Award-winning author comes to PJC

Kay Forrest - The Corsair

Rheta Grimsley Johnson has a simple piece of advice to offer aspiring journalists. “Learn to write a short declarative sentence, learn the basics, and all the rest is just gravy,” she said. “You cannot name a great American writer who was not first a newspaper person, with the exception of Faulkner… But he never learned to write the short, declarative sentence,” she added with a laugh.

Johnson is a writer, a “newspaper person” and a true southern girl. She has spent her life residing all over the deep-south: she was born in Colquitt, Ga., grew up mostly in Montgomery, Ala., and currently lives on 100 acres “out in the boonies” in Iuka, Miss. with her three dogs. As a small child, she even spent five years in Pensacola; she has fond memories of this “magical place” and the pink, concrete home her family lived in.

On April 14, Johnson will come back to Pensacola once again as part of the tour for her latest book, “Enchanted Evening Barbie and the Second Coming: A Memoir.” Pensacola is just one of the many southern stops on her anticipated yearlong tour.

“It’s an uneven book, but that’s because life is uneven,” she said. She began the memoir in January 2009 as a light, comedic look at pivotal Christmases throughout her life, because as she said, “A lot of things happen to me around Christmas.” However, her writing came to a standstill when her husband suddenly passed away from heart complications that March. She finally went on to continue the book, but with a sometimes darker, more emotional tone. Her writing was a form of therapy to her. “Work always saves me; writing always helps me,” she said.

Though Johnson is an accomplished book author, with “Enchanted Evening Barbie” being her fourth published book, she is above all a newspaper journalist. She began her journalism career in the 8th grade, writing for her school newspaper in 1960s Alabama. She then went on to obtain a journalism degree from Auburn University in 1977. She has worked as a reporter for many different newspapers over the years, including 14 years at the “Memphis Commercial Appeal” in Tennessee. A compendium of her columns from this publication make up her first published book, “American Faces.”

Johnson has won several awards for her writing, including the National Pacemaker Award in college, and the Headliner Award for commentary two years in a row. She was even inducted into the Scripps Howard Newspaper’s Editorial hall of fame in 1985, and was one of three finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 1991.

“I wouldn’t trade my profession for anything,” Johnson said. Her favorite thing about her work has been writing about normal, everyday people. “I find it fascinating that everyone has a story. But, they’re usually not ‘splashy’ enough for most people to want to write about,” she said. “I devote my time to ordinary people.”

However, she does admit that one highlight of her career was writing the biography of one “ordinary person” who happened to be famous: Charles Schulz, the creator of the hugely famous comic strip, “Peanuts.” For “Good Grief: The Story of Charles M. Schulz” she spent time on and off with Schulz in Santa Rosa, Calif., interviewing him and getting to know the “kind, gracious man” that he was. She said that each character in “Peanuts” represents an aspect of Schulz, but as a whole he truly was Charlie Brown.

Apart from taking time to write her books, Johnson is still a newspaper journalist through and through. She currently works for King Features Syndicate of New York, with her column running in about 50 different newspapers throughout the country. Though she has had bumps in the road, Johnson has always kept writing. Once, when she felt discouraged over a particular article, her friend encouraged her to “just make sure to make it beautiful.” And, with that she heartily agrees, “That’s what our goal [as writers] should be: to make it beautiful.”

Gulf Breeze Cinema 4 hosts spring film festival

Wade Manns - The Corsair

The Pensacola Film Festival Spring Screen Series is showing for three days, March 12-14. Films will be shown at Gulf Breeze Cinema 4, a theater known for its independent offerings. There will also be live jazz music by Joe Occhipinti; free wine and beer will also be on tap.

The higher-profile entries include the recent military drama “The Hurt Locker,” the dark comedy “The Big Lebowski,” and acclaimed Japanese animation creator Hayao Miyazaki’s latest work, “Ponyo,” based on the classic Hans Christian Andersen fable, “The Little Mermaid.”

