DSA Monthly Meeting - Thursday, September 10th

Location: Your home via ZOOM

6:30 pm: Open portal and networking 

7:00 pm: Program followed by song critiques for members

Zoom ID # 617 432 0082  Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting

Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting

GUEST SPEAKER -  Barbe McMillen!  

Do you know what the judges are looking for when you enter a song contest? 

Barbe will reveal the judges critique form and the rubric for song evaluation.

This week's meeting will feature Barbara McMillen as our speaker for the evening!  Barbe, as we call her, is the founder and President Emeritus of the Dallas Songwriters Association, and a longtime songwriter, music educator, producer and performer.  As a recording artist she released five albums of WHIT records and was a voting member of the Recording Academy (the Grammys) for over 20 years.  Her songwriting spans rock, pop, R&B, Americana and she has even written two musicals!  As an educator she is Associate Professor of Songwriting at Collin College and also offers online songwriting workshops and voice, piano, and music theory lessons.  Having judged and critiqued thousands of songs, Barbe is going to share her secrets of being a good judge and how to use a judging scoresheet, so don't miss it especially if you want to write good songs!

Also, bring your songs to the meeting and get live critiques by industry pros Barbe McMillen and Joe Milton and be considered for the 2026 Member Song Contest and Songwriter of the Year.  Until our website gets updated you will have to go to the different links below to submit the mp3 and lyrics and pay for the critiques.  The cost is $10 per song, limit 3 per meeting.  However, please be advised that songs that make use of Artificial Intelligence for any lyrics, melody or production will not be eligible for the Member Song Contest. 

 

 BEST SONGS OF THE MEETING CONTESTS

Started over in January for 2026

members only pay $10 here in our Square store

https://checkout.square.site/merchant/02JSQHH1RYQP5/checkout/MRGZLHJH5IRTCVIRCKPBBKKG

  

Upload lyrics in pdf file format and audio file in mp3 format on our Google drive.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nz_0TRsPERTYVG-eSzFMRF13JYqpfqvE?usp=sharing

DSA MONTHLY MEETING AND WORKSHOP FOR JUNE AND JULY 2026

DSA Monthly Meeting & Song Critiques - Thursday, JULY 9

Location: Your home via ZOOM
6:30 pm: Open portal and networking 

7:00 pm: Program followed by song critiques for members

Zoom ID # 617 432 0082  Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting

 

Our Guest Speaker is         Jamie Dominguez
Jamie Dominguez is the National Director of Industry Relations at the Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC), where she builds and strengthens relationships with songwriters, publishers, and music industry stakeholders while advancing The MLC’s mission to ensure songwriters and music publishers receive their U.S. mechanical streaming royalties. She represents The MLC at key industry events and conferences across the music ecosystem. Prior to joining The MLC, Jamie spent 19 years at SESAC, most recently as Senior Director of Creative Services, and later helped launch Sound Royalties’ New York presence.

Our Guest Speaker is from the MLC   

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) is a U.S. nonprofit organization created by the Music Modernization Act of 2018 to ensure songwriters, composers, lyricists, and music publishers accurately receive their digital audio mechanical royalties. They issue blanket mechanical licenses to streaming services and distribute royalties without administrative deductions.
If you distribute your own music or operate a publishing company in the U.S., you can check your eligibility or register your compositions by visiting The MLC Membership.

Key Functions of The MLC

Royalty Collection: The MLC collects mechanical royalties generated by interactive streaming and downloads from U.S. digital service providers (DSPs) like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music
Free Distribution: Because their operating expenses are covered by the DSPs, they distribute 100% of the royalties collected directly to rights holders without deducting a commission
Public Database: They maintain a comprehensive and publicly accessible musical works database that ensures transparency in tracking song ownership shares
Member Hub: Independent, self-administered songwriters and music publishers can join for free to register their songs and claim their royalties

 

 

 DSA Monthly Meeting & Song Critiques - Thursday, JUNE 11

 

