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Hello all, a couple of days to go before I upload my choice for the Vanda and Young Songwriting Competition. At the moment front runners are ‘Beast Blues’ and ‘Cottage by the Sea’ so I’ve decided to submit both, which means I’ll be donating $100 to a great cause – unless any others come up through the pack. Thanks to all who have already contacted me with their pick, but let me know soonest if you think another would be a better choice! Just to be clear I’m not after donations (heaven forbid), just your choice of song from ‘The Tramp: The Music of Robert Aitken’. Cheerio you all!

Tiger Dreaming

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I have decided to donate $50 to the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia.

Well actually, to the Vanda and Young Songwriting Competition to be exact. APRA AMCOS, of which I’m a proud member, tell us this is the world’s most prestigious songwriting competition; ‘It aims to support talented songwriters while raising much-needed funds for not-for-profit organisation Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia (NRMTA)’, they say on their website — and I have no desire to doubt such a fine institution.

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While I rate my songwriting abilities as something my mum would be proud of (God rest her cotton socks), my drive isn’t to pitch myself against truly talented competition-entering songwriters from around the world. No, I am inspired to dip into my pocket and support the amazing Nordoff-Robbins music therapy cause https://www.noro.org.au Should anything out of my wildest dreams come of it that would be gobsmackingly, like, you know, amazing — but I…

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I have decided to donate $50 to the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia. Well actually, to the Vanda and Young Songwriting Competition to be exact. APRA AMCOS, of which I'm a proud member, tell us this is the world's most prestigious songwriting competition; 'It aims to support talented songwriters while raising much-needed funds for not-for-profit organisation [...]

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Since its release in February 2017, many responses I have received from happy readers of The Tramp have been encouraging, flattering — even inspirational (ego-busting, my wife suggests). From the music's perspective, listeners have commented that the thirteen songs on the CD take on a completely different meaning once one has read the story — [...]

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I recall a chapter from my early teens, when I first discovered a Cat Stevens' song on the radio. There was something about his voice and acoustic guitar that held my attention over most pop songs presented in those informative years. It was not just his vocal / guitar combination that resonated in me; I [...]