Click HERE for details!

I’ll be doing a short set from 1:00-1:30 (or so) as the first band is setting up. Attached is a flier for the event. Please print and post at work or local music store, venue, etc., if at all possible… or just hang in your studio, Rusty’s wife did a great job on the promo

Thanks so much, and we hope to see you out there — Angelo Melendez

Pickin’ for Nashville

We’ll be buying a ham, beverages, plates, napkins, and utensils with money out of the kitty (thanks to those of you who work concessions at the Tosco Music Parties).  If you have a favorite dish that you like to make, please bring it to share.  Just so we don’t end up with 25 dishes of the same thing, please reply and let me know what you’re planning to bring, and if someone has already signed up to bring that, I’ll let you know.  There will be nothing wrong with duplicating some things, since we’ll probably have 50 people attending.    Listed below are items that might be nice to have, just to give you some ideas.
- salad/dressings
- breads
- condiments
- desserts
- appetizers
- other sides (vegetables, rice, etc.)   If you have a CD of holiday music that we could play as background music while we’re socializing, please bring it.  If you have CD’s of your own music that you would like to share, whether studio-recorded or home-recorded, please bring copies to swap.   If you would like to come by to say hi but don’t feel like cooking, please come on by!  It’ll be a good way to start the holiday season.  We’ve had a great year, and this will be a good way to celebrate it and launch us into the new year!   Please reply to let me know that you’re planning to come and how many guests you plan to bring, so we can plan appropriately.

Directions to The Well are pasted below.   Hope to see you Tuesday!

Steve, Fiona and Angelo

The Well in Pineville

The Well http://www.the- well.org/ in Pineville.
220 Main Street Pineville , North Carolina 28134 – Right next to the Police Station.
Directions: Here! (Click on “Directions and Parking” if a map does not appear)
This is less than a mile west of the I485/Rt51 interchange.

So far we have 16 people signed up to play the Charlotte NSAI open mic on November 24th!    Based on 16 performers, and given that we have 3 hours (7 to 10 pm), it looks like we will have time for each person to do 2 songs.  If we do 2 songs each, and if we are tuned up before we take the stage, and if we keep our song introductions brief, it should take no more than 10 minutes per person, including the changeover time between people, and that should work out about right.

If your guitar has a pickup, we will plug it in, if it doesn’t, we will mic it.  You won’t need a guitar cable, one will be provided.  You are welcome to stand or sit while you perform, whichever you prefer.  A keyboard will be there, ready to play.  There are several music stands there.

So, our open mic will be on Tuesday, November 24th at The Well (www.the-well. org). We will start at 7:00 pm, and finish at 10:00 pm.  Try to arrive by 6:45 pm, so we can start at 7:00 pm.  Please stay for the whole event if at all possible, to support each performer.  There will be no admission fee.  If you haven’t signed up to play but want to come and watch, please, please do!  Bring all your friends and family!

The Well always has coffee and snacks and welcomes donations.  Also, The Well has several drives going on for the holidays, collecting food, coats, paper back books, etc., as listed at the bottom of this email.  Please bring any items you would like to donate to the open mic.

Listed below are the people who have signed up, in the order that they signed up.  Let’s use this as the order of performance.  Usually nobody wants to go first, so I will go first.  Bruce has volunteered to help run the event and keep us on track, so he will go second.

Steve Simpson
Bruce Johnson
Melissa Mummert
Fiona McAllister
Mer Laney and Dave Holtzclaw
John Webb
Jonathan Story
Kevin Marshall
Dave Wulfeck
Angie Medlin
Carl Dews
Allen Shervelle
Ken Widis
Bill Draper
Joe Reid
Sara Scott

It’s gonna be fun!  Let me know if you have any questions!  See you Tuesday!

Steve, Fiona, and Angelo

Holiday Activities Sponsored by The Well: Throughout the month of November, The Well will be collecting non-perishable food items for the Loaves and Fishes food pantry.

The Prison Ministry at The Well is collecting pies and 2-liter drinks for the Thanksgiving Dinner that will be given at the prison in Kershaw, SC on Thanksgiving Day.

The Well has adopted a unit of 120 soldiers in Iraq for Christmas.  We are gathering individually- wrapped items like gum, hard candies, beef jerky, crackers or non-melty, home-baked goods as well as paperback books and the like, to go in the boxes and money to help mail the boxes overseas to our military men and women.

All during the month of December, The Well will be collecting gently worn coats (all sizes needed) for Crisis Assistance Ministry.

