Saturday, January 9, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm

$100.00

Three friends sharing insights into succesful songwriting, hilarious stories, limited critiques and of course their songs.

Steve Seskin is one of the most successful writers in Nashville today, with songs recorded by Tim McGraw, Neal McCoy, John Michael Montgomery, Kenny Chesney, Collin Raye, Peter Frampton, Waylon Jennings, Alabama, Mark Wills, and Peter Paul and Mary. His song “Don’t Laugh At Me” was a finalist for CMA “Song of the Year” in 1999, and has spurred an entire tolerance movement, launched by the Don’t Laugh at Me Project. Other Seskin hits include: “I Think About You,” “Life’s A Dance,” “No Doubt About It,” “If You’ve Got Love” and “Grown Men Don’t Cry.”

Steve Seskin is an electrifying performer. He’s “a really exceptional talent,” writes Alan Lewis in the SF Bay Guardian. And “the presentation is simple, affective, and effective,” writes Jim Carnes in the Sacramento Bee. Few performers can face an audience with only an acoustic guitar and hotwire its emotions. But that’s what happens at Steve’s concerts.

A Steve Seskin concert will have you wiping away a tear one minute and laughing out loud the next. His songs all have messages that touch the hearts of everyone: from the feelings of a little boy missing his father, to growing up and being true to yourself, to one of his most well know themes of being considerate to and respectful of one another as expressed in “Don’t Laugh at Me."

As a singer-songwriter Craig Carothers has played nightclubs and concerts from Los Angeles to Stockholm for the last 20 years. Craig has shared the stage with more than 100 acts including: Mose Allison, Karla Bonnoff, Jonatha Brooke, Bruce Cockburn, Paula Cole, Ry Cooder, Catie Curtis, Crash Test Dummies, Donovan, John Hiatt, John Klemmer, Leo Kottke, Patty Larkin, Little Feat, Little River Band, Michael McDonald, Anne Murray, Danny O’Keefe, Leroy Parnell, Boz Skaggs, Toad The Wet Sprocket, Richard Thompson, Jethro Tull, Romeo Void, Loudon Wainright III, Tim Weisberg, and Warren Zevon.

Craig Received the Portland Music Association’s Crystal Award for both “Best Folk Act” and “Best Single.” Then in the fall of 1995 Craig signed a publishing contract with Nashville-based Crossfire Entertainment/Almo Irving Music about the same time MCA Country recording artist Trisha Yearwood recorded his song “Little Hercules”. That same year Craig was a winner at the Napa Valley Music Festival’s Emerging Songwriter Showcase, and the Austin Songwriters Contest. Since then Kathy Mattea and Lorrie Morgan have also recorded Craig’s songs. Craig spends a fair amount of time producing albums for other independent artists.

Originally from Morgan Hill, Don Henry is known as a guy the other writers love to hear. He writes remarkable songs and he sings them with equally extraordinary tenderness, humor, and sincerity. His debut CD was filled with catchy, memorable, and entertaining songs. Billboard’s Ken Schlager chose it as one of 1991’s Top Ten records.

Years later his songs would be recorded by Ray Charles, Conway Twitty, the Oak Ridge Boys, Gary Morris, Ray Kennedy, and Kathy Mattea, among others. For co-writing Kathy’s critically acclaimed hit, “Where’ve You Been,” Don and Jon Vezner earned a Grammy, as well as awards from the Academy of Country Music, the CMA, and the NSAI. In fact, “Where’ve You Been” was the first song ever to be so honored. “As a child I had a phonograph real early—my father was a musician—and I remember playing all those Sherman Brothers songs, all those Disney things: “The Jungle Book,” “Mary Poppins.” That is what really taught me songwriting. All those early songs were so lyrical, and very musical. His songs are funny, whimsical, wry, bittersweet, and poignant—all at the appropriate times. His songs have been cut by Kathy Mattea, Christy Sutherland, Lonestar, Rosie Flores, and Bryan White.

You can register for classes and workshops through the Freight box office in person with cash, check, or credit card. Or mail a completed registration form and check for tuition to:

For more information, email: andrea@freightandsalvage.org or call 510-644-2020 ext. 127.

Advance registration is recommended to assure space.