Our Guest Speaker is Will Townsley  

 Will is a professional composer/arranger/film composer/sound designer/songwriter, and Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Texas at Arlington! Plus, he is also a member of the Dallas Songwriters Association and has performed at several DSA showcases!
Will Townsley who is from Arlington, Texas won a Grand Prize Honorable Mention for his song,"Nothing To Do With You" in the 2023 Dallas songwriters Song Contest.  A former writer for Curb Publishing and Al Jolson/Black and White Music, both out of Nashville, Will Townsley’s songs have been recorded by Jason Ashley, Colt Prather, and others.
Will has performed with artists that include Sammy Kershaw and Joe Nichols and opened for Jake Owen, Brett Young, Chris Jansen, Richie McDonald (Lodestar), Larry Stewart (Restless Heart), Tim Rushlow (Little Texas), Blues Traveler, and The Wilder Blue. He has performed for major organizations including the Dallas Cowboys and was invited to perform at songwriter showcases that include the world-famous Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee and the Wildflower Music Festival.
Will teaches currently teaches music industry courses at the University of Texas–Arlington.
Will is going to talk about his musical journey and answer any questions you may have, so don't miss it! http://www.townsleymusic.com/song-portfolio.html
     Also, get your song critiqued by industry pros Barbe McMillen and Joe Milton and be considered for the 2026 Member Song Contest and Songwriter of the Year. Limit of 3 songs per meeting. You can pay online via the critique form, and the cost is $10 per song. However, please be advised that songs that make use of Artificial Intelligence for any lyrics, melody or production will not be considered for the Member Song Contests.

 BEST SONGS OF THE MEETING CONTESTS

Started over in January for 2026

members only pay $10 here in our Square store

https://checkout.square.site/merchant/02JSQHH1RYQP5/checkout/MRGZLHJH5IRTCVIRCKPBBKKG

  

Upload lyrics in pdf file format and audio file in mp3 format on our Google drive.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nz_0TRsPERTYVG-eSzFMRF13JYqpfqvE?usp=sharing

DSA 2026 JANUARY & FEBRUARY WORKSHOP AND SONG CRITIQUES

 

MONTHLY MEETING and Workshop -  2nd THURSDAY

http://dsameetings.blogspot.com

Next Meeting & Workshop with Song Critiques -

DSA Monthly Meeting - Thursday, FEBRUARY 12, Darren Wise

Location: Your home via ZOOM
6:30 pm: Open portal and networking 

7:00 pm: Program followed by song critiques for members

Zoom ID # 617 432 0082  Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting

  Our guest Speaker is Darren Wise. Darren Wise is a published ASCAP songwriter and rock music performer who also is the music creator/director of live music shows for Drew Pearson Live. He will talk about his songwriting style, performing and the current music business. 

Also, this is the first chance of the year to get your song critiqued by industry pros Barbe McMillen and Joe Milton and be considered for the 2026 Member Song Contest and Songwriter of the Year.  Go to the Dallas Songwriters website (see link below) to enter your song, or you can play them live.   At the website look for "Forms" on the upper right-hand corner of the page then point to "Song Critiques" and the form will show up.  You can type in the lyrics or cut & paste.  For the song audio go to "Choose File" and load your audio file(s), limit of 3 songs per meeting.  You can pay online via the critique form, and the cost is $10 per song.  However, please be advised that songs that make use of Artificial Intelligence for any lyrics, melody or production will not be considered for the Member Song Contests.

 

 BEST SONGS OF THE MEETING CONTESTS

Starts over in January for 2026

members only may pay here

https://checkout.square.site/merchant/02JSQHH1RYQP5/checkout/MRGZLHJH5IRTCVIRCKPBBKKG

 Upload lyrics and mp3 in google file.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nz_0TRsPERTYVG-eSzFMRF13JYqpfqvE?usp=sharing

 

DSA Monthly Meeting - Thursday, January 8th

Featuring Patti Allen Driver!

We have a wonderful guest speaker for our first meeting of the year, Patti Allen Driver!  Although she is a real estate agent by day, Patti is also an accomplished singer/songwriter.  In 2004 she started Chicks Who Rock to empower adult women to play on stage.  Then in 2015 after many years in bands and working in other organizations with kids, she founded Kids Who Rock Camps to provide an amazing setting for cool kids who love music, art and fun.  The camps have a team of instructors who are motivated by their love of music to transfer their skills and knowledge to the kids. For many years most of the Rising Star performers at the annual DSA Hall of Fame induction have come from Kids Who Rock.  And last year Patti put together a great backing band for the performers.  She will talk about her experiences in songwriting/performing and leading Kids Who Rock! 

