Combining musical performance with literary discussion, our Singers & Songwriters series takes visitors to the intersection of music, poetry, prose, lyrics, and beyond. This series started in September 2018 and was presented in conjunction with our special exhibit Bob Dylan: Electric, which examined the literary aspects of Dylan’s songwriting and his enduring legacy on American music and literature.
Take a look back at the artists we’ve hosted who have graciously shared songwriting tips, strategies, influences, inspirations and more. These events are experiences that go beyond a typical live show, and allow fans to meet their favorite artists and ask them questions in an intimate setting.
DESSA
We kicked things off with rapper, singer, writer, and all-around badass Dessa in September. She had just published her debut collection of essays, My Own Devices, in which she chronicles her life as a touring musician with deeply personal and insightful writing and her characteristic humor that keeps readers engaged. Dessa’s live event here was more of the same. We truly couldn’t have asked for a better start to this series, as she commanded a standing-room only audience and made us laugh and smile throughout. In the clip below, Dessa fields a question from an off-screen audience member and describes her different approaches to writing prose and writing song lyrics.
KETCH SECOR
A couple weeks after that, we welcomed Ketch Secor, lead singer and songwriter of Old Crow Medicine Show, who also wrote a book, except this one was for children. So we invited families! Secor read his book aloud to kids and their parents and even played a few songs for us, including “Wagon Wheel,” on which he collaborated with Bob Dylan.
Here Secor talks about such collaborative forces inherent in American songs and the role they play in his songwriting process.
ROBBIE FULKS
On the first day of December, Grammy-nominated musician Robbie Fulks came armed with an acoustic guitar and an impressive knowledge of American songwriters throughout history. He shared some of those songwriters who have influenced him, including Bob Dylan, and the ways in which he has emulated them. Fulks also shared some of his writing practices and processes, including a profound moment in which he responded to an audience member’s question about the fundamental nature of songwriting:
“I do feel like I’m more uncovering something than inventing something. I feel like that’s the only thing that really explains, you know — you try this, you try that, you try that — and then all of a sudden something clicks. Well, why does it click? There’s not a real obvious reason a lot of the times why one word clicks or one phrase clicks, but it does seem to click. So I feel like I’m communicating with something that’s a little bit beyond me when I [write songs].”
Fulks also played a number of songs, both originals and covers. In the following clip, he covers “You’re No Good,” the first track on Bob Dylan’s debut album Bob Dylan, which is itself a cover of Jesse Fuller’s song of the same name.
LOUIE PÉREZ
Then one week later, Louie Pérez, of Los Lobos, stopped by to talk songwriting and his new book of poems, lyrics, and artwork Good Morning, Aztlán. He told stories of growing up in East Los Angeles, embracing his Mexican-American identity, and using personal experiences to write universal songs that people can connect to.
“There was a couple ways I could have gone as a songwriter. I could’ve gone this way and the band could’ve been a good-time-great-to-dance-to kind of band. Or I could go the other way where I was writing songs about things that really mean something to me and hopefully would mean something someone else. So that’s the direction I took.”
Pérez also delved into the particulars of his writing process with bandmate and writing partner David Hidalgo, including finding inspiration for songs in otherwise mundane interactions of daily life.
Watch the full conversation with Louie Pérez here.
FRANK WALN & TANAYA WINDER
In May of 2019, Singers & Songwriters continued with special performances by indigenous artists Frank Waln and Tanaya Winder. The talented pair discussed their approaches to songwriting, using music to heal, and the importance of preserving and speaking their native languages. Waln is a an award-winning Lakota hip-hop artist, producer, and audio engineer from the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. Winder is an author, singer/songwriter, poet, motivational speaker and educator who comes from an intertribal lineage of Southern Ute, Pyramid Lake Paiute, Diné, and Duckwater Shoshone Nations where she is an enrolled citizen.
Watch the full program below, or listen to it on our podcast here.
JOAN OSBORNE
To round out our Singers & Songwriters series, we were honored to host a conversation with critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Joan Osborne and 93XRT radio host Terri Hemmert. Osborne even played a few songs from her album Songs of Bob Dylan, an album of Dylan covers. Turn up your speakers, and watch the program below!