Usually, a semi-annual, full-blown International film festival, with many more films, and special guests, would be held at this time and at another time in the fall, but lack of funds and required volunteers have put this on hiatus indefinitely, said Jim Norton, owner of the venue.

Daily showtimes will be at 1 p.m., 4 p.m., and 7 p.m., with three independent movies showing on each of four screens, the same lineup every day. The offerings range from comedy to drama, and even offer a bit of anime to mix things up.

Admission is as follows: adults, $8; children and seniors, $6; matinees, $6. You may also purchase a festival pass for $25: this grants access to all four screens, all 12 movies, for all three days as well as access to the jazz shows, and the aforementioned free wine and beer.

Sponsors include Innisfree Hotels, the Hilton and Hampton Inns on Pensacola Beach.

For more information about parking arrangements, and any other questions regarding the festival, contact Jim Norton, (850) 916-9404.

SSA hosts benefit for suicide prevention

by Rose Jansen - The Corsair

The mission of the Students for Suicide Awareness is to spread awareness about suicide and depression among college students. In addition to spreading awareness, the SSA helps prevent suicide by making the facts and warning signs known, and by offering alternatives.

The SSA will be holding their second Annual Seeds of Hope Music and Art Benefit Show on Saturday, April 3, from noon to 5 p.m. The event will take place on the canon greens at UWF. Tickets will be available at the door and admission is free with any donation. All proceeds will go towards the Mental Health Association of West Florida. 

The benefit show will consist of live music from local musicians, suicide-survivor artwork, a silent auction, door prize drawings and refreshments.

“It is a chance for musicians, students, artists and community members to come together and send out a message of hope,” said Sabra Jernigan, member of SSA and a co-organizer of the event.

Bands that will be playing begin with The Gills as the headliner, Mr. Fahrenheit, Dannica Lowery and Kevin Koontz.

Last year was the first year for the event and there were over 200 attendees and more than $2000 were raised. The group hopes for an even bigger turnout this year.

There will be two additional fundraisers before the concert. On March 25, from 8 to 10 p.m. there will be a Bachelor Night: a date night where musicians and ATO (Alpha Tau Omega, a UWF Fraternity) members will be auctioned. Winners with the highest bid will receive a free dinner and date with the bachelor they choose.

The second fundraiser will be Sushi Night in honor of Chef John Ma. This event will take place Thursday, April 1, 6 to 10 p.m. at the Horizen Sushi Restaurant at 3103 East Strong Street in Pensacola.

The SSA is always looking for new members. The group meets on Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m. in the Commons at UWF. If anyone is interested in joining or would like more information, contact Sabra Jernigan at SAJ14@student.uwf.edu.

SSA is now accepting donations of money, door prizes and services. Anyone interested in making a donation should contact Sabra Jernigan at SabraJernigan@yahoo.com or (850) 490-4746.

The Saenger’s alive with the sound of The Beatles

by Wade Manns - The Corsair

 

The Beatles has been one of music history’s most enduring and most loved bands. Many groups down through the years have attempted to recapture the essence of The Beatles in their own special way. Now, one of those groups is coming to Pensacola with a rather unique method of bringing forth the sound of the “Fab Four”: by leveraging the classical style of the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra, the Classical Mystery Tour hopes to bring forth classical music culture as well as some of the best music rock has ever known.

The Pensacola Saenger Theatre hosts the Classical Mystery Tour, the nationally recognized Beatles cover band, backed up by the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra, Saturday, Feb. 13, at 8 p.m. Comprised of Jim Owen, playing John Lennon on rhythm guitar, piano and vocals; Tony Kishman playing Paul McCartney on bass guitar, piano and vocals; Tom Teeley as George Harrison on lead guitar and vocals; and Chris Camilleri as Ringo Starr on drums and vocals, the band delivers an authentic sound to that of The Beatles, which true fans and purists will definitely enjoy.

