August 15, 2021

We're sorry, but...

We're not going live on Sunday, August 22 after all.

Recent developments with the COVID-19 Delta variant have caused us to re-evaluate the risk we would create by hosting an in-person meeting, and our Board of Directors unanimously agreed to postpone going live until we have a better path to meeting safely.

We'll be on Zoom on August 22, and we hope you will too!

Here's what will be happening on Sunday, August 15 at 2 p.m.

We'll be at the usual place at the usual time and we hope you will too!

Chris will be Coaching, with Ed Hosting.

We’ll continue with SSV Short Takes. We'll talk about what melody is, why getting it right is important, and how what we've learned so far is all in support of it.

And, as always, we'll share some tunes, paying particular attention to the melodies.

Here's how to get to the workshop:

Click on this link or paste it into your browser:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83457975628?pwd=WVlYelhqbVQ0djh2SUdQNTh0eDRvUT09

Meeting ID: 834 5797 5628

Password: 228275

August 6, 2021

We're sorry, but...

We're not going live on Sunday, August 22 after all.

Recent developments with the COVID-19 Delta variant have caused us to re-evaluate the risk we would create by hosting an in-person meeting, and our Board of Directors unanimously agreed to postpone going live until we have a better path to meeting safely.

We'll be on Zoom on August 22, and we hope you will too!

Masters Series: Mark Knopfler!

Here's what will be happening on Sunday, August 8 at 2 p.m.

We'll be at the usual place at the usual time and we hope you will too!

Robert will be Coaching, with Trish Hosting.

We’ll continue with the Masters Series, with a focus this week on Mark Knopfler - musician, singer-songwriter, founding member of the band Dire Straits.

If you're new to Mark's work, here is a link to a song you might enjoy.

After learning a bit about Mark and listening to a few of his tunes, we’ll share some tunes of our own, original or cover. Extra credit for a Mark Knopfler cover or a song about being in ‘dire straits’! Or…just play whatever you wish!

Here's how to get to the workshop:

Click on this link or paste it into your browser:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83457975628?pwd=WVlYelhqbVQ0djh2SUdQNTh0eDRvUT09

Meeting ID: 834 5797 5628

Password: 228275

July 30, 2021

Here's what will be happening on Sunday, August 1 at 2 p.m.

We'll be at the usual place at the usual time and we hope you will too!

Carl will be Coaching, with Ed Hosting.

Here's the plan:

Begin a new song. Start with a title.

Here are some ideas if you get stumped:

Hotter than Christmas, We never danced, Waiting for you, She grew red roses

Write a title on the top of the page. Yes, start with a title, You can always change it later.

Free write- no editing set a 6 minute timer. When done, read it out loud to yourself.

So what do you think? Are there colors, images, places, people, feelings, or any random thoughts?

Could be pure imagination, hallucination or it's real.

If you want more structure, you could use either of these chord patterns:

Em / D / C / C or C / AM / F / C

Any rhythm that works for you.

Please bring these ideas to share and any song you are ready to play for the second half on Sunday

Stay Cool!

Here's how to get to the workshop:

Click on this link or paste it into your browser:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83457975628?pwd=WVlYelhqbVQ0djh2SUdQNTh0eDRvUT09

Meeting ID: 834 5797 5628

Password: 228275

Have you heard?

We're going live on Sunday, August 22!

We'll be live and in-person at

Artichoke Community Music

2007 SE Powell Blvd, Portland, OR 97202

More info coming soon.

For our Zoom community:

Although we will be dark on the 22nd, rest assured we will be keeping our online workshops going. We're still working out how we're going to manage the two formats, but for the remainder of 2021, you can expect our presence to be primarily on Zoom.

July 23, 2021

Good News!

We're going live!

Sunday, August 22

we'll be live and in-person at

Artichoke Music

2007 SE Powell Blvd, Portland, OR 97202

More info coming soon.

For our Zoom community:

Although we will be dark on the 22nd, rest assured we will be keeping our online workshops going. We're still working out how we're going to manage the two formats, but for the remainder of 2021, you can expect our presence to be primarily on Zoom.

Here's what will be happening on Sunday, July 25 at 2 p.m.

We'll be at the usual place at the usual time and we hope you will too!

Robert will be Coaching, with Ed Hosting.

The theme for next Sunday is: Any Hot Song’ll Do

Share an original or cover about summer, hot weather, a hot date, hot tamales, hot or cold, a Hot Tuna tune, a Red Hot Chili Peppers tune…you get the picture.

