Meet the Song Camp Italy Faculty
Songwriting, Performance & Music Career Faculty confirmed for Song Camp Italy 2023 include:
John McCutcheon
According to Pete Seeger, “John McCutcheon is not only one of the best musicians in the USA, but also a great singer, songwriter, and song leader.”
Johnny Cash had this to say about John: “The most impressive instrumentalist I've ever heard."
The Dallas Morning News said “Calling John McCutcheon a 'folksinger' is like saying Deion Sanders is just a football player.”
No one remembers when the neighbors started calling the McCutcheons to complain about the loud singing from young John's bedroom. It didn't seem to do much good, though. For, after a shaky, lopsided battle between piano lessons and baseball (he was a mediocre pianist and an all-star catcher), he had "found his voice" thanks to a cheap mail-order guitar and a used book of chords.
From such inauspicious beginnings, John McCutcheon has emerged as one of our most respected and loved folksingers. As an instrumentalist, he is a master of a dozen different traditional instruments, most notably the rare and beautiful hammer dulcimer. His songwriting has been hailed by critics and singers around the globe. His thirty recordings have garnered every imaginable honor including seven Grammy nominations. He has produced over twenty albums of other artists, from traditional fiddlers to contemporary singer-songwriters to educational and documentary works. His books and instructional materials have introduced budding players to the joys of their own musicality. And his commitment to grassroots political organizations has put him on the front lines of many of the issues important to communities and workers.
Even before graduating summa cum laude from Minnesota's St. John's University, this Wisconsin native literally "headed for the hills," forgoing a college lecture hall for the classroom of the eastern Kentucky coal camps, union halls, country churches, and square dance halls. His apprenticeship to many of the legendary figures of Appalachian music imbedded a love of not only home-made music, but a sense of community and rootedness. The result is music...whether traditional or from his huge catalog of original songs...with the profound mark of place, family, and strength. It also created a storytelling style that has been compared to Will Rogers and Garrison Keillor.
The Washington Post described John as folk music's "Rustic Renaissance Man," a moniker flawed only by its understatement. "Calling John McCutcheon a 'folksinger' is like saying Deion Sanders is just a football player..." (Dallas Morning News). Besides his usual circuit of major concert halls and theaters, John is equally at home in an elementary school auditorium, a festival stage or at a farm rally. He is a whirlwind of energy packing five lifetimes into one. In the past few years alone he has headlined over a dozen different festivals in North America (including repeated performances at the National Storytelling Festival), recorded an original composition for Virginia Public Television involving over 500 musicians, toured Australia for the sixth time, toured Chile in support of a women's health initiative, appeared in a Woody Guthrie tribute concert in New York City, gave a featured concert at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, taught performance art skills at a North Carolina college, given symphony pops concerts across America, served as President of the fastest-growing Local in the Musicians Union and performed a special concert at the National Baseball Hall of Fame. This is all in his "spare time." His "real job," he's quick to point out, is father to two grown sons.
But it is in live performance that John feels most at home. It is what has brought his music into the lives and homes of one of the broadest audiences any folk musician has ever enjoyed. People of every generation and background seem to feel at home in a concert hall when John McCutcheon takes the stage, with what critics describe as "little feats of magic," "breathtaking in their ease and grace...," and "like a conversation with an illuminating old friend."
Whether in print, on record, or on stage, few people communicate with the versatility, charm, wit or pure talent of John McCutcheon.
Beppe Gambetta
Beppe Gambetta is one of the world's most respected flatpickers, a master guitarist, researcher and composer born in Genova, Italy in 1955 who developed a style of concert presentation that brings American and European Roots to speak together with one voice. In his unique approach, Gambetta blends energetic grooves with passionate melodies, giving new life to sources from different times, periods and places. In addition, the original music he composes gives contemporary influences to traditional roots music.
He first came to the United States in 1985 and then returned in 1988 to travel through the US with the first available Sony digital DAT machine. He managed to meet and record a collection of duets with 12 of the most admired guitarists in the American bluegrass/folk genre including Norman Blake, Mike Marshall, Charles Sawtelle, John Jorgenson and David Grier.
In 1989 Beppe Gambetta crossed the “Iron curtain” to perform at the Porta Festival in Czeckoslovakia and sensed the revolutionary wave that in those days expressed itself also thorugh the music. In that occasion he started an important collaboration with American banjo master Tony Trischka.
