Photo by Lindsey Ingram. Courtesy of Taylor Crawford.
Taylor Crawford was just 14 when she wrote her first song. Called “Captivated,” the Texas native admits today it was a cheesy song about feeling smitten by a boy, but it lit a fire under her. That summer, she wrote 10 more original tunes. At 18, with dozens more songs in tow, she packed up her bags and moved to California to pursue a career in music.
Today, Crawford is considered one of the most treasured singer-songwriters in Long Beach. A full-time musician, she launched a successful Kickstarter in 2014 and released an EP titled California, in collaboration with Grammy-nominated producer Mack Damon. New releases are due out soon.
In the meantime, the indie-folk songstress is undertaking a new project near and dear to her heart: beginning Sunday, April 3, she is opening up her home in Alamitos Beach to host a series of intimate songwriting workshops for individuals of all levels. It will take place every other Sunday from noon to 2:00PM until May 15.
“I love what I do, and sharing it with others only breeds more passion,” Crawford explained. “The intention of hosting this workshop is not to prove my worthiness to others but only to share the tools and things I have learned that have kept me going and excited about creating.”
As a devout songwriter over the last eight years, Crawford is no stranger to the often crushing feeling of writer’s block.
“A writing block, to me, is really just incessant overthinking,” she said. “…My writing blocks are about surrendering and accepting where I’m at. If you beat yourself up for not having any ideas, well, self-loathing is even more unproductive. I try to use that time I’m feeling uninspired to turn over the soil in my brain.”
To benefit her personal songwriting process over the years, she has devised a series of exercises and methods to overcome the inevitable periods of writer’s block. With the understanding that there are no rules to songwriting, she will share her personal experiences and lead the class in analyzing various types of songs and approaches to inspire new ideas.
“I just want to hold the space for others to dig deep and explore,” she said. “I understand how music serves me and have continued on this endless journey of my songs becoming of service to others as well.”
“Some of us are put into the ‘I’m not creative’ box,” she continued. “I want this workshop to help people burn that box, or maybe make some obnoxious origami with it.”
For those interested in attending Taylor Crawford’s workshop, contact her at [email protected]. Space is limited, and suggested donation is $20 per session. For more information on Crawford and her music, visit her on Facebook .