MARCHING ON

Rejection is just an invitation to resubmit. Always RSVP

I started writing songs when I was seventeen. This was in the Sixties when life seemed like one opportunity after another, waiting to be fulfilled. I played in a band, and we did original songs, inspired by Dylan, The Beatles, etc. I wanted to record, found a studio through an ad at the back of the Village Voice. I had $600 saved from caddying that bought me twelve hours of studio time. I was off to the races.

Demo complete, I read the credits on album jackets of the bands I liked, then went to the telephone directory and got the names and addresses of their publishers. At first I sent them tapes but the responses, when there were any, were generally highly impersonal and non-specific, so I decided I’d be better off taking them into the city, which I did, and started knocking on doors. Showing up in person got me in. Then the hard part began.

Publisher after publisher told me, “Kid I don’t hear it,” which means “Don’t waste my time. It sucks.” I persisted. I asked them to play something that they thought sounded like a hit, which they were happy to do. I listened very carefully. Six months later I was back. This time only two minutes of my two minute fifteen second song sucked. I was making progress.

I persisted. It was made easier because I was returning to people who already knew me and were willing to listen to simple piano/guitar demos that I made at home. Within a year I was up to thirty seconds of “non-sucky” music. Highly encouraged by my level of progress, I continued. By then, a couple of these hardcore music men began liking the music enough to refer me to record producers who needed songs. These guys were very demanding and downright rude. Crude with attitude. Being around them I learned how to depersonalize criticism and focus on the task at hand. By the time I was twenty-five, or eight years after I had begun, my skills were up to a place where there was general agreement that I had “something going on.”

That same year I got a big break. I was at a party and met Larry Gottlieb, a young writer who recently had one of his songs recorded by a group on a major label. We hyped each other to the point where we agreed to try writing together. It was magical. We continued writing together daily and the more we wrote the better the songs sounded. The collaboration made us both better. We scraped some money together from gigging in an airport lounge band, hired a singer and drummer, and recorded a few songs with us filling in as the rhythm section.

Mission accomplished, we took our demos around for a year two. Finally a producer for Arista Records, named Rick Chertoff, (“Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”, “What if God Were One of Us”, among other hits), liked our stuff enough to play it for his boss Clive Davis, who wasted no time, and, much to our disbelief, offered to publish a few of our songs. We were exhilarated!

While those songs never became hits, this affirmation really lit a fire under us and kept our confidence level very high as we continued to write and promote ourselves.

After a while a song plugger, to whom we had pitched songs when he was at a small publisher, landed a big job at MCA Music and offered us a staff writing gig. (I always keep in mind that this business is unpredictable, and the person who might not have been able to do anything for you last week can be in a position to help you out a week later).

The gig was great. MCA paid us a living wage and covered studio expenses. They also provided us with lists of artists looking for songs and we would write for them in the hopes of getting them “covered”.

Two years into our three-year contract “When She Was My Girl” was presented to the producer of The Four Tops. He liked the song but felt it needed work. Happy to be of service, we changed the bridge into a chorus, played it on the phone to him and he recorded it with them. Within six months it became a number one record here and a worldwide hit. We got a Grammy Nomination for Best R+B Song. From there we kept plugging away, our songs were recorded by Celine Dion, Kenny Rogers, The Manhattans, Marie Osmond, Laura Branigan to name a few. We also wrote “Hands Across America”.

After 9/11 I wrote my last song called “Hole in the Sky”. The song has been featured in television specials and was included on a compilation album of songs written mostly by police and firemen. It was a great honor for me to have my work included with theirs.

The emotional enormity of 9/11, combined with the intensity of having written the song, just depleted me. For the first time in my adult life I lost interest in songwriting, and it has never returned. However my interest in writing prose began abut a year later.

I began with travelogues from remote places where my wife and I were traveling, like Tasmania, Uruguay, China and other exotic locales. They were meant to be stupidly funny and sadly philosophical. The more of them I wrote the more I felt a writing style was emerging and I began wanting to do something in longer form.

I recalled once when Evan Hunter (aka EdMcBain) and I got to talking about his highly successful career, he remarked: “The difference between myself and many really good writers that remain unpublished is that I finish what I start.”

“Finish what you start” became my mantra as I began writing a novel.

I wrote, then I rewrote for two years until I had a completed manuscript. Then I hired an editor, who I found on Craigslist, to critique it and eventually edit it. She did it brilliantly. At that point I felt the manuscript was not nearly as good as it could be so I wrote and rewrote for another two years enlisting additional help. In all I consulted four different editors.

When the manuscript was completed I knew I needed an agent. I had prepared lists of them and had sent about thirty queries out to test the waters.

