Boston Songwriters Workshop


January, 2011

"Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass." - Anton Chekhov

"You need to be not just a writer of songs, you need to be a lover of songs, a listener of songs and a collector of songs." - Michael Kosser

"Perfection is devastated by failure, while excellence learns from failure." - Denis Waitley

"One must be drenched in words, literally soaked in them, to have the right ones form themselves into the proper patterns at the right moment." - Hart Crane

"I try to leave out the parts that people skip." - Elmore Leonard

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Dear Writer,

We're suspending activities! Yes, after a couple of wonderful decades, Boston Songwriters Workshop will not be meeting regularly. Present and past active members please join us for a goodbye and a hello to old acquaintances at a BSW Reunion Gathering, Saturday 1/15 from 3 to 6pm at 280 Melrose St 02466 - see map below and ask Stan if it's not clear. We'll have refreshments but bring your own if you'd like, and please bring guitars and such for a song pull.

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Going forward, take advantage of other ways to connect with fellow writers:

  • NSAI Boston Workshop meets in Waltham the last Monday of the month. Email terrykit@aol.com to get on the mailing list, or see the NSAI main site.
  • The North Shore Songwriting Group meets in Boxford.
  • A new group, the South Shore Songwriters Club, has formed and meets in Bridgewater. Email Chris at christianagerstner@gmail.com for contact info.
  • Find each other and start your own writer's circle! If you would like to be on a mailing list to exchange information about songwriting groups (or if you would like to pick up the ball and resurrect BSW!) please contact Stan.
  • SAMW, an annual week of acoustic heaven, is great for meeting songwriters as well as other music-makers from this area.
  • free online Berklee classes at Berklee Shares
  • upcoming Passim class schedule
  • classes, coaching, critiques and more at SongU.com
  • collaborators, critiques and more at SongRamp
  • all kinds of tools and contacts at The Muse's Muse
  • The Songwriter's Connection newsletter, send mail to sign up
  • Sam Bayer's open mikes list - with the Mark Stepakoff open mikes at NatickArts.org and many more.
Keep writing, and hope to see you on the 15th!

Boston Songwriters Workshop
Meeting at 280 Melrose St, Newton

Directions to 280 Melrose:

By car, exit rte 30 East from I95/rte 128. After one mile, turn right before the yellow brick post office on to Melrose St. Park on Melrose, or turn left to Auburn St angle parking, or a hard right to park on Ash St.

By Commuter Rail, take the Framingham Line to the Auburndale stop. Service is limited, so you might ask for a ride to Riverside for the return trip.

By Green Line, take the 'D' (Riverside Line) until they kick you off. Turn left on Grove St and walk 1 mi into Auburndale, cross the bridge and turn left on Auburn, right on Melrose.

280 Melrose St is the biggest ugliest house on the block. 617-243-0910