By Andrew Hughes & Scott Greeson

Nick Ponti is an audio engineer and producer currently based in Lafayette. Having just graduated from Purdue University, he has benefited from additional opportunities offered by SAMI and REC Room Recording. He started…

Here at SAMI, we're always encouraging local songwriters to support each other. This summer has been jam-packed with events across Tippecanoe County alone; in recent weeks we've had The Indiana Fiddlers' Gathering, Wabash Riverfest, as well as the ongoing REC…

By Sam Bennett

A long time ago, in a small Indiana city, I met a teacher who convinced me of the unparalleled beauty of cut flowers. It was a lesson from his mother, and I have it on good authority…

Riverfest is coming up on Saturday, July 11th. Once again, SAMI is running the stage at Tapawingo Park in West Lafayette. Check out the schedule on the poster below. We'd love for you to join us!

When Greta Schap took the stage at the 2026 Songwriters Association of Mid-north Indiana’s (SAMI)…

Left to right: Aubrey Plass (co-Horizon Award), Claireen Cheng (runner-up), Greta Schap (co-Horizon Award), and Samantha Valente (winner)

By Andrew Hughes

On Monday, May 4th, SAMI hosted its yearly reception for the Shirley Martin Scholarship for Young Songwriters. Our host…

As of now, the application period for both the Shirley Martin Scholarship and the Metzger Award is closed. A warm thank you to everyone who took the time to submit an application!

As songwriters and musicians ourselves, we see how…

By Andrew Hughes

It’s that time of year to take stock of where we’ve been and where we’re going. The year of 2025 has been eventful for SAMI, and we’d like to remind our members of everything that’s happened this…

By Andrew Hughes

Readers of our newsletter will know that two reminders appear at the top of each one: the first is for our monthly song share, which we tend to call SAMI for convenience’s sake, and the other is…

By Andrew Hughes

If you’ve read our newsletter, you’ve probably seen the article that opens every email, explaining when our next monthly gathering is and how to prepare for it. 

Of course, not everybody receives our newsletter, and there’s so…

By David Inskeep

Michele graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and the University of Indianapolis with an MBA. She also has her CPA. Michele has worked in several industries including banking, manufacturing, and not-for-profit. Her…

By Andrew Hughes

The Keep Looking Up: Songwriting Retreat officially wrapped late on the evening of Saturday, September 20th. On behalf of our coordinators and instructors, I want to sincerely thank everyone who joined us this past weekend, whether you…

The application submitted by Briton Weise, executive director at Tippecanoe Senior Services, was selected to receive the Bryan Metzger Legacy Award. Tippecanoe Senior Services is a non-profit organization hoping to promote wellness among seniors. 

This grant would enable them to…

As many of you know, we’ve been hosting workshops about Sync Licensing, led by Ethan Bates. Previously we’ve discussed the possibility of a practice “pitch” session with a music supervisor.

Because of overwhelming demand, we are going to provide an…

By Sam Bennett

Andrew Hughes and I met on a warm Sunday afternoon in late June at Generation NA, a local non-alcoholic bottle shop in downtown Lafayette to have a conversation about his life and artistry. Andrew is the current…

By Andrew Hughes

We're pleased to announce the Keep Looking Up gift, an annual $300 contribution by longtime member Joe Peters that will help further SAMI's key goals. Unlike the Shirley Martin Scholarship, which highlights young songwriters in mid-north Indiana…

By Vickie Maris

As you know, we have many options for audio streaming. The two that carry the most weight in the music industry are Spotify (followers, streams, playlists, listeners) and YouTube (views on videos, subscriptions to channels, thumbs up…

By Andrew Hughes

Last month we created a survey for attendees of our last two DIY workshops. Our main goal was to gauge interest in similar events in the coming year. Today, we're pleased to share the results. We received…

By Andrew Hughes

One of SAMI's most treasured traditions is the Shirley Martin Scholarship, which accepts entries from young musicians and encourages them along their musical paths. However, there isn't just one winner; runners-up are chosen every year, along with…

SAMI is excited to announce Live Room Showcase number 3 on October 5th, 2024. The event will take place at 7:30 pm at TAF, located at 638 N St. Lafayette IN, 47901. This Showcase will feature Rick DeSutter, Hunter Wainscott…

By Beth Jones 

For Harrison High School senior Jackson Martin, what started as fun with friends has turned into a potential career passion. As one of SAMI’s newest interns, 18-year-old Jackson will spend the next school year learning the essentials…

On March 9th, 2024, multi-Grammy nominated recording engineer Matt Coles will lead an amazing day-long workshop with SAMI and Rec Room Recording at TAF. Matt has worked in the Nashville recording industry for over 20 years, and is also a…

Go to the Scholarships link on this page and check out how to enter. If your between the ages of 14 & 19, living in North Central IN, you may qualify! In the picture below is Maddy Conner, last years…

During the week of July 24th, 2023, SAMI and REC Room Recording produced a weeklong workshop for community musicians featuring leading Los Angeles music professionals.  The community response and outcome was phenomenal. Support for this workshop came from private donors,…