The fourth annual Oklahoma Songwriters Festival, co-presented by Grand Casino Hotel & Resort and the Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO), will take place Friday and Saturday, April 12-13, with a ticketed Friday evening dinner, a Saturday morning Songwriting Camp and the state’s one-of-a-kind musical round table, The Songwriter Showcase, on Saturday evening.
The Oklahoma Songwriters Festival was created in 2016 by Ada-native Zac Maloy, singer and songwriter for The Nixons – an Oklahoma-based rock band that rose to fame in the 1990s – in an effort to highlight songwriters and the art of songwriting. Each year Maloy returns home from Nashville, Tennessee, to Oklahoma for the festival, inviting award-winning Music City songwriters to perform and write alongside local musicians.
“Each year our songwriters are not only so candid and genuine in sharing their talents on our stage, but it’s their day-to-day work ethic and passion for the field that strengthens this genre year over year. Making for a better show each time,” Maloy said. “Here we are at year four and I honestly believe this is the strongest collective lineup we have ever had.”
To kick off the festival, a dinner with entertainment will take place at Grand Casino’s Flame Brazilian Steakhouse on Friday, April 12. Tickets for the dinner are $100 per person and include transportation to and from 21c Museum Hotel in Oklahoma City.
For the third year, the festival will include a Songwriting Camp, presented by the Oklahoma Film + Music Office, at Castle Row Studios in Del City at 11:00 a.m. This workshop will include an interactive panel discussion and Q&A with songwriters. A one-on-one mentoring session with both Maloy and Nashville songwriter Marcus Hummon will be given away to two attendees. The Songwriting Camp is free and open to the public.
The festival will conclude with the annual Songwriter Showcase, taking place at the iconic Tower Theatre that Saturday evening. The Showcase will begin at 7:00 p.m. with a presentation format frequently used in Nashville, called a “writer round”. This event will start with a local round, with the main event featuring Nashville songwriters singing the hits they’ve penned and telling the stories behind the music.
At this year’s Showcase, appearances will be made by Oklahoma musicians Tyson Meade (Chainsaw Kittens frontman) and Emmy Award-winning rapper Jabee Williams, with opening sets from local artists Kinsey Charles, Graham Colton, Tyler Hopkins and Beau Jennings.
Along with Maloy, this year’s Nashville-based songwriters include Oklahoma-native Brett James, ASCAP’s 2010 Country Songwriter of the Year (credits include Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel” and more), Tulsa born David Hodges, former member of Evanescence (credits include Evanescence’s “Bring Me To Life” and more), and Marcus Hummon, dubbed Nashville’s Renaissance Man (credits include Rascal Flatts’ “Bless The Broken Road” and more).
“The Oklahoma Film + Music Office values the opportunity to be a returning partner with the Oklahoma Songwriters Festival,” said OF+MO Director Tava Maloy Sofsky. “Our state’s musical legacy and cultivating the next generation of Oklahoma talent are very important to us. This festival opens doors for local and regional songwriters – seasoned and aspiring talent – to network and build relationships with some of Nashville’s most prolific songwriters.”
The Showcase is a ticketed event with a VIP option that includes preferred seating and a meet-and-greet with artists before the show.
To see a schedule of events and purchase tickets for the Songwriter Showcase, visit oklahomasongwritersfestival.com. ‘
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About Oklahoma Film + Music Office
Created in 1979, the Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO) strives to share all that Oklahoma has to offer by welcoming filmmakers and music professionals to the state and by creating a network of support to develop Oklahoma’s film and music industries. For more information about the Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate Program or the Oklahoma Film + Music Office please visit okfilmmusic.org.