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 much more we could say. This article will dive deep into what the monthly SAMI meeting is like. In future iterations of the newsletter, we’ll direct readers to this article hoping to learn more about us.

Here’s a brief overview of the essentials:

• We meet on every third Tuesday, in the basement of The Arts Federation, at 7:30pm.
• If you can’t join us in-person, you can join us online via Zoom.
• Bring lyric sheets to help the group follow along and, if you’d like, give more detailed feedback.
• Songwriters of all ages and skill levels are welcome to join us.

Who is SAMI?

If you’re reading this and you don’t know what our monthly gathering is about, you may be wondering who we are in the first place. 

Simply put, the Songwriters Association of Mid-North Indiana was established in 1992 for the purpose of providing education, encouragement, and development of songwriters for the benefit and betterment of the public associated with musical performance.

We organize workshops, retreats and other events to provide performance opportunities to our members (and the wider music community). We offer the Shirley Martin Scholarship to young songwriters and the Bryan Metzger Legacy Award, a grant for individuals and organizations, to further our goals.

But perhaps the most consistent feature of our work is our monthly gathering at The Arts Federation in Lafayette, IN.

How do I get to a SAMI Meeting?

Before the pandemic, SAMI met exclusively in-person. That changed for obvious reasons, and since we returned to in-person gatherings, we’ve continued to give attendees the option of tuning in online. This allows songwriters from across the country to join us, even if they can’t always be present in person. As a result, there are multiple ways to attend a SAMI meeting.

In Person

The Arts Federation (TAF) is located at 638 North Street in downtown Lafayette. We are based in REC Room Recording Studio in the building’s lower level. While you’re here, follow @recroomrecording on Instagram to keep up with other events happening at the studio. 

Parking is available in the lots west of the building and on the street. When attending SAMI, you will enter through the side door adjacent to the parking lot. We recommend you arrive before or promptly at 7:30pm to make sure someone is there to let you in, because this door is usually locked.

As you enter the building, you will see a hallway to your left and a hallway that opens up into a larger room. Our monthly gathering is in the room straight ahead and to the left before you reach the bathrooms.

Online

Of course, if you’re attending online, all you need is either a link or an ID to join our Zoom meeting. We post this information on top of the monthly newsletter, and we encourage you to join our mailing list so you have easy access to this information. 

For various reasons, we prefer not to share the details on the website. However, you can use the contact form on the website or email samisecretary@gmail.com if you'd like to join the newsletter or gain access to the link and meeting ID. 

What happens at a SAMI Meeting?

The meeting begins at 7:30pm, but sometimes we allow a few minutes for late arrivals. We may also delay our start time to resolve technical difficulties.

SAMI President Scott Greeson usually kicks things off with announcements, but sometimes he saves them for downtime throughout the meeting. These announcements consist of important updates with the organization and special events taking place in the area. 

Anyone with an event to promote is free to share with the group during this time. If you’re hosting an event related to music performance and want us to know about it, it’s a good idea to bring a few handouts or posters for people who voice interest. 

Song Share

The bulk of our monthly gathering is reserved for song sharing. What this usually looks like is someone volunteering to share, grabbing their guitar, and passing out copies of their lyrics. They will give some context as to what the song is about, or what component of the song they want feedback on. 

Does the song need a bridge? Is it too long, or too short? Do the lyrics make sense? Does the title of the song work, or does anyone have a better one? These are examples of the questions we often hear someone ask when they share a song with the group.

None of this means you have to perform on the spot to share. Many of our regular attendees play recordings or read poems. You can also sing acapella, sing along with a recording, or play an instrumental. We also have a keyboard available in the studio for piano players. The thing that brings us all together is that we are writing, whether it’s just words, just music, or both.

If your music has lyrics (or if it’s a poem), we recommend you bring ten or more copies to help listeners follow along. You can also send lyrics to samisecretary@gmail.com ahead of the meeting, so we can share them with everyone tuning in from Zoom. Alternatively, if you’re tuning in online and want to share lyrics, we can print copies for you if you give us enough time.

Feedback

Everyone who chooses to share has the option of receiving feedback. It’s a good opportunity, while you have a room full of songwriters to share their unique perspectives on your work. 

An important distinction we make when giving feedback is between the art and the artist. While it’s true that being a better musician will make you a better songwriter, we try to focus more on things like chords, lyrics, and structure when we offer feedback.

With that said, we’ve repeatedly seen attendees of SAMI build confidence in themselves as they grow more comfortable sharing their work. We encourage songwriters of all ages and skill levels to come join us, and with an open mind, they are sure to get a new perspective.

We’re fortunate to have such a constructive and encouraging group, but all of us can continue learning. It goes without saying that the feedback we give should not be taken personally. It can be accepted or ignored. We’re always happy to hear someone benefited from our feedback, but this won’t always be the case.

Conclusion

How long the meeting lasts will depend on how many people we have. Usually, though, we go for an hour and a half to two hours, ending between 9:00 and 9:30pm. It’s rare that we have time to hear more than one song from everyone who wants to share, so keep this in mind if you’re attending for the first time.

If you can’t get enough of SAMI and are interested in a more technical perspective, we encourage you to look into the Mixer-Mixer. This gathering, held on the fourth Tuesday of the month, is hosted by Neil McTavish. Neil is a skilled mixing engineer with a lot of guidance on how to make your recordings as professional as possible, to allow your artistry to shine through. 

We’ll be sharing an article focusing on the Mixer-Mixer in the future. In the meantime, we hope to see you at the next SAMI meeting on Tuesday, October 21st at 7:30pm!