The Songwriter Soiree is a place where your songs come alive, where your confidence and capacity — as songwriters and humans — can expand and flourish, where an “audience” transforms into a fiercely loving community.
We believe that everyone is creative, that singing is our birthright, and that our collective voices carry harmony, healing, and hope that ripple far and wide.
Yet for so many artists, musicians, and songwriters, our deep longing to bring our creative expressions to life gets stopped along the way — by the creeping self-doubt, by the musical skills we wish we had, by the sense of isolation when we iterate alone.
In a time of increased disconnection, isolation, and struggle, there is something unmistakably powerful about using our voices, cultivating our creativity, and sharing music with strangers who become friends.
In a turbulent world, we tune in to each other, we listen deeply and cheer wildly. We hold space for creative expansion, exploration, and discovery, and we unabashedly celebrate one another’s courage.
Through Monthly gatherings, Songwriting Retreats, and our vibrant online songwriting cohorts, The Songwriter Soiree emboldens musicians and songwriters of all levels to not only grow their craft but to thrive within a vibrant community. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re a seasoned professional, you’ll find the support, skill, and inspiration needed to take your musical journey to new heights.
Here’s how:
- Take your songwriting to the next level
- Write your first song
- Find a co-writer
- Build your confidence on stage
- Ignite passion and commitment for your creative goals
- Be a part of a vibrant and supportive creative community
- And more!
MUSIC :: CONNECTION :: BELONGING
Our “Why”
We believe in the transformative power of sharing music in community. We aim to cultivate skill, nurture collaboration, guide personal growth, and offer a vital platform for creatively embodied and engaged humans to use their voices, sing from their souls, and deeply support one another.
We know that when we connect with our voices, when we grow our capacity and confidence, when we feel held in genuine community, our ability to heal, create, and transform expands exponentially.
Plus, singing and sharing songs and music is deeply joyful soul medicine!
Who We Are
Founded in 2009 in a cozy living room in Portland, Oregon, the Songwriter Soiree started from the impetus to write new songs with the supportive accountability of a generous community of peers. Over the years, this intimate monthly gathering has evolved into Portland’s longest-running underground monthly music event and has become one of the largest communities of songwriters and music lovers in the Pacific Northwest, engaging over 8,000 people through creative events and workshops.
We are a collective of aspiring and professional musicians, music lovers, performers, and creative humans. We encompass the tentative and bold, the songwriting newbies and the old timers, and the vast array of those creative at heart. Our community is comprised of folks of all ages, abilities, gender expressions, racial identities, neurodiversity spectrums, and life experiences. We also boast the most receptive, celebratory, joyful audience you’ve ever experienced!
Our Core Team – (Click name to expand)
Robin Jackson – Founder, Teacher, Musician
An award-winning songwriter, a teacher, activist, and spirited impresario, Robin has built on his colorful, bohemian upbringing and dedicated himself to creating connection through art and music. Robin’s work is rooted in the idea that everyone is creative and that most of us simply need the space to be seen, heard, and supported for positive transformation to take place. His popular Songwriter Soirees, The NW Songwriter Soiree Retreat, and online courses have helped thousands of people unblock their voices, hearts, and creative natures.
Robin holds a B. A. in music performance, ethnomusicology, and education, as well as a certificate in Jazz. He also received a certification through the PYE-Global Partnership for Youth Empowerment’s Heart of Facilitation Leadership program. He is the founder of Joy Now, Inc, a non-profit creative arts program for youth.
He has toured the world with his music for 25+ years and has three solo albums and countless collaborations with notable artists including Polish Ambassador, The Decemberists, Amanda Palmer, Gregory Allen Isakov and more. Robin lives in Portland with his partner and new baby.
Find out more about Robin at: robinjackson.net
Follow Robin on Instagram: instagram.com/robinjackson
Lewis Childs – Event Sound Engineer and Facilitator
Lewis is a songwriter, international performer, educator and recording engineer based in Portland, Oregon. Coming straight form the source, Childs delivers a truly enigmatic and soul-stirring style of song-crafting. His eclectic and diverse musical style is accentuated by his vast vocal range and penchant for storytelling. He sings in many languages and has a diverse set of musical influences that inform his work as a songwriter and producer, notably the music of Brazil. A true troubadour, his music helps to tell the story deep inside all of us. Lewis is the founder of Groundswell Studios.
