A Free 90-Minute Workshop for Session Singers, Jam Leaders, and New Bands
You’ve stood in the circle. You’ve played the late night sets. You know the repertoire. And somewhere in the back of your mind, a question has been sitting unanswered for a while now: what could all of this become?
This workshop helps you find the through-line in what you already know — and at least one place beyond the session where your program has a natural home.
You don’t have to be a full-time artist. But you can do what you love and even get paid for it, although sometimes there’s more of one than the other. That’s what puts the “work” in working artist.
The Gap Between Festival and Practice
Festivals build community and repertoire. They rarely make the next step visible: shaping a coherent artistic program, clarifying your creative claim, and identifying where your work belongs beyond the festival scene.
In this session you will:
- name the gap between festival visibility and artistic clarity
- uncover the thematic through-line in your material
- articulate a clear program identity
- define audiences and venues beyond the festival
- outline a narrative arc that holds your work together
- leave with concrete actionable next steps
What You Should Bring
- Your festival notebook or set list—what you share at open mics, sessions, and jams
- Your website or social media page if you have one (don’t worry if you don’t)
- if someone has said something about your work that made you think maybe I could really do this — bring that too.
What You’ll Walk Away With
- A name and a through-line for your program — something you can say out loud when someone asks what you do.
- At least one non-festival venue type where your work belongs: a library, a historical society, a school, a concert series.
- A sense of what comes next — specific enough to act on before the week is out.