Musicians offer songwriting advice ahead of Songs of the Susquenanna Jan. 31, 2022, submisson deadline

​The Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association’s second annual Songs of the Susquehanna program is accepting original songs inspired by the river, its tributaries and the aquatic resources that depend on them through Jan. 31, 2022.

“This songwriting event is the perfect motivation to breathe life into your songwriting ideas that may be sitting on the shelf, waiting for the right moment to shine,” said Johanna Kodlick, who submitted the song “Return to Blue” in last year’s program.

“The sense of community surrounding this project is warm and embracing, so it is a safe place to allow your talents to unfold. You never know what residual benefits you may experience by just taking the leap.”

Don Shappelle, who had two songs make the Songs of the Susquehanna Volume 1 album, shared that writing music, for him, can look different with each song.

“Sometimes for me, the lyrics come first, then a melody and chord structure. Other times, it can be the other way around with a melody and chord riff in my head, and then a storyline,” he said. “I would suggest that you follow your heart and write about something near and dear to you and then try to come up with an interesting melody to pair with those inspired words.”

That inspiration can come from a variety of places, suggested Hannah Bingman, whose song “Susquehanna & River” is on the Songs of the Susquehanna Volume 1 album.

“Read, read, read and get inspired,” she said. “Create a story from one you’ve read or tell your own. Everything is valid.”

When you have an idea, it is important to let it breathe, so to speak, suggested Van Wagner, whose submission “New Song for an Old River” is on Songs of the Susquehanna Volume 1.

“I’ve learned not to force it. If a song is flowing I write it down fast,” he said. “If I don’t, it’s gone and I lose it.”

Shappelle agreed: “Usually a song that is forced will tend to sound stiff. It is the soul and conviction behind a song that sets it apart. The beauty of songwriting, though, is that anyone can try it and possibly come up with a winner.”

It is important, Wagner added, that during the process of songwriting, to do it for yourself and not worry about what others may think.

​“Never care if it is good enough – it’s never about what other people think,” he said. “Create songs because they are you. If other people like them, great, but it’s never about that.”

Submit your song

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Help us continue this project and give back to the musicians who participate via your donation below. Money given to this specific project are used to cover costs and then are divvied up among musicians whose songs make the final Volume 2 album as a way to help them endure the uncertainty of COVID impacting gigs and other opportunities.

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Kodlick urged everyone to get involved, admitting that her participation last year offered unexpected benefits to her personally and can have a similarly profound impact on others this year.

“Submitting my song in the 2021 event offered me one of the greatest cathartic benefits of processing the grief of my father’s death,” she said. “The outpouring of love and support in response to my song through this channel was overwhelmingly positive.

“Having the outlet of music is a beautiful thing that awaits us all, right at our fingertips, no matter what one’s level of songwriting experience may be. As long as you are authentic to yourself, you can’t go wrong.”

The Songs of the Susquehanna project was developed as a pandemic-proof way to continue engaging and educating people about the benefits of – and threats facing – the Susquehanna River, its tributaries and the aquatic ecosystem that depend on these resources.

It is also a program designed to promote local musicians from a region ripe with a wide variety of musical talent coming off a year of lost gigs and other opportunities. Not only does this project give musicians more exposure, but donations collected during the process go toward covering program expenses and then is divvied up among musicians involved as a way to help them continue their musical passions in our region. 

Songs submitted by the end of day, Jan. 31, will be shared on the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association website (MiddleSusquehannaRiverkeeper.org) throughout the month of February 2022, where people can listen to each and provide feedback on which submissions speak the most to them. 

In early March, an announcement will be made on which submissions will make the Songs of the Susquehanna Volume 2 album, with CDs and online downloads available shortly thereafter.

Songs for this year’s effort need to be submitted by Jan. 31, 2022, via an mp3 file emailed to [email protected] If there are lyrics in your song, the text of those lyrics should be included in the body of the email or attached Microsoft Word document.
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For more information about the 2022 Songs of the Susquehanna program, visit www.MiddleSusquehannaRiverkeeper.org/song-project.html. ​