This past weekend, songwriters from all stretches of Texas gathered for the 6th annual Austin Songwriters Symposium in the Wyndham Hotel of South Austin.
The conference, sponsored by the Austin Songwriters Group (ASG), kicked off on Thursday with a concert by songwriting greats, Roger Brown and Monte Warden, and continued on through the weekend until Sunday afternoon.

The creativity was buzzing as the attendees took part in classes lead by industry professionals on song pitching and writing, publicity, marketing, media, etc. Acclaimed songwriters Bill and Ruth Carter, Will Sexton, Austin Cunningham, and Chuck Cannon provided insight on their own musical journeys and answered in detail all of the participants' questions. Each songwriter who attended also had a chance to pitch their own material to publishers Brandi and Monte Warden (Moonkiss Music), Daniel Lee (Ten Ten Music) and Bobby Rymer (Writer's Den Music Group). Outside of the classes, attendees could participate in showcases and songwriting circles.

A concert was held Friday night featuring Grammy-Award winning songwriter Rodney Crowell and Best-Selling Author Mary Karr. The line between the stage and the audience was almost non-existent during the intimate evening of music and story-telling. The following day, Crowell returned for a Q&A with the attendees. In a light moment, he addressed the concept of a "song being like one's baby": Crowell laughed and said, "Babies? That's 'b.s.'.... Songs are just songs- they gotta go make their own living." But then on a more serious note, he told everyone in the room that "intent" is the most important thing a songwriter can have. Believing in your own songs and being passionate about your goals is the best route to getting your music heard.

The weekend came to a close with a concert featuring professional songwriters Chuck Cannon and Austin Cunningham. Afterwards, there was a collective feeling of satisfaction mixed with sadness- attendees not only left with a list of new contacts and insider industry knowledge, but they also left with unique friendships which can
only be created by such a soulful experience.

Though the Symposium brought together all ranges and types of musicians, everyone seemed to agree on two things- The experience was unforgettable, and this year's conference will not be their last!

If you are interested in attending a Symposium, or are just a songwriter who would like to meet others like yourself, visit austinsongwritersgroup.com.

Savannah Giersch - Staff Writer

Austin Music City