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SONGWRITING

Songwriting.

It’s hard to describe what songwriting feels like. It’s a mysterious balance of imagery, musicianship, and vibe.

It is this very mystery that has drawn me to the idea of songwriting workshops for a while now. Often we can find a little more light being shed on a topic by hearing others simply talk about the same issues we have. Workshops are ideal for this experience. This was reiterated to me recently when I did a workshop in Nashville with legendary songwriter, Verlon Thompson. But we didn’t simply talk about songs, we dissected them and gained nuggets of wisdom on what makes a great song tick.

If I had a desire to do workshops before I went to Verlon’s classes, I was tenfold fired up about the idea afterwards.

So, here in Jacksonville, NC we will have our first Songwriter Showcase and Workshop. This will be ideal for North Carolina Songwriters whether experienced, novice, or even if you’re simply a music enthusiast intrigued by the inner workings of a song.

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The events of the day will include:

  • Singer Songwriter Showcase featuring a performance by Chris Bellamy who has had eight #1 hits on Internet radio, as well as being in Artist Development with Silver Buckle Records in Fort Worth, TX.
  • Catered meal and mixer hour to mingle with music industry professionals as well other songwriters.
  • Songwriting exercises with award winning singer songwriter, John Jones.
  • A Songwriter Circle where everyone is encouraged to share their music and get feedback and direction for honing their craft.

Portions of the day’s performances will be recorded for TV and aired on The Earl Jones Music Revue.

I probably don’t have to tell you this kind of event is rare around eastern NC so don’t miss out on this!

In doing a live music segment on FM radio the past few years, I have found there are some very talented singer-songwriters in my home state, NC, and I have a passion for bringing their new music to an audience. So come to this event and let’s all learn together about the art, as well as the business side, of this amazing journey called Songwriting.

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Hurricane Time in Caroline

Welcome, welcome, welcome to the first blog I’ve ever committed. May we remember this forever.

Another first for me, the first song I have ever made available for purchase is Hurricane Time in Caroline. The first, but certainly not the last; many more singles to come.

About my “Hurricane Song”… Guy Clark had a song he wrote called “Tornado Time in Texas”, which highlighted all the cultural nuances of life in south Texas during tornado season. Guy’s lyrics captured my imagination so strongly that I soon began almost involuntarily forming my own song about life in North Carolina during hurricane season. I even kept a similar musical arrangement to Mr. Clark’s Tornado tune because I thought of my song as sort of cousin to his song. Over this past summer, I had the opportunity to perform this song for Guy’s long time co-writer, side man, and friend, Verlon Thompson. When Verlon gave his approval of my Hurricane song, I knew I hadn’t missed the mark too badly! ** Verlon’s own songs are powerful works and if you are not acquainted with his music, I recommend you seek it out.

Now, some folks have jokingly accused me of jinxing our state due to the fact that I wrote Hurricane Time about a month before Hurricane Florence made her presence known to us. I take this lightheartedly and am willing to joke about it myself. But, truth be told, I had difficulty performing this song for a time after that storm because I saw first hand the destruction it left in it’s path. Homes were destroyed. Families displaced. Lives lost. A storm like that was no laughing matter. But, my song was and is from my heart a celebration of our Carolina spirit, where we literally weather the storms. So, I will sing this song and I hope y’all will sing along with me as we keep an eye on the horizon.

Enjoy the song. Support home-grown music. Don’t be a stranger!