Dates: Monthly, every 2nd Saturday February 8, March 8, April 12 (showcase), May 10, June 14, July 12 (showcase), August 9, September 13, October 11 (showcase), November 8, December 13 Time: 2-5 p.m. ET Location: The Learning Center, Birthplace of Country Music Museum Cost: Free and open to the public, donations encouraged at quarterly showcases In partnership with Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia, the Birthplace of Country Music Museum will host a monthly Songwriters Circle every 2nd Saturday, 2-5 p.m. ET, in the Learning Center. Beginners, experienced songwriters, and aspiring songwriters are invited to share songs, brainstorm ideas, and encourage each other to keep writing. There is no fee to participate. At the end of each session, the group will choose three prompts to inspire ideas for the following month. The prompts may be objects, phrases, feelings, colors, senses, or any other topic. Writers may use those topics to help them write a song or two to share for the following session. Songwriters do not have to play an instrument in order to participate. Songwriters Circle is an opportunity to perform, workshop, and network with other artists, with an emphasis on clarity and telling a story. The goals of the group are to encourage songwriting, introduce songwriting shows to audiences in the region, and enlighten the public about the craft of songwriting and its value as an art form. Fans of music and songwriting are welcome to sit in for a listen at no cost. About Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia is led by Mary Munsey, a local musician and educator, recently retired from Virginia Highlands Community College. The program offers a great deal of flexibility in its format for attendees, with varied songwriting interests and abilities. Some of the attendees play instruments and some are curious about songwriting and the process. Lyrics can sometimes only pare up with others that play instruments and put music with the words. Some writers don’t sing, but enjoy hearing others perform their songs. Some of the performances can be a cappella. Some members of the group write one to three songs between sessions and some write more. Sometimes as busy as life gets, writers don’t get to write new material between meetings. We don’t pressure anyone to write, and we don’t criticize anyone. We treat each other with respect. We don’t discuss politics, use profanity, or write antagonistic lyrics. The focus is not on the beauty of the voice or skill of the instrumentation, but the clearness of the pronunciation and the effect of the song. We work on making sure the audience can hear every word. We are not professional musicians but we are creators of musical stories and that is the beauty of it. The sessions are open to anyone visiting the museum. Genres are not specified. Songs can be instrumental, folk, country, bluegrass, Americana, blues, humorous, jazz, R&B, electronic, and even pop, to name a few. Write...