In the 1990s Gambetta started to tour on a regular basis with American guitar legend Dan Crary (in Europe and then in the US and Australia). Dan Crary was able to introduce him to the organizers of the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, KS, a major guitar event and home to important guitar contests. Gambetta's performances at Winfield opened the door to him becoming a regular part of the American Festival scene.
In 1993 he met and collaborated with Gene Parsons, a former member of the legendary folk-rock band, The Byrds. Parsons performed on Gambetta's first solo American CD “Good News From Home” (1995) on the then preeminent folk and Celtic label “Green Linnet”. In this album, Gambetta started to blend his love for American Roots with elements of European tradition moving away from being known strictly as a hot bluegrass picker to create his own multi-national style.
In the late 1990s he launched a project to research the forgotten music of the Italian String Virtuosi of the turn-of-the-century. He focused on reviving the music and re-building the instruments of legendary Genovese harp-guitarist Pasquale Taraffo (1887-1937). This work led to the recording of two CDs “Serenata” (1997) and “Traversata” (2001) with classical mandolinist Carlo Aonzo and American mandolin icon David Grisman.
He has continued his research along the path of musicians and emigrations including to date producing shows of Italian revival in Europe, US and Argentina.
In 2001, Beppe Gambetta and his wife Federica Calvino Prina inaugurated “Beppe Gambetta Acoustic Nights”, a series of annual concerts that bring together different top-notch International musicians each year, planned around a special musical “theme”. Held each spring at the 1000-seat Teatro della Corte in Genova, Italy for three or four consecutive evenings, the performances have established themselves as one of the preeminent events in the European musical scene and are regularly broadcast live by the Italian National Radio (RAI Radio 3).
From 2002 to today, Beppe Gambetta focused his work mainly on his solo career, touring constantly and naturally and seamlessly joining the shores of the two continents, Europe and America, creating in spite of the interposed ocean a musical fusion where American root music and Ligurian tradition, emigration songs and folk ballads, steel string guitars and vintage harp guitars not only co-exist but interact, weaving a deep dialog unaware of any rigid classification.
On April 23, 2019 Beppe was awarded with the title of “Genoa Ambassador To The World” by the Mayor of Genoa Marco Bucci for the following reason:
“Beppe Gambetta has built countless bridges between Genoa and the Americas, combining the rich culture of his hometown with the beauty of the American roots and adding in his compositions contemporary influences to the traditions he mastered. He has been a true Ambassador of the Genovese culture in all his studies, productions and performances”.
For his 14th CD (Where The Wind Blows, Borealis Records, Canada 2020) Beppe Gambetta revealed himself to be not simply a master guitarist but also a new songwriter of great feeling, wisdom and maturity. “Where the Wind Blows” is a collection of songs and tunes all written, arranged and performed by Beppe with the extraordinary collaboration of American bass player Rusty Holloway and percussionist Joe Bonadio.
The CD title track “Dove Tia O Vento” was a finalist in the “Best Song” Category at the Italian Awards Premio Tenco 2020.
Bonnie Hayes
Bonnie Hayes is an esteemed singer-songwriter, musician, record producer and educator. She wrote two of the songs on Bonnie Raitt's Grammy-winning Album of the Year "Nick of Time", and her songs have been recorded by Cher, Bette Midler, Natalie Cole, Robert Cray, David Crosby, Adam Ant and Booker T and the MG's.
For the past 7 years, Bonnie served as the Chair of the Songwriting Department at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts and a longtime faculty member at Planet Bluegrass SongSchool in Lyons, Colorado. She is a popular and experienced teacher with an original slant on writing songs that satisfy both artistic and commercial criteria. Her students have won prizes in the John Lennon songwriting contest, the WCSA songwriting contest, the Soulmaking contest, and others.
We’re exceptionally pleased and fortunate to be able to include her in the faculty of the inaugural Song Camp Italy.
The songs of Bonnie Hayes have always been extraordinary, from “Shelly’s Boyfriend”, the post-punk badgirl anthem that put her on the map to the authentic passion of “Have A Heart” and “Love Letter,” which restored Bonnie Raitt to superstardom with the multi-platinum, multi-Grammy-winning CD Nick of Time. Writing for artists as diverse as Bette Midler, Robert Cray, Adam Ant, David Crosby, Booker T and the MG’s, and Cher, Hayes has continued to craft songs one critic described as “sparkling clockwork mechanisms with a tendency to do the unexpected.”
