The Oklahoma City Chapter of the Nashville Songwriters Association International currently holds monthly Chapter Meetings on every 3rd Monday of the month at 6:30pm to 9pm CST. We gather to discuss our shared passion for the craft of songwriting and share our songwriting experiences and insights. Meetings consist of news and announcements of NSAI events and opportunities, an educational presentation by Chapter Coordinators on some element of songwriting craft, and then a peer feedback session in which all participants have an opportunity to show one song they've written or co-written to the group and receive a valuable outside perspective on it.
UPCOMING MEETING AND EVENT SCHEDULE:
May 20th - 6:30pm to 9:00pm (Annual Chapter Challenge)
June 17th - 6:30pm to 9:00pm
July 15th - 6:30pm to 9:00pm
August 19th - 6:30pm to 9:00pm
September 16th - 6:30pm to 9:00pm
MEETING LOCATION:
The OKC Chapter's monthly meetings take place in the Songwriting Room on the first floor of the Academy of Contemporary Music, centrally located in the Bricktown area. The building address is 25 S. Oklahoma Ave, Oklahoma City, 73104. Enter from the East door unless signage says otherwise. Free street-side parking is available North of the building along the streets Sheridan, Oklahoma and Main (these are metered parking spots during the day but are free in the evening). Two pay lots are also available immediately to the North and South of the ACM building.
JOINING MONTHLY MEETINGS VIRTUALLY:
Anyone who wishes to join an OKC Chapter Meeting virtually online can receive a private weblink to join the meeting one of three ways.
- NSAI Message Inbox: NSAI Members affiliated with the OKC Chapter receive virtual joining links to their message inboxes on the NSAI website.
- Facebook Group Event Description: Those who are part of the OKC Chapter's private Facebook Group can find the joining link in the description of the Facebook Events created for each Chapter Meeting.
- Request Through Our Contact Form: For those who are not NSAI Members nor a part of the Facebook Group, they may reach out to Chapter Coordinators utilizing the Chapter's contact form (click here) and request the join link be sent to them.
WHO CAN COME TO MONTHLY MEETINGS?:
Songwriters of all genres and all levels of ability are welcome. NSAI Membership is not a requirement for attending the meeting. If participants wish to bring a family member with them, that is allowed as well.
IS THERE A COST TO ATTEND THE MONTHLY MEETING?:
NSAI Members can attend as many of any Chapter Meeting anywhere in the world as an included part of their paid membership and they do not need to pay any additional fees for these meetings. People who are not NSAI Members are also welcome to attend two of our meetings for free, and then beyond that we ask Non-Member participants to pay a fee of $15 for each meeting they attend. That can be done by using our online payment form (click here).
SIGNING-IN TO ATTEND THE MONTHLY MEETING:
Everyone attending the meeting, whether they are a Member of NSAI or not, will be asked to fill out our sign-in and song consent form for each meeting (click here). Participants are encouraged to fill this online form out in advance so that Chapter Coordinators can prepare accordingly, but a mobile tablet or a laptop will be available at the meeting for anyone who did not already sign-in in advance.
BRINGING A SONG TO SHARE FOR PEER FEEDBACK AT THE MONTHLY MEETING:
Bringing an original song to share with the group is not a requirement to participate in the meeting. But for those who do sign-in (before the 5pm deadline) to share a song in the peer feedback portion of our meetings, there are a few options for how you can present it to the group.
- LYRICS: Providing lyrics in a sharable format are not required to participate in peer feedback, but it will help others in the group provide you with more productive feedback. You can present lyrics in any of the following ways:
- Send in a PDF or Word Document file of them electronically with the online sign-in and song consent form (see above). The file will be opened and displayed on a large screen in the room when it is your turn to share.
- Bring a PDF or Word Document file of them on a flash drive and give it to a Coordinator upon arrival. The file will be opened and displayed on a large screen in the room when it is your turn to share.