Conducting the Symphony Orchestra is Maestro Peter Rubardt, now in his 13th season as Music Director. He understands the true quality of these popular songs by the four youngsters from Liverpool: “The execution, honed in a studio, is scrupulously polished; the musical details burst with originality and creativity; and most of all, the richness of expression is undimmed with the passage of time. These are true classics, in the best sense of the word.”

Owen (Lennon) was the one who had the idea for starting the Classical Mystery Tour. He started in music very young, first hearing The Beatles when he was eight and immediately deciding to take up guitar lessons. He started performing as a Beatle when he was 16, then two years later started with several international productions of Beatlemania, a musical whose original run was from 1977 to 1979.

Kishman (McCartney) got started a bit later in life with music, at age 19. He was influenced by several rock and live acts, such as Wishbone Ash, Bad Company, and Peter Frampton. Like Owen, he too starred in the Beatlemania musical. He produced several acts that ran in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe, and worked again with Wishbone Ash for the recording of their 18th album.

Teeley (Harrison) has also performed in the musical Beatlemania, as well as the film version. He is also a noted rock artist impersonator, as well as a songwriter for Alice Cooper and a singer-guitarist for Joe Jackson, Sophie B. Hawkins and many others. He focuses on an attention to detail in his work.

Camilleri (Starr) also started young in music; his father taught him the drums from a very early age. As he grew, he became friends, and played for many famous artists including Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits, Badfinger, Mickey Dolenz, Joe Walsh and many other bands from the era of the Beatles. He’s also an accomplished voice-over artist.

If you’re a Beatles fan, a classical music fan or both, check out more information about the Classical Mystery Tour, and their future destinations, at http://www.classicalmysterytour.com/.

 

Homeless Coalition needs volunteers

PJC students that would like to serve the community have been asked to join the Homeless Coalition in their annual count of the homeless.  The survey must be conducted by trained volunteers so those that wish to participate can join in the following training sessions.

• Monday, February 8th: 2PM - 4PM @ Navarre First Assembly of God Church on Hwy 98 east of Wal-Mart in Navarre 
• Wednesday, February 10th: 10AM – 12PM @ United Way Office at 6479 Caroline Street in Milton
• Wednesday, February 10th: 12PM – 2:30PM @ Myrtle Grove Baptist Church at 5920 Lillian Hwy in Pensacola
• Wednesday, February 10th: 6PM – 8PM @ Catholic Charities Outreach Center on 6th Avenue in Pensacola
• Thursday, February 11th: 9:30AM - 11:30 AM @ Woodbine United Methodist Church - 5200 Woodbine Road in Pace
• Friday, February 12th: 10AM – 12PM @ The Homeless Coalition office inside the Brownsville Baptist Church in Pensacola

Those that attend the training sessions will then be given a site to survey as well as a date and time that fits their schedule.  The surveys will be conducted all over the community including churches, service providers, and other organizations that serve the poor and homeless.

To sign-up for a training session, students can call or e-mail Jan Wilson at janis.wilson@ecoh.org 850.255.5570 for Santa Rosa County or Sophia Young at sophia.young@ecoh.org 850.255.0022 for Escambia County.

Students star in PLT’s performance of ‘The Women’

Wade Manns - The Corsair

The Pensacola Little Theater is presenting the production of Clare Booth Luce’s play “The Women,” a comedy of manners set in the 1930s about the interactions and sometimes brutal gossiping habits of women in different social classes. The production stars Ashley Sapp and Victoria Cruz, both students at PJC, among many others including child actresses who perform younger roles. The play is directed by Tori LaChapelle, who began in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. before coming down here.

Sapp, who plays the role of Jane, a friend of Mary, the protagonist, has trained with Rodney Whatley of PJC’s Theatre Department for the past year.

“He has really helped develop my confidence, which is something that is so important when you’re on the stage….to be able to work with other people and to just be fine [in front of an audience]…Rodney is clearly more qualified than I am when it comes to theatre knowledge and experience, yet I never feel inferior. He has a wonderful ability to challenge his students as well as pull out the best in them, and I have been extremely blessed to have had the opportunity to be mentored by him,” Sapp said.

