The Jacksonville Songwriter Residency, a Spark Grant project of the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, will present a songwriter showcase at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Florida Theatre lobby.
The premier performer is Minnesota musician and songwriter David Dondero.
The Jacksonville Songwriter Residency is one of four projects that received funding from the Cultural Council’s Spark Grant Program. The projects will activate the Spark District, the urban core of Jacksonville targeted for revitalization through arts and culture experiences.
The project’s mission is to grow Downtown’s music community by bringing professional songwriters from around the world to live, compose and perform in the Spark District. Each songwriter resident will utilize Downtown venues for public performances and collaborate with local songwriters to build on Jacksonville’s rich musical history.
The Jacksonville Songwriter Residency is managed by local musician and Spark Grant recipient Brad Lauretti. He is the host for the Gram Parsons Guitar Pull Songwriting Contest in Waycross, Ga., and is employed as the resident artist for the Underbelly entertainment venue.
Lauretti also leads the songwriting efforts for his band This Frontier Needs Heroes.
The Omni Jacksonville Hotel has signed on as a partner with the Jacksonville Songwriter Residency and will provide lodging for the first resident.
“As the first Jacksonville Songwriter Residency musician, David will be playing around town, writing songs and even recording one of them in the Spark District,” Lauretti said. “It’s been fun watching the excitement this project is generating in the community, and I look forward to bring more world-class songwriters to Jacksonville and see how the project develops.”
The Jacksonville Songwriter Residency is funded by the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, with support from The Florida Theatre and the Omni Jacksonville Hotel.