Preparations for the SOLO songwriters workshop and festival are underway. In just under a month, songwriters from all over the country will be in Lafayette to learn and showcase their musical talent.
Mark Falgout, the organizer of this event, said he wants to make the festival much like South by Southwest that takes place in Austin, Texas.
"Instead of going to a place like Austin, or Nashville or sitting in music row, we are going to do it in Downtown Lafayette. We are going to keep it intimate, keep it real and we are going to give them our hospitality," Falgout said.
"Our goal is to not only help our local musicians make contacts and to go ahead and meet industry folks and other writers to collaborate with, but also to bring some industry people down here. They can also to use our studios, and our engineers, to hire our musicians and record some of those works that they’re doing." Falgout said.
It will be a two-part event. A four-day intensive workshop with writers from around the world to collaborate with each other. The second part will be the festival at the end of the week where writers will perform their work.
"I think it means a lot that the Buddy Holly Foundation chose to do its event here in Lafayette. I mean we have always considered ourselves a music town but what we need to do is be able to help our musicians sustain that," Falgout said.
He said he is excited for what’s to come and it’s something different than anything that’s been done before.
"One of the best things that could happen is some song hits it really big, whether it be a film, soundtrack, or a number one hit on the radio or a TV ad. Whatever it may be and if we can track it back to the four days in Lafayette that’ll be good," Falgout said.
