On his 30th birthday, local musician Jimmy Willden was struck with inspiration. Corpus Christi needed something to spotlight and inspire appreciation for local music. Thus, Corpus Christi Songwriters was born.
Founded in 2014, CCSW started with a grassroots effort called “In the Rounds,” an open stage that was held at House of Rock each month. Up to 10 participants and featured guest artists perform original music — in front of a completely silent audience.
“Being an organization that focuses on songwriting, it should really be about the songwriter,” Willden said about the listening room environment. “While the performer is on the stage, we encourage people to really listen or take their conversations outside.”
The organization has expanded tremendously since its inception. “In the Rounds” outgrew the space at th House of Rock and has since relocated to the Executive Surf Club. Willden also brought on a full board of directors, which has helped steer CCSW in the direction that Willden envisioned from the beginning.
“To gain traction, we curated other things, like our showcases and workshops throughout the year,” Willden said. “We also started the songwriters Hall of Fame, which was an idea that had been brewing for a while.”
CCSW announced its first ever Hall of Fame Inductees and Honorees in December. The five individuals were chosen by the CCSW board members.
“All five of them have been featured guests at ‘In the Rounds,’ and have supported CCSW throughout its existence,” said Willden.
The Inductees into the Hall of Fame are Tom Whitehurst and Matt Hole.
Tom Whitehurst is an Op-Ed writer at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times during the day and a twangy folk musician by night.
Matt Hole is the frontman in Matt Hole and the Hot Rod Gang, a group self-described as “Texas Rockabilly.”
As a reward, the inductees received an honorary lifetime membership into CCSW and a personalized guitar strap courtesy of Sound Vibrations and Corpus Christi Stitches.
The 2016 honorees are Jake Ward, Josh Glenn and Ty Dietz, honored “for the amazing work they’ve done for the creative culture of Corpus Christi.” The honorees will be eligible for induction in 2017.
Membership with the CCSW (normally $60 per year) includes a range of benefits: free submissions to quarterly songwriting contests; access to exclusive content curated and produced by CCSW; discounts at music shops, recording studios, retreats and more.
In February 2018, all inductees (past and future) will be honored at the first annual CCSW Music Awards Show and Conference. The awards show will feature awards given to community-nominated local and regional songwriters. Willden referred to it as “the Grammy’s of Corpus Christi.”
CCSW also hosts showcase presentations, songwriting competitions, retreats and workshops.
Upcoming “In the Rounds” events include:
Jan. 8 – Featured Guest Artist Tyler McCumber and Host Vanessa Meier.Feb. 12 – Featured Guest Artist When Autumn Turns to Grey and Host Steven Hansen.
“In the Rounds” takes place at Executive Surf Club, 306 N. Chaparral St. in Corpus Christi, the second Sunday of each month.
For more information, visit ccsongwriters.com or call (361) 816-6095.