Join area singer-songwriters for a unique acoustic musical experience with the final Songwriters in the Round concert of 2024 at the St. Mane Theatre! On Saturday, October 5th at 7 pm, audience members will be immersed into this intimate concert setting, where Corey Koehler (Winona), Matthew French (Minneapolis), Amanda Grace (Winona), and Sarah Peterson (Lanesboro) will share their original songs, along with the inspirations and stories behind them!
Each concert in this three part series is presented in a Nashville-style round robin format, which removes the usual distractions of a normal gig, and allows the audience to be drawn into the emotional heart of each song. The first Songwriters in the Round concert took place on Saturday, April 27th, and the second took place on Saturday, June 29th.
Tickets for Songwriters in the Round on October 5th are $20 ($15 Lanesboro Arts Members).
For those who are curious about the songwriting process, each Songwriters in the Round concert will also offer a paired Songwriting Workshop led by one of the night’s performers. Register to participate for only $5. No experience necessary. October 5th’s Songwriting Workshop is “Titles that Tear it Up,” led by Amanda Grace. Learn more and register here.
Featured Musicians: The October 5th Songwriters in the Round will feature Corey Koehler, Matthew French, Amanda Grace, and Sarah Peterson.
Corey Koehler crosses genres to truly connect with the audience. He senses what the crowd wants and it gives it to them with passion and musicianship. It’s obvious he loves performing and the crowd feeds off that energy. He refers to his shows as “Stress Relief Parties” and his main focus is making sure the crowd leaves relaxed and with a big smile on their face. Corey occupies a unique musical space with meaningful original songs and covers that keep the party going all night long. Corey does more than perform, he establishes a relationship with his audience that will keep them coming back time and time again.
Matthew French is a Minneapolis-based singer, songwriter and Gibson guitar collector who creates music to connect people through shared stories of love and loss. The former minister has grown a loyal fan base through his engaging performances, wry sense of humor and warm, community-minded spirit. Raised in a small town outside of Dayton, Ohio, French grew up playing music in the church and in various bands through college. French moved to Minnesota in 2005, but it was not until several years later that he truly immersed himself in songwriting catalyzed by a painful divorce in 2014. “Songwriting was my way of saying things I didn’t know I needed to say,” French says. “It was the best therapy.” Since then, French has immersed himself in the Twin Cities music scene, performing and recording with some of Minnesota’s top folk/Americana artists. He released a second EP, Winding Road, in 2016 followed by his first full-length album, Sweet Love. His new album, Two Sides, is available now on all streaming platforms as well as CD & Vinyl.
Amanda Grace is a Minnesota native and has released music drifting between folk, alt- pop/rock and Americana. With roots as a pianist her writing is thematically varied with an emphasis on melody; with ballads wrapped in warm vocals. Amanda is releasing her eighth album, “Give Me Away” in February. “Give Me Away” is a fitting title for Amanda’s latest and finest album. The songs reflect questions she asks herself regarding the status of her own thoughts and heart, and through her music hopes to convey that the giving of oneself, reinforces goodness in the lives of others.
Sarah Peterson has been writing songs since she was a kid and decided about 5 years back to really dive into the craft of songwriting. Since then, she has written with other songwriters all over the world. Recent success include a song on rotation on Sirus XM radio (If Country Was a Town) and two songs in rotation on Malaysian Radio Stations (Glitter and Gold, Together). With a heart for lyrics she delivers songs that break your heart and heal it at the same time. From her home base in Lanesboro she developed her first artist project last year, releasing four singles and the full six song EP ‘Singing to the Angels’. Sarah offers an eclectic blend of acoustic Folk & Americana sounds with bits of country tossed in. With vocals reminiscent of Stevie Nicks and Madi Diaz and heartfelt lyrics ala Lori McKenna Sarah is carving out her own unique space in the singer songwriter world.
Songwriters in the Round concert and workshop series is presented by Sarah Peterson in partnership with Lanesboro Arts. Sarah Peterson is a fiscal year 2024 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.