Last Wednesday I attended the 2024 Membership Meeting of ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. If you are a songwriter, you should do yourself a favor and join. When it was founded, in 1914, you had to read and write music to be a member but after an exception was made for Irving Berlin, the floodgates opened for schlubs like me (and Irving).

There were many wonderful parts of the meeting but the part that I found most moving was the Writers’ Jam, where four artists played their songs and told the stories behind them.

Liana Banks told a story in songs about a man who she discovered she was sharing with a friend. She sang as well as anyone who took the stage all day. She grooved along with the other artists, tapping out their rhythms on her legs. Her joy was infectious. And throughout she was cute AF.

Favorite tune: Selfish

Before she started, Claudia Brant apologized for her guitar playing. She played fine although the guitar did distort on some of her more strident strumming. But her gift is her voice. On two songs – one in Spanish and one in English – she wrung incredibly emotional notes from her voice and shared the heartfelt stories behind their lyrics.

Favorite tune: Ni Blanco Ni Negro

Maggie Lindemann presented a fascinating combination of tough and fragile. The face of her accompanying guitarist was hidden behind his hair, which only accentuated the vulnerability of her exposed shoulders, legs, and lyrics. While the others told the stories behind their songs, she confessed to an inspiration that resonated with every songwriter in the room: overthinking.

Favorite tune: Hostage

Blessing Offor started by fingering some jazzy chords on his keyboard. “In Nashville, they call them out-of-town chords,” he said. He told a story of his first trip to New York City that involved him falling asleep on the subway with his backpack and waking up without it. When he turned the lyrics over from teach me how to sing in the rain to while I’m waiting for the sun, the assembled songwriters acknowledged the ingenuity of his writing with our applause. When he took us all to church it felt so natural to sing along.

Favorite tune: Waiting For The Sun

The meeting was held in Jazz at Lincoln Center which is a gorgeous space for any event. It is worth being a member of ASCAP for the membership meeting alone and you can join us at ASCAP.com. See you next year!