The coffee house at The Well will be showing classic Christmas movies on Saturday nights between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Old favorites such as It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th St. and White Christmas.  If I can find them, there will be a classic Christmas cartoon night, as well with The Grinch (not the Jim Carey version), Frosty and Rudolph.

The Festival in the Park kicks off tomorrow (Thursday) at Freedom Park in Charlotte, for the 45th year in a row, and there will be lots of live music there.  I just wanted to highlight the performers who are NSAI members or who have some association with NSAI.  All of them will be performing on the Charlotte Folk Society or the Theatre stage.  A map of the festival showing the locations of each stage can be found on the festival’s website at www.festivalinthepark.org.

NSAI Music on the Folk Society Stage

Friday, September 25
10:00 – 10:30 am: David Wulfeck
6:00 – 6:45 pm: Steve Simpson

Saturday, September 26
10:00 – 11:30 am: NSAI songwriter round featuring (from 10:00 til 10:45 am) Carl Dews, Michael Eldredge, Meredith Laney & David Holtzclaw, and (from 10:45 til 11:30 am) Dave Petty, Liz Howell, and Cate & John Cloer.
1:00 – 1:30 pm: Paul Finnican
1:30 – 2:00 pm: Allen Szyrwiel
3:30 – 4:00 pm: J.C. Honeycutt
6:00 – 6:30 pm: Susan Sherlock

Sunday, September 27
3:00 – 4:00 pm: Amissville (Meredith Laney and David Holtzclaw)

NSAI Music on the Theatre Stage

Friday, September 25
12:00 noon – 1:00 pm: Paul Atkinson
4:00 – 5:00 pm: The Cloers & Ang Medlin

Saturday, September 26
1:30 – 2:00 pm: The Cloers

Sunday, September 27
11:00 am – 12:00 noon: Ang Medlin

For more information about the type of music each of these performers plays, and to find out about other performers not listed above, take a look at the festival’s website. Please come out and support these wonderful songwriters! It’s going to be a great weekend of music!

We moved from my home to a bookstore, to the Steve Everitt Foundation House, to The Well at Pineville. We have morphed the group over the years from strictly a random choice of cowriters to a mix of appointments and random chance, to a mix of writing and discussions and critiquing.

When we started we often had between 10 and 20 participants writing new songs and presenting their progress that same note. In recent years there have been as few as one (me) person attending. On average we’d have between 3 and 5 people. Looks like it’s time to change again.

Seeing the recent success of the NSAI Open Mic at The Well, I’ve decided to host the months between the NSAI Open Mics with a SongFinishers Open Mic at The Well.

(Thank you Susan for opening The Well to us.)

So, we will start having monthly Open Mics at The Well. As always, we will react to your ideas and design the experience as we go along, but here is our starting point…

· Time is from 7 PM to approx 10 PM

· Date is the 4th Tuesday of each month (Sept 22 this month)

· No pre sign-ups like NSAI Open Mic. Just come on down, sign up and sing.

· We will be using the sound system

· This will be primarily for original songs

· We will have 10 minute time slots

· The focus is on songs and their performance – not critiquing. But you could ask for feedback within your 10 minute time slot

· If time allows we might go around for a second time

· Groups of two or more are encouraged (start a band and try it out)

· The Well Coffee Shop will be open (Thanks again Susan) so save some room for snacks, soft drinks, coffee, tea, hot chocolate and Susan’s special concoctions.

· There is no cover charge but The Well runs on donations so please be generous.

· The Well is at 220 Main Street, Pineville, North Carolina 28134 – Right next to Police Station. Less than a mile west of the I-485/Rt 51 interchange. Directions and a map are at www.the-well. org.

If you have any questions, please email me (bjohnson7@carolina.rr.com).

Let’s go have some fun!

Bruce Johnson

His workshop will be held on June 6th from 9:30 am til 4:00 pm, at our regular NSAI meeting place, The Well, in Pineville (directions at www.the-well.org).  The cost for the workshop is $40 for NSAI members, or $50 for non-members. We’ll provide pizza and soft drinks for lunch at no additional cost.

To sign up, either send an email to Steve Simpson (sisimpson@aol.com) and let him know you are going to mail him a check at:

Steve Simpson
1147 Thornsby Lane
Matthews, NC 28105

Please make checks out to “NSAI Charlotte“… or sign up using PayPal, just click the link below. If you choose the PayPal option, a PayPal fee of $2 will be added to the cost.

