We love writing songs together. Mostly we end up throwing ideas at each other and laughing so hard we know that bit has to go in the song.
For three years now Adam Carroll and I have hosted a fall songwriting workshop in Gruene. This year it’s Sunday, November 1, eleven to four, with HalleyAnna Finlay hosting alongside us.
The details
- Sunday, November 1, 2026, 11am to 4pm
- A backyard creative space in Gruene, Texas. The address goes out by email when you register.
- Lunch is included. We’ll ask about dietary preferences.
- $185
- For beginners and more advanced songwriters alike
What we do all day
We trade ideas on what works and how to find the next songs the universe calls you to write. Inspiration, editing, cowriting, and the daily habits that turn up song seeds: writing, listening, reading, and playing your instrument.
When Adam or I start working on a song with a friend, sometimes we start with a two or three word phrase one of us brought to the session, and other times the idea comes up in our conversation about what’s been happening lately. The great thing about cowriting is you talk about what’s really going on, cause we know we can’t write a song called “I’m Fine.”
Some of the best stuff comes up in the small conversations, over lunch or in a corner of the yard, so bring your questions.
This year’s guest host: HalleyAnna Finlay
HalleyAnna and I played the Saxon Pub together this June, and I’m glad she’s bringing her songs and her insights on what works with her to Gruene. Todd Snider put it this way: “It’s been a joy to watch her grow into one of the most formidable songwriters of our time. She’s like Hayes Carll, but pretty.” You can hear her new music at halleyanna.com.
Past workshops
Kelley Mickwee was our guest host the first year, in 2024, and Jamie Lin Wilson joined us in 2025. Both years the room was a mix of people writing their first handful of songs and people who’ve been at it a long time, and both years we drove home with more energy for this craft than we brought.
It’s definitely for dreamers because, as Eleanor Roosevelt said, “the future belongs to the people who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
Reserve a seat
Seats are limited. Reservations are $185 and include lunch, and the address and details go out to everyone who registers.
Or reserve a place on the workshop page.
If you can’t be there in person, Gordy Quist and I put the strategies that help us into a book called Songfarmer: Writing More and Better Songs.