Songwriting Workshops and Online Music Education

I believe songs hold a uniquely powerful role in the development of human nature. We hear them everywhere, whether through our headphones or in the background, whether recorded or being performed live, whether made to make us ponder or to make us dance. I believe Wichita has an amazingly eclectic range of sounds in its music scene, and so many people wanting to take their writing to the next level, whether they are veterans or whether they are still working on their first EP. I also have met many people with visions who are just waiting to find the right collaborators in order to get those ideas out of their head and into the real world. I see that desire for quality writing/production, I see immense potential beyond the magic that has already been created here, I see that desire for connection, and I have a next step.

Many of you that I'm informing about this already know me as a performing musician or poet, or know me as a teacher. I've been an instrumentalist and vocalist for about 12 years, and been on the stage for 9 years. I also have been teaching private music lessons for about 6 years. But all the while I've been doing other jobs to support these things, and have been pretty stretched thin as a result, so I've never felt like I was giving my full potential to either of these endeavors.

I spent the last couple weeks on the road (5,500 miles in a tiny car by myself), and with the time alone to think it became very clear to me I should find a way to engage my creative potential in a more focused and meaningful way. So I made a better vision, one in which brings my teaching and creating skills together, and one that, more importantly, brings people together. Connection and connectivity are key. I want to help songwriters elevate their art in an environment which encourages honesty and collaboration. And I want to help the greater community recognize the value that songwriting adds to the city. 

Here's my vision, and what I have to offer:

1. To focus my teaching on the *creative* elements of music. This will include music theory, how to apply it, writing prompts, tips for keeping up writing momentum, analysis of popular songs, and more. 

2. To teach both in person *and* online, making weekly educational videos that will be available to the public for free, and that will make a valuable supplement to the lessons I'm already teaching. 

3. To host monthly songwriting workshops in Wichita (possibly other cities in the future), taught by myself or by other accomplished artists in the community, that will be followed by songwriting circles where writers can bring their music for constructive critique from the workshop leader and from each other.

(Workshops will be $20 for a 1-and-a-half hour session, followed by a free group songwriter show-and-critique. So people are able to skip the lesson if they just want to do that part, or if they already feel versed in the subject I'm teaching that session. More information on that to come.)

4. To continue holding my own music and writing to higher and higher standards, as I progress in my journey as a student, and share the gems of what I learn along the way. 

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What I'm asking for is:

1. Help getting the word out about my W.Bloom. Creations teaching playlist  once it's up. (I am currently drafting material and have about 30 subjects lined up to teach on)

2. Help getting the word out about my songwriting workshops.

3. Participation. Easy, just come hang out with other musicians and hone your craft in community.

3. Monetary help: I am looking for a boost to help me focus 100% on crafting this vision to life. Over the next month, I am hoping to raise $3,000 that would go towards:

-Rent for studio space where workshops would be held, audio recorded , and videos would be filmed
-Technology upgrades to help with workflow (aka, laptop with appropriate audio-video capabilities, camera to tape workshops, video-editing software, etc.)
-Website maintenance, networking efforts and marketing.

(With Gofundme's structure, all donations will go through whether under or over the target.)

Anything at all will be of help, and hugely appreciated. I am set on this and already going to be investing whatever I can out of pocket to make this happen. Anything donated to me will simply be speeding up the process and getting the community connections started sooner. I can count 20 people off the top of my head in Wichita who are ready for a regular songwriting workshop opportunity to get started; this is a little bit about me living the life I believe I was made for, and this is much more about bringing people together to spread creative wisdom throughout the city and beyond.