Bellingham Songwriters Group

This web page exists mainly for songwriters to check when the next meeting will be.

This non-organized group has been meeting ever since a Bob Franke songwriting class in 1996. What happens is a bunch of songwriters bring in songs in progress and offer suggestions how to make them better. We meet in somebody's home about once a month. There are no dues, no fees, and no goodies unless somebody brings them.

If you write songs and would like to come, here are our customs:

• Bring a song you are working on. Some people find it hard to submit a finished song to criticism.
• Print half a dozen copies of the lyrics to hand out after you have sung the song.
• Practice singing/playing the song enough that you can get through it without distracting pauses and fumbles. This gives us a better chance to hear how the song itself works. (I fall short on this one often, so I KNOW it works better when you practice -- Zeke)
• Ask for the kind of feedback you want. Just respectful listening? Don't discuss the words, but is the tune okay? Where do the words not work?
• When someone else presents a song, listen carefully, figure out what works and doesn't work, and make thoughtful suggestions how to fix the places that need fixing within the range of feedback they asked for.
• After your song has been discussed, you may ask for (or get without asking) a songwriting assignment for next month. You are free to ignore your assignment, but every now and then somebody assigns something that you wouldn't have thought of yourself, that leads to your writing a good song and/or becoming a better songwriter.

Many writers find this process extremely helpful. Several really good songs have come from our circle of songwriters, and many more good songs have become better songs thanks to suggestions made by our group.

Email Zeke Hoskin if you'd like to try it out.