- Bring your song lyrics printed on paper handouts (usually 10 to 15 copies) and it will be passed out to attendees. Many participants choose to do this even if their lyrics are displayed on the large screen in the room because their fellow songwriters can write down their thoughts on your lyric sheet and then return it to you to take home. We encourage you to not rely excusively on this method, however, because some of our meeting attendees may be online over Zoom, and those attendees will not be able to see your lyrics if you only provide them in the form of physical paper copies.
- MUSIC: Music is also not required to participate, in the event you only have lyrics to share. But if you do have music for your song, you can present it any of the following ways:
- Perform it live for the group, either on an instrument you bring, or on a baby grand piano that will be in the room. Please note that participants who wish to attend virtually but still also wish to perform live are encouraged to familiarize themselves with how to adjust settings in the Zoom application in order for the sound of their instrument to be heard properly.
- Submit it in an MP3 or M4V file format when filling out the online sign-in and song consent form (see above).
- Bring it in any common audio or video format on a flash drive and give that flash drive to a Coordinator on arrival.
- Bring your music file on a mobile phone, tablet or laptop that you can play for the group. So that the music will be loud enough, it is preferred that your playback device be connectable to an 1/8” headphone cable so Coordinators can play it through the sound system in the room.
HOW OUR PEER FEEDBACK SESSIONS WORK:
First we will read/listen to songs from NSAI Members in the order they were submitted before that day’s deadline of 5pm. Then we will read/listen to songs submitted from those who are not NSAI Members, also in the order they were submitted before the 5pm deadline. Lastly, and only if there is time, we will read/listen to any songs from participants who wish to present but did not sign-in before 5pm. Before we read/listen to each song, we encourage the songwriter to tell the group what their goal is for writing the song and what kind of feedback would be most helpful to get from the group in order to achieve that goal. If there are too many songs to realistically share during the meeting and still end on time, each song might only be partially played in order to conserve time. After reading / listening to each song, we will go around the table and one by one provide our compliments, observations and suggestions, if we have them. Coordinators will say their comments last before moving on to the next song. With each new round of commentary, the person who gives their comments first will change so that no one is stuck in the position to always speak first or always speak last. Those who are joining the meeting virtually over Zoom will have their faces up on a screen at the end of the group table, and for all intents and purposes will be considered to be occupying that spot at the table when turns are being taken to speak.
WHAT KIND OF THINGS WILL PEOPLE SAY ABOUT MY SONG?
Our purpose for providing peer feedback on songs is to help the songwriter achieve whatever their personal goal is for writing that song. Whether they are a recording artist and are writing it to record and release themselves, or writing it to pitch to other music industry professionals, or are just writing it for fun as a hobby! Some songwriters might want to know whether the meaning of their song is clear or not. Some might want to know if their melody or chord progressions sound contemporary or dated. Some might be looking for collaborators and are sharing a song to demonstrate their writing style. Whatever it is you want your song to be able to do, we want to provide you with as many outside opinions as you want about how in-line with that goal your song is. In the process of doing that, sometimes we will push each other to aim higher, and sometimes it is uncomfortable to be given constructive criticism about something as personal as a work of art, but everyone in our diverse membership is there to help one another grow by sharing insights. But those insights are ultimately only our personal opinions, and it is up to you the songwriter whether you agree or disagree with the commentary you receive from your peers. One thing we will always say is congratulations on writing a song, because that is not an easy thing to do, and you should always be proud of that achievement!
INTERESTED IN BECOMING AN NSAI MEMBER?
Beyond free participation in local events and meetings like those held by the OKC Chapter, there are numerous benefits to NSAI membership! Explore some of those benefits by reviewing NSAI's Learn About Membership page or by signing up for the Inside NSAI Seven Day Sneak Peek Series. Or, for those who already know they want to join, registration can be completed from this link (click here). Let them know you learned about NSAI from the Oklahoma City Chapter!