Sapp also teaches and directs children, and takes great pride when she helps them to exceed their own expectations in their performances.

Cruz, who plays Nancy, another friend of Mary, trained under Kevin Kern, Celeste Evans and Charles Houghton at UWF before coming recently to PJC to begin general studies; she will start her theatre classes in the fall. Cruz, like Sapp, became interested in public performance at a very young age; her current training has helped her become proficient in improvisation exercises with her fellow actresses.

This is Cruz’s first appearance at PLT; she previously did “Watermelon Boats” and “Naomi in the Living Room” at UWF. She is extremely open and animated; she finds theater to be very challenging, the greatest challenge of her life.

“[I] think my success at doing it is [due to] adrenaline to do more. I feel extremely alive when [I’m on] stage, more so than in normal [everyday] life,” Cruz said.

LaChapelle started in the world of theatre when she was very young, attending a magnet high school with an intensive program when she was older. She has insight into what it takes to be a theatre director: not only must she direct the actors, but she must be involved on many levels of the production, including costuming, set design, lighting and sound.

She must also conduct research into the background of the writer of the play, including details which may help put the behaviors and actions of the characters into perspective for the actors.

“I am intrigued by the play because the characters are so dynamic….in a lot of art forms, women are usually sex objects, they are flat characters, they have no story arc….they’re not usually meaty things,” LaChapelle said.

“The Women” is LaChapelle’s first production at PLT; she also acted in “Night of the Iguana” at PJC. She has brought a minimalist set design philosophy to the production, a courageous move in the face of more extravagant productions; sets consist of a few pieces of furniture, no more.

“The idea is that it’s an art gallery, and these womens’ lives are on display. [You will see] the costumes we’re trying to use to help paint pictures,” LaChapelle said.

The aristocratic women are in muted, darker tones, being in their own world, while the lower-class women are dressed brightly, for they are the real world.

“It’ll definitely be an interesting picture, when it’s on stage,” LaChapelle said.

Tickets for “The Women” are available now through the box office Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., in person or by phone at 432-2042.

Want To Go?
Performances are Jan. 29-31, Feb. 4-7 at the Cultural Center Downtown. Thurs-Sat. 7:30, Sun. 2:30. $10-$25 per person. Tickets half price on Feb. 4.

PJC Historic Society keeps history alive in Pensacola

Kelci Pascoe - The Corsair

In this economy it is difficult to find something enjoyable to do without breaking the bank. The PJC Historic Society offers fun and free historic walks downtown. They are a wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning having fun, getting a good dose of fresh air, and learning about Pensacola’s rich history.

On Nov. 7, the PJC Historic Society hosted a free walking tour of St. John’s Cemetery, led by PJC history professor Randall Broxton. The tour, which lasted just under two hours, was an enjoyable and enlightening one.

St. John’s Cemetery is named after St. John the Evangelist, one of the original disciples of Christ.

According to Ted Nickinson, caretaker of St. John’s, “This cemetery was founded in 1876 and developed in 1877 and 1878. The first burial was in 1878 but some of the markers show dates as far back as the 1830’s.”

Much of the cemetery’s architecture is greatly influenced by Greek and Egyptian art. According to Broxton, “Many of the monuments show much influence by ancient Greek and ancient Egyptian art. The tombstones are pieces of art in themselves.”

Some of the colors of the monuments vary from the typical stone color. “Pink and Green marble was sometimes utilized for markers,” said Broxton. “These colors come primarily from Greece and Italy, once again showing the influence of Greece on some of these markers.”
Most of the monuments at St. John’s were imported by train and then assembled. One of the most interesting monuments here is Beverly Ashby’s, which depicts the tree of life that has been cut off at the top, representing that there once was life but now it has abruptly ended. 

