The Sunflower Theatre is presenting a songwriting workshop hosted by singer and songwriter Sand Sheff. Later in the evening, Sheff and his wife, Sunnie, will perform.
The workshop will take place Saturday, Dec. 14, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Sunflower Theatre.
Sheff shared that he began writing songs when he was a teenager and has now gone “all over” playing music.
“I’ve been very fortunate to get to play music and in a lot of different strange circumstances, everywhere, all over the place,” Sheff said.
Sheff shared that his songwriting process usually begins with an “uncomfortable” feeling that turns into a song.
“I feel like I have some sort of weird ache in my body or head or throat, and I can’t quite figure out what it is,” Sheff said. “I start going around, ‘Is there something I forgot to do?’ … Eventually I realize I have to go pick up a guitar, go slam on the piano or something. I just start slamming around on the instrument, and at a certain point, a melody pops out, some words pop out and I kind of figure out how to chase it down.”
In this workshop, attendees will learn Sheff’s songwriting process, as well as some of the tenets of writing songs. The two aspects of the workshop the theater shared have to do with the practical and spiritual aspects of songwriting.
“It’s some funny little shortcuts that can kind of skip some of the uncomfortable and get straight to the point of encouraging the connection,” Sheff said. “Everybody’s going to have their own songs, right? I just have some shortcuts to make it fun and give them some things I’ve picked up.”
The practical aspects include rhythm, phrasing, scatting, memorization and rhyme, while the spiritual aspect goes more into where songs come from.
“The spiritual side looks at the ancient idea that many good songs may originate in certain unseen dimensions, and so are more likely to be discovered ‘out there’ than grown ‘inside’ one’s brain,” Sarah Syverson, Sunflower Theatre director, explained. “Sand offers unusual ideas and techniques that might be of interest, gleaned from 40 years of songwriting.”
No prior songwriting experience is necessary. Attendees should bring a pen and paper, and instruments are also allowed, but are optional.
“They don’t have to do anything if they don’t want to,” Sheff said. “I’m not going to make everybody write a song on the spot and sing it. … Anybody’s level of participation is welcome, and there is zero pressure. I’ll try to keep it interesting.”
Sheff has performed in Cortez in the past, but this will be his first show in Cortez in 16 years. He was born in Flagstaff, Arizona, and raised in Oklahoma, but also lived in Durango and spent five years in Nashville. According to information provided by the Sunflower Theatre, Music Row Magazine in Nashville called Sheff “the very definition of Americana.”
Following his years in Nashville, he spent three years in Austin, Texas, as the opening musical comedy act for Esther’s Follies.
While still pursuing his passion in music, Sheff now lives in Moab where he farms. In Moab, he leads the alternative bluegrass band Quicksand Soup.
In all, he has recorded 17 albums, written two musical comedies and published three books, two of which are on eclipses.
“I love Cortez, I love the people, I love the area … I hope people want to show up. I’m going to try to put on the best show I can. My wife, Sunnie, is playing bass with me, and we’re just planning on having a fun time and deliver some fun music to make it worth people’s while,” Sheff said. “We hope to see some folks out there.”
Tickets to Sheff’s songwriting workshop are $30, and scholarships are available. The concert will take place at 7 p.m. with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the concert are $15.
“It’ll be my songs, my kind of interesting, weird songs that just pop out and I sing them for people,” Sheff said.
Tickets can be bought online at www.sunflowertheatre.org.
