Located within the heart of SONG will be a performance space. Ultimately planned with seating for over 400 patrons the theater is flexible with regards to size and format. A full size stage with complete back-of-house support has the ability to play to 100–150 café style seats, providing an intimate house for guitar pulls and singer/songwriter showcases.
This intimate performance space aims to cultivate a sacred connection between artists and their audience, emphasizing the storytelling power of song. Key features of the live music venue include:
Intimate Setting: The round stage design will create an intimate ambiance, allowing songwriters to forge profound connections with their audience. The venue’s design is carefully crafted to accentuate the narratives embedded within the songs.
For touring headliners, a demountable back wall can be opened, providing an additional 300 raked auditorium style seats, increasing capacity for full concerts and recitals. Technology will be state-of-the-art so the hall can function for broadcast and recording sessions.
One of the aims of SONG is to present the full range of music and songwriting genres, from historical to experimental. Expectations are this space will be filled with live presentations as often as possible, offering a wide and varied performance calendar.
Budding songwriters will benefit from engaging on-campus and virtual instruction. Workshops, retreats, and semester-long on-site sessions focusing on both creative and business offerings, will be complemented by seminars, concerts, and unique events to attract new talent. A variety of classroom types, from individual rooms to larger spaces are being envisioned. Rehearsal areas will also be provided and state of the art equipment will be available.
Online, the opportunities for the Academy are nearly endless. Virtual classroom instruction, broadcasting opportunities, studio sessions and podcasts are just some of the possibilities. The Academy at SONG can literally use the world as its classroom. Courses cover a spectrum of topics, including recording, the business of music, songwriting lab, vocal training, marketing, and publishing. Participants receive a certificate credentialing their proficiency and mastery of the craft.
Throughout the year, a wide range of events will occur involving the Academy and featuring its students with recitals, concerts and showcases. The annual National Songwriting Symposium will become a celebration of songs as catalysts for musical evolution on a global scale and position the academy as a national thought leader. In addition, the SONG Academy will tap into the world of songwriting by sponsoring special guest appearances, lectures and discussions with distinguished members of the songwriting community. Performances by successful and well-known songwriters will be featured throughout the year.
Led by nationwide research on songwriting academies and industry trends, SONG academy targets key U.S. markets focusing first in Lubbock, Nashville and Los Angeles and expanding into other music centers such as Atlanta, Austin, and New York. Operating on a “hub and spokes” model, it establishes campuses in music centers and offers programs at teaching sites nationwide. The academy’s faculty, consisting of successful songwriters and industry professionals, serve as “artists in residence,” providing industry-embedded instruction.
With administrative headquarters in Mac’s hometown of Lubbock, Texas, the Songwriting Academy aims to shape cultural ambassadors who can influence change through the power of song.