On her album “Love In the Ruins” Bonnie infuses her barbed lyrics with her own unmistakable vocal style and adds a new fervor for crunchy guitars and incendiary drumming. The sum is ironic, literary, melodic, tragic, wild, honest, joyful music that also flat out ROCKS. Known for years as a keyboardist (she actually toured as a keyboard player/backing vocalist with such arena acts as Belinda Carlisle and Billy Idol), she turned to writing on guitar to stimulate the creative process. Bonnie’s personal reinvention is typical of her uncompromising attitude: “I reject the idea that music has to be either smart or kickass—-why not both?”
Famed for her kick-out-the-jams live show, Hayes has also enjoyed success as a recording artist and producer. In 1984, her pop/punk debut “Good Clean Fun” was released on seminal LA indie Slash Records to critical raves and national college airplay and in 1995, the Hayes-produced CD “Steppin’ Out” by the Gospel Hummingbirds was nominated for a Grammy. “Love In the Ruins” marks a return to center stage for this exceptional songwriter.
Steve Poltz
Steve's performances offer and deliver pure joy. He co-wrote Jewel's multiplatinum Billboard Hot-100 smash hit "You Were Meant For Me", along with more recent collaborations and co-writes with GRAMMY-winning bluegrass phenom Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull, Nicki Bluhm, Oliver Wood and Mojo Nixon.
In the 20 years since his full-length solo debut One Left Shoe, Steve Poltz blessed the world’s ears with thirteen solo records, spanning the acclaimed 2010 Dreamhouse, Shine On in 2019 and most recently Stardust & Satellites with Oliver Wood of the Wood Brothers. NPR summed it up best, “Critics and fans alike now regard Poltz as a talented and prolific songwriter.”
This is the story of Steve Poltz.
Some people start life with a plan. Not Steve. He opens himself up to the universe in a way most of us will never be loose enough to achieve, and the universe responds with a wink, a seemingly bottomless well of inspiration, and the talent to truly connect with an audience. While 2021 could have found him adrift, faced with a tour moratorium the likes of which he hadn’t experienced in decades, it opened a door — literally, his friend Oliver Wood of The Wood Brother’s door — to creating an exuberant, thoughtful batch of songs that celebrate life in all of its stages.
The resulting album is called Stardust & Satellites [Red House / Compass Records].
“I just make stuff up,” he exclaims, quipping, “it sounded good to say that.” Steve is the sort of prolific writer and collaborator who downplays what seems like a non-stop geyser of creativity. “I have no rhyme or reason for what I do. It’s all magic. I go by instinct. It just felt right, so I went with it.”
The “it” in question is one of those serendipitous situations that were created by the pandemic. Steve, a road dog and performance junkie who regularly spends 300+ days a year on the road, bringing it to the people, should’ve been on tour last year. Esteemed Nashville roots rockers The Wood Brothers (Chris Wood being a former neighbor to Steve), also should’ve been on tour. Stuck in Nashville, Steve often joined the Wood Brothers for outdoor socially distant hangs, and, on a whim, decided to record one song with Oliver Wood and Jano Rix.
They cut “Frenemy,” a wistful, “keep your friends close and your enemies even closer” song that made it clear to all involved that they’d stumbled onto something special. With no studio clock ticking, no schedule or deadlines to meet, the companionship and ability to collaborate with like-minded musicians added a joyful diversion to what was a boring-ass year. Musically, the sky was the limit, and the group of musicians and friends embarked on a musical experience that found cast and crew reaching toward the stratosphere with Stardust & Satellites, which Oliver and Jano Rix of The Wood Brothers produced.
The album begins with the lithe fingerpicking of “Wrong Town,” an anthem summing up the life of an itinerant songwriter/performer, where he declares, “The truth is I have no plan at all,” going on to cite Emmylou Harris and Don Was as his style icons. It’s a “pleased to meet me” sort of song, and it was written to greet the audience at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in 2019. “I wanted to write an opening song,” Steve recalls.“I sat down with fellow Nashville songwriter Anthony da Costa, and ‘Wrong Town’ just appeared.”
But even gonzo guys have their moments where the cycle of life seems to be almost too much to bear. “Conveyor Belt” is a heartfelt song, a song that could only be written at a certain point in one’s life, and that point is when you’re saying goodbye to your parents and addressing your own mortality. Steve explains, "My mom passed away, and then a few years later my dad crossed over. I started thinking that I was next on the conveyor belt in a factory on the wheel of time. Next thing I know, I grabbed my guitar and this song appeared to me like a gift. It didn’t exist and then voila, there it was. I feel lucky to be a conduit."
