Violettes Meets Song Writer, David Lauver, Part 1
David Lauver Invites You to
the Smoky Mountains Songwriters Festival
August 21-24 (Don't have to be a Song Writer to Attend)
I met David Lauver at the Grand Opening of Digitrax Entertainment Company in South Knoxville. (Lucky me to run into this Song Writer). As the Education and Public Relations Director of the Knoxville Songwriters Association (KSA), he was generous to offer to be a volunteer judge for the Violettes by Becky Youth Composition & Songwriter Competition. He suggested that I attend a KSA meeting to invite the club to be involved. KSA meets each Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Fountain City Library, 5300 Stanton Road. I thoroughly enjoyed these talented folks’ pre-meeting sing-a-long session followed by a group review of songs in progress by attendees. I couldn’t help thinking how night and day the meeting was compared to engineering meetings that I attend! 1. Violettes - What are your recent projects as education and public relations director of KSA?Mr. Lauver - I work with other KSA members to provide developmental and continuing education opportunities for local songwriters. We bring in Nashville professional songwriters, publishers, and studio owners to share their experience and answer questions from local writers. By arranging for KSA participation in community events, we also work to support civic and charitable programs, give our members experience in performing their songs in public, and contribute to East Tennessee’s heritage as a center of musical creativity.2. Violettes - The KSA seems like a fun group. What are your favorite KSA memories or events?Mr. Lauver - We’ve made many good memories performing original songs around the region. Our next scheduled performances are at the Smoky Mountains Songwriters Festival, August 21-24 in Gatlinburg, and September 14 at the Historic Ramsey House’s Country Market. In addition, we may be among the community performers in September at the Tennessee Valley Fair. (Violettes recommends that you attend performances of our own talented Knoxville Song Writers).Also, you never know what memorable events could take place at KSA’s weekly meetings. Several long-time members recall a night whenKim Williams* showed up with a guy who sung demo recordings Kim pitched to publishers and producers. The young man said he wanted to be a recording artist, but told us he also had aspirations as a writer. He got out his guitar and asked if we’d like to hear a song he’d co-written. It was being pitched to Tanya Tucker and he really hoped she’d cut it. Then he began playing the minor chord intro to “The Thunder Rolls.” I’m not sure if Tanya ever recorded it, but it became one of his own signature songs in Garth Brooks’ record-setting music career.*Kim Williams, who is a lifetime member of KSA, was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012 and will be at the 2014 Smoky Mountain Songwriters Festival.David Lauver, Part 2 to be Continued in next blog.
- David Lauver In-Concert