Songwriters' Forum #3

The third ShareSong.org Writers' Forum happened on 19 April 2005, with some great music, food, fellowship and feedback with lots of fresh faces of Brisbane songwriters.  Check out the recordings and the pics from the night below. 

song	author(s)	mp3	lo-fi	sheet	chords	lyrics
If My People (2 Chron 7:14)	Curtis Griffin
I Cry (A Little)	Glen Lynham
Faithful to Me	Ben Thorn
Devoted	Ben Thorn
They Don't Lie	Glen Lynham
No Condemnation	Ben Dawson
I Will Wait for You	Ben Dawson
We come to You Father Votes:14 VOTE FOR THIS SONG	Dale Hembrow
Hallelujah	Dale Hembrow

Check out the proposal and the feedback and song tips sheet for more info on what the forum is all about.

The next one is planned for late July 2005.  Email marty@sharesong.org if you'd like to be involved.   

Songwriters' Forum #2

The second ShareSong.org Writers' Forum happened on 9 November 2004, gathering momentum, with more songwriters being featured, networked, encouraged and inspired.  Check out the recordings and the pics from the night below. 

song	author(s)	mp3	lo-fi	sheet	chords	lyrics
Over the Moon VOTE FOR THIS SONG	Andrew Kennedy
This Day	Grant Walker
What Can I Offer? VOTE FOR THIS SONG	Andrew Lennox
Shattered Dreams	Grant Walker
You Are God VOTE FOR THIS SONG	Andrew Lennox
Audience with the King VOTE FOR THIS SONG	Nathan Howard
Battlefield Hymn	Bel Morrison
Coming Over Me	Andrew Kennedy
Exalt The King VOTE FOR THIS SONG	Grant Walker
John Doe Like You	Andrew Kennedy
For Freedom	Chris Fitzell
For the Lord is Good VOTE FOR THIS SONG	Nathan Howard
Into Your Presence	Chris Fitzell

At the next forum we plan to focus on workshopping and arranging to polish for performance and publication. 

Interested in running a forum to unearth the songwriting talent in your backyard?  Check out the proposal and the feedback and song tips sheet or email marty@sharesong.org for more info.

Songwriters' Forum #1

On 24 August a small group of songwriters got together in the "Upper Room" at Gateway Baptist Church (Brisbane, Australia) to share songs they had been writing, give each other feedback (see feedback and tips sheet), network, and encourage growth in their local song writing community (see proposal for more details).  The performances were recorded for local use and international distribution through ShareSong.org. 

Panel member Rhys McFadden said "we need to be writing songs and doing art that reflects the theology, culture and spiritual journey of our local community.  Singing forms a massive part of our corporate worship, so it’s a pity to have to import a mass-franchised musical formula which means that every church ends up looking, tasting and sounding the same."

Coordinator Marty Kendall said he hopes that this will lay the foundation for other local communities to hold these sorts of events locally to encourage a creative culture within their churches, the fruits of which can then be shared with churches around the world through ShareSong.org.

Special thanks go to Nathan Howard of Hum Studios for recording the evening, Andrew Forster and Andrew Chambers for looking after the lighting and videotaping the evening (with a special feature documentary to come), Dave Fittell and Gabriel Sound for donating the PA for the evening and Expressions Music for notation.    

Songs

Photos

What people said about the night:

• By providing feedback on others' work, everyone was building their own ideas of what makes a good song.

• Even in the course of this one session there was the beginning of a "corporate vocabulary" as people developed ways to communicate ideas about songs.

• Writers met other writers - networks being developed, potential for new collaborations.

• It worked as a 'showcase' - how else would we hear what writers are doing?

What's is all about?

Check out the proposal and the feedback and song tips sheet or email marty@sharesong.org for more info.