Click here to use PayPal

Craig will also be doing one-on-one song critique sessions the following day, Sunday, June 7th, from 12:30 pm til 5:00 pm, also at The Well, for $40 for a half-hour session, paid directly to Craig at the time of the session. If you are interested in signing up for a critique session, please send an email to Steve Simpson (sisimpson@aol.com) to indicate you are interested and note any preference on the time of your session. Also, you’re welcome to come and listen to Craig’s one-on-one sessions as an audience member. You will learn a whole lot by listening to him critique other people’s songs.

Lastly, we will be hosting a “house” concert for Craig at The Well on Friday night, June 5th, the night before his workshop. Craig is a great performer, you owe it to yourself to see him in concert. The concert is free for those attending the Saturday workshop, and $10 for others.

So, sign up now. The workshop may sell out, and you don’t want to be left out of this one!

Steve Simpson

Information from Craig on the funny-song topic:

What makes a song funny? Is it the lyric? Is it the music? Is it the lyric? What about the music? Is a humorous song like a joke? A series of jokes? Or more like an amusing short story? What about Puns? Satire? Parody? All of the above? Some of the above? How heavily does a funny song rely on delivery? In this course we will explore the many aspects the of the humorous song. We’ll do some exercises. We’ll take a few laps. We’ll try our hands at creating funny songs. And then maybe our feet.

Other things Craig may discuss, depending on time and interest:

I have been thinking a lot about the parts of the song writing process that are ephemeral. Elusive. Even magical. Most of the time in workshops we tend to dwell on craft. The discussion of craft is more tangible, and there are a tremendous number of techniques, methods, and exercises that can augment a person’s problem solving arsenal. But inspiration, divergence from old habits, fresh takes on familiar subjects are also very important to explore.

Often times a new experience stimulates creative output. A new romance. New surroundings. Or a new instrument. I have certainly had all these stimuli induce bursts of creativity. What do these things have in common? In my opinion, newness. And sometimes when we have a new experience it stimulates the flow of creativity. At these times it can seem seem effortless. The poetry flows. The melody comes freely. The journal entries fly off the pen. When a new instrument inspires us, it is a confluence of the new and the familiar. We bring a preexisting skill to bear in a new environment. Not completely new, just different enough to be intriguing. This is not unlike what we experience sometimes when we meet a new person. They are not completely unlike other people, five arms, flippers, and fly paper skin, no, they are more like other people than not, but in the best cases the differences can be stimulating.

I think that the exploration of what we each already know how to do, but with a twist can provide countless opportunities to approach the process in new ways. Ways to generate inspiration. Methods to create fresh perspective. Techniques to help break out of process and style habits.

I want to break down the song writing process with exercises that require everyone to approach any given writing assignment in a way that is different from the way in which they currently write. A new way. And it is my sincere belief that these experiments can set the ball in motion for songwriters to recognize ways in which they can summon their own creative force.

In addition we’ll…

• Examine with the various ways melody. words, chords, and grooves interact.

• Look at how the duration of notes in a melody affect the feel and mood so much, and explore the power of syncopation, and it’s role in catchiness and melody identity.

• Study the tremendous importance of the space between notes. Just like the negative space in visual art, the space between notes is critically important, some say even more important that the notes themselves.

• Discuss diction and phrasing. These disciplines, that are seemingly performance and maybe even singer specific, have tremendous power to shape melody and lyric.

• Play parts of songs and complete songs to demonstrate the left turns that a song can go through, and the problem solving and perspective changes that take place.

• Talk about demos. Listen to examples of a few demos, and compare multiple demos of the same song.

We will also analyze a few songs and discuss their merits and effectiveness. i.e. the degree to which they are moving, thrilling, memorable, catchy, beautiful, surprising, etc.

And time permitting a discussion of co-writing etiquette, writers block, the music business, and additional helpful songwriting devices.

This Friday night, March 20th, they’re back with Mark Elliot and the band. Mark your calenders and come out to enjoy Kim’s “Appalachi-groove”. She’s got a new CD out, so you can pick-up a copy of that, too.

For tickets go to the Evening Muse site, to check-out more information on Kim go to KimMcLean.com.

“Songs In The Spotlight: How To Write Songs That Artists Want To Record“

Saturday, February 28 – 9:30am – 4:00pm at The Well
220 Main Street, Pineville, NC 28134
Tickets $40.00 NSAI Members, $50.00 Non-Members
For Information and reservations: www.nsaicharlotte.com
or call Steve Simpson at 704-609-3579

We’ve got another great songwriting workshop coming up in February! Craig Bickhardt is coming to Charlotte! His workshop will be held on Saturday, February 28th from 9:30 am til 4:00 pm, at our regular NSAI meeting place, The Well, in Pineville (directions at www.the-well.org).

