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Meet the team from SongCraft Presents #myGoogleDocs
March 10, 2016
In the spirit of
Basement Queens
--an original song that was #madewithGoogleDocs, we recently caught up with SongCraft presents to chat about how they use Google Docs to power their super cool web series where they bring artists together to write a song in less than a day.
We want to know how you use Google Docs, too, so share your own examples at +GoogleDocs or @googledocs with the hashtag #mygoogledocs. -Ed.
Hi Mike! Tell us a little about yourself and Songcraft.
SongCraft Presents
is a web series about writing and recording a brand new song, usually in less than a day. In each episode songwriter
Ben Arthur
collaborates with a new artist - sometimes individuals, and sometimes a band- to write a song.
Rob Reinhart
, of the syndicated radio program Acoustic Cafe, usually hosts and narrates the show, and interviews the artists along the way. Al Houghton and me (Mike Crehore) of
Dubway Studios
, record the music, whether done in a studio or on the fly, and produce the finished product. Our director,
Matthew Hendershot
captures the process, and edits the footage into its final form.
2015 had us in 5 locations around the country producing a version of our series called “Songs of the Road,” as well as returning to SXSW 2015 to work with 3 more artists. You can see all those episodes at SongCraft Presents or at our
YouTube channel
.
How does Google Docs fit into the Songcraft process?
We have been using Google Docs since its inception both individually and in various work relationships. Al and Mike started using Docs at Dubway Studios as a way to share information amongst both fulltime and part-time staff. The studio business has a lot of moving parts, and the ability to post forms showing what a producer or engineer needed for upcoming sessions, and that the support staff can look at for setup greatly streamlined the process. Last minute changes become less of a hassle.
As part of our “Songs of the Road” series, we had staff coming from all different locations around the country. We share all the data for our shoots - locations, contacts, directions, call times, etc - and keep everything up to date as it changes. All the staff members using their smartphones and Google Docs apps are able to log in and get or input any updates as needed on the fly. As we add staff, we just share access with them according to their needs.
What are 3 tips you’d give for other folks who use/would consider using Google Docs?
Using the “Comments” function in real time is a great way to be able to make edits and give and take feedback about them with the rest of the members of your team.
Share documents with the “View” function for those people who you do not want to give login access to, but want to share information with.
Organize your folders and color code to more easily find documents across multiple projects in Drive.
New templates in Google Docs: designed by experts, made for you
March 2, 2016
We
launched
a collection of templates in
Docs
,
Sheets
and
Slides
in September to give your documents, spreadsheets, and presentations the extra polish they deserve. Today, we’re adding to that collection with new templates designed by five experts in their fields. All templates are available on the web and on Android and iOS.
For a head start, at school and beyond
Reading Rainbow
, the third longest running children's TV series in US history and award-winning digital service, has been inspiring children to read for over 30 years. Reading Rainbow created a
lesson plan
and a
book report
template in
Docs
to help teachers and students get things done.
The
Google Science Fair
(GSF) is an annual online science and engineering competition open to teens globally. In the competition, young scientists have tackled issues like world hunger, life-threatening diseases and the energy crisis. Use GSF’s
science fair
template in
Slides
for a head start on your next project—or for this year’s GSF.
For your big ideas, at work and on the go
Intuit's QuickBooks
software helps small business owners get more out of financial planning with tools like automated budgeting, tax time reports, and payroll. Use the new annual business budget template by QuickBooks in
Sheets
to easily manage your budget so you can focus on building your business.
GV
provides venture capital funding to bold new companies. In the fields of life science, healthcare, artificial intelligence, robotics, transportation, cyber security and agriculture, GV’s companies aim to improve lives and change industries.The new GV
pitch
template in
Slides
helps entrepreneurs share their vision, based on proven presentation tactics.
And, in the bestselling book,
Made to Stick
, brothers Chip and Dan Heath revealed that “sticky” messages of all kinds draw their power from the same main traits. In their
big idea
template in
Slides
, they use these principles to help you build and deliver your most memorable presentation yet.
Jump-start your next project with these easy-to-use templates in
Docs
,
Sheets
, and
Slides
—
available on the web and on your Android or iPhone. Let us know what you create!
Posted by Brian LeVee, Product Manager
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