The Bluff City and the art of song go hand in hand, as the Memphis Flyer’s April 19 feature on a Grammy Week songwriting workshop revealed. Such fascination with songcraft isn’t limited to professionals only, however; there are budding troubadours honing their skills privately across the city, the country, and the world. Now some young American musicians and songwriters are gathering in a workshop of their own right here in Memphis, thanks to a new program launched by the Germantown Performing Arts Center (GPAC).
The Acoustic Music Project (under the rather ironic acronym of AMP) brings talented young song-oriented musicians from around the country together to hone their skills with GPAC teaching artists and visiting headliners. Eleven students aged 16 to 22 were selected, having proven their proficiency in the realms of classical, bluegrass, folk, Americana, Celtic, or any other traditional music played largely on acoustic instruments.
The nine-day immersive experience, now approaching its end, has included study with AMP Artistic Director, Grammy-nominated guitarist Darrell Scott, Native American guitarist and flutist Bill Miller, and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer Beth Nielsen Chapman. And the students have also counted master-level acoustic musicians such as Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Shawn Colvin, and Marc Cohn among their teachers.
Beyond workshopping songs and arrangements, the students have been immersed in Memphis-based music, visiting historic recording studios and meeting with award-winning producers, engineers, and recording artists.
On Saturday, April 22 GPAC will present a very special performance of the Acoustic Music Project participants as a culmination of their time here. The eleven young players will perform their original works, created and refined during their project experience.
