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Where the artists go: Acoustic jam sessions tap into the inner songwriter
Dan Eakin/Staff Photo - Those who gathered for an acoustics jam session in the Black Box at the MCL Grand Theater in Lewisville on Jan. 25 included, seated from left, Alan Litt and Zach Smith; and standing from left, Ron Selman, Charlie Dalton, Tim Wint, Terry Bloss, Sam Baker, Tona Svoboda, Eric Smith, Karen Roberson, Dan Reed and Kathryn Masten-Cain.
By Dan Eakin, deakin@starlocalnews.com
The Visual Art League of Lewisville does more than just stimulating visitors visually - it also boasts a little something for one's aural pleasures, too.
Audio elements come in the form of acoustic jam sessions, which VAL sponsors 7 p.m. every Friday night at Lewisville's MCL Grand Theater, the same building where VAL's artwork displays can be found.
Having the different mediums under one roof just made sense, said Connie Nicholson, a longtime VAL member who is both an artist and a musician.
About four years ago, Nicholson and Bekah Jewel got the idea of VAL offering acoustic jam sessions at the gallery, which at that time was located in a shopping center at Fox Avenue and I-35E.
While a lot of people have had football on the brain on Friday nights the past several months, these people live and breathe music, coming from all over the Metroplex to be a part of this laid-back soiree. People began coming to the gallery on Friday nights, bringing their guitars, mandolins, harps or whatever acoustic instrument they had. Soon the building was buzzing with live, jovial music.
Almost a year after the city of Lewisville opened the MCL Grand Theater in December 2011, both the gallery and the jam sessions moved to the new location.
Usually, anywhere between 15 and 25 people show up every night to jam and sing solos. Of that number, at least 10 or 15 are regulars who are there just about any Friday night. Anyone who plays an acoustic instrument of any kind is welcome to show up with their talents, however. All musical genres are welcome, as are all instruments and levels of experience.
"We have a wonderful group that meets every week," Nicholson said. "We almost feel like a family."
Eric Smith has been a regular for several years and has written several songs, which have been sung by well-known musicians. He has also won several major song-writing contests.
The Eric Smith Song Writer Challenge takes place once a quarter, with the last being held Jan. 25. At each challenge, those who attend are asked to bring an original song with a certain word in it.
On Jan. 25, those who participated were asked to perform an original song containing the word "dream." Some of the local songwriters came up with some very thought-provoking lyrics.
Dan Reed, for example, thought about the children who were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut, which included the lyrics "I have a dream... still have a dream."
Terry Bloss wrote a song called "A Guitar Full of Dreams," which has a chorus featuring the line "With a melody on your mind and a guitar full of dreams."
The next challenge is scheduled for a Friday sometime in late April. A thread on the Acoustic Fridays at the Art Gallery page on Facebook is already generating the next theme word. Some suggestions have been "thunder" and "lighting" to coincide with springtime.
"This is not a contest. It is a challenge," Nicholson said. "There are no prizes or first, second and third place. This is just to encourage people to write songs."
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