Shortly after that I was at a party in honor of my former writing partner Larry, who was up for a short visit from Nashville. Also present at the party was, JB Moore, one of the pioneer producers of Hip Hop and a writer for Billboard Magazine. He and I began talking, and I told him about the book I had literally just completed. He asked for a copy. I emailed him one that night. Two days later he told me he knew the perfect agent for me. The next day I sent her the manuscript. The day after that she and I met for coffee and she agreed to become my agent. Two days later, my wife and I left for a long planned for two-month tour of Greece, Turkey, The Middle East and North Africa.

While I was away, my agent negotiated a deal with Schaffner Press, with the understanding that I would rewrite the manuscript under the auspices of the publisher. He and I worked together on it for another year.

On March 4, nearly six years after I had begun and revised the novel at least six times, Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed was released. Praise for the book has been extensive for which I am very grateful. The journey has been one step at a time as every journey is. I hesitate to say one small step at a time because to me any step is a big one. My advice to anyone who aspires to be a published writer is: Enjoy the journey and remember: rejection is just an invitation to resubmit. Always RSVP.

Copyright  ©2009 Marc Blatte author of Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed: A Novel

Author Bio
Marc Blatte, author of Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed: A Novel, a native and longtime resident of New York City, grew up in the Bronx, played baseball in the Roy Campanella Little League and was a protege of the bestselling author Ed McBain.

After a brief stint west of the Hudson at Kenyon College, Marc returned to the city that never sleeps to become a wunderkind of the songwriting industry, dubbed by legendary record producer Clive Davis as one of the “fortunate ones.” He has composed material for major stars, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for best R&B Song.

He has shaken Joe Frazier’s hand at Small’s Paradise, danced with Sherry Lansing, fixed Debbie Harry’s sink, met Henry Kissinger, and had an unexpected visit from the Wu Tang Clan. He has worked as a golf caddy, Rotor Rooter man, tenement superintendent, keyboard player in a lounge band, was a hip-hop white boy pioneer record producer . . . and lived to tell.

The father of three daughters, Marc and his wife Jeanne divide their time between New York and Nicaragua. He is currently at work on his next mystery featuring Black Sallie Blue Eyes.

About the Author

For more information, please visit http://writtenvoices.com/titlepage.asp?ISBN=0980139414

Dartmouth College Marching Band – Homecoming 2008

University of Pittsburgh Varsity Marching Band $93.99 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles The University of Pittsburgh Varsity Marching Band, or Pitt Band, is the college marching band at the University of Pittsburgh. The band includes over 200 instrumentalists, a majorette squad known as the Golden Girls, a color guard, and the University of Pittsburgh drumline. The band was founded in 1911 and has won numerous awards over the years. All members of the band must pass an audition in order to join. The band is currently housed in Trees Hall, however Pitt is in the process of building a new marching band facility. Author: Surhone, Lambert M./ Tennoe, Mariam T./ Henssonow, Susan F. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 132 Publication Date: 2010/12/09 Language: English Dimensions: 6.00 x 9.02 x 0.31 inches

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Waconia Marching Band $76.47 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles The Waconia Marching Band, based out of Waconia, Minnesota, is a class AAAA youth Marching band that competes at the high school level. It represents Minnesota school district 110.The Waconia marching band was founded in 1972. Their first official performance was in 1973. Now in its 37th year of Marching, the Waconia marching band is regarded as one of the best marching bands in Minnesota.In 1982, the Waconia Marching Band was the first marching band to play inside the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It turns out NFL teams can only invite a high school band to do a half time show once, though the Minnesota Vikings invited Waconia back four times. Author: Surhone, Lambert M./ Timpledon, Miriam T./ Marseken, Susan F. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 116 Publication Date: 2010/06/29 Language: English Dimensions: 5.98 x 9.01 x 0.27 inches

University of California Marching Band $87.62 Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. The University of California Marching Band, usually shortened to Cal Band, is the marching band for the University of California, Berkeley. While the Cal Band is studentrun, it is administered under the auspices of the university and represents Cal at sporting events and social gatherings. The name of the band is The University of California Band by the constitution, but is typically called The University of California Marching Band or The Cal Band. Author: Surhone, Lambert M./ Tennoe, Mariam T./ Henssonow, Susan F. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 120 Publication Date: 2011/04/01 Language: English Dimensions: 9.02 x 5.98 x 0.28 inches

The Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band $92.4 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles The Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band, known as The Pride, is the student marching band for the University of Oklahoma Sooners. The Pride was founded in 1901 as a pep band to play at Sooner football games. In the early years, the band was composed mostly of Norman residents and was disbanded every year after football season. Author: Surhone, Lambert M./ Tennoe, Mariam T./ Henssonow, Susan F. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 130 Publication Date: 2010/09/13 Language: English Dimensions: 6.00 x 9.02 x 0.31 inches