Here's how to get to the workshop:

Click on this link or paste it into your browser:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83457975628?pwd=WVlYelhqbVQ0djh2SUdQNTh0eDRvUT09

Meeting ID: 834 5797 5628

Password: 228275

July 16, 2021

Yesterday we sent out a Reminder for Robert's "Hot"-themed workshop with Sunday's date on it. Sincere apologies--that workshop will be happening on July 25.

Here's what [really] will be happening on Sunday, July 18 at 2 p.m.

We'll be at the usual place at the usual time and we hope you will too!

Chris will be Coaching, with Ed Hosting.

Not that we've finished up (for now) the Rhythm SSV Short Takes--we can hear those metronomes happily ticking away--we will circle back and fill in some bare spots in our exploration of melody and harmony. This week we'll introduce the chords we skipped last time, dominant and subdominant triads.

And we'll share some tunes, poems, tales, jokes, or whatever ya got.

Here's how to get to the workshop:

Click on this link or paste it into your browser:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83457975628?pwd=WVlYelhqbVQ0djh2SUdQNTh0eDRvUT09

Meeting ID: 834 5797 5628

Password: 228275

From Carl Solomon:

Yesterday at the airport I met a young man, Tanner Iskra, originally from Washington State, who is a Marine Corps veteran and works for the VA - Digital media Engagement. I told him about SSV and we started talking. His job is podcasting and writing stories for the VA. He lives in Washington DC. I asked him if he was interested in what we do. He said he'd like to sit in.

Here is the link that he hosts, called Borne The Battle:

https://blogs.va.gov/VAntage/va-podcast-network/

They've interviewed songwriters working with veterans in Nashville, among other relevant topics.

June 25, 2021

We're sorry to announce that Sean Davis will not be able to be with us Sunday. See Plan B below!

Here's what will be happening on Sunday, June 27 at 2 p.m.

We'll be at the usual place at the usual time and we hope you will too!

Carl will be Coaching, with Chris Hosting.

Write a song with the following structure:

Verse - Chorus - Verse

Bridge-words or instrumental

Chorus

In 3/4 (Waltz) time

if you are inclined, or bring a cover or one of your songs in 3/4

Possible prompt:

“I still miss ………………”

“Last time I put on the uniform”

Here's how to get to the workshop:

Click on this link or paste it into your browser:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83457975628?pwd=WVlYelhqbVQ0djh2SUdQNTh0eDRvUT09

Meeting ID: 834 5797 5628

Password: 228275

No workshop next Sunday, July 4

Happy Interdependence Day!

June 12, 2021

Here's what will be happening on Sunday, June 13 at 2 p.m.

We'll be at the usual place at the usual time and we hope you will too!

Carl will be Coaching, with Ed Hosting.

We will explore Song structure and blue printing a song vs. poetic style.

Here's how to get to the workshop:

Click on this link or paste it into your browser:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83457975628?pwd=WVlYelhqbVQ0djh2SUdQNTh0eDRvUT09

Meeting ID: 834 5797 5628

Password: 228275

Coming up next Sunday, June 20

Fathers' Day, plus an SSV Short Take: The Dreaded Metronome. Chriswill be Coaching, with Trish Hosting. Song For My Father

June 5, 2021

Here's what will be happening on Sunday, June 6 at 2 p.m.

We'll be at the usual place at the usual time and we hope you will too!

Robert will be Coaching.

We will try out the “favorite song” theme. We’ll bring a couple of our favorite songs to play and talk about what makes them a favorite.

Here's how to get to the workshop:

Click on this link or paste it into your browser:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83457975628?pwd=WVlYelhqbVQ0djh2SUdQNTh0eDRvUT09

Meeting ID: 834 5797 5628

Password: 228275

Coming up next Sunday, June 13

Fathers' Day. Carl will be Coaching. Sing one for the old man.

May 21,2021

Here's what will be happening on Sunday, May 23 at 2 p.m.

We'll be at the usual place at the usual time and we hope you will too!

Carl will be Coaching and Chris will be Hosting.

Scott Martin's voice, superlative fingerstyle guitar playing and multiple tunings draws comparisons to James Taylor, Richard Thompson, Jackson Browne and David Wilcox, but his music and storytelling craft is all his own. He is an award winning songwriter and storyteller. His new record titled "Corner of the World" will be released in September of 2021. Scott is a native of the Northwest and has called Austin home for 20 years.

Scott's Web Site

YouTube: Scott's Songs

And here's a link to an amazing site all about altered tunings.

Here's how to get to the workshop:

Click on this link or paste it into your browser:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83457975628?pwd=WVlYelhqbVQ0djh2SUdQNTh0eDRvUT09

Meeting ID: 834 5797 5628

Password: 228275

Reminder--No workshop next Sunday, May 30.

We'll see you on June 6. Robert will be Coaching.