The free digital program provides insights for aspiring songwriters of all ages.
This week, the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is premiering season two of Words & Music at Home, which provides free, digital programming and resources to encourage audiences of all ages to try songwriting as a way of self-expression. Season two includes a new slate of in-depth conversations with songwriters who share their perspectives on their creative processes and the stories behind some of their hits.
The programs will premiere on YouTube every Thursday at 7 p.m. CT in August, with the Aug. 5, 12 and 19 programs including artists-songwriters Maddie & Tae, BRELAND and Charlie Worsham. The season culminates with a live co-write on Thursday, Aug. 26, at 7 p.m. with songwriters Ruby Amanfu and Sam Ashworth, with support from the museum’s Community Outreach and Museum Programs Manager Adam Ollendorff and producer and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Dailey. Viewers are encouraged to participate in the songwriting process by submitting ideas via the comments section during the live YouTube broadcast. Afterwards, the programs will be available to view on-demand on the museum’s YouTube channel, Facebook and website.
Words & Music at Home launched in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and is a component of the museum’s flagship educational Words & Music program, which has taught songwriting to more than 150,000 people since its inception in 1979. The digital songwriting initiative is designed to reach those interested in songwriting anywhere, at any time.
Through instructional tools and inspirational programming, Words & Music at Home serves songwriters at all stages of their songwriting journey, from beginners who are picking up a pen for the first time to practiced writers who are looking to take their craft to the next level. With a focus on lyric writing, this program shares the beauty and richness of country music’s songwriting tradition, while teaching participants to share their own stories, memories, hardships and dreams in song form.
A digital how-to resource on the museum’s website provides a step-by-step method for learning to write songs, and a performance series featuring professional artist-writers offers tips and insights to the creative process.
Viewers can visit the museum’s website for more information and are encouraged to share their lyrics and completed songs on social media, using #WordsandMusicatHome.
More details on participating artists for this season are included below.
August 5th: Maddie & Tae
Country music duo Maddie & Tae’s compositions include their #1 singles “Girl in a Country Song” and “Die from a Broken Heart.” Maddie & Tae have been nominated for 16 ACM and CMA awards, including Vocal Duo of the Year and New Artist of the Year. They co-wrote 14 of the 15 songs on their 2020 studio album, The Way It Feels, and in the fall of 2021, they will join Brett Young on his U.S. tour.
August 12th: BRELAND
Singer, songwriter and producer BRELAND’s debut single, “My Truck,” was certified platinum and led to collaborations with artists spanning multiple genres, including Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts, Nelly, Blanco Brown, Lauren Alaina and Chase Rice. BRELAND co-wrote two songs on Keith Urban’s most recent album, including “Out the Cage,” to which he also contributed vocals – and he recently collaborated with Urban on his single “Throw It Back.” In 2020, BRELAND released his debut EP and debuted the Apple Music Radio show “Land of the BRE,” which explores the modern evolution of country music.
August 19th: Charlie Worsham
Warner Music Nashville recording artist Charlie Worsham released his new EP, Sugarcane, last month. What began as personal reflections from a daily writing exercise grew into six songs that celebrate the love, perseverance and struggles experienced through life. In addition to his own work, Worsham is a frequent collaborator, having recently worked with Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Brandy Clark, Luke Combs, Vince Gill, Kacey Musgraves, Marty Stuart, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban among several others.
August 26th: Words & Music at Home Live Co-write with Ruby Amanfu and Sam Ashworth With support from Adam Ollendorff and Kevin Dailey
Songwriters Ruby Amanfu, Sam Ashworth, Kevin Dailey and Adam Ollendorff will co-write a song live on YouTube, incorporating ideas from viewers. Songwriting collaborators who have been married since 2017, Amanfu and Ashworth co-wrote the Top-40 radio single “Hard Place” by multi-Grammy-winning artist H.E.R., which earned Grammy nominations for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Ollendorff has toured and recorded with Will Hoge, Kacey Musgraves and John Oates, appeared on recordings by J.D. McPherson and Carrie Underwood and has had songs cut by Keb’ Mo’. Kevin Dailey is an engineer, producer, composer and multi-instrumentalist who has worked with Mikky Ekko, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, Brittney Spencer and Abigail Washburn.
For resources and program information, visit countrymusichalloffame.org/wordsandmusicathome.
The programs will be streamed on the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Facebook page and YouTube channel and available on-demand on the museum’s Watch and Listen page.
Words & Music at Home is funded in part by the CMA, CMA Foundation, Metro Nashville Arts Commission, Tennessee Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts, with support from American Songwriter and YouTube.
