The first North Carolina Veterans Songwriting Workshop will be held Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5 on the Outer Banks as part of the Dare County Arts Council’s Veterans Arts Program.
The free workshop will be led by Ron Capps, founder of the Veterans Writing Project, a national nonprofit organization that has provided more than 3,500 veterans, service members and military families the skills and confidence needed to tell their stories through the written word.
The hands-on workshop will cover the creation of music through melody, harmony and song structure as well as the development of lyrics through the study of forms and structures, rhyme schemes, and narrative function. There will be time to practice and an opportunity to share work to receive feedback.
From beginners who play by ear to musicians who read music, everyone will gain new insight into the art of songwriting at the workshop, which is open to veterans, active-duty military and their families.
Participants should have some familiarity with an instrument and are encouraged to bring their instruments to the workshop.
Registration is now underway. Tuition for the two-day workshop is funded by the North Carolina Arts Council’s Military and Veterans Healing Arts Grants program. Travel stipends are also available on a case-by-case basis. Please email dcacvetprograms@gmail.com for more information on travel assistance.
The workshops will take place at First Flight High School in Kill Devil Hills from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. A complimentary breakfast starts at 8 a.m., and a complimentary lunch will be provided both days.
Participants are encouraged to arrive on Friday night to enjoy a performance by veteran songwriter and musician Jonny Waters, who will play from 6 to 8 p.m. at Dare County Arts Council, as part of the First Friday celebration in downtown Manteo.
For more information about the project visit https://www.darearts.org/veterans or call the Dare County Arts Council at (252) 473-5558.