In September Govanhill Baths will host the inaugural Glasgow Songwriting Festival. Organised by singer-songwriter Findlay Napier the festival is primarily a teaching festival with a ‘songwriters in the round’ style opening concert at the Glad Café. Places in the workshops are open to all adults regardless of abilities. It will be a great chance for newcomers to write their first song and for established songwriters to learn some new tricks.
Through a series of four three-hour workshops, one with each tutor, the participants will learn skills that they can take home to improve or kick start their writing. Napier says, “Sometimes the hardest thing about writing songs is finding the time to sit down and write. This festival will give people that time and all the inspiration they need.”
The tutors include Louis Abbott the lead singer and songwriter from Scottish Indie band Admiral Fallow. Donna Maciocia the principal singing and songwriting tutor at Glasgow’s Academy of Music and Sound who includes among her fans KT Tunstall and Nizlopi. Dave ‘Solareye’ Hook best known as the articulate witty voice of Scottish hip-hop band Stanley Odd. The final tutor is festival director Findlay Napier who is a stalwart of the Scottish Music scene. As a performer his most recent album was #2 in The Telegraph’s top Folk albums of 2015 and with Karine Polwart he has run two sold out songwriting retreats at Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre in the Highlands. Napier got the inspiration for Glasgow Songwriting Festival after attending the UK Songwriting Festival and an Arvon writing retreat at Totleigh Barton Manor, Devon with Boo Hewerdine and Karine Polwart. “After returning from UKSWF and Totleigh Barton I was inspired not just by my tutors but by all the other songwriters I met. I hoped that someone might start a songwriting festival here in Glasgow. Our city is bursting at the
Napier got the inspiration for Glasgow Songwriting Festival after attending the UK Songwriting Festival and an Arvon writing retreat at Totleigh Barton Manor, Devon with Boo Hewerdine and Karine Polwart. “After returning from UKSWF and Totleigh Barton I was inspired not just by my tutors but by all the other songwriters I met. I hoped that someone might start a songwriting festival here in Glasgow. Our city is bursting at the seams with top class musicians and songwriters this would be the perfect place. It took me a couple of years to realize that that someone to organize it would have to be me!”
To book your place or for any other queries please visit the Glasgow Songwriting Festival website www.glasgowsongwritingfest.com or follow them on Facebook or Twitter
Opening Concert Friday 9th Sept. The Glad Café, Glasgow 7:30pm
Workshops Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th Sept. Govanhill Baths Glasgow 10am-5pm