Music is a Family | Songwriting Retreat: May 17-20
El Cosmico welcomes celebrated Texas musicians Kevin Welch and Jimmie Dale Gilmore for a weekend workshop exploring the art and practice of songwriting in the idyllic high plains desert of Marfa, TX. Overview
The course will emphasize the organic nature of songwriting, focusing on the artistic and exploratory side of the process rather than the industry side of getting songs recorded, published or heard. Participants will get the chance to work through problems or blockages, gain awareness of what is actually happening during the songwriting process, and get personalized feedback from two of Texas's most revered troubadours. (View the daily schedule.) 
Who's conducting?Kevin Welch has been writing for himself and others for 30 years or more. With eight records under his belt, his songs have also been covered by Waylon Jennings, The Highwaymen, Roger Miller, Garth Brooks, Patty Loveless and scores of others. He is one of the founding owners of the rebel indy label Dead Reckoning Records, generally regarded as one of the flagships of independent American music. In the summer of 2010, Kevin started turning some of his attention to teaching, beginning a series of monthly workshops in the Texas Hill Country. People from all over the States, England, Canada, and Australia have come for the intensive four days of discussion, writing, picking, eating and carrying on. He continues to travel the world, studying the art and the craft of songwriting, and loves nothing more than to share whatever he's figured out so far. Raised in the somewhat-fabled West Texas town of Lubbock, home of Buddy Holly, Prairie Dog Town and "world famous sunsets", Jimmie Dale Gilmore first responded to the honky-tonk brand of country music his father played as a bar-band guitarist. This was before he heard the rock 'n' roll siren call issued by his West Texas brethren, Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison, the folk and deep Delta blues, Bob Dylan or The Beatles. The eclectic blend that underpins his style has earned Grammy nominations for three of his albums. For the last fifteen years Jimmie Dale has conducted songwriting workshops at the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies in upstate New York, as well as at Esalen in Northern California and The Crossings in Austin, Texas. He is very excited and honored by the invitation from his old and deeply respected friend and co-writer Kevin Welch to join him this October in Marfa. 
Marfa: Where it's at.El Cosmico offers an expansive environment ideal for promoting creativity. Situated on 18 acres on the outskirts of Marfa, El Cosmico offers wide open spaces, a vast canopy of stars, and an inexplicable peacefulness not found in many places in the modern world. It is the second home to intrepid travelers and wanderers from all corners of the world. El Cosmico serves as a hub for happenings that elevate the mind, soul and creative spirit, and is a great place to get your hands dirty when the need arises. Over the course of the retreat, songwriters will enjoy delicious and thoughtfully prepared meals with an emphasis on regional fare and locally sourced ingredients to fuel their creative process. And as the group convenes around the campfire nightly with their instruments, writers will experience the kind of community that is at the heart and soul of the songwriting process. 
Photographer: Patrick Larson Is this for me?MUSIC IS A FAMILY is a perfect retreat for aspiring and seasoned musicians alike. Musical instruments are encouraged but not required. The Details
When: May 17-20, 2012 |
