Hi! I'm Maddie, and I'm a singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. In my 19 years I have attended two arts schools, performed in over 20 vocal and instrumental ensembles, participated in five years of CMEA Solo & Ensemble festivals, and I am now preparing to record my first album.

Here's one of my favorite songs I've written, called "Blisters", about remembering that the only love you can't live without is loving yourself.

"Sunshine" is a song I wrote after a friend committed suicide, as a reminder to those of us left behind that there is always a reason to live.

I hope to someday be able to truly make a difference with my music, but to get there I have to make connections and keep learning.  The next step in that journey is attending John McCutcheon's 4th Annual Songwriting Camp at the Highlander Center in Tennessee.


The Highlander center has been a major landmark for social activism for decades. It is where the first interracial meetings to organize the Civil Rights Movement were held. It is where Rosa Parks was trained as an activist for racial equality. It is where the song "We Shall Overcome" was developed and desseminated. And it is where thousands of people over the last 80 years have worked to better the world we live in.

The Songwriting Camp is an incredible opportunity to work with one of my musical heroes, Grammy-nominated musician and songwriter John McCutcheon. Only 20 people get to attend each session, and I was lucky enough to get the second-to-last seat available this year.

The program includes:

     - Four days of theoretical and hands-on songwriting practice
     - Studies of traditional music and forms
     - A survey of other influencial songwriters and their techniques
     - A workshop on how to write quickly and clearly for specific events and issues
     - A workshop on song presentation and performance
     - One-on-one critiques with John McCutcheon
     - Open-mics each evening

Here's some more info...

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I cannot predict how it will change my life, but I can guarantee that it will.


My goal is to raise a total of $2000 as soon as possible. Half of the registration fees have to be payed by April 1st, and the other half have to be payed by May 1st. The money raised by this fundraiser will go toward:

     - $800 Registration fee - This covers all of the programming, as well as lodging and food.
     - $1000 Transportation - This covers the cost of airfare from the Bay Area to Knoxville, Tennessee and back, as well as transportation to the Highlander Center from Knoxville and back.
     - $200 - This covers any emergency expenses.
     - Any additional money raised will be put toward lessons, classes, or musical instruments and equipment.

Anything you can give, no matter how small, makes a huge difference. Thank you so, so much for taking the time to consider helping me in this next step of my musical journey.