There are about 11,000 markers in this cemetery with an estimated additional 2,500 grave sites with no markers. “Many of these unmarked grave sites are the final resting places of men that were lost at sea,” said Broxton.

Most of these grave markers have an interesting story behind them. The 14th governor of Florida, Edward Aylsworth, who was also a confederate war general, is buried here along with many other famous Pensacola residents such as the Wentworth family, the Turner family, the Cook family and the Barrs family.

One of the most interesting figures buried at St. John’s was related to George Washington. “The granddaughter of George Washington’s only sister died in Pensacola in 1834 and was buried in a family cemetery in Cantonment. She was later interred at St. John’s in 1899,” said Nickinson.

Covering ten city blocks and over 26 acres of land, St. John’s still has new burials to this day. Nickinson says, “It is the largest cemetery in the area [besides] the Barrancas National Cemetery.”

Despite being considered hallowed ground, vandalism continues to be a problem at cemeteries; St. John’s is no exception. “Vandalism is a huge problem here at St. John’s,” said Broxton. “A little while back we had some ‘imported’ vandals from Mobile come here and try to take all the angels in the cemetery. Luckily these men were detained by a few of the cemetery’s neighbors who noticed the men sneaking around. It was a classic case of citizens exercising their rights to a citizen’s arrest.”

Currently there are not many tours of this cemetery; however, in time, a regular walking tour of the cemetery will be developed.

“Dr. Randall Broxton does one or two tours here each year.” said Nickinson. “We also have two memorial services on Commemoration Day and All Saints Day.”
Broxton said, “We always try not to repeat any sites with each tour, with the exception of a few. With every tour we visit different grave sites.”

Nickinson thinks it is very important for people to appreciate the cemetery and all the history Pensacola holds.

“I wish for people to know the historical significance of the thousands of citizens and their roles in the history of Pensacola after the War between the States,” he said.

The PJC historic society, along with Mr. Broxton, will be hosting yet another historic walk on March 20th 2010, at Alabama Square; it will be a tour of historic North Hill.

If you would like more information on the upcoming tour, or how you can get involved with the PJC historic society, contact Randall Broxton: 484-1099 rbroxton@pjc.edu.

The Breeze offers sensory sensitive movies to locals

Kay Forrest - The Corsair

Beginning with “Astro Boy” on Nov. 7 at 10 a.m., The Breeze Cinema 8 in Gulf Breeze will be the first in the area to offer Sensory Sensitive Movies (SSM) for Autistic and other special needs children.

The Breeze will do a special showing of a first-run children’s movie the first Saturday of every month at 10 a.m. If a suitable movie is not in theaters the first weekend of the month, the SSM showing will be moved to a later Saturday.

Started by AMC theaters (AMC calls them Sensory Sensitive Films) at the suggestion of a concerned parent, the SSM program provides a more calming theater experience for special needs children who are sensitive to lights and sounds.

For SSM showings, the lights in the auditorium will be left on throughout the movie for children who are frightened by the dark. Also, the volume of the movie will be lower than usual, for those sensitive to loud noises.

“The good thing [about Sensory Sensitive Movies] is, at the same time that the kids are watching this movie, there’s going to be kids just like them in the theater. And, they will be able to do whatever they like: jump around, dance, yell, laugh, and no one is going to look at them differently,” said Mike Aguado, PJC student and general manager of The Breeze.

During SSM showings, the theater will also offer parents the option of bringing their own snacks for children with special diets.

“We’re trying to make sure they can bring in their own snacks. We do understand that some people have gluten-free diets; they need to be able to bring their gluten-free snacks and their casein-free snacks. We’re very aware of that,” said Aguado.  “We’re also trying to train our employees to be able to be sensitive to the children’s needs.”

Like AMC, The Breeze is now offering the SSM program at the suggestion of a parent with an Autistic child.
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“We were approached by a parent about a program similar to this [that is being implemented] in Atlanta and south Florida. Our owner heard about it and decided to jump on board,” Aguado said.

