FEEDBACK [feed-bak] – noun: a reaction or response to a particular process or activity.
Join singer-songwriter Sandra McCracken for an inspiring workshop on creativity and songwriting. God's Spirit is at the heart of transforming us and our creative process. Discover strategies to overcome obstacles, take on redemptive risks, and honor your unique story. Together, in community, we journey across thresholds into new creative spaces. Regardless of your vocation, we all possess creative potential, as we are made in the image of God. Through our creative endeavors, we actively participate in God's work of making all things new. Don't miss this opportunity to tap into your creative gifts!
In addition to Sandra’s teaching, which is for all creative disciplines, we will also be offering Feedback groups for songwriters.
Art House Dallas wants to provide an encouraging environment within a small group setting to explore your strengths and potential areas of growth as an artist. Anyone who has explored the creative process understands the value of feedback. Exposing our “works in progress” to the critique of our peers certainly takes courage, but feedback can also take our creative endeavors from average to excellent. Groups will be limited to 5 songwriters and Art House will provide facilitators who have exhibited a track record of success in their art form.
SONGWRITERS FEEDBACK WORKSHOP
Date: Friday, October 27, 2023
Time: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM CST
9:00 - Breakfast, 9:45 - Guest Speaker, 11:00 - Feedback groups
Location: All Saints Dallas | 901 S Ervay, Dallas, TX 75201
Registration: Registration Required
There are three ticket types:
- GA with Feedback Support: $100 and includes breakfast, teaching from Sandra McCracken, and song review with peer songwriters and moderator
- GA Teaching Only: $69 and includes breakfast with songwriters and teaching from Sandra McCracken
- Livestream Ticket: $29 and includes Sandra’s teaching and Q&A
Tickets are on sale for a limited time. Don’t miss out, grab your ticket now!
A fee has been added to this event in order to encourage attendance. If you can not manage this fee, please fill out this form to apply for a scholarship.
Featured Artist: Sandra McCracken
Sandra McCracken is a singer-songwriter and hymn writer from Nashville, Tennessee. A prolific recording artist, McCracken has produced 14 solo albums over two decades. Her best selling release, Psalms (2015) received critical acclaim, followed by God’s Highway (2017) which made the top 50 on Billboard Heatseekers chart without a major label. She has had songs featured in TV, including ‘Ten Thousand Angels’ on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and has over 15 million streams. Blending the old and new, Sandra has also shown a unique ability to recast sacred scripture texts into theologically rich yet accessible songs. Her thoughtful lyrics and gospel melodies in songs like “We Will Feast In The House Of Zion,” “Steadfast" and “Thy Mercy My God” have become staple anthems in churches across the U.S. As a published writer, she contributes a regular column in Christianity Today and released her first book "Send Out Your Light" in September 2021.
ABOUT FEEDBACK :: SONGWRITING
After Art House Dallas hosted Song Project in February 2011, one of the biggest takeaways from the event was the desire of the songwriters to have time and space to play their songs and hear from their peers. Furthermore, we also saw that most of the songwriters wanted more time to be challenged in their routine writing practices and be pushed towards a higher standard of songs that are true, good and beautiful for the common Good. Our hope is that Feedback will achieve both.
Feedback for songwriters is a place where expression, discussion, and new ideas are encouraged. Art House Dallas is all about connecting folks, and we also want these groups to pave the way for making contacts in music, which any songwriter knows is one of many keys to success. So, join us for a time of learning and inspiration through the sharing of ideas with fellow songwriters.
Whether you’re listening or playing, please enter the event with the humility of a learner. No one comes out with a finished, profoundly impactful piece of art every time, and to gain the most from the event, be quick to receive feedback as a statement on the piece of art, not on you as an individual or your artistic skill/sensibility.
This songwriters’ event is for musicians that are willing to share their work in a live setting. All attendees are expected to share their music with their small group. This means at minimum. you must have lyrics and melody, and be willing to sing or rap in front of your group.
If you are an artist that needs to play a track in order to perform( i.e. rap or pop music), please bring a device on which you can play your track and sing with it live. We can provide a bluetooth speaker if needed.
GUIDELINES FOR FEEDBACK: (SONGWRITER | PERFORMER)
When you express an opinion about the song, whether it fits your taste or not, it's more important to explain precisely what is good about it and which are the weaker areas that could be improved.
Please remember that any kind of negative criticism is always going to be a bit painful, so be tactful and accurate. Most people tend to over-react to negative criticism, despite the need to improve, so you should compensate for that a little bit.
Come Prepared: Come with a complete enough song that the listeners are able to give constructive critique – (i.e. – try to have it in a form that you would play for an audience)
Keep an open mind: Know that everything is a work in progress and there are always different approaches to creating and executing a song.
Let the song Speak: Often as artists, our insecurities will get the best of us and we want to over explain the song or give a disclaimer on this
Twice as many positive comments as negative. Be as specific as you can about what is good about the writing and song.
Do not present a problem without suggesting a solution. In other words, do not just say what you think is wrong with the song.
Do not make any jokes, they are much too easily misinterpreted.
POSSIBLE AREAS OF DISCUSSION
Lyrics / Story: the topic, theme, the structure and language
Tune: chords, melody, mood, originality, and complexity
Arrangement: instrumentation, vocals, effects, key
Commerciality: What is the goal of this song? Where is the audience for this type of song?