The song is written over a gentle, repetitive melody that moves along with the inevitability of ye old sands of time. For fans, it’s a different side of Steve, using a voice and a new solemnity for a song that touches a universal nerve.
On one of the last nights of the recording sessions, Steve locked himself up in his writing room and within an hour, had conjured the catchy, effervescent “Can O’ Pop,” destined to be the radio single.
“Jano from The Wood Brothers was leaving the studio, and I asked him to give me a beat, and I told him I’d write a song with the beat he gave me,” recalls Steve. The exuberant, syncopated groove seems to bubble up as Steve admits, in his best mid-period Dylan, “I want to feel the fizzy rhythm with you.”
“Hey, Everyone loves a can of pop” he cracks.
Among other highlights, “It’s Baseball Season” seesaws on a sunny acoustic guitar as he pays homage to America’s favorite pastime. Poltz is a true fan, and the song’s laid-back, relaxed vibe speaks of carefree days at the ballpark. Steve even pays tribute to legendary baseball announcer Ernie Harwell.
With a cult following that includes fellow musicians, regular folks and festival goers who stumble onto his performances, there’s no common denominator to Steve’s fans. Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia and raised in San Diego, CA Steve toured and recorded with San Diego cult favorites The Rugburns (they still play annual sold-out reunion shows). But it was through his creative partnership with Jewel that he vaulted into the national spotlight; co-writing her multiplatinum Billboard Hot 100-busting smash, “You Were Meant For Me,” and continues to work with her to this day.
Over the years, the Nashville-based troubadour has built a fascinating solo catalog, earmarked by his debut, One Left Shoe, Dreamhouse, Folk Singer, and 2019’s Shine On. No Depression crowned him, "A sardonic provocateur with a lighthearted acoustic-driven wit, suggesting at times a sunnier, less psychedelic Todd Snider, or maybe a less wan, washed Jackson Brown,” while the Associated Press dubbed him "part busker, part Iggy Pop and part Robin Williams, a freewheeling folkie with a quick wit and big heart.”
Among other collaborations, GRAMMY-winning bluegrass phenom Billy Strings tapped him to co-write “Leaders” on 2021’s Renewal and he’s co-written with Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull, Nicki Bluhm, Oliver Wood and even Mojo Nixon.
He’s resumed his tour schedule, and when he comes to your town, he’ll say, as he does every night, “This is the best show I’ve ever played.” And hell, maybe it just is.
Ultimately, Steve never needed a plan.
He’s something of a natural, after all.
Matt Backer
The words “Rock Star” get tossed around frequently these days, but Matt Backer is someone who has unequivocally earned the moniker.
Spanning a 35 year career, he has recorded, performed and co-written songs with a diverse range of artists including Julian Lennon, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Sinead O’Connor, Joe Cocker, Aimee Mann, Elton John, Alice Cooper, Bananarama, Cher, Bob Geldof, Belinda Carlisle and Kermit The Frog. He has been the guitarist with multi-platinum '80s superstars ABC for over 20 years.
His solo career has received critical acclaim resulting in New Music Awards in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Mojo magazine described his "Impulse Man" album, which features songs he co-wrote with Julian Lennon, as: "...the chunkiest riffs and licks you wish you'd learned to play wrapped around songs replete with fat choruses and wry humour.'
Matt was born in New Orleans, speaks Italian, French and Spanish and has lived in Mexico, Venezuela, Belgium, the Caribbean and Leamington Spa. His higher education included studies at Hampshire College, The Berklee College of Music and The University of Warwick.
He lives beyond his means in London and we’re exceptionally pleased to be able to include him in the faculty of the inaugural Song Camp Italy.
