It's opening night🥳

Friends and Songwriting Enthusiasts!

The time is nigh. Today we begin our journey into the minds, people, and process behind some of the best songwriting in the world. This weekend is the culmination of almost exactly two years of hard work from The Englert Theatre team to create and curate an environment where attendees can learn and be inspired by songwriters both from right here in Iowa and across the country. We couldn’t be more proud to share it with you, and I want to thank each of you for buying into this first-year festival.

The idea behind ICSF is to grow Iowa City as a songwriting community, and the spark for this idea came on a flight between two music industry conferences from Indianapolis to Nashville (by way of Charlotte, of course). I found myself spiritually frustrated going to these conferences. They (rightfully) place a heavy emphasis on the business behind music, and while they serve a crucial role in our industry, I really just wanted to hear artists talking about how they create art. 

Flying into Nashville, where I lived for four years before returning to Iowa City, I was reminded of the many nights I would spend passing a guitar around on porches or in backyards, absorbing all the incredible music and knowledge one can only get in an environment that is intimate and steeped in history and tradition. I wanted that for Iowa City. I wanted this city, that I love so dearly, to celebrate songwriting the way it celebrates fiction, poetry, and nonfiction writing. I wanted the incredible history of songwriting in this town - from Arthur Russell to Greg Brown and so many in between - to be written in the sidewalks alongside Raymond Carver and Flannery O’Connor. I figured if anyone was going to be able to get Iowa City moving in that direction, the passionate, hard-working team at The Englert Theatre was the one for the job.

Lofty ideas take time and dedication to become a reality, and we know that this festival is just the first step towards this dream of Iowa City becoming as well known for songwriting as the other literary forms. What we have found as we dive in is that the community is very excited about the prospect. Partnering with local institutions like Porch Light Literary Arts Center and The City of Literature was an easy sell. The University of Iowa has been interested in talking more about songwriting programs. Artists have responded eagerly to be a part of it, especially our 20 scholars. And you all showed up - selling out passes quickly and building excitement throughout town.