We are pleased to offer our first songwriting workshop with veteran singer-songwriter Pierce Pettis and his talented daughter Grace teaming up for the week.
Pierce Pettis has been writing and touring for many years. His songs have been covered by Joan Baez, Dar Williams, Garth Brooks and Art Garfunkle, to name a few. Pierce’s critically acclaimed solo career includes many albums, including most recently Making Light of It and Everything Matters, State of Grace, Great Big World, and That Kind of Love. He records with Compass Records. Our family hosts a house concert series in Durham, NC and Pierce has played for us several times. Always a sell out and always a treat. Pierce knows songwriting — in addition to his own performing career he spend seven years in Nashville as a staff songwriter for Polygram records.
“Pierce Pettis doesn’t write mere songs, he writes literature. . . . End to end the songwriting is brilliant.” Sing Out!
“A torrent of musical language that speaks to the head and the heart” — The San Francisco Chronicle
Grace Pettis has spent the last two years building a reputation as a respected songwriter in the music industry. In the fall of 2009 Grace released her self-titled debut album recorded at the renowned Blue Rock Studio in Wimberley, TX. After releasing her album she splashed on to the music scene winning NPRs 2009 Mountain Stage NewSong Contest, where her, “Nine to Five Girl” was selected for the “Best Song” award. Grace carried this momentum when she performed as an “Official Showcase Artist,” at the 2010 International Folk Alliance conference, where she captured the attention of John Platt, Rich Warren and many others as one of the young standouts. Later that spring Grace won the Wildflower Performing Songwriter Contest Grand Prize, and the “People’s Choice” award. Grace has solidified her reputation as an accomplished songwriter with her recent win at the 2011 Kerrville New Folk Contest, as well as being asked to perform at the 2011 Falcon Ridge Emerging Artist Showcase.
