Hey songwriters, Just a few songs were crafted to conform with this month’s optional songwriting assignment, but a full house filled the Songwriters Circle’s newly expanded seating area upstairs at Club Cafe. Curious songwriters continued venturing upstairs and getting on this mailing list, and some very cool songs were showcased at Calliope Songwriters Open Stage. Featured […]
Hey songwriters, At the first Circle meeting of the year, held upstairs at Club Cafe, the suggested assignment was to learn an unfamiliar chord and use it in a new song. Group members in the standing-room-only assembly showcased songs that pulled them beyond comfort zones and into unexplored territory. Emay (emaymusic@gmail.com), a longtime member of Pittsburgh […]
Hey songwriters, The transition to Club Cafe is going well. During the season’s first winter freeze about a dozen members and new members attended the meeting upstairs and later were in the showcase room for an outstanding set by Christopher Mark Jones (cjsongwriter@gmail.com). Sixteen open stage players, including Songwriters Circle members, played two songs each and the […]
Hey songwriters, The group’s move to a cosy upstairs space at Club Cafe went extremely well. About 30 members attended the Nov. 7 meeting and showcased dozens of songs with various styles of hooks. With no need to end the meeting at a particular time, every song prompted a discussion and enhanced a sense of […]
Hey songwriters, Pittsburgh Songwriters Circle ended its long run at Bloomfield Bridge Tavern Tuesday with standing-room-only attendance, good songs and discussion about merging words and music, and the kind of sing-along camaraderie that makes this group special. Beyond the wall, a full house heard Brian Junker’s (junkerb@gmail.com) mostly introspective set, and the open stage continued until closing time. […]
We’re moving After decades of providing musicians and songwriters with a comfortable place to play, Bloomfield Bridge Tavern will close on Sat, Oct. 21. Calliope activities that have been held at BBT are moving to a new location. Pittsburgh Songwriters Circle will meet at Bloomfield Bridge Tavern for the last time at 7 p.m. Tue., Oct. 3, followed […]
Hey songwriters, The monthly songwriting assignments, originally a good idea from Howard Davidson (bachblue@aol.com), have evolved into a motivational tool intended to give members who are stuck in a songwriting drought something to write about. The optional assignments can coax members out of comfort zones, provide deadlines for procrastinators, encourage songwriters to think about and articulate what […]
Hey songwriters, The chorus is more than just a recurring part of a song. Members of Pittsburgh Songwriters Circle showed why at the group’s Aug. 1 meeting, where the monthly focus was on “the chorus.” Playing original songs and describing their goals for the chorus, members explained that a well-written chorus can provide perspective when […]
Hey songwriters, Thanks are owed to Brian Junker (junkerb@gmail.com) for hosting the June Circle meeting, and to David Hipchen (dhipchen@yahoo.com) for hosting the open stages while I was taking a much-needed vacation. Both did a great job. I didn’t do so great — I got the July assignment wrong in last week’s meeting announcement. Nevertheless, […]
Hey songwriters, I’m still psyched about the May 2 Circle meeting — a perfect storm of capacity attendance, nearly total assignment participation and the return of a long lost group member who writes great songs. It wasn’t difficult for songwriters to put their distinctive spins on familiar covers. In doing so, many said they came […]
