was another
dream... and so was working with so many good songwriters!
SM: Who were some of the songwriters for your CD?
Sherry Lynn: For the 10 songs on the CD, we were looking for writers who already
had a proven track record for hits. We found Kelley Lovelace (eight number one hits
for Brad Paisley) for Girls Will Be Girls. We were also fortunate to have the ASCAP
2009 Songwriter of the Year Ashley Gorley, who wrote top hits for Carrie
Underwood. We looked for more songs and chose songwriters Edward Monroe Hill
and Karyn Rochelle. Ed wrote for George Strait and Karyn wrote for both Trisha
Yearwood and Kelly Pickler. As an indie artist, I am thrilled to record their songs
because they are all A-list songwriters.
SM: Now that the CD has been released, how has the response been?
Sherry Lynn: The CD was released to radio here and Europe. The song Girls Will Be
Girls climbed to #33 on the Music Row Country Breakout charts. We are happy to
have airplay in many states. I have also received emails from fans in the South and
Midwest telling me that they heard the song on their radio station. We are continuing
to go into markets where we have not had airplay and we are getting a great
reaction and response! Some New Jersey country radio stations have been spinning
the song, as well.
SM: You have accomplished so much in your career. You sang the National Anthem
at a Philadelphia Phillies game, you have performed at the Grand Ole Opry in
Nashville, you were an opening act for the WXTU 92.5 FM radio anniversary show,
and you have been an opening act for so many country artists and legends. What is
next for you this year?
Sherry Lynn: We will be re-releasing a song that was finished late in the holiday
season last year called, Christmas on my Mind, as well as finishing the recording of
a few more songs for a Christmas EP. [At the time of this interview, three other
songs plus a video for Christmas on my Mind have already been completed for the
project.] My management team continues to look for quality shows for me and my
band to build my fan base, and I continue to look for great songwriters for our next
recording project. [This summer, Sherry traveled to Nashville for her second
consecutive year of performances at the CMA Music Festival. She also performed two
shows during the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games.]
SM: Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk to me.
Sherry Lynn: My pleasure!
The best place to find more information on Sherry Lynn and her music is at:
www.sherrylynnmusic.com. Once there, you can get all of the updates on Sherry by
connecting to any of her social media outlets. A Beautiful Life , Sherrys new 10
song CD, is available for purchase at her site as well.
Authors note: I had the opportunity and pleasure to open up for Sherry and her
band in New Jersey about two and a half years ago. My duo, Fiorenza-Dowlin, was
treated with respect and encouragement from Sherry Lynn, her band, and her
management. Davids band, Fiorenza-Dowlin, is currently celebrating their 15th year
together.
David Fiorenza teaches Economics of Art & Entertainment at Villanova University.
The website for his duo, Fiorenza-Dowlin, is at www.reverbnation.com/
fiorenzadowlin.
Alex B: Working Like A Champion
by David Fiorenza
Driving home on a Friday afternoon after teaching some basic Macroeconomics to
freshmen in a large lecture hall, I was gladly anticipating an upcoming interview I
had scheduled with a rising star from Philadelphia named Alex B. While talking with
Michael Buonopane, Alexs father, I could hear music in the background. I asked him
what songs he was listening to on the stereo and his reply was, That is Alex and the
band rehearsing. I knew Id found something unique. A teenage boy with his backup
band practicing on a Friday afternoon, very rare but very committed to the music. I
was amazed, as I was not hearing a garage band. This was the sound of a group
that had already headlined at some medium sized rooms in the Philadelphia area.
This was the live sound of Alex and his group. They were not sampling music or
singing karaoke, but playing their instruments and singing all the tracks as they
prepared for their next few shows.
The band and Alex practice at least twice a week. Also, Alex takes guitar and voice
lessons and has two dance lessons each week in between all the work at school. The
results of this intense effort can be seen at the bands live shows and on all social
media outlets. Views on YouTube alone are over 2 million as they add a new video
each month to keep their 9,000 subscribers satisfied. Add to that their Twitter
following has grown to over 21,000 which keeps fans connected daily and even
hourly to the latest Alex B information.
All of these numbers are very impressive, and this is all before a debut CD has even
been released. However, I can tell you that this artist is not about pushing numbers
up to get noticed. He does not need to do that as his pop songs are filled with catchy
lyrics and the same high quality musical hooks you would hear from a seasoned
artist on Top 40 radio.
