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30 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
Certificate of Recognition from Governor Abbott to the Fort Worth Songwriters' Association for 25 years of service providing, educating, and promoting music in Texas.
From the President
Low hanging fruit
On our way back from our Colorado vacations at my uncle Kenneth’s ranch near De Beque, Colorado, we would stop in Palisade, Colorado at one of my other uncle’s, Evert, orchard on the Colorado river. He had bushels of delicious apples and cherries for sale. Strangely, when my dad bought 10 bushels of apples, my (not so kind to me) dear uncle Evert said you go pick your own, those bushels are for my customers. The harvesters were paid by the bushel, not by the hour (smart of the orchard owner). They would swarm the trees grabbing the easiest fruit to reach and leave the difficult to reach fruit on the tree, deeming them not worth the effort. So, my dad and uncle Evert would sit on the porch and talk while I climbed the apple trees with an apple bag and picked fresh apples at the top of the center and top of the tree. The harvested apples were the easier apples to reach, the low hanging fruit. Even in the bible it mentions to leave the corners of your fields for the poor to harvest. This experience, regrettably at the time, was good for a teenager. Now today, as a songwriter I realize this method of harvesting is used in the music business as well. There is just as good tasting songs left on the tree but are not as easy to produce. That is why several of our friends (John Terry, Scott Sean White, and many others) are taking their fruit to the market in Nashville. Yes, we have great songs here, but there are no buyers here. The low hanging fruit is picked in Nashville, Los Angeles, New York, Detroit, where the market buyers live and work. There are pickers in Nashville, and buyers of your music. Keep growing your fruit and writing your beautiful songs so you will have bushels to sell, not just one apple. Isn’t this fun!
Rick Tate, 2026 FWSA President
PS: THE FWSA ANNUAL SONG CONTEST IS NOW OPEN THROUGH THE 31ST OF AUGUST! MORE INFORMATION AT THE SONGWRITING CONTEST LINK ABOVE.
FWSA Contact: Website: www.fwsa.com; E-Mail: contact@fwsa.com; Ft Worth Songwriters’ Association; P.O. Box 330233; Fort Worth, TX. 76163
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JULY 2026 EVENTS
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING: TUESDAY - 07/07/2026
MONTHLY MEETING SCHEDULED ON THE 1ST TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH
ASSOCIATION MEMBERS INVITED
NO FRILLS GRILL, BURLESON TX - 6:30 PM
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FWSA OPEN MIC: TUESDAY - 07/21/2026
FRED'S TEXAS CAFE - 6 - 9 PM
7101 CAMP BOWIE WEST, FORT WORTH 76116
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FWSA WORKSHOP - THE GATHERING: TUESDAY - 07/28/2026
NO FRILLS GRILL, BURLESON TX - 6:30 - 8:30 PM
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ALWAYS CHECK FOR UPDATES ON THE FWSA CALENDAR
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FWSA MEMBERSHIP INCLUDES MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
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Raise the Volume, Raise the Funds
Funds donated to the tip jar are primarily for improving the Sound and Video Equipment during Open Mic, Showcase, Podcast and special community venues and for supporting the Guest Speakers at the Monthly Gatherings and Workshops.