Ghost Stories: Songs about ghosts, spirits, or someone who has passed away.
Strangers in a Foreign Land: Songs about unfamiliar places, songs written while travelling, or songs sung in a language that is not the performer’s first language.
All Around the Circle: Songs about cycles, songs about “coming around” – or, songs that can be sung as a round!
Power and Politics: Political protest songs, songs about leaders.
Unfinished Business: Each performer in the workshop plays a song that they’re working on but that isn’t quite finished. The song is played and other workshop participants add improvised parts to fill out the missing parts.
Dreamcatchers: Songs inspired by dreams or meditation, or songs about hopes and dreams.
By the Book: Songs inspired by books or featuring literary characters.
Only the Hits: Performers play their most-requested or most-played song, then cover a popular hit song they wish they wrote.
Tribute Stage: All cover songs: performers play songs written by other artists at the festival.
To Every Season: Songs about the seasons, the weather, the harvest. Try to get all four seasons covered in the span of the workshop.
From the Cradle to the Stage: Performers play a song from their childhood, then play the newest song they’ve written.
More workshop ideas:
2015
2014
2013
2012