 

Also, this is the first chance of the year to get your song critiqued by industry pros Barbe McMillen and Joe Milton and be considered for the 2026 Member Song Contest and Songwriter of the Year.  Go to the Dallas Songwriters website (see link below) to enter your song, or you can play them live.   At the website look for "Forms" on the upper right-hand corner of the page then point to "Song Critiques" and the form will show up.  You can type in the lyrics or cut & paste.  For the song audio go to "Choose File" and load your audio file(s), limit of 3 songs per meeting.  You can pay online via the critique form, and the cost is $10 per song.  However, please be advised that songs that make use of Artificial Intelligence for any lyrics, melody or production will not be considered for the Member Song Contests.

 

 BEST SONGS OF THE MEETING CONTESTS

Starts over in January for 2026

members only may pay here

https://checkout.square.site/merchant/02JSQHH1RYQP5/checkout/MRGZLHJH5IRTCVIRCKPBBKKG

 Upload lyrics and mp3 in google file.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nz_0TRsPERTYVG-eSzFMRF13JYqpfqvE?usp=sharing

 

 

JAMES NEEL TO SPEAK AT DSA MEETING ON OCT 9, 2025

DSA Monthly Meeting - Thursday, October 9

Location: Your home via ZOOM
6:30 pm: Open portal and networking
7:00 pm: Program followed by song critiques for members

Zoom ID # 617 432 0082  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6174320082

Featuring James Neel!

This month's meeting will feature James Neel, a classically trained composer, sound designer, multi-instrumentalist and audio-post engineer.  James has spent more than four decades crafting original music and sound effects that have appeared in TV, radio, film, documentaries and websites for top advertising agencies, entertainment producers, and Fortune 500 companies.  His prestigious client list includes work for a diverse collection of familiar brands, including Lucasfilm Ltd, NutriSystem, Playboy, Oral Roberts, IBM, Dallas Cowboys, Bell Helicopter, Coca-Cola, EDS, Nokia, General Motors, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Frito-Lay, Tony Roma's, Zales, American Cancer Society, Neiman Marcus, Midas Mufflers, Murine, Alcatel, Brinker International, Bud Light, Evan Williams, Dallas Video Festival, Dr Pepper, JC Penny, Mobil Oil, Church's Chicken, Dairy Queen, McKinsey & Company, Eye Masters, Six Flags Over Texas, Kaiser Permanente, La Madelene, Shell Oil, Texas Instruments, Splash Media, Pier One Imports,, Texaco Star Mart, American Heart Association, Half Price Books, Fina, Verizon, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Chevy Truck's, and many more.

James is going to speak on AI and Songwriting.

Also, DSA members can get their songs critiqued by industry pros Barbe McMillen and Joe Milton and be considered for the 2024 Member Song Contest and Songwriter of the Year.  Please Note: You must go to the Dallas Songwriters website (see link below) to enter your song, or you can play them live.  When you go to the website look for "Forms" on the upper right-hand corner of the page then point to "Song Critiques" and the form will show up.  You can type in the lyrics or cut & paste.  For the song audio go to "Choose File" and load your audio file(s), limit of 3 songs per meeting.  You can pay online via the critique form, and the cost is $10 per song.

DSA Monthly Meeting - Thursday, September 11th, 2025

 

DSA Monthly Meeting - Thursday, September 11th

Location: Your home via ZOOM
6:30 pm: Open portal and networking 

7:00 pm: Program followed by song critiques for members

Zoom ID # 617 432 0082  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6174320082

Featuring Lane Fabian & Guitars 4 Vets!

Guitars 4 Vets is a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to providing relief to struggling veterans This month's meeting will feature Lane Fabian who talk about Guitars 4 Vets, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing relief to struggling veterans through the healing power of music and community.  Guitars 4 Vets was presented DSA's 2023 Excellence in Community Service Award.  Lane Fabian, who represents the organization in North Texas, joined the program in 2018 as an instructor for the Dallas chapter and now serves as Chapter Coordinator for the Dallas/Fort Worth area.  The Chapter has five in-person locations across four counties, along with a North Texas cyber program, and offers a unique10-week guitar instruction program that puts the healing power of music in the hands of our nation's heroes. 

