Songwriter Showcase

Songwriter Showcase
Gospel Music Week: Entry Four (Sunday, April 19th 7pm)

Across my seven years attending GMA Week, the Songwriter Showcase has consistently been among my favorite events of the entire week. I love getting to hear from the songwriters themselves (who may or may not be the artist we commonly associate the songs with), gaining insight into the process through which the song itself was birthed. I love the banter, comraderie and respect that is evident from writers in different music genres- when you see a pierced and tattooed young rocker hugging on and weeping with a Southern Gospel patriarch, you know that there is a unifier -God Himself- that supercedes our musical differences and preferences.
This years' Showcase featured acoustic performances by artists like Matthew West, Chris Sligh, Big Daddy Weave's Mike Weaver (with Don Chaffer of Waterdeep fame, with whom he wrote "What Life Would Be Like") and Natalie Grant. Francesca Battistelli, joined by Ian Eskelin and Tony Wood, presented the freshest and funnest song of the night with her hit "I'm Letting Go". Songwriting powerhouse Sam Mizell joined Matthew West for "You Are Everything", then flew solo later in the program with a stunning piano version of the song he wrote for Addison Road, "All That Matters". A personal highlight for me was when Jason Ingram presented the song he co-wrote with Brandon Heath, "Give Me Your Eyes". I've followed Jason (son of Walk Through the Bible preacher Chip Ingram) from his days with JIB/Jason Ingram Band to solo efforts to worship rock The Longing and now to co-writing and producing with artists like the exceptional and wise-beyond-their-years Tenth Avenue North. Jason, thank you for a wonderful performance, and one that reminded me that, while writing and producing are fine, you still have lots to offer in front of the microphone as well.
The evening closed with a worship set for the nations, led by Australians Ben Fielding and Reuben Morgan (who had performed their song "Mighty to Save" earlier in the night), Englishman Brenton Brown and state-side songstress Laura Story (if you consider yourself a connesieur of great worship music and don't have Brenton's and Laura's CD's in your collection, that's a oversight you should remedy post haste). While a huge change from the Michael W Smith & friends Ryman auditorium events of previous years, I really enjoyed the more intimate setting and understated presentation. Kudos to GMA leadership for taking lemons and making delicious lemonade. Grace and Peace. -Mike