According to Aguado, the Autism Society of the Panhandle, and the Association for Retarded Citizens (ARC) are both excited about the program being offered; both groups are promoting this step forward.

PJC student and older brother of a special needs child, Alex Johnson, 18, thinks the SSM program will be a “wonderful opportunity” for local mentally challenged children and their families.

“It will give the kids a chance to make friends and have fun watching movies in a non-intimidating way,” Johnson said.

Aguado hopes this program will not only benefit the children, but also raise Autism awareness in the community.

“Our [employees] now will understand more what kind of needs these kids have. Not everybody knows what they should about Autism. And, I think that this will help in educating people,” he said.

He doesn’t know what the future holds, but Aguado hopes the SSM program will “really take off” and be offered in more theaters.

“We really expect big things with this. We hope it does really well here, in this area and this community. I feel really good about this. But, it’s not just me; [all of us at the theater] feel really good about doing something like this. Because it’s not just benefiting us; it’s benefiting others. We are thrilled to do it,” he said.

PJC student heads local poetry group

Paul Smith - The Corsair

It was October of last year; PJC student Patrick Hudson sat alone inside the End of the Line Café waiting for his friend, former PJC student Andrew Gartman, to join him. They were to discuss how, together, they would implement Gartman’s idea for creating a local poetry group.

Gartman never showed that day. A few days later, Hudson discovered that Gartman had died of complications due to AIDS.

Fast-forward a year, on Oct. 6, Hudson, 18, again sat inside the End of Line Café, only this time, he was not alone.

The café was brimming with an eager crowd ready to watch and participate in what has become the most popular poetry scene in town. It was poetry night at End of the Line Café, a regular Tuesday-night event organized by Hudson and put on by his group, the New Poets Society.

Though the original idea was conceived by Gartman, Hudson shared the same enthusiasm for poetry and desire to create a local group. So, Hudson sought to make it his duty to bring such a group into fruition.

“It’s always been a passion of mine, as far as writing the poetry goes and sharing,” said Hudson. “But, I really wanted to try and diversify the poetry community.”

And the readings have attracted a very diverse group of poets, indeed.

While the Tuesday night readings at End of the Line are certainly open-mic (meaning anyone with the desire can sign-up to read the night of the event), there is also a growing crowd of regulars returning each week with new material to present or to watch others read their work.

Tuesday night, Oct. 6, featured an eclectic mix of poets of all different ages, races, backgrounds, and poetry styles stepping up to the stage.

John Fravel, 61, read a poem about three troubled men in a hospital.

A passionate girl, and PJC student, who went by the name Iceiz, boisterously fired off several poems from memory dedicated to her girlfriend which were filled with ruminations on the nature of love and being a woman.

Trevor Griffith, 21, a philosophy major at UWF, sat down in a stool as he read two lengthy poems overflowing with vivid imagery and dreamlike plays on words.

Alex Borgella, 21, a psychology major at UWF, read a comical poem about a barber called “Lack-Hair Of,” which he stated was written in a manner inspired by Lewis Carroll.

Quincy “Q” Hull, 39, did a poem about the scourge of police brutality.

And several other poets also got up on the stage, each with a style uniquely their own. The raw sense of emotion and kinship on display this night was palpable.

“There’s a real sense of community here that’s hard to find in the real word,” said Fravel, who recently became interested in writing poetry after his wife, Annie, survived a brain aneurism. He found the medium as a cathartic way to express his emotions, and found the New Poets Society as the perfect outlet to express his newfound passion for poetry.

Hull, who is also a member of the Still Black See Artists and Writers Guild, described what he appreciated about the New Poets Society as “their love for the original art form in itself.”

“They haven’t taken it outside the original art,” said Hull. “It’s just the pen, the paper and the reader. They haven’t deviated outside of where it started from.”

“I wanted to inspire people to start writing poetry again and to take it as a serious art form,” said Hudson. “A lot of people, who started coming to the group and had never written poetry before, started writing poetry.”

