Lexington, KY - Every songwriter must get their big break somewhere. Even legends of the trade such as Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson did not simply have the good fortune of scribbling some words on paper and then supplying a few chords over the top only to have success handed immediately to them. On the contrary, they had to work their fingers to the bone, perfecting their method and continually fighting to make it big.
Every songwriter needs a feverish work ethic and some semblance of musical talent. They also need the right connections and a way for their music to be heard. Bo Allen, host of an upstart musical series called In the Round, has this very goal in mind as he seeks to provide our area's aspiring songwriters the opportunity to perform and network with other successful and accomplished writers.
Allen, himself a songwriter and performer with his own band for more than five years now, knows the ropes of the writing life and seeks to give social and artistic support to those writers looking to push their work. He has been assembling local songwriters on a monthly basis at the Racquet Club Ballroom since June 2010 for In the Round, a talent showcase that allows various performers an outlet to present their original compositions and highlight their individual skills for the public.
At every In the Round session, a hit songwriter from Nashville will take to the stage along with other acts. One of Allen's most crucial goals is to light sparks under the local songwriting community while simultaneously pairing established hitmakers with local up-and-comers in hopes to bolster their careers. Allen has benefited from several connections during his time in and around the industry and seeks to lend a hand to local performers by creating a so-called meeting of the minds, giving them access to the wisdom and expertise of these established hitmakers and writers.
"I want to help these writers come up along through the ranks," Allen said. "It really gives an artist incentive to hone their craft as a songwriter when they perform side by side with the best of the best."
In the Round is open to writers/performers from all genres but generally attracts those from traditional country and pop country backgrounds, as well as those who tend toward more Americana-based genres, including folk, bluegrass and even neo-traditional and outlaw country.
"We are welcome to any genre, but we do intend for the sound of the performers to be uniform, and because of the Nashville connections, (it) usually tends more toward country sounds," he said.
Allen and company have secured their first sponsor in Elite Building Products, which has "really helped lighten the load financially," he said. As anyone seeking to promote an artistic-based event knows, the presence of a proper sponsor is an essential and highly coveted partnership. Allen also continues to seek out other partnerships in the community that will allow the evolution and continued growth of the series and bolster its functionality as a call to arms for local songwriters.
Reputation is everything, and in the songwriting business, this truism rings as loud as a jangling guitar chord. Again, songwriters rarely break into the music business overnight. Interestingly enough, word from the Lexington showcases is reaching Nashville, according to Allen. Some of his colleagues and connections in Music City have inquired about and taken notice of performers from the Lexington shows. Connections like these make it a realistic possibility for the existence of a nationally pertinent music scene in areas such as Lexington. With such a rich musical landscape, our area songwriters have plenty to share and many heartfelt compositions that certainly have what it takes to eventually be recorded and even surface on the music charts.
In the Round will hit the stage again on Saturday, April 30, and will feature songwriters Rick Huckaby, Chris Compton and Hannah Rector. Outside of a continued dedication to songwriters, Allen aspires to better brand the showcase and make it a recognizable event not only in Lexington but within the region and beyond. His plans for making the show more viable include continued focus on marketing, most notably the creation of a website that will promote the shows and ideally feature video interviews and performances from the gallery of songwriters. Should things remain up to speed, the show may progress to multiple monthly performances and beyond.
The songwriting profession can be a tumultuous world filled with hard work and a multitude of uncertainties and dead ends. Only through a desire to band together can the fruits of working songwriters' labors be fully enjoyed and heard by wider audiences. Thanks to those on the scene such as Bo Allen and his In the Round showcase, the opportunity is there for ambitious local songwriters to share their gifts and truly sing their lives to the greater public.
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Showtime is 8pm. Tickets available directly from Bo Allen or online at http://www.facebook.com/l/ac94a5va8Trcfipm00p3itSU9IQ/intheround.eventbrite.com/
The Racquet Club is located at 3900 Crosby Drive, Lexington, KY.