Also, get your new songs critiqued by industry pros Barbe McMillen and Joe Milton and be considered for the 2025 Member Song Contest and Songwriter of the Year.  You can go to the Dallas Songwriters website (see link below) to enter your song, or you can play them live.  When you go to the website look for "Forms" on the upper right-hand corner of the page then point to "Song Critiques" and the form will show up.  You can type in the lyrics or cut & paste.  For the song audio go to "Choose File" and load your audio file(s), limit of 3 songs per meeting.  You can pay online via the critique form, and the cost is $10 per song.

https://dallassongwriters.org/song-critique/

DSA Meeting and SongCritiques Workshop - July 10, 2025 Features Rickey Gene Wright

 

Location: Your home via ZOOM
6:30 pm: Open portal and networking
7:00 pm: Program followed by song critiques for members
Zoom ID # 617 432 0082 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6174320082

Featuring Rickey Gene Wright 

We have a great speaker for this month's meeting, DSA's own Rickey Gene Wright!  He is an accomplished Americana Singer/Songwriter with 5 album releases to his credit, and you can hear wonderful story-telling songs on all streaming services.  We are very fortunate that we can hear his music when he hosts DSA showcases and open mics which have included venues at Love and War,  Guitars and Growlers, and a new one coming up at Cocktail Creamery in McKinney.  Since much of Rickey Gene's work involves live performances, he is up on the latest technologies available for live music.  For this meeting he will talk about a new looping device that employs AI in its system that helps the musician in accompaniment with an easy and seamless method of adding in drums and bass.  For the musician that wants or needs to perform solo this sounds like something we all want to know more about so don't miss it!

Also, get your new songs critiqued by industry pro Barbe McMillen and be considered for the 2025 Member Song Contest and Songwriter of the Year. You can go to the Dallas Songwriters website (see link below) to enter your song, or you can play them live. When you go to the website look for "Forms" on the upper right-hand corner of the page then point to "Song Critiques" and the form will show up. You can type in the lyrics or cut & paste. For the song audio go to "Choose File" and load your audio file(s), limit of 3 songs per meeting. You can pay online via the critique form, and the cost is $10 per song.

DSA Monthly Meeting - April - May 2025

DSA Monthly Meetings -

Location: Your home via ZOOM
6:30 pm: Open portal and networking 

7:00 pm: Program followed by song critiques for members

Zoom ID # 617 432 0082  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6174320082

 

 Thursday, May 8th

 

This month's meeting features Chris Albert, a prolific singer/songwriter that has been performing for over 40 years!  He is also a record producer and music publisher that has produced 10 albums with his own record company.  Chris and a representative from the U.S. Copyright Office will be talking about new updates to music copyright laws that are important to know for all songwriters who wish to register their works with the U.S Copyright Office.  

 

 

Thursday, April 10

 

Thomas Gillis Jr (Drummer) Tom is a Grammy award winning audio engineer for stage and studio, guitar tech/luthier, musician, audio repairman, and so much more. Tom has been a part of Kids Who Rock since 2020, teaching bass, (although his primary instrument is drums/percussion), Tom started playing drums when he was 14, guitar at 17, and got his first bass at 20 years old. At that time Tom took music lessons during his time at Loyola University New Orleans to learn piano and to further his knowledge of guitar and music theory, as well as audio engineering. Since then, Tom has been acquiring and putting those skills into work helping songwriters make the most of their creations by recording, augmenting, and helping perform their music as they envision it. Every year Tom takes two weeks to record bands performing at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival helping spread the word about the good music there. Tom said, “I am, and continue to be, inspired by songwriters and musicians that I have met throughout my life”.

Also, get your new songs critiqued by industry pros Barbe McMillen and Joe Milton and be considered for the 2025 Member Song Contest and Songwriter of the Year.  You can go to the Dallas Songwriters website (see link below) to enter your song, or you can play them live.  When you go to the website look for "Forms" on the upper right-hand corner of the page then point to "Song Critiques" and the form will show up.  You can type in the lyrics or cut & paste.  For the song audio go to "Choose File" and load your audio file(s), limit of 3 songs per meeting.  You can pay online via the critique form, and the cost is $10 per song.