Sacramento State Marching Band $95.59 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles The Sacramento State Marching Band, known as the The Spirit of Sacramento, and sometimes informally known as the Sac State Band, Sac Band or SSMB, is the official marching band at California State University, Sacramento. The Band was formed in 1958 as the Sacramento State Marching Musicians. To this day the band performs at all home football games and various away games during the football season. The Band also functions as the defacto student cheering section at athletic events. The Band also is present every year during The Causeway Classic against archrival UC Davis. The band motto: Without Us, Its Just A Game , was adopted in 1996. In 2008, Dr. Clay Redfield, 84, became the newest director of the band. He is the first alumnus to ever lead the band. Author: Surhone, Lambert M./ Timpledon, Miriam T./ Marseken, Susan F. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 142 Publication Date: 2010/08/10 Language: English Dimensions: 6.00 x 9.02 x 0.33 inches

Yale Precision Marching Band $81.25 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles The Yale Precision Marching Band (affectionately known as the YPMB) is the official marching band of Yale University. It is a scatter band (what some peers might call a scramble band ), as distinct from university marching bands that emphasize precise movements and geometric field formations. Band members refer to themselves as The Members of, which is derived from their introduction at Yale events. The repertoire of the YPMB is constantly evolving, driven by student arrangers and pop music trends. Besides standard types of band instruments, the YPMB includes violins, bagpipes, accordions, keyboards and air guitars, and was the first scatter band to incorporate electric guitars. The YPMBs Squids section creates large cardboard props for halftime shows. The Squids evolved from the Appoges (pronounced p od z, after appoggiatura, a grace note) of the 1980s and 1990s, who handled props but also carried their own instruments (frisbees, stuffed giraffes, lounge chairs). Author: Surhone, Lambert M./ Timpledon, Miriam T./ Marseken, Susan F. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 114 Publication Date: 2010/07/31 Language: English Dimensions: 6.00 x 9.02 x 0.27 inches

The Ohio State University Marching Band $70.1 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles The Ohio State University Marching Band (often called The Best Damn Band in the Land or TBDBITL) is one of the few allbrass and percussion bands in the country, the largest of its type in the world. Military training was an important part of the early curriculum at Ohio State, and a band was formed to provide music for the cadets to drill to. The first appearance of the OSU marching band was in 1896. Gustav Bruder, a professional musician with military band experience, was hired to lead the band. Under Bruder, the band grew in size and began playing and marching for all military and athletic events. The OSUMB grew over the years, from 100 members in 1920 to 225 members today. Author: Surhone, Lambert M./ Tennoe, Mariam T./ Henssonow, Susan F. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 80 Publication Date: 2010/08/14 Language: English Dimensions: 6.00 x 9.02 x 0.19 inches

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University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band $82.85 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles The University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band (UMMB) is the marching band for the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The band currently has about 352 members and was directed by George N. Parks from 1977 until his sudden death in September 2010. Assistant Thomas Hannum has been named interim director, assisted by Michael Klesch and Frederick Omega Pye. The Minuteman Band plays halftime and postgame shows at all home football games and frequently travels to away games. The band has also performed at Bands of America in 1993, 2001, 2004 and 2007. In 1998, the Minuteman Marching Band was awarded the prestigious Sudler Trophy, the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a collegiate marching band. Author: Surhone, Lambert M./ Tennoe, Mariam T./ Henssonow, Susan F. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 108 Publication Date: 2010/12/07 Language: English Dimensions: 6.00 x 9.02 x 0.26 inches

Alfred Publishing 0026524 Marching Fundamentals $38.12 Geared for incoming freshmen this DVD explains and demonstrates marching basics and familiarizes the student with all standard marching commands and positions. Can be used as a selfstudy aid.Contributors: By Greg MartinInstrument: Marching BandFormat: DVDCategory: Marching Band DVD

Directory by Pomona College [Paperback] $20.09 This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. Author: Pomona College Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 32 Publication Date: 2010/09/08 Language: English Dimensions: 7.44 x 9.69 x 0.07 inches

Directory by Grinnell College [Paperback] $20.09 This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. Author: Grinnell College Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 34 Publication Date: 2011/08/24 Language: English Dimensions: 9.69 x 7.44 x 0.07 inches

University of Montana Grizzly Marching Band $78.07 Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. The University of Montana Grizzly Marching Band is a select, fun and closeknit group of hardworking, dedicated students. The band is open to everyone on the UM campus regardless of year or major. In fact, it has members of the band from virtually every major and discipline on campus and from almost every corner of the United States and around the world. Author: Surhone, Lambert M./ Tennoe, Mariam T./ Henssonow, Susan F. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 84 Publication Date: 2011/05/19 Language: English Dimensions: 9.02 x 5.98 x 0.20 inches

Rhythm Band Instruments RB911 Marching Drum $33.08 The Rhythm Band marching drum delivers percussive sound that children will find enchanting. Rhythm Band includes rubber safety springs a pair of drum sticks and a head of durable Melinex plastic with the kidsized drum.