Master Songwriting Class to be Taught by Claire Lynch

To call Claire Lynch a first-class songwriter is a serious understatement.  We once said that if Ms. Lynch had been born a hundred years ago she could have stopped old A.P. Carter from tramping the hills looking for good material for the Carter Family to record – meaning that she could just write all they needed and we believe they’d still have produced the enormous catalog of wonderful songs.  Of course that’s much like going back in time and meeting a direct ancestor whom you then influence to the degree that you are never born.  None the less, suffice it to say that the caliber of Ms. Lynch’s songwriting, albeit influenced by the Carters and everyone afterwards,  still has that cut-to-the-bone, I-know-exactly-how-you-feel type of emotion crafted into every line.   

We can only imagine what it may have been like to work with A. P. Carter as he collected material and subsequently crafted it into any one of those great Carter Family songs.   So,  to see a post in the Boston Bluegrass Union Newsletter regarding an upcoming Songwriting Class taught by Ms. Lynch may be about as close as one could get.  

Songwriting taught by Claire Lynch
The songwriting class with Claire Lynch will cover tips and information for writing a solid song. Some subjects covered will be line construction, focus, lyric relation to melody, rhythm and rhyme, the re-writing process and simplicity of communication.

Additionally, Claire will offer insights on staff writing for a publisher, pitching your songs and business aspects of songwriting. Students will be allowed to present their songs for helpful comments and constructive criticism. Q&A and group discussion will also be encouraged.

Long recognized and praised as a creative force in acoustic music, Claire Lynch is a pioneer who continually pushes the boundaries of the bluegrass genre. The current Claire Lynch Band is a powerful juggernaut, a quartet that has the innate ability to perfectly interpret the beauty, subtlety, and genre-defying sophistication of Claire’s music.

Claire’s career is fittingly bookended by two IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year awards:  in 2010, in recognition of her current work with the Claire Lynch Band, and in 1997, for her influential work with the Front Porch String Band, and as a solo artist. Claire was nominated for the 2011 IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year Award. As a songwriter, her tunes have been recorded by such luminaries as Patty Loveless, The Seldom Scene, Cherryholmes, Kathy Mattea, the Whites and Stephanie Davis.

For registration, email Claire: clairelynchband@gmail.com

Look for New CD From The Bee Eaters in Early September!

“It is a joy to hear both the exploration of this music and the grounding of it simultaneously. Also, I love the emphasis on the simple beauty of the acoustic instruments.”  Edgar Meyer      *******

“The Bee Eaters are the instrumental cream of the brand new string nation.” Darol Anger

The Bee Eaters

Set to Release New Album  “OddFellows Road” Sept. 6^th

Acclaimed Boston progressive string band, The Bee Eaters, will release their brand new album, OddFellows Road on Sept. 6^th.  This highly anticipated project is the follow up to their 2009 self-titled debut album, produced by modern fiddle guru Darol Anger, that first garnered them national attention.

“I believe every sound you listen to informs your ears, and therefore your musical perspective.  We grew up listening to the sounds of nature, rather than the sounds of cities,” says Bee Eaters co-founder Tristan Clarridge. 

Perhaps it was their unusual lifestyle growing up in a tipi on the side of a mountain in a remote part of Northern California that influenced their musically explorative sound. Or the fact that Tristan and fellow co-founder and sister, Tashina, never went to a day of traditional school, sometimes driving thousands of miles for music camps and lessons and spent much of their time exploring and learning on three week backpacking trips.