Rona Siddiqui and Adam Gwon Join Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriting Intensive

Rona Siddiqui and Adam Gwon will join recently appointed Artistic Director Kaitlin Hopkins Kaitlin Hopkins from June 12-19, 2024 as summer faculty for the first annual Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriting Intensive located at Snow Pond Center for the Arts on an idyllic lakeside campus in Sidney, Maine. Siddiqui is a Grammy-nominated composer/lyricist with shows being developed at Playwright Horizons and 54 below. Gwon is an award-winning composer/lyricist whose musicals have been produced on six continents and in more than half a dozen languages. Ten gifted young songwriters ages 18-25 will be selected to participate in this one-of-a-kind songwriting intensive. Students will study and explore the fundamentals of contemporary and musical theater songwriting alongside top industry professionals as they develop the skills and tools necessary to pursue a career as a professional songwriter.

This FREE 8-day Songwriting Intensive will provide students a unique learning experience through classes, collaborative exercises, and professional mentorship.

The curriculum, developed for JMF by Hopkins, Siddiqui and Gwon, will include tutorials, master classes, workshops, and collaborative writing time. Evening sessions will include presentations in a casual salon style format where songwriters present their work from the afternoon sessions, receiving feedback and engaging in group discussions. The songwriters can also enjoy various activities including swimming, fishing, kayaking, and canoeing as schedules allow, providing all the quintessential camp life experiences that Maine offers.

To apply please visit Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriting Intensive

Deadline for submissions February 1, 2024

ABOUT THE Johnny Mercer FOUNDATION: The mission of the Johnny Mercer Foundation (JMF) is to support the discipline of songwriting in the tradition of the Great American Songbook as exemplified by the life and work of the legendary Johnny Mercer: lyricist, composer, performer, collaborator, and producer. The Foundation continues Johnny's legacy by partnering with individuals and organizations dedicated to celebrating and nourishing the disciplines he mastered and the causes he and his wife Ginger Mercer championed. JMF has created a number of dynamic creative joint ventures with several prestigious institutions to facilitate their goals including the Johnny Mercer Writers Grove at Goodspeed Musicals, Accentuate the Positive Programs (New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta), JMF Musical Theater Composition Residency at the Alliance Theatre (Atlanta), the JMF Songwriters Project with Northwestern University, Georgia State University Fellowship Program, and the Johnny Mercer Archives at Georgia State University. JMF also supports the Johnny Mercer Music Program at the Braille Institute, Los Angeles. For more information, please visit The Johnny Mercer Foundation

ABOUT SNOW POND CENTER FOR THE ARTS:

Snow Pond Center for the Arts is an arts & culture destination, educational institution, and tourism attraction located in Sidney, Maine between Augusta (the state capital) and Waterville. Founded in 1937 as New England Music Camp, it values lifelong learning amid a strong sense of community. Importantly, Snow Pond's mission ensures that everyone, regardless of age or economic position, has equal access to innovative and high-quality arts education, programming, and events.

Compelled by its' summer programs' positive impact on thousands of youths over the last 86 years, Snow Pond committed to provide year-round arts opportunities on a scale that would make a substantial difference for youth in central Maine. To that end, Snow Pond's Community Arts School was established in 2016. The Arts School allows Snow Pond to weave the arts into the fabric of the local community through free before-school and after-school arts education programs at 5 partnership locations in the region. By meeting youth where they are - not requiring that they come to rural Sidney or pay a fee - Snow Pond removes all barriers to arts education.

In 2022, Snow Pond hired a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator, Thea Hollman. Ms. Hollman will work alongside C.S.H.A.R.P. related to recruiting and ensuring BIPOC students have the resources they need to be successful and ensure a supportive, safe learning environment for all students, faculty, and staff. Snow Pond Center for the Arts

ABOUT Kaitlin Hopkins and C.S.H.A.R.P. CENTER FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT:

C.S.H.A.R.P. (Creatives for Sustainable, Healthy and Responsible Practices) facilitates innovative techniques and methods that center wellness, equity, and resilience as essential pillars of performing arts education. C.S.H.A.R.P. aims to provide practical tools that can be utilized to foster more sustainable practices within theater environments. C.S.H.A.R.P. was founded by Kaitlin Hopkins and Cassie Abate, and co-conceived by a collective of professional artists, educators, and researchers. https://www.ahcreativeconsultants.com/

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