Young Songwriters Guild Off to a Strong Start

'I hope you're going to apply'. A one line email from a friend encouraging me to put my name and idea forward to be considered to win a prize of $10,000 in the final Indy 5x5 event: a competition looking for a project that would use art and innovation to bring communities together. My idea was to create a community of young songwriters where they had a safe space to create, collaborate and practice performing for various events throughout the year. The idea won the prize.

In just over three months since that September event we have around 40 students signed up to the guild from several high schools across the city. Our members meetings are held on the first Monday of each month in the Underground at the Harrison Center for the Arts. Here, members discuss how and why we write; what is it that gets us writing and how do we practically write a song or spoken word piece. There is always a time for members to go off and create new material which they are encouraged to perform at the end of the evening.

We've already been able to hold our first two performance events at the Cultured Swirl in Fountain Square and Foundry Provisions in Herron Morton Place. These have been fantastic opportunities for members to showcase their material and to gain confidence with performing their art. More live recordings of these events can be heard at: www.indysongwriters.org

We've been hugely encouraged by the support we have already received, from those involved with the Indy music scene wanting to connect and support the guild to musicians and songwriters who have come and are going to come to perform and talk to the members about the why and the how of songwriting. One example of this was during our November members meeting where Indy-based St. Aubin came to perform and meet with those attending. They stayed for the whole evening and the members loved hearing their music and talking to them about their experiences.

We're excited about the future and what 2014 will bring to the guild. We have our next performance event coming up in February followed by the recording of our first collaborative album. We are also recording work for individual members who wish to take their songwriting career to the next level. There are some exceptionally talented members who I have no doubt you will be hearing on your car radios at some point in the future.

The pace of things happening with the guild has been amazing but more importantly, it is giving young people in the city a place to express themselves, an invaluable thing in their busy and noisy worlds.

If you want to know more about the guild and who is eligible to join, go to: www.indysongwriters.org