SIGN UP NOW
BNC Songwriting & Creativity Stargaze 2008!
Sponsored by Performing Songwriter Magazine
Hey! We’re back with a bang in 2008! Come to the Stargaze and re-align your creative power. Two and a half days and evenings of incredible hands-on classes in songwriting, creativity boosting, and performance at the historic Dyer Observatory in Brentwood, Tennessee. Bonfires, guitar/piano pulls, incredible organic lunches, powerful instruction, Drive-By Hit Songwriters, critiques, and tons of inspiration all for $325! If you are a member of NSAI(Nashville Songwriter’s Association International) you can knock off fifty bucks and get in for $275!
Are you stuck in a creative rut? Find the thread that leads to your deepest expression. Sit with legendary songwriters and learn about their creative process.
Take Beth’s magical mystery tour through the creative process where you will come to unlock the powerful creative spirit within you. Acquire new tools and learn to step fully into the mastery of your skills. Through critique of student’s songs and lecture, Beth will also address how to protect your creative flow in the face of letting your songs “cross the street” from art to commerce without getting hit by the mack truck of the music business.
But you don’t have to be a professional songwriter to love this workshop. Any form of creativity may apply! This adventure includes tips, tools, song critiques, guitar-pulling, (and keyboard pulling!) bonfires, story swapping, and spontaneous “Drive-By-Hit-Songwriters” not to mention incredible home cooked organic lunch each day by Gabrielle Middlestadt.
Friday evening will be more like a casual cookout/guitar pull and bring your own beverage kind of thing. Then get ready for Gabrielle’s delectable heavenly lunches Saturday and Sunday.
Historic Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory sits perched atop one of the
highest hills in Nashville. The observatory is nestled in a park-like
setting of native oaks, walnuts and hickory trees. At Dyer, people of
all ages discover the wonders of the universe through the largest
telescope in Tennessee, the Seyfert Telescope. The grounds are a
perfect place for relaxation and contemplation. Dyer is known for
bringing science and art together with events such as Bluebird on The
Mountain. This concert series has become Nashville's most popular
outdoor venue for singer/songwriter concerts.
At Stargaze 2008 we will be introduced to the magic of the Star Chamber!
Renowned artist Chris Drury has created a one-of-a-kind sculpture at
the Observatory.
The 200 ton structure is made from native stone, hand carved timbers,
and is a marvel to contemplate. The sculpture is a camera-obscura,
seated inside the chamber, the top that allows images from the sky and
horizon to be reflected onto white-washed walls of the interior. The
chamber also functions as a huge sundial which marks the passing of the seasons by projecting a noon-day image of the sun in an analemma. There in the Star Chamber Beth will lead a class on how to use your voice. We’ll do some “toning” which centers on the power of the vowel especially as it applies to finding the words inside a melody. Yes, we’re going to walk inside this amazing igloo-shaped rock which will take you to a place in your center. From there will come some insights about how to sing from that same center.
Hotels Nearby
Some great little hotels are all around the Observatory. Here are some we can vouch for!
Comfort Inn and Suites
615-221-5001
5566 Franklin Pike
Brentwood, Tn. 37027
Mainstay Suites
615-371-8477
107 Brentwood Blvd
Brentwood, Tn. 37027
Candlewood Suites
800-633-8464
5129 Virginia Way
Brentwood, Tn. 37027
Steeplechase Inn
615-373-8585
5581 Franklin Pike Circle
Brentwood, Tn. 37027
Travel and lodging and dinner in the evening is not included (except for the “casual” weinie roast on Friday night during the sign-up). But the lunches will be astonishing!
Drive-By-Hit-Songwriter-Geniuses!
During the BNC Creativity Stargaze, we will feature a few great “drive-by-geniuses” of songwriting and recording fame, INCLUDING: Mike Reid! Mike is the writer of countless hits and also created musicals for theater. Mike co-wrote “I Can’t Make You Love Me” for Bonnie Raitt! Here’s Mike and I a few years back after I sang that song when he was inducted into the Hall Of Fame!
And we’ll have some other legends as well, such as Bill Lloyd (Crazy Over You {Foster & Lloyd}) Bill Lloyd will wow you with his “Forest Gump” eclectic ability in all styles of music and his infectious tunes, as well as advice on the ins and out of pushing the boundaries of country, pop and rock.
AND!
Marshall Chapman (Betty’s Bein’ Bad, and the author of “Goodbye Little Rock and Roller”. Marshall Chapman will be doing a “Drive-by” and playing you some of her incredible songs and talking about her writing process. If we’re lucky she will also give us some sneak previews of her upcoming book “They Came To Nashville” which is sure to enlighten any aspiring writer!
We also celebrate the return of Annie Roboff,
(“This Kiss”, “If My Heart Had Wings”).
Annie Roboff will also be stopping by for a quick co-writing class with Beth. Writer of countless hits including “This Kiss”, written with Beth and Robin Lerner, Beth and Annie will let you in on some of their experiences as a co-writing team.
Master Class With Paul Reisler
Paul Reisler, one of the most popular songwriting teachers in North America provides a comprehensive and wonderfully digestible wealth of knowledge about songwriting and song structure. A teacher for many years and in high demand, Paul, songwriter, composer, songwriting teacher and founder of the musical group Trapezoid is also the founder and creator of “Kid Pan Alley” This past March, Kid Pan Alley was featured on NPR’s “Morning Edition.” Here’s star songwriting teacher Paul Reisler!
AND ROCKY!
This year we also have back astonishing astronomer-genius and caretaker of the Observatory, Rocky Alvey, who will lead us across the universe as we tour the magnificent skies at night looking through the telescope at incredible galaxies, moons and planets. There’s nothing like the vast expanse of the cosmos out there to mirror the vast expanse of the inner cosmos of creativity.
Rocky Alvey is infinitely engaging with his astounding knowledge of the universe. It’s just impossible to explain how he can warp your sense of dimensions with what’s out there in the great sky of stars. You have to see it for yourself! It will make you realize the ultimate beauty of creativity at its finest level!
So don’t miss the fun! Availability won’t last long! Sign up early because we have a limited amount of space and the space will go fast! Just download the registration form and send with a check for deposit to:
BNC CREATIVITY STARGAZE
PO Box 58156
Nashville, Tn.
37205
or sign up online. Instructions are all on the bethnielsenchapman.com website!
OH! And if you are a member of NSAI (The Nashville Songwriter’s Association International) you get $50 off the registration fee! If you are not a member you can become one and also qualify! So for $275 you can come for the whole she-bang!
See you there!! Love, BNC
Posts
