The Brown Arts Institute is pleased to once again sponsor the BAI Songwriting Workshop, a free weekly workshop designed to give students and regional community members a chance to hone their songwriting skills while being part of and contributing to a supportive creative community. 

The workshop is open to students and community members via an application process. Songwriters of all experience levels and genres are encouraged to apply! Participation is limited, and the selection process is competitive. Deadline for applications is Sunday, September 8 at 11:59 pm. Applicants are expected to be able to consistently attend weekly workshop sessions.

The workshops meet weekly on Wednesdays evenings, 7:00 – 9:00 pm, in the Granoff Center for the Creative Arts at Brown University, 154 Angell Street, Providence. They are led by Providence-based singer-songwriters Morgan Johnston and Jess Kion. Fall semester workshop meetings begin on September 25 and run through December 11. Participants will have the option to continue for the spring semester, and a number of spots may open up for new songwriters at that time. Workshops will vary from week to week, but generally will include a combination of sharing songs-in-progress and receiving feedback, in-workshop writing exercises, and discussion about various elements of songwriting. End-of-semester concerts will feature workshop participants playing new work. 

Morgan Johnston
Hailing from Rhode Island, Morgan Lane (AKA Morgan Johnston) is an indie folk singer-songwriter stomping, strumming, speaking, and singing her way to empowering both herself and her listeners. Her lyrics are inspired by the natural landscape of places as much as by the emotional landscape of human experiences. While most often found singing with her guitar, Morgan is known to experiment with different stringed instruments and tunings as well as vocal arrangements on loop pedal. As a music therapist, she is constantly reminded of the healing and community building power of the music she aims to share. When performing as a band, she is joined by Armand Aromin on body percussion and fiddle, Flannery Brown on cello, Caitlin Gosciminski on upright bass, Dovas Lietuvninkas on cornet, Jessica Kion on harmonies, and Greg Fisher on harmonica, and they are called Morgan Lane and the Passengers! Learn more at: morganjohnstonmusic.com

Jess Kion
Justice Cow, aka Jessica Kion, is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter whose latest album delves deeply into loss and vulnerability. Growing up surrounded by a musical family, Jessica's early exposure to music laid the foundation for her artistic journey. Her identity as an artist started taking shape during her time at Berklee College of Music when she was inspired by artists like Regina Spektor and Sufjan Stevens.Over the years since, Jessica has opened for the Dillinger Escape Plan, and extensively toured the US, Canada, and Europe while in the band Bent Knee. She has collaborated with YouTubers Adam Neely, Ben Levin, David Bruce, and Aimee Nolte, made music videos with Harry Mack and Cory Wong, and performed with Kishi Bashi, Aneesa Folds, and Nova One. Her latest album, “my dad died” is a poignant exploration of her father's death. The writing process began as memories of her father flooded back, prompting her to capture these fleeting moments as musical vignettes. Jessica's album is a raw and honest reflection of her grief and memories. Learn more at: www.justicecow.com