Craig’s songs have been recorded by BB King, Martina McBride, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, The Judds (two #1′s), Tony Rice, Kathy Mattea (Top 10), Pam Tillis (#1), Ty Herndon (#1), Country Music Hall of Famer Charlie Louvin and about 100 others. For a full list of Craig’s cuts, go to his website www.craigbickhardt.com. Craig’s song, Sugarcane Street, won First Prize in this past year’s 4th Annual IAMA (International Acoustic Music Awards).

Craig’s new CD, Brother To The Wind, features guest appearances by Tim O’Brien, Kenny Vaughn, Janis Ian, Beth Nielson Chapman, Terri Hendrix, Lloyd Maines, Darrell Scott, Maura O’Connell, Rusty Young & Jack Sundrud from POCO and Andy Leftwich (Ricky Scaggs).

Craig’s primary topic will be Songs in the Spotlight: How to Write Songs that Artists Want to Record. Here is a description of what Craig will discuss:

“A successful artist learns who his or her fans are by performing in front of them on the concert stage, not by making records in the recording studio. The “song in the spotlight” is where the artist and the fan interact and connect. This seminar explores the psychology behind the artist-fan relationship, especially in a concert setting. There are sometimes very subtle reasons why artists choose to record a certain song over another song because they are thinking about those 90 minutes in the spotlight. Craig will discuss ways in which you can shift your thinking so that you see things more from the artist’s perspective. He will show you how changing your approach to your subject matter can make all the difference between a cut and a pass.”

Craig will also speak on a variety of subjects related to the art and mechanics of songwriting. Then, toward the end of the day, Craig will pull several songs at random out of a hat to critique. So, if you want to have a chance to get a song critiqued, bring one on tape or CD, along with a copy of the lyric sheet for Craig to use. Or, if you prefer, you can just put the lyric sheet in the hat and perform it live if you are selected.

The cost for the workshop is $40 for NSAI members, or $50 for non-members, and includes a copy of Craig’s CD No Road Back, a limited edition promotional “retrospective” CD that spans the past 24 years of Craig’s recording career. It includes songs from Easy Fires, Idlewheel, a side project Craig has with Jack Sundrud of POCO, various unreleased masters (two duets with Wendy Waldman!) and the theme song from the Academy Award winning Robert Duval film, Tender Mercies. And, we’ll provide pizza and soft drinks for lunch at no additional cost.

To sign up, either send an email to Steve Simpson (sisimpson@aol.com) and let him know you are going to mail him a check at:

Steve Simpson
1147 Thornsby Lane
Matthews, NC 28105

Please make checks out to “NSAI Charlotte“… or you can sign up using PayPal, just click the link below. If you choose the PayPal option, a PayPal fee of $2 will be added to the cost.

Click here to use PayPal

Also (yes, there’s more), Craig will be performing at 8:00 pm on February 27th, the Friday night before the workshop, at The Evening Muse. He’s a great performer, so let’s all go out and see his show on Friday, too!

The Evening Muse
3227 North Davidson Street
NoDa Arts District
Tickets $8.00 in advance, $10.00 Day of Show
704-376-3737

So, sign up now. The workshop may sell out, and you don’t want to be left out!

NEWSFLASH:  Sign-Up (and pay) for the workshop then join NSAI Charlotte for Craig’s show at the Muse for FREE — your first drink is on us, too!

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“Craig, you are truly blessed with a gift – Thanks for sharing it …” – Martina McBride

“Being part of Craig’s project, and in particular being asked to sing on This Old House, was a rare privilege.” – Janis Ian

“Dear Craig, Tonight was magic. This was by far the very best mentoring session on the craft of songwriting we’ve ever had! Thank you for sharing your gifts with us- it was a marvelous experience!” – Dena H. Marchiony, Executive Director, The Philadelphia Songwriters Project

“The workshop was absolutely wonderful and informative and it was great to have Craig Bickhardt with us. I’ve been to a number of song clinics and symposiums and Craig did a better job of getting across what songs need to say and how to approach writing them than any of the other workshops I’ve been to.” – Donny Grace, NSAI Regional Workshop Coordinator in North Alabama

“Craig Bickhardt stands among the giants of songwriting. His main stage performance at this year’s Philly Folk Festival was absolutely outstanding, he helped curate and moderate some of our best panels.” – Jesse Lundy, Creative Director, Point Entertainment / Philadelphia Folk Festival