Young musicians learn in songwriting camp

Sisters Art Works was filled with song all weekend as 27 young musicians from across Central Oregon gathered for the third annual Sisters Folk Festival Song Academy for Youth.

The program places young songwriters with local mentors to delve into various aspects of the craft, from guitar accompaniment to how to give and receive constructive critiques.

"I thought it was very inspirational," said Melody Youngblood, a student in the Sisters Americana Project. "My spirits have just been really uplifted by all the people here."

Youngblood, a Sisters High School senior, sought out the Americana Project, moving here on her own from Oregon City to partake of Sisters' outdoor opportunities and its rich music programs.

"I'm completely content when I'm with musicians and playing music," she said.

The program included a student from Crook County High School, four from Summit and four from Mountain View High School, giving Sisters students a chance to mingle and share musical ideas and inspiration with their peers across the region.

The event ran Friday-Sunday, with a performance evening on Saturday night. The open mic format at The Barn at Pine Meadow Ranch allows the young musicians to share their works-in-progress.

This year, the evening began with a commemoration of Doug Sokol, who first opened The Barn as a venue for the academy three years ago. Sokol, a musician himself, found the program especially stirring, and Sisters Folk Festival Executive Director Brad Tisdel spoke of Sokol's contributions to the academy, urging people to remember his friendship.

The camp instructors seem to gain as much from the experience as the students do.

"It's been fun; it's been really rewarding and really cool to just reconnect with youthfulness," said Shireen Amini.

Amini offered a session on "compassionate critique" and a session titled "Looping Madness," where she helped students explore the potential of a looping machine for accompaniment and expanding the musical palette for practice and performance.

Youngblood felt she learned something important.

"The biggest thing I've learned here is that being a musician is a responsibility," she said. "That we have a responsibility to share what we've been gifted with."

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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