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West Michigan Songwriter's Festival Workshop & Performance

August 10, 2024

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

The West Michigan Songwriter’s Festival Workshop & Performance showcases the unique sound of the Lower Peninsula. Singer-songwriters from the region present and discuss original music reflecting West Michigan’s rising reputation as an important musical center. Hosted by Steve Leslie, the workshop will seek to uncover those principles of the craft of songwriting that make West Michigan songs what they are. 

The workshop will be Saturday, August 10th from 1PM - 3PM and the performances will be from 6PM - 9PM. 

About the Festival

2024 LINEUP

2021 Lineup
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Steve Leslie

Steve is a multiple BMI Award-winning and Grammy Award-winning songwriter with songs recorded by Kenny Rogers, Mark Chestnutt, George Strait, Darryl Worley, Rhonda Vincent, Neal McCoy, Ricky Skaggs, Daruis Rucker, and others.

As an educator, Steve taught...

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Dan Terry

Dan S. Terry is an American songwriter, composer, and acoustic guitar player. Dan started writing songs when he was a tween in Kewanee, IL. after his sister gave him a discarded guitar. He bought a tuning fork, a Beatles chord book, and taught himself how to play. He first wrote songs...

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Brian Sutherland

Part Americana singer-songwriter with a clever left hand on the guitar, part classical cellist, side-man musician, storyteller, father, and husband who happens to love billiards, bourbon, and a brand new song.

Raised on the Southwest Florida beaches and brought up in bars...

Sammie Hershock

Sammie Hershock

Sammie Hershock almost became a cloistered Catholic nun at the age of 18. Now she travels around Michigan singing songs about not knowing the answers. She weaves her humor and playfulness into the depth of the human existence, and it is a regular occurrence for audience members to laugh and cry simultaneously. Hershock is an...

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Ralston Bowles

Ralston Bowles is an American poet, songwriter, producer, musician and singer from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Bowles has served the western Michigan music scene since 1970, helping the Grand Rapids music scene to flourish while encouraging national artists to make Grand Rapids a tour stop on their schedules. He is the originator and host...

The brainchild of local Edward Jones financial advisor, songwriter, and musician Dan Terry, and Nashville songwriter, educator Steve Leslie, the West Michigan Songwriter’s Festival is raising awareness of songwriting as an art form, songwriters as artists, and songwriting as a craft that everyone can learn to appreciate. The mission of the festival is to establish a foundation with the goal of providing educational scholarships for children.

Contact and Location

CONTACT AND LOCATION

Address

Blythefield Country Club

5801 Northland Dr NE, Belmont, MI 49306

Parking is available on site

Contact Us

Please only use the Contact Information Form for general information regarding the festival.

Performers for the festival are selected by the festival. Please do not solicit artists through this site.

Thanks for submitting!

PAST EVENTS

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The Summer of 2021’s Top 10 Concerts and Festivals: A Local Spins List

10. West Michigan Songwriters Festival at Blythfield Country Club (Sept. 10-11) – Granted, this really wasn’t a “festival” but a first-year event that’s liable to grow as organizer Daniel Terry builds his vision for celebrating top-notch tunesmithing. The rapport, humor and awesome forte exhibited by the four Nashville songwriters on this bill made this a diminutive-but-inspiring event to remember.

Past Events

STAY UP TO DATE

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©2024 WEST MICHIGAN SONGWRITER'S FESTIVAL

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5180 NORTHLAND DRIVE NE GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49525

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