Songwriting Workshop and evening concert Oct. 1
Sorcha Cribben-Merrill, left and Emilia Dahlin will lead the songwriting workshop at Merry Barn Oct. 1. Courtesy image
Sorcha Cribben-Merrill, left and Emilia Dahlin will lead the songwriting workshop at Merry Barn Oct. 1. Courtesy image
A Songwriting Workshop for kids ages 10-16 will be held at the Merry Barn, 417 River Road, Edgecomb on Saturday, Oct. 1 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. No prior experience necessary! Cost: $25.
Participants in this songwriting workshop will create collaborative songs with the help of Maine-based, award-winning songwriters and teaching artists, Sorcha Cribben-Merrill and Emilia Dahlin. Fellow music-lovers will explore theme, melody, rhythm, and form – as well as literary tools (rhyme scheme, meter, metaphor, alliteration, simile) that build strong lyrics and imagery. Through embodied play, word games, and listening exercises, students will build songs that span genres and discover what building blocks craft a compelling song. No singing experience is necessary!
Songwriting is a powerful form of expression that appeals to youth and invites them into the writing process in a new and exciting way. We invite introverts and extroverts alike and will meet you where you are. Bring a notebook to fill with writing prompts. Bring a song you’ve been working on. Try writing a song for the first time. Bring any hurdles to your creative process. You will leave with tangible tools and renewed encouragement, whether you have been writing your whole life or are just dipping your toes in! Then join us for a concert for all ages at 7 p.m.
Join us as we welcome a very special duo. Emilia Dahlin and Sorcha Cribben-Merrill join their jazz vocal harmonies with the poetry of folk music, while honoring vintage rhythms and their stylistic origins. Their songs unveil mesmerizing tales, charming vignettes, and raw bluesy grooves as they swap guitars, accordion, drums, and vocal improvisations.
Joining forces on stage, they embody what is possible when two musicians support each other through challenges of “going it alone” in the work of launching new projects, sustaining creative partnerships, and aligning their values with their work. Fueled by their Wednesday morning “creative accountability sessions,” removing barriers to their creative process made space for this special event.
Sorcha and Emilia embark on a regional tour of New England this fall, pairing each performance with a Songwriting Workshop to offer space for the general public to engage in the creative process.
Emilia has toured through the U.S., Canada, Brazil and Europe and shared stages with Ani DiFranco, Andrew Bird, and the Wood Brothers. Known for memorable performances, Emilia garnered national awards, from Telluride Troubadour, Winner of the Starbucks Music Makers Competition, Winner of Boston Music Conference Songwriting Competition, and the Great Waters Songwriting Contest.
Sorcha has opened for Grammy-nominated mandolinist Matt Flinner, folk music icon Tom Rush, and celebrated cellist/multi-instrumentalist Leyla McCalla (formerly of the Carolina Chocolate Drops). She has won over audiences at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (Emerging Artist), Stone Mountain Arts Center in Brownfield and The State Theatre in Portland.
