A few spots remain for the 12th Annual Outer Banks Veterans Writing Workshop on Nov. 9 and 10 at the UNC Coastal Studies Institute in Wanchese.
The workshop will explore songwriting, starting with ideas and structure and moving into chord functions, home production and actual performance.
It’s free for veterans, active-duty military and their family members, but pre-registration is required.
The evening of Nov. 9, The Pioneer Theater in downtown Manteo will host a concert in the round, bringing together workshop leaders Tony Rosario, co-founder of Soldier Songs & Voices; Ron Capps, founder of the Veterans Writing Project; and Jana Pochop, singer-songwriter and producer.
“It will be a very rich experience for the participants,” said Jessica Sands, executive director of Dare Arts, which sponsors special programming around Veterans Day, observed Nov. 11. “During the day they’ll get to learn about the craft and at night they’ll be able to see it in action.”
Capps, a Maine resident who graduated from Old Dominion University and received Army training at Camp Peary, weaves his own struggle with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome into both published works and song. Rosario, from Colorado, plays 200 dates a year as a solo artist; Soldier Songs & Voices offers music lessons and instruments to veterans.
Pochop, from New Mexico, is humble in her bio, but Texas Music Magazine compares labeling her a songwriter to “calling Gandalf a guy who can throw together a nice fireworks display for a birthday party.” She has performed her folk-pop songs nationally and holds a master’s in songwriting and production from Berklee College of Music in New York City.
Pochop anticipates the workshop being an immersive experience, a space where participants can safely express whatever they’re feeling. While two days might seem short, she said it’s often a healthy amount of time for inspiration.
“Germinating seeds is what I like to call it,” Pochop said. “We end up going through the steps of how to make music that goes along with the song you’re trying to write.”
From her experience, some in the workshop will start from a blank slate whereas others might have been tinkering with lyrics for months or years.
“I’ve been stuck on things, too, and sometimes you need someone else’s comment, whether it’s from one of us or someone else in the workshop,” Pochop said. “I’ve been in situations where somebody says something from across the room, and it just jiggles something loose for the person who was stuck on a line.”
This will be the first time Capps, Rosario and Pochop will play together. They will offer one song after another at the 7 p.m. concert, which will be a mix of folk, Americana and indie music.
Tickets are $5 with a military or veteran ID and $10 for general admission.
Dare County has also compiled a digital directory of events, ceremonies and discounts from the Southern Shores to Hatteras Island. Outer Banks Veterans Week concludes Nov. 11.
For more information on the 12th Annual Outer Banks Veterans Writing Workshop or to register, visit Dare Arts on the Outer Banks online.