The debut CD should be out within a few months of this article. In the meantime,
you can listen to a bevy of very good, well-written songs by Alex, himself, on
Reverbnation. A couple of the radio-ready songs on the site include Airplane and
This Thing Called Love. Alexs next step will be to perform as a headliner in some of
the areas major venues. [On August 13, Alex B will be performing at Xfinity Live's
outdoor concert stage with Lil Rock doing a preconcert show before One Direction
takes the stage across the parking lot at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.]
The focus, passion, and determination I see in Alex B and his group are similar to a
professional sports team that has the championship title as its goal. This could
happen to Alex, it may take some time, but I can sense the momentum building and
the music maturing. There will be more opportunities to see Alex B in the
Philadelphia area and beyond as the band is currently in serious discussions with
major labels and distribution companies for the debut CD.
David Fiorenza teaches Economics of Art & Entertainment at Villanova University.
The website for his duo, Fiorenza-Dowlin, is at www.reverbnation.com/
fiorenzadowlin.
Exponent Entertainment:
Making Its Dent In The Music Scene
by David Fiorenza
Upon her return from the Jersey Shore Festival in Seaside Heights, I was able to sit
down and discuss music with Jodie E. Saueraker of Exponent Entertainment.
SM: Welcome back from the Jersey Shore Festival! I know you have been involved
with music for a good amount of time in the Philadelphia area. Could you start by
discussing your role in Exponent Entertainment.
Jodie Saueraker: Thanks David! I had a blast at the festival. I saw so many great
bands and I was completely blown away by the talent. Exponent was the brainchild
of me and my partner Ccelli. We met years ago when he ran a label in South Jersey.
Jodie E. Saueraker
I had gone in to do some hooks for some tracks they were producing, and while I
was there, an artist was talking to me about a press release, so I helped him edit it.
At that moment, I knew I could help artists, and so did Ccelli. Exponent was born a
few months later. It was in an effort to empower artists to create their careers. We
wanted to teach people so they could move forward and not feel intimidated by the
music business.
SM: That is great. Who else is involved with Exponent Entertainment?
Jodie: Exponent is me and Ccelli, who also happens to be my fianc. We have a
small team including Marz Muzik who does both promotions and engineering;
Mikeyes who does all our multi-media work; Kalesse and Jen Quattro, both of whom
assist with promotions; and two awesome interns.
We manage two artists, as well: Rich Quick and Jay Griffy. They are incredibly busy
right now and both are super talented artists.
SM: What are some of the past and future events youve done with Exponent?
Jodie: Wow, we have done a lot! We brought a lot of big names into the city.
Currently, we are focusing on an east coast tour for Rich Quick, which will include
states from Maine all the way down to Florida. We also are assisting with the Liberty
Music Festival in Philadelphia this August.
SM: Tell me about some of the other musical projects and ventures you are involved
in at the moment?
Jodie: Currently, I am Operations Manager for That Mag, a quarterly music
publication and website. I co-host a radio show on GasHouseRadio.com every
Wednesday at 6 p.m. And, as previously noted, Exponent is one of the sponsors for
the Liberty Music Festival. I have been doing a lot of panels and speaking
engagements recently. I also co-chair the Buy Local committee for the Sustainable
Business Network.
SM: What do you think Philadelphia has to offer in the way of music for younger
artists who are looking to network or perform?
Jodie: Philadelphia is a gold mine if you know how to use it right! So many of the
greats got their start right here in our city! Its important to understand where you
came from to know where you are going. Once you have a grasp on the foundation
of Philadelphia music then get out there and network. Every resource you need is
here in the city. You just have to ask the right questions. Take everything in that you
are told and apply what makes sense to you. Just be consistent and never stop
honing your craft.
SM: The description on Exponents Facebook page talks about uniting artists in the
area. Has that been accomplished?
Jodie: I really feel we did, but there is a lot more work to be done. Because we work
in the rock, pop, folk, and hip hop scenes, we were able to bring people of different
genres together. I would like to see much more of this happening, though. Even
artists within their own scene can always do more networking. Exponent has been
very successful in creating collaborations with artists in the area and weve done a
great job of stimulating relationships within the industry, for example bringing
together promoters with artists. This was done so the whole industry could grow
together. We move stronger as a group.
SM: Where can musicians and music lovers find out more about Exponent
Entertainment?
Jodie: You can visit our website at www.ExponentEnt.com or you can listen to the
radio show on www.GasHouseRadio.com every Wednesday at 6 p.m.! Also, I am a
big fan of Twitter, so you can find me at @ExponentEnt.
SM: Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk to me.
Jodie: Thank you so much, David, for thinking of me! Its been an honor.
David Fiorenza teaches Economics of Art & Entertainment at Villanova University.
The website for his duo, Fiorenza-Dowlin, is at www.reverbnation.com/
fiorenzadowlin.