Songwriting and Performing in your Authentic Voice
- Americana
- Bluegrass
- Country
- Folk
- Online Classes
- Roots
- Singer/Songwriter
**THIS IS AN ONLINE CLASS**
Fostering a committed and healthy relationship with our own creativity is a lifelong journey. In a culture obsessed with status and success, it is easy to devalue our own voices and question the worth of our creative endeavors. For me, creativity is a vital part of a healthy inner world and remaining steadfast in my work as a songwriter and performer means I must quiet the doubtful and cynical voices in my head. I must mindfully nurture all the seeds of inspiration that life offers on a daily basis. Being an artist requires an understanding of each of our unique tool belts and diligence to expand on our practice
The landscape of music and performance is infinitely vast and often overwhelming. The good news is there is no wrong approach. I would love to share some of the well-worn paths I’ve taken to become the musician and creative I am today.
“No one does you as good as you do” is a concept every creative must internalize. In this workshop, we will discover what makes our own voice unique and learn to bring that to our songwriting and performing. I will share strategies that have helped me find inspiration to start songs and the many varied ways I’ve worked to finish them. I will share the ways my approach to performing has changed and developed over the years and the ways I work to engage my audiences.
In this four-part workshop, we will encourage students to start brand new works or complete what they have already started. In the first session, i will share what strategies have worked for me and get deeper into my own tried and true techniques. I will offer some prompts and structure for brainstorming and writing. We will
Develop strategies to quiet the voices of doubt and follow our own creative truths. Throughout the sessions students will showcase their songs and song-seeds and receive feedback from myself and the group.
Week 1: What do you bring? What is your unique perspective?
Week 2: nuts and bolts. Strategies for lyric writing and form construction
Week 3: quiet the voices. Remove the blockages to creative flow in both songwriting and performance
Week 4: show and tell. we may do some showing before this session, but in the final class we will hear completed works and everyone will get the chance to share some or all of what they created.
This class will be held from 6:30-7:45pm ET on Tuesdays, July 29, Aug 5, 12, 19
Please note: The class will be held online.
Limited to students 18 yrs of age or older; Pre-sales are highly encouraged! Online sale ends 1 hour before the class begins. 4 students are required for this class to meet. If a class is cancelled due to low enrollment, you will be notified and receive a full refund.
Ali McGuirk
- Blues
- Singer/Songwriter
- Soul
Ali McGuirk has never been a church mouse. Her 2022 album, Til It’s Gone, was met with widespread acclaim and praised for its “earthy tenderness and smart introspection” (Boston Herald). She now returns with a new album, Watertop, that elevates her signature soulful and smoldering sound to new heights—this time, the production is richer, and the message is unflinching.
It’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment that led to the freedom in McGuirk’s songwriting on “Watertop.” Perhaps it was when she began treating social activism—and her care for others—as a spiritual practice. This transformation gave Watertop its raison d’etre, which comes at you quickly with the opening track, “Love Goes First.” With Watertop McGuirk takes a magnifying glass to the complexities of human and societal value, unraveling the meanings of care, empathy, love, and even greed. At first listen, her words aren’t always what they seem. But the richness of McGuirk’s voice, the lucidity of her production, and the power of her delivery guide you to the truth.
