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Jam
Session and
Open Mics
note:
some of these
are not solely
for
songwriters,
but are
friendly to
songwriters
and original
music
Tuesdays ~ Weekly Arts Showcase, Denver, Colorado Arts Center, 841 Santa Fe
Tuesdays ~ 8 pm ~ Singer Songwriter Show Case, Denver, Tennyson's Tap, 4335 W. 38th
Some 1st Friday Art Walks ~ Songwriter Showcase,Denver, Colorado Arts Center, 841 Santa Fe
3rd Fridays ~ 7 pm ~ Pickin' on Tennyson, 4252 Tennyson St.
2nd
Saturdays, 7-9
pm ~ Stage C Englewood, Hampden Hall, hosted by Joe
Fleenor
3rd
Saturdays, 7-9
pm ~ Stage C Arvada, Living Water Spiritual Community,
hosted by
Trinity Demask
4th
Saturdays, 7-9
pm ~ Stage C Denver, Mercury Cafe, hosted by Jeff Wittig,
House Band:
Crazyheart
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Songwriters
at the Skylark
140
S Broadway,
Denver CO
Hosted
by Andy Ard
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Songwriting
Tips
"If you have an idea for a song, but it's not clear to you, try to narrow your scope. Be more specific. 'A tear' is more specific than 'water.' To give your songs more sensory and emotional impact, be as specific as possible. 'Pack my things' says less, and is less memorable, than 'Stuff my clothes in a dirty duffle bag.'" — Sandy
Reay
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Songwork.com
Songwriting
education
website,
including
videos and
song sessions
by wonderful
songwriters
including
Steve Seskin.
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Classes by Christy Wessler
Performance
Boot Camp
Step
up your
performance
abilities and
get them into
shape for the
stage at boot
camp. Take an
in-depth look at
the music you
are performing
and learn to let
the style of the
music emerge.
Develop your own
style within the
framework of the
music, and gain
vital on-stage
survival skills.
Class includes a
performance for
family and
friends during
the 7th week.
Open to all
musicians and
vocalists.
Contact Swallow
Hill to sign up.
Captivating Your Audience
Come learn how to have fun on stage and get your
audience to "come along for the ride." Take an
in-depth look at the music you are performing and
learn to let the stlye of the music emerge. You'll
learn to develop your own style within the framework
of the music, and gain vital on-stage survival
skills. Class includes a performance for family and
friends. Contact Swallow
Hill to sign up.
Swallow
Hill Music
Association
71 E. Yale
Ave.
303-777-1003
Christy Wessler has been a valued and versatile
member of the
Swallow Hill
teaching staff
for many years.
She was the
Denver
coordinator for
NSAI for two
years, and was a
Nashville Star
regional
finalist in
2008. More classes by Christy Wessler
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Tommy's 2 Cents Worth
Would you
like feedback
on your songs
from a
Nashville song
publisher and
pitchman?
-
Send
$30 and an
original song
to Tom Gould.
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Tom
listens to
your song and
returns a
critique
sheet.
-
Review
your critique
sheet. Re-work
the song and
send it back.
-
Tom
listens once
more,
polishes, and
returns your
song.
-
You
may now feel
confident
recording a
solid song
with
commercial
sustainability.
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Songwriter
Night Conduct
from
Ed Skibbe
to
help us to
cultivate a
strong,
thriving
songwriting
community here
in Colorado
1.
Be quiet and
respectful of
fellow
songwriters.
Denver may be
a sports bar
town, but
songwriter
showcases are
not sporting
events. Be
quiet and
listen to one
another. A
little quiet
conversation
of verbal
encouragement
is fine, but
get noisy
appropriately.
2.
Don't show up
at the last
minute before
your set and
then leave
immediately.
Everyone has
conflicts or
multiple
bookings in a
given night
sometimes, but
as a rule,
plan on
spending some
time at the
venue before
and after your
set. Hit and
run
performances
are parasitic
and
antithetical
to the spirit
of community.
Again, listen
to one
another. We're
all in a very
leaky boat
together.
3.
Be
communicative.
Say hello to
your host and
to other
performers.
Let them know
you were
listening and
paying
attention. Be
encouraging.
What we do is
hard, no
matter the
level of a
particular
performer or
show.
4.
Work as hard
as you can to
promote not
only your
shows, but
other
songwriting
shows. We each
have a piece
of the larger
original music
fan base here
and we all
benefit by
helping it to
grow. Even if
you bring 10
people to a
showcase and
another writer
brings "only"
5, you still
win. You get
exposure to 5
new fans. None
of us prosper
by hiding the
"scene" from
our fans. We
prosper by
building a
larger,
cohesive
community and
then working
to be good
enough to make
as many of
them fans as
possible. This
creates a
"rising tide"
that lifts all
our boats.
5.
Release the
death grip on
your first
communion
nickel
already. Plan
to spend a
little money
once in awhile
to support the
community and
one another. I
know none
(okay, very
few) of us
makes a
fortune
writing songs.
I know money
is tight.
(BELIEVE ME, I
know.) But we
need to buy
the occasional
ticket to a
show. We
especially
need to buy a
drink or some
food or both
at the
venue--else
more and more
awful karaoke
nights and
poker
tournaments
will spring up
like
suppurating
sores in the
songwriting
world. Barter
among
songwriters in
the community
is a good
thing. What
goes around
comes around.
But only by
proving the
commercial
viability of
songwriter
shows can we
begin to
expect
commercial
opportunity,
modest though
it may be, to
increase for
songwriters in
Colorado.
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