Hudson has also tried to make the New Poets Society about more than just live poetry readings.
For instance, every month the group has a poetry contest with the rules being announced on the first Tuesday of the month. On Oct. 6, Hudson informed the crowd of the new contest rules: to write a poem that must be titled or start with the line “PS—Pensacola.”

The contests are sponsored by Open Books, a non-profit, volunteer-run bookstore here in Pensacola. The winner each month receives a certificate for a free book.

This month’s contest was all part of a creative process leading up to the group’s one-year anniversary on Dec. 15, where, among other acts in celebration, they plan to release their published book titled “PS—Pensacola” which will feature poems from the group. Proceeds from the book sales will go to Open Books.

And in keeping with making the group about more than just poetry, near the end of the readings on Oct. 6, there was also a brief discussion of Victor Demarius Steen, 17, who was recently killed after being struck by a police cruiser outside of Sluggo’s. Details of a vigil to remember Steen were announced by a few members of the group who were also involved in the planning.

Hudson’s group has definitely carved a niche for itself, not only in the local poetry scene, but in the community at large. People seem to attend the readings to be a part of something bigger than themselves, while also exchanging art and ideas through friendship and poems.

“It’s a great social event,” said Stijl Calhoun, 18, who was instrumental in helping Hudson get the group off the ground after Gartman died. “[I come here because] I like hearing what my friends have to say. There’ are a lot of great lines here; they know what they want to say and they say it.”
“I’ve met a lot of really important figures in my life through this group,” said Hudson. “A lot of my favorite poets I’ve met because of this.”

“This is the nucleus of how we learn to know who each other are,” said Hull, “by expressing ourselves through this thing called poetry.”

Tuesday night, Oct. 6, ended with Hudson on stage as he read a poem of his own, a piece celebrating individuality that featured the line, “similarity is the best path to invisibility.”

The New Poets Society is in no danger of such a fate, because when this diverse group meets each Tuesday night inside the End of the Line Café, no one is invisible.

First Annual Pensacola Songwriters’ Festival

by Timm Showalter

Oct. 2 - 4 over 35 songwriters will be rockin’ out at Pensacola Beach for the first ever Annual Pensacola Songwriters’ Festival.

For those who do not know exactly what a songwriter is: a songwriter is someone who writes the music that major artists then perform.  Some of the songwriters attending this festival have worked on cuts for such musicians as the Rolling Stones, Alan Jackson and Jewel, said festival coordinator Reneda Cross.

These writers will be playing their music at the Sandshaker, Lillo’s Tuscan Grille, Paradise Bar and Grill, Sabine Sandbar and The Shell.  There will also be a special guitar workshop at Blues Angel Music on Navy Blvd., Oct. 3.

Cross said the event is aimed at everyone.  “We have anything from the 60’s to modern music.  We really tried to get a full circle because we want to get all age groups.”

Although boasting a genre repertoire of rock n’ roll, blues, country, top 40’s, bluegrass, and folk, she did admit they were not able to scrounge up any hip-hop artists, but are not ruling it out as a possibility for next year.

“One thing about this festival that may interest most people is that anyone will be able to talk with these artists,” said Cross.  “If you go to an Alan Jackson concert you won’t be able to talk to him, but if you come here you’ll get to sit down and talk with Jim McBride.”  Jim McBride has written quite a few of Alan Jackson’s songs such as “Chattahoochee.”

Although the idea for this festival was just spawned in mid-August, Cross isn’t worried about the turnout at all.  Some artists have promised to bring people from Birmingham Ala., Greenville Ala., and even Belgium to participate in the festival.

Cross has been coordinating the Frank Brown Songwriter’s Festival in Orange Beach since 2001.  But, she realized that there is also a demand in Pensacola for a festival such as this.

While Cross was out to lunch with some friends, someone piped up and suggested doing a songwriters’ festival in Pensacola.  To which she couldn’t help but reply, “Let’s do it!”  The rest is soon to be history.

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