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Visuals Inspire Lyrics at Love on Holiday Song Fest

Pottery, textiles and a short film are among the visual arts that were mined for lyrical inspiration this week by 30 musicians preparing for this weekend’s seventh annual Love on Holiday songwriting festival in Sturgeon Bay.

This is the fourth consecutive year of the music-art mashup at Love on Holiday, the Music Motel’s wintertime invitation for musicians to engage in a weeklong, collaborative songwriting intensive. Musicians employ “spin the bottle” throughout the week to establish various songwriting teams. Once established, teams also spin the bottle to be paired with a piece of art. From there, they test their merits as songwriters to craft lyrics inspired by the artworks they are linked with.

On Friday and Saturday evenings, musicians take the stage at Third Avenue Playhouse for public performance of these songs and a showcase of the artwork that inspired them. Given its proximity to Valentine’s Day, Love on Holiday was developed as an outlet for songs of love and love gone away.

Fourteen visual artists with Door County connections have willingly put forward a collection of original work in various media, including acrylics, collage, 3-D installation, textiles, ceramics, found objects and photography.

Holiday Music Motel manager and festival co-organizer melaniejane curated this year’s art selection, which also includes a short film comedy (“Rag Dolls”) by Minneapolis filmmakers Kristin and Justin Schaack, of Above-the-Line Entertainment.

During studio tours and conversations with the artists, her aim was to curate a collection that would inspire musicians to “paint with their words and the music. The best music is show, don’t tell.” Visual art has proven a powerful force in the years since it was incorporated into the festival.

As melaniejane explained, it has not only forced songwriters to start their creative process from the same point, but to expand the language with which they write songs. In many ways, all of the visual artists and musicians at Love on Holiday are vulnerable:  artists bravely put their work on display to be explored for inspiration, story and meaning, and translated through lyrics in a public setting.

Knowing many of the visual artists are in the audience undoubtedly inspires Love on Holiday musicians to craft surprising narrative from unexpected places.

“Unavoidably influenced by the songwriters’ own history and experiences, the collaboration between these two worlds will, as in years past, yield music of a depth and power that only this unique cross-collaboration can inspire,” melaniejane said.

Love on Holiday public performances are Feb. 9-10 at Third Avenue Playhouse, 239 N Third Ave in Sturgeon Bay. Doors open at 7pm with artist meet-and-greet. Performances begin at 7:30pm. Admission is $5 cash. Visit holidaymusicmotel.com for more information.

When Art & Music Collide

“November” by Stephanie Trenchard.

“November”

(lyrics by Kate Vargas, Patrick Kelly and Loren Tee)

inspired by Stephanie Trenchard’s painting, “November”

 

On the corner by the church

I can hear the women curse

As they talk about the daffodils

In Miss Carolyn’s front yard

 

Down in the parking lot, out in the back

The men in their suits they are splitting a pack

And I know, come next Sunday

They’ll be saying Hail Marys for that

 

There was a time there was a time

There was a time that now I can hardly remember

All’s I know, it was early November

The time that I swore I would always come back to you

 

Girls chasing boys chasing boys chasing girls

The Stephenson twins pulling Annabelle’s curls

And Dad told me that means

That really they want something more

 

Falling in leaves, pushing and shoving

Mud on our sleeves, grass stains, and tights running

I ruined my outfit

And Mom wasn’t happy with that

 

There was a time there was a time

There was a time that now I can hardly remember

All’s I know, it was early November

The time that I swore I would always come back to you

 

And I know that I swore

But I can’t get there anymore

It just doesn’t feel the same

But

 

There was a time there was a time

There was a time that now I can hardly remember

All’s I know, it was early November

The time that I swore I would always come back to you

 

The time that I swore

I would always come back to you

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