Beth Lodge-Rigal is an award-winning performing songwriter who brings her talents and a unique approach to the creative process of song writing to groups of all ages.

The goal of all of Beth’s workshops is to help connect people of all ages to their own true stories, to the poetry that lives within and around them, and to the stories of their families, communities, and the larger world. While the methods and the themes are modified depending on the age of the participants, the goal and philosophy remains consistent. Beth’s hope is to create a safe, positively-charged, energetic space for people to take risks and share in a process of discovery and surprising empowerment by writing their own songs.

The basic principles of songwriting can be conveyed to young audiences through singing, listening, reading and talking about lyrics in order to begin to understand how music and words fit together. By bringing in a melodic idea to share with a group, sometimes with a model verse and chorus, young people are inspired to join in group and individual writing exercises, brainstorming, and sharing which lead to completed group and individual songs. Current classroom themes are discussed with teachers or project directors prior to the first visit in order to help gently guide the work and help integrate curricular objectives.