Paul Reisler
Songwriting & Guitar During that time, he’s been involved in over 3 dozen recordings as a musician, producer, composer and songwriter. He’s taught at workshops and songwriting schools including Rocky Mountain Song School, Utah Song School, Swannanoa Gathering, Blue Ridge Songcamp, Augusta Workshop, University of the Pacific, Hollyhock, Berklee College of Music, Folk Alliance, Kerrville, Nashville Songwriters Association, Omega Institute, Moulin a Nef in S. France, Songcamp in the Mountains, Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, and many others. In addition to all his songs and instrumentals, he wrote the full-length piece Aesop’s Fables for Orchestra and Narrator as well as the script and music for two new musicals--Bouncin’and The Talented Clementine. PaulReisler.com “Reisler's talents are many and his creativity, vast. Not too many people can do what he can do, bring the spirit of music and creating to new generations, opening up one of the most important doors there is. He is a national treasure." -- Robert Fritz, composer, filmmaker and author of Creating and The Path of Least Resistance Your words, comments, spirit are fine companions as I walk along and listen for the stories and songs that come from my heart. You have a gift not only for your own art and craft, but also for creating an atmosphere that is safe, nurturing, yet challenging.” -- Michael Cervone, NY “I have been coming to songwriting camps for some time to gain knowledge, but when I attended Paul Reisler’s classes on ‘Harmony and Chord Substitution’ I received something better than mere knowledge, I received understanding -- where all that accumulated knowledge came together into a useable form. Then I attended his class ‘A Song is a Story is a Song’ and was given something even more significant, and that is wisdom.” -- Cliff Rice, Valparaiso, IN “The best musical experience I’ve ever had.” -- Eric Eckl, Past President, Songwriters Association of Washington, DC
Paul Reisler has written more songs than the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and Stephen Foster combined—somewhere north of 3,500 compositions. Ok, he has had some serious help from some of his co-writers including a handful of Grammy winning songwriters as well as the over 65,000 children he’s written with in his Kid Pan Alley program.
KidPanAlley.org
Susan Cattaneo
In her 20 years teaching Songwriting at Berklee College of Music, Susan Cattaneo has helped students work on over 15,000 songs in all musical genres and styles and mentored over 2,000 artists. She’s taught master clinics at the International Folk Conference and at regional music conferences throughout North America.
Susan Cattaneo is one of Boston’s most respected singer-songwriters, blending rock and folk with a healthy dose of country. Susan won the Connecticut Folk Festival competition and has been a finalist or winner in the country’s most prestigious songwriting and music contests including Kerrville New Folk, Emerging Artist Falcon Ridge, the International Acoustic Music Awards and the Independent Music Awards. Her latest album The Hammer and The Heart charted #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and yielded a folk radio #1 single and top 10 album. She also speaks Italian! We're very excited to have Susan sharing her expertise and passion for songwriting at Song Camp Italy!
"Chicago" Mike Beck
Performance & Music Career In December 2015, Mike completed his first tour of Asia, performing shows in Japan and Thailand. He has personally brought over 30 musicians on their first overseas tours and coached hundreds more. His debut CD, released in 2002, has received radio airplay in the USA, Germany, Holland, Denmark, Transylvania, Romania, Macedonia and Japan. In addition to his performing and recording endeavors, Mike is the founder of Access Film Music, an organization dedicated to helping independent recording artists expose their music to directors, producers and music supervisors working in film, television, videogames and advertising. The 17th annual Access Film Music Showcase will take place during Film Festival Week in Park City, Utah January 27 - February 2, 2020. Access Film Music is also the Official Music Partner of the ÉCU Film Festival in Paris, France each Spring, where Access showcase events have helped further their mission to connect music-makers with filmmakers. Mike has been on the faculty of the renown Planet Bluegrass Rocky Mountain SongSchool in Lyons, Colorado since 2005 and has been a featured speaker and mentor at numerous music industry events and educational institutions. These include AmericanaFest in Nashville, Tennessee, South-by-Southwest in Austin, Texas, Folk Alliance International, many other songwriting retreats, music conferences and film festivals throughout North America and Europe, as well as UCLA, Berklee College of Music in Boston and Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey. He loves empowering and inspiring musicians to pursue their dreams and enjoys sharing practical ideas, methods and information to help make them real. ChicagoMike.com 'Of the numerous industry conferences I’ve attended, hands down, the top two seminars were both delivered by “Chicago” Mike Beck. Mike is a world-class communicator with a deep well of experience and knowledge in areas of interest to artists who are ready to get serious about the business of music." -- Dick Wells, Singer-Songwriter & Recording Session Singer - Los Angeles CA "Your class at FAR-West was the best, most useful presentation I attended all weekend. You are great!" -- Ken Krupnik , Singer-Songwriter - Los Angeles CA
“Chicago” Mike Beck is an ASCAP award-winning songwriter and recording artist who has been touring full-time in the USA and Europe since 2001 as a solo performer and with his band Chicago Mike’s InterGalactic Brother & Sisterhood of Big Eyed Beans.
AccessFilmMusic.net
Click "The Experience" to learn more about the Song Camp Italy approach to teaching the art and craft of songwriting and see our schedule of classes and events.
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