Greetings friends! I hope that the end of 2017 has you reflecting on as many fun and creative moments as I am. This past summer marked the fourth year that Young Songwriter Programs have been running summer camps throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond. We held nine camps altogether beginning in Los Angeles, CA for a private workshop at The Lab for Learning and ended in Southington, CT. This year I have relocated from Austin, TX to Bellingham, WA which will now be the home base for Holistic ArtVentures and Young Songwriter Programs. We are now offering songwriting workshops and camps to homeschool communities, private and public schools and children of all ages year round. Songwriting programs work well as an after school activity, during winter and spring break or as an artistic component to any academic curriculum or team building event. Email Havilah today at havilahrand@gmail.com to explore the possibilities!

Here is a photo and video recap of our amazing summer of 2017!

We began on Whidbey Island in June with a youth group called the Earth Guardians. Hosted at a beautiful home complete with gardens and farm on gorgeous Whidbey Island, our songs centered around protecting the Earth and all of its creatures.

The next stop on the songwriting train was The Methow Valley to work with a small powerhouse trio of young ladies at The Methow Valley Community School.  Our songs also centered on animals, friendship and….crazy librarians??

We returned to Whidbey Island for a week at Full Moon Rising Farm with seven incredible songwriters spanning ages 6 – 14. I was amazed at how well everyone got along despite the age gaps. The idyllic setting complete with nature trails, farm animals, and yurt to work out of made this camp extra special and we can’t wait to return in 2018!

The ferry to Vashon Island from Seattle is always one of my favorite highlights of summer travels. The Vashon Center for the Arts always gives me a warm welcome with friendly smiles and a group of eleven excited songwriters. This week was bustling with activity as we wrote over thirty songs using our urban explorations and theater activities as inspiration.

Camp Cody in Bellingham, WA never disappoints with a refreshing cold pond to swim in, a treehouse to practice melodic ideas and draft lyrics and trails aplenty for exploring and finding creative inspiration. We were extra lucky this year to have award winning songwriter Johann Wagner join us as a mentor and we look forward to his return summer of 2018!

We ended our Northwest camps in beautiful Seattle at The Bertschi School with a small but astoundingly talented group. We spent the week sleuthing for lyrical ideas in the surrounding neighborhood, through watercolor painting and instrument making.

Then I got on a plane to my childhood stomping grounds of Southington, CT to lead a camp hosted by my very own Aunt Mary and her newly opened art center called Southington Community Cultural Arts Center. I was joined by my songwriting and touring buddy Bruce Salmon who did a tremendous job of coaxing some beautifully raw and rockin songs out of our songwriters. We’ll be back next year!

Creating this post brings me so much joy and gratitude for the work I am blessed to do. Looking forward immensely to hear the songs and meet the songwriters of 2018!