SAMI Turns 20!

Dear SAMI Family,

This is the 20th Anniversary year of SAMI, and I am pleased to serve as your co-president.

We recently, on May 15th, concluded our 12th annual awards concert for the Shirley Martin Scholarship for Young Songwriters and Mike Lane Horizon Award.  If you were in attendance, or served on the judging committee, I am sure you will agree with me that this crop of kids was stellar in every sense of the word.

On May 19th, the second MindBoggling event was held at the Lily Nature Center at the Celery Bog in West Lafayette.  This year, SAMI partnered with the even organizers to write and perform songs inspired by the celery bog, and there were seven SAMI members who participated in one way or another with their songs and performances.  There is talk now about making SAMI a permanent partner in this endeavor to raise awareness and appreciation for this nature area. 

On June 16, no fewer than four SAMI members or scholarship recipients will play on one stage alone at the Taste of Tippecanoe, the largest musical festival in the county.

On July 14th, a number of SAMI members will perform at this year's Riverfest in Tapawingo Park, West Lafayette, from 9am to 4pm.  SAMI has been involved in providing music at this event on the river since its inception, and our presence has just grown stronger over the years.

On August 11, the city of Lafayette will host a Mosey Down Main Street for the Arts, and once again, with your help, SAMI will be out in force.  We will have a SAMI booth, with brochures about SAMI and SAMI's groupies (as we will be promoting our link to this fund raising dynamo), hands on song performances, both at the booth and on the stage, and encouraging applications to the scholarship.

On November 10, SAMI will host an all-day songwriting workshop and evening concert with hit Nashville writer Steve Seskin.  Those of us who have done workshops with Steve elsewhere know just how invaluable his skills and teaching abilities are, so we are fortunate to get him to Lafayette.

All in all, it's been a great year so far, and will continue to be so for SAMI and its members.  As host of Acoustic Blend, a radio program on WBAA, I have interviewed and had in-studio musical sessions with numerous SAMI members already this year, and the June 9th edition will feature yet another SAMI member.

So come on out to SAMI meetings and events, get involved if you are not already, and spread the word to other songwriters, especially the youth.

As SAMI turns 20, I for one am both humbled and honored by the accomplishments of the organization and its members.  I want to personally thank each and every one of you who have built this phenomenon, and who now keep the mojo going, two decades into this grand experiment.

In gratitude,

Joe Peters
Performing Songwriter

http://www.reverbnation.com/joepeters