Life-changer and game-changer: South Louisiana Songwriters Festival and Workshop looks back at a successful first edition.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(LAFAYETTE, LA, October 4th, 2018) Some would argue that life-changing might be a bit much to describe a songwriting festival but if you talk to the 2018 scholarship winners that were able to attend, many would agree.
2018 scholarship winners vary in age and musical backgrounds, but all had an incredible formative experience at SOLO. They won the opportunity to write with some of their idols, interact with local media, perform their songs for their peers and the public, and added hits to their repertoire. Some also found management and were offered new collaborative ventures. Thanks to the generous individuals and organizations that sponsored scholarships, these musicians gained priceless experience in the songwriting craft, and insight into the life of a songwriter. It was the professional connections made during the inaugural SOLO workshop that helped to change the lives of the participants.
New tracks from SOLO Sessions now available
A selection of the songs written at SOLO are now available for streaming at www.solosongwriters.com. Each song is the result of one day’s worth of work of a team of writers that had never worked together before. The recordings are excerpts from SOLO Sessions, the workshop finale show presented at Lafayette’s First United Methodist Church. In some cases, these songs have already been recorded by the artists themselves or colleagues, but these newly released tracks remain the first public performances of the songs.
Game-changer
After only one year, american and foreign music industry professionals are starting to take note and make plans to be in Lafayette for SOLO 2019. It has quickly become recognized as a special place where songwriters see their work elevated by the unique sound, spirit, and musical range of our participants. Presented in part by The Buddy Holly Education Foundation and CREATE Lafayette, SOLO will once again bring together aspiring writers with established and renowned artists from the US and the world. Lafayette’s music community is forever changed by this professional development workshop that also shares the importance of intellectual property, song rights and the other tools that help songwriting build sustainable income for working musicians. SOLO will strive to keep the authentic, true vibe that made it such an incredible creative experience for all participants in 2018 as we look forward to 2019 for more opportunities for the diversity and talent in our area to shine.
How can the community get involved?
SOLO is currently looking for thirty businesses and individuals who want to support 2019 aspiring writers by sponsoring a scholarship. These supporters will be contributing to more than a festival or an entertaining event. They will make possible this professional development experience for songwriters of any level to not only create a creative legacy but a financially secure legacy through the song rights that will continue to build wealth for their children and grandchildren.
Songwriters, industry professionals and music lovers should also mark May 21st to 26th, 2019 on their calendars for the event’s second edition. In the meantime, keep checking www.solosongwriters.com for periodic releases of tracks from SOLO Sessions, video footage of the 2018 event and upcoming volunteering opportunities.
About SOLO
SOLO’s goal is to bring writers together to find inspiration not only from each other, but also from the rich, soulful, and authentic vibe that is South Louisiana. Its purpose is to bring artists, music lovers, and industry professionals together to ignite Lafayette’s creative scene – to make Lafayette known not only for its heritage, but also for its deep pool of musical talent, engineers and studios, all capable of inspiring and creating music that is relevant now and into the future. The event is presented in part by the generous support of CREATE, the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation, Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission, BMG, Louisiana Entertainment, a division of Louisiana Economic Development, Lafayette Economic Development Authority and many public and private sponsors.
About The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation
The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation founded by Peter Bradley, Senior and Maria Elena Holly to honor the music, life, legacy and dreams of Maria Elena’s late husband Buddy Holly. The mission of the Foundation is to honor Buddy Holly’s tremendous legacy and to fulfill Buddy’s and Maria Elena’s dream of extending musical education, including songwriting, production, arranging, orchestration, and performance education to new generations regardless of creed, ethnicity or income level. In this way, the Foundation wants to empower a new generation to follow in Buddy’s footsteps and remind them of his heritage. For further detailed information on the Foundation please visit: www.tbhef.org.
About CREATE
CREATE is an initiative of the Mayor-President’s office to build and support our local and authentic culture to further diversify and strengthen the economy in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. Representing Culture, Recreation, Entertainment, Arts, Tourism, Economy, CREATE is a parish-wide, multi-year effort that reinvests in the residents of Lafayette recognizing that a place that people love to live in, is a place tourists love to visit and businesses love to do business in. A partial rededication of the Public Health millage was passed by Lafayette Parish voters to provide $500,000 annually to support the cultural economy through the CREATE initiative. More information is available at www.createlafayette.la.
###
For more information:
SOLO Contact: Mark Falgout
Email: solo@solosongwriters.com
Phone: 337-344-4441
TBHEF Contact: Stephen Easley
Email: stephen.easley@gmail.com
For more information, visit: http://www.tbhef.org/