In May of 2018, I was honored to be part of a project writing songs with 30 of the student survivors from Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland FL. I was part of a 10 songwriter group led by the ultimate activist, Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary. In 3 days we wrote 13 songs which first and foremost provided healing for the students as well as getting their agenda on paper in the form of song. The students are committed to using this tragedy to affect change in the gun laws in our country. Bravo! There will be a recording coming out in early 2019 as well as a documentary film chronicling our visit. If you'd like to see a peak at a rehearsal of a song called "Song For The Silenced" go to https://youtu.be/jIUIhjkFT1I
Happy holidays to you and yours!
Steve's Corner
Parkland Project
A Big Honor
I am so pleased and honored to tell you that I have been nominated to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame! This is a huge honor, as the voters are my peers who understand the crafting of a song. For them to nominate me makes me so proud. The other nominees are a group of truly amazing songwriters, some of whom I consider the best who ever lived. Whether I win or lose, to have my name included with theirs is an honor, indeed.
The following is the letter I just received.
Dear Steve,
Congratulations! On behalf of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation (NaSHOF) Board of Directors, it’s a pleasure for me to notify you that you have been nominated for induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the highest honor that our songwriting community bestows.
Our Nominating Committee, made up of Hall of Fame members and Music Row historians, considered all worthy candidates whose first significant works achieved commercial success and/or artistic recognition at least 20 years ago and who have "positively impacted and been closely associated with the Nashville Songwriting Community and deemed to be outstanding and significant." The final slate of nominees was approved by the Foundation board.
Very soon, your name will appear on the 2014 ballot along with the names of 11 of your esteemed colleagues. (see below) Three inductees (2 songwriters; 1 songwriter/artist) will be determined by votes cast from Hall of Fame members and Professional Songwriter members of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), as well as the boards of NaSHOF and NSAI.
We wish you the best in the voting. We invite you and a guest to join us, along with the other nominees, for a wonderful evening of food, entertainment and fond remembrances at our annual black-tie Hall of Fame Dinner & Induction Ceremony on Sunday evening, October 5, in Nashville’s Music City Center.
Should you have questions related to the event or this process, please feel free to contact our Executive Director Mark Ford at markford@nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com. To assist us in assuring that your invitation is received and on time, please e-mail Mark your physical address and phone number at your earliest convenience.
On behalf of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation Board of Directors and the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee, let me again extend to you our heartfelt congratulations. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Warmest Regards,
Pat Alger, Board Chair
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation
*
Appearing on the 2014 Ballot:
Category 1 – Songwriters
Tom Douglas
Marcus Hummon
Tony Martin
Tim Nichols
Gretchen Peters
Steve Seskin
John Scott Sherrill
Sharon Vaughn
Category 2 – Songwriter/Artists
John Anderson
Rosanne Cash
Larry Gatlin
Amy Grant
The following is the letter I just received.
Dear Steve,
Congratulations! On behalf of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation (NaSHOF) Board of Directors, it’s a pleasure for me to notify you that you have been nominated for induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the highest honor that our songwriting community bestows.
Our Nominating Committee, made up of Hall of Fame members and Music Row historians, considered all worthy candidates whose first significant works achieved commercial success and/or artistic recognition at least 20 years ago and who have "positively impacted and been closely associated with the Nashville Songwriting Community and deemed to be outstanding and significant." The final slate of nominees was approved by the Foundation board.
Very soon, your name will appear on the 2014 ballot along with the names of 11 of your esteemed colleagues. (see below) Three inductees (2 songwriters; 1 songwriter/artist) will be determined by votes cast from Hall of Fame members and Professional Songwriter members of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), as well as the boards of NaSHOF and NSAI.
We wish you the best in the voting. We invite you and a guest to join us, along with the other nominees, for a wonderful evening of food, entertainment and fond remembrances at our annual black-tie Hall of Fame Dinner & Induction Ceremony on Sunday evening, October 5, in Nashville’s Music City Center.
Should you have questions related to the event or this process, please feel free to contact our Executive Director Mark Ford at markford@nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com. To assist us in assuring that your invitation is received and on time, please e-mail Mark your physical address and phone number at your earliest convenience.
On behalf of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation Board of Directors and the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee, let me again extend to you our heartfelt congratulations. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Warmest Regards,
Pat Alger, Board Chair
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation
*
Appearing on the 2014 Ballot:
Category 1 – Songwriters
Tom Douglas
Marcus Hummon
Tony Martin
Tim Nichols
Gretchen Peters
Steve Seskin
John Scott Sherrill
Sharon Vaughn
Category 2 – Songwriter/Artists
John Anderson
Rosanne Cash
Larry Gatlin
Amy Grant
More Garden Photos plus a surprise guest
A few more pictures from our garden this year. You'd think with the drought we're having, they wouldn't have been so beautiful - but the last few spurts of rain really perked them up, and now in the warm weather they're just exploding. And the smell is intoxicating - I wish I could photograph it for you! Who cares about a few earthquakes when you live somewhere this beautiful?
Pictures of Our Winter Garden
I hope you are all surviving the crazy weather we've been having this winter! In California we're in the middle of a drought, and we had our own version of a freeze (5 or 6 days below 32), so we're looking forward to better weather, too!
Just to make you jealous, I thought I'd post a few pictures of our garden so you can see what you're in store for a few months from now!
Sparticus sends us a new dog... The story of Juniper and Brock
Sparticus must have read the last post, and decided to help us out. We knew that we would one day get another dog, but for now, we figured, we would focus our attention on Jupiter, our chocolate lab, who was very depressed at losing his best friend. Three days after we said our final goodbyes to Sparticus, a small, mostly black dog showed up in a friend's driveway and said, "Take me to Steve and Ellen!" Not one to question a dog, she did. Jupiter made it clear from the start that this new dog was to stay. David was very upset - he said it was disrespectful to Sparticus. I told Steve (who was out of town) that it was up to him. I am convinced, however, that Sparticus really did send this pup to us. Within minutes of meeting him, Steve fell in love. Even David now hates to admit that he likes him. We think Brock is a chihuahua/pug mix (a "chug.") Either way, he is a real cutie!
I just finished my January tour with Craig Carothers and Don Henry - boy, did we have a lot of fun! Now I'm in Nashville, writing, teaching and performing. Make sure to keep checking my schedule to find out when I'll be back in your area!
