Theme for 2011 - Community: Life Blood for the Songwriter

Happy New Year!

I had the privilege of writing an article for Christian Musician Magazine titled "Community: Life Blood for the Songwriter". If you want to check it out here's the link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/46755409/Christian-Musician-Magazine-JanuaryFebruary-2011.

In the article I listed three benefits that a creative community can provide the songwriter: Inspiration, Accountability and Productivity.

So far in 2011 I have had the privilege of giving workshops to two songwriter groups, one in Colorado Springs and one in Denver. The workshops were organized by NSAI Regional Chapter Coordinators Rob Jones (Co Spr) and Elvira Walls and Bonnie Botham (Denver). These folks went to great efforts in securing the location and getting the word out about the workshops and we had a great showing at each event.

The reason they went to all that effort was their passion for providing resources for their local community of songwriters.

All levels of development were represented in each group and the fact that the songwriters invested the time and money to come to the workshop showed that their passion to write songs was alive and well.

A question I asked at each workshop was how many songs they had finished in the last calendar year. A majority of them sheepishly raised their hands when I asked if they had finished 5 or less. There was one writer in the Denver group that had finished more than 30 songs and she had had several songs published. I challenged each group to double the number of finished songs in 2011!

The goal for every workshop I do is to fuel songwriters with inspiration and strategic tools to move forward in their development. Song critiques is one of the most valuable components of my workshops. I identify what is working in the song as well as specific suggestions on how to make the song stronger.

My hope is that my workshops serve to motivate the local creative community to provide songwriters ongoing inspiration, encouragement to keep working at their craft and accountability for increasing the output of finished songs.

If you are serious about developing your songwriting skills I encourage you to join a local songwriting group and if there isn't one in your area I challenge you to start one! I gave some specific instructions on how to get a group started in the Christian Musician article.

One of the services I provide is Songwriter Development. Whether you are just starting out and have written a couple songs or if you have been writing for years but you need help keeping motivated, Songwriter Development might be just what you need! It is an individualized monthly program and will provide you with creative direction for new songs, feedback and accountability with the goal of developing commercially viable songs. Please contact me at cindy@cindywiltcolville.com if you have any questions.

I will look forward to keeping in touch with you throughout the new year and hearing about the connections you are making with your creative community!

Blessings,
Cindy