Putting your Story in a Song: Introduction to Collaborative Songwriting

We are pleased to welcome Kristina to Sonoma County to offer a Songwriting Workshop on Sunday, January 5 from 2:00 – 4:00 pm. The two-hour class, which may include a guided mindfulness meditation and a directed song prompt, will focus more on effective and meaningful self-expression and connection with others through collaborating songwriting or “cowriting,” rather than learning how to write a “hit” song per se. Participants will each leave with a new song seed, or song idea, that they can then complete on their own, afterwards. The workshop is an excellent opportunity for people of all musical abilities to increase their songwriting skills and broaden their musical experience. It is open to musicians, songwriters, poets and writers.

Workshop Fee: $25 (scholarships available; please inquire by email to: [email protected])

Registration is first come, first served, and workshop is capped at 20 participants.

If you play an instrument, please bring it. Please also bring a pen, paper or journal, and a phone to record song ideas (voice memos works great for this).

We will gather at 636 Cherry St. in the Journey Center room at the end of the parking lot.

One participant notes that “taking this workshop was the beginning of me seeing myself as a songwriter, and not just someone who enjoys music and occasionally writes songs. Collaborating with others and working with musicians of differing experiences and abilities opened my eyes to the joys of musical expression. It was a gateway to recognizing the music in me and allowing it to come forward into my life.”

Those attending the workshop are also invited to register to participate in a guided walk on the Camino de Sonoma either Friday, Saturday or half day on Sunday. Registration for the walk is through the website, www.caminodesonoma.com

Kristina Jacobsen, PhD, is a singer, songwriter, anthropologist and ‘peregrina’ who leads the Songwriting Major at the University of New Mexico. In July 2022, she completed the Camino Francés and received her “Compostela” (certification of completion) when she walked from Burgos, Spain to Santiago de Compostela, Spain (498 kilometers). Kristina is the founder and facilitator of Sing Me Back Home Retreats, contemplative songwriting retreats in Sardinia, Spain, and New Mexico and has toured in the US, Scandinavia, Spain, Italy, the United Arab Emirates and Cyprus. Walking on pilgrimage and her mindfulness practice help inform her teaching and bring inspiration. She says, “in teaching songwriting, my role is more of a facilitator than teacher, and the focus is on helping songwriter’s to find their own voice–literally and symbolically.”