India Nolan-Teleja – Event Manager
As a business operations consultant, India specializes in supporting entrepreneurs and creatives (who share a visionary personality) and mobilizing organizations to manifest healthier cultures and operations. She excel in details, reading the room, evolving and iterating, and being of service. She pride herself on balancing her right and left brain talents equally.
As an event manager and host, India designs experiences that bring communities together for connection, presence, and joy and she holds a space that is warm, inclusive, and engaging.
As a live performance coach, India guide musicians, comedians, writers, and other live performers towards a more authentic, vulnerable voice and presence on stage and in the world.
Who You Are
Our community is comprised of new and emerging songwriters, seasoned performers, folks who want to explore their creativity and self-expression (non-songwriters), music lovers, and people who value heart-centered connection. Whether you are a professional musician, have never played music or written a song in your life, or just enjoy music and community, this is for you. There are so many ways to participate. Join us!
What We Do
What began as an open mic for original music, the Songwriter Soiree provides a nurturing environment for individuals to connect through songwriting, music, and collective creativity. We uplift the craft of songwriting and celebrate the art of performing original material through retreats, workshops, gatherings, online classes, and regular performance opportunities.
Songwriting Retreats
Multi-day events held in beautiful locations throughout the Pacific Northwest featuring workshops, open mics, and campfire sing-alongs.
Online Songwriting Cohorts
An online hub for ongoing connection & inspiration, skill-building, creative collaboration, and generative community.
Our Values
The Songwriter Soiree is founded on the pillars of music, connection, and belonging. Through our programming, we amplify values of community, creative exploration, and cultural reverence. We uplift the power of music as a common language and the potential of our fully expressed voices to be vehicles for transformation and healing.
Community
Our community is diverse, inclusive, and honoring.
We utilize our artistry to process our experiences and to make sense of what is happening in the world, and we harness our creativity as a tool for change. We know that we don’t create or gather in a vacuum, and we are committed to nurturing a culture of respect, care, and receptivity that ripples out far beyond our soirees.
We believe that anytime people gather and hold space, it is a powerful opportunity to acknowledge and shift the ways oppressive systems harm and disconnect us from ourselves, from each other, and from the earth. We recognize that oppression is real and that some folks reap unequal benefits from a legacy of privilege, while others exist in bodies and hold lived experiences that are marginalized.
We aspire to co-create a space that is as safe and respectful as possible for all participants, with the understanding that a fully safe space is impossible in our world. People of all races, sizes, ages, cultural backgrounds, gender identities, sexual orientations, trauma backgrounds, neurodiversity spectrums, and religions are welcome. Disrespect and harm are not tolerated.
Wherever possible, we endeavor to remove barriers to entry and participation. We center inclusivity, accessibility, and belonging in our language, our programming, our hiring practices, and every aspect of our offerings.
As an organization and as individuals, we commit to continuous learning, integrating and actualizing feedback we receive, attending to and repairing harm, and growing alongside this community.
Creative Exploration
We move from the collective understanding that everyone is creative. We foster an environment that ignites and invites inspiration and joy in the creative process. We value camaraderie over competition and progress over perfection. We relish in play.
Here, we use music as a vehicle for connection and healing. We have seen time and time again the profound impacts of engaging in self-discovery through music and performance.
We are honored to support musicians and creatives of all levels to improve their skills, grow their craft, and amplify their creative capacity. Find your muse, your generative collaborator(s), your community — find your song!
Cultural Reverence
We recognize the cultural histories embedded in our art and songs. We actively acknowledge the source, heritage, and references of the music we learn and share. We do not engage in cultural appropriation but rather cultural reverence — learning about the lineage of our musical traditions, song styles, stories, and tunes.
We commit to cultivating cultural awareness, bringing our own experiences and identities into our songs, and celebrating the new sounds, modalities, and musical magic we create together.
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