A LIVE Concert & Conversation night will take place this Saturday, October 12, featuring a stellar line-up of singer-songwriters, including multi-platinum artist Wendy Matthews.
The celebratory night includes 7 Time ARIA winner Wendy Matthews, Queensland music award winner Jude York, Australia’s Got Talent sensation Johnny Manuel, APRA award winner Mark Sholtez, Los Angeles Music award winner Francesca de Valence, and the GPS Girl® Karen Jacobsen.
Some tickets are still available for the event, which is open to the public and forms part of the Whitsundays Songwriter Festival, now in its third year.
The Whitsundays Songwriter Festival is supported by the Whitsundays Arts Festival.
Concert & Conversation is preceded by the Emerging Songwriter Workshop, also on Saturday, October 12, during the day.
Concert & Conversation will run from 6pm to 8pm, in a private event space, at the Whitsundays Sailing Club, Airlie Beach.
The songwriters and recording artists will talk about their careers and their creative process in an intimate, one-off concert.
Each songwriter will be interviewed, then perform a song, before taking to the stage to share a song they literally just wrote [at the workshop].
Festival co-founder Karen Jacobsen said it would be ‘a night to remember’.
“It is an exciting time for the arts in the Whitsundays, as the third annual Whitsundays Songwriter Festival prepares for an open-to-the public Concert & Conversation evening, and the Emerging Songwriter Workshop,” Ms Jacobsen said.
“This is as behind-the-scenes as you could imagine.
“We are so fortunate that such noted creatives are joining us in the Whitsundays, for this night to remember.”
Wendy Matthews’ many hits include I Don’t Wanna Be with Nobody but You, Let’s Kiss, Woman’s Gotta Have It, Standing Strong, If Only I Could, and mega hit The Day You Went Away.
All of Wendy’s albums have multi-platinum status, and her music is in over one million homes in Australia.
Purchase tickets for Concert & Conversation here:
https://www.whitsundaysartsfestival.org/concert-conversation
More information about the Emerging Songwriter Workshop at www.whitsundaysartsfestival.org.
About the Whitsundays Songwriter Festival:
The Whitsundays Songwriter Festival comprises a Professional Songwriter Residential Retreat (October 10-15), a one-day workshop for Emerging Songwriters (Saturday October 12) and an evening performance by the Professional Faculty at Whitsunday Sailing Club, Airlie Beach, on Saturday 12 October, from 6pm.
Festival co-founders Karen Jacobsen and Francesca de Valence say:
“We were energised by the feedback from our last festival, with memories of Toni Childs wowing the audience at our Concert and Conversation event, and we are over the moon to be able to continue this life-changing arts program in regional North Queensland.”
In 2022, Mackay-born Karen Jacobsen co-founded the Songwriter Festival with Francesca de Valence as part of their commitment to develop the next generation of songwriters.
Emerging songwriters experience a full day learning about song craft, writing songs, and being mentored by professional songwriters (accessed through application on the Whitsundays Arts Festival website).
Led by the founder of online songwriting club ‘I Heart Songwriting Club’, Francesca de Valence, the inspiring workshop offers practical tools for overcoming songwriters’ biggest blocks and barriers.
Francesca de Valence says: “As a young songwriter, I struggled to find support and mentorship for songwriting, which led me to create ‘I Heart Songwriting Club’ and lead workshops across the world.”
Whitsundays Arts Festival President Jessica Begun said:
“We are thrilled to facilitate the continuation of this significant and important event in the Whitsundays, which will have a lasting impact on the lives of our local songwriting talent and promote Australian stories through song.
“These kinds of events thrive when our local community supports them by inviting friends, buying tickets and attending.
“We are also grateful to the many local businesses and individuals who have sponsored and donated to make the events possible.”
The 2024 Whitsundays Songwriter Festival and Residency is supported by the Regional Arts Development Fund, which supports local arts and culture in regional Queensland.
The Whitsundays Songwriter Festival is presented in partnership with I Heart Songwriting Club, Elementa Whitsundays, Whitsunday Sailing Club, Airlie Beach Music Centre, Aussie Mackay, Cruise Whitsundays, Ergon Energy, Zero Waste Solutions and the Whitsundays Arts Festival.
