ABSTRACT
Most cities in the United States now have a local or regional songwriter organization. These groups generally sponsor monthly meetings where various writers present their songs, which are critiqued by other songwriters. Such organizations are great places to meet other songwriters and potential collaborators. Many of these groups also bring in well-known writers or music publishers to conduct seminars on various songwriting subjects, or to critique songs. This provides the members with an opportunity to get professional feedback without having to visit the major music cities. If one of these visiting professionals takes an interest in your material, they may be able to provide you with invaluable contacts in the music publishing and recording industry. Listening to the work of other songwriters and sharing mutual interests, concerns, successes, and failures can be a great learning experience for a songwriter. As many songwriters work alone, these meetings provide an opportunity to share your work, and to interact with a supportive community.