DSA Monthly Meeting - Thursday, February 13th

 

DSA Monthly Meeting - Thursday, February 13th

Location: Your home via ZOOM
6:30 pm: Open portal and networking 

7:00 pm: Program followed by song critiques for members

Zoom ID # 617 432 0082  

Featuring Jamey Shannon!

This month's meeting features the return of Jamey Shannon!  He is DSA Board Member, guitarist/singer/songwriter and a former college music educator with lots of interesting topics to talk about.  He will give us a look at Alliteration, Internal Rhyme Schemes, and Line Plus Three in good songwriting so I'm sure we will all learn something new!

Remember, DSA members can get their songs critiqued by industry pros Barbe McMillen and Joe Milton and be considered for the 2025 Member Song Contest and Songwriter of the Year.  Please Note: You must go to the Dallas Songwriters website (see link below) to enter your song, or you can play them live.  When you go to the website look for "Forms" on the upper right-hand corner of the page then point to "Song Critiques" and the form will show up.  You can type in the lyrics or cut & paste.  For the song audio go to "Choose File" and load your audio file(s), limit of 3 songs per meeting.  You can pay online via the critique form, and the cost is $10 per song.

DSA 2ND THURSDAY MEETING - JANUARY 9TH 6:30PM

 

DSA Monthly Meeting - Thursday, January 9th

Location: Your home via ZOOM
6:30 pm: Open portal and networking 

7:00 pm: Program followed by song critiques for members

Zoom ID # 247-652-3092   https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2476523092

Featuring Christine Hand Jones!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  The DSA is gearing up for a great 2025 and we have a speaker for the first member meeting of the year you won't want to miss! Christine Hand Jones is Fort Worth native that has been performing her soulful folk-rock in the Dallas/Fort Worth area for over twenty years. Standing on the Shoulders is her second full-length studio album, in follow-up to her 2018 album The Book of the World and her 2011 EP, "Girl on a String."  Standing on the Shoulders was produced by Milo and Scarlett Deering, and recorded in Charley Pride's old studio in Dallas, TX. The album is a tribute to family, in all its messy beauty, and it intertwines real-life family stories with meditations on loyalty, loss, and love. Standing on the Shoulders wraps its intimate story-telling in a combination of bluegrass instrumentation, lush strings and ethereal vocals.  Since Bob Dylan is back in the spotlight due to the new movie and since Christine studied him for her doctorate, she will talk about some songwriting lessons from Bob with a talk entitled "What Would Dylan Do: Songwriting Lessons from Bob Dylan." 

Also, DSA members can get their songs critiqued by industry pros Barbe McMillen and Joe Milton and be considered for the 2024 Member Song Contest and Songwriter of the Year.  Please Note: You must go to the Dallas Songwriters website (see link below) to enter your song, or you can play them live.  When you go to the website look for "Forms" on the upper right-hand corner of the page then point to "Song Critiques" and the form will show up.  You can type in the lyrics or cut & paste.  For the song audio go to "Choose File" and load your audio file(s), limit of 3 songs per meeting.  You can pay online via the critique form, and the cost is $10 per song.

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DSA CHRISTMAS PARTY  - Dec 13, 2024

Home of our Prez, Michael & Karol Brandenberger (See the post in the member group for the address)

 Come & go from 6:00 to 10:00 pm.   Please bring your favorite side dish or dessert and beverages of your choice.  The DSA will be providing smoked ham, Cokes and water.  We'll also be singing our favorite songs, Christmas or otherwise, and you can bring a guitar if you like but there will be lots on hand to choose from!

 

 

 

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 BEST SONGS OF THE MEETING CONTESTS DEADLINE NOVEMBER 14

 

 MONTHLY MEETING and Workshop -  2nd THURSDAY

http://dsameetings.blogspot.com

DSA Monthly Meeting & Workshop with Song Critiques - Thursday, November 14, 6:30- 9:30

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING AND ELECTIONS + LAST CHANCE SONG CRITIQUES FOR THIS YEAR

Zoom ID 247 652 3092
https://dallassongwriters.org/song-critique/