SPC to host Summer Songwriting Showcase on June 23
LEVELLAND – South Plains College’s Commercial Music Department is proud to host the inaugural "Summer Songwriting Showcase," featuring renowned Nashville songwriters Rodney Clawson and Billy Dawson. The event will begin at 9:30 a.m. on June 23 (Friday) in the Tom T. Hall Studio.
Admission is $35, and songwriters of all levels of experience are encouraged to attend. The songwriters will start the day with a class called Songwriting Boot Camp and The Art of the Jingle. The attendees will participate in a showcase of original songs by the participants.
Clawson is an award-winning songwriter with 24 chart topping country radio singles to his name. A native of Gruver, he began traveling from the family farm in Texas to Nashville to write music. He signed his first music publishing deal in 2000. During his 22-year career, Clawson has had hit songs recorded by George Strait, Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, Morgan Wallen, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Florida Georgia Line and others.
The Texas farmer turned songwriter has earned multiple nominations for Best Country Song at the Grammy Awards as well as multiple Song of the Year nominations at CMA Awards and ACM awards. Clawson won BMI and NSAI Songwriter of the Year in 2013 and 2015. To date, he has earned six CMA Triple Play Awards (writing three number one songs in a calendar year). He was inducted into the Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2023 as well as writing George Strait’s highest debuting single of all time, “I Saw God Today.” Strait garnered his record breaking 56th Number One and CMA Single of the Year. Clawson enjoys time with his family in Nashville and he is an avid hunter and fisherman.
Dawson is a West Texas native. He is a singer, songwriter and producer who has collaborated with many of Music City’s top writers including Clawson, Chris Tompkins, Lee Brice, Lee Thomas Miller, Brian Kelly (Florida Georgia Line), Jon Nite, Tyler Farr and many others. He recently signed a publishing deal with Boom (publishing company established by Joe Fisher and Keith Urban) Warner Chappell and Clawson. One hundred percent of the proceeds from his new album “Warrior Life,” will benefit the Sierra Delta Post-Traumatic Syndrome Disorder pup training sponsored by American Metal Whiskey. Visit the Sierra Delta PTSD website at https://sierradelta.com which will be available in June. This project was mixed by Chris Lord Alge, Tom Lord Alge, Bob Clearmountain, F. Reid Shippen, Tim Palmer, Skidd Mills, Dan Korneff, Mike Plotnikoff, Dan Frizsell, Joe Zook and Ben Grosse. It was mastered by Ted Jensen, Andrew Mendelson, Bob Ludwig, Pete Lyman, Justin Shturtz, Chris Athens, Chris Gehringer, Nathan Dantzler, Howie Weinberg, Brad Blackwood and Tom Baker.
Dawson recently wrote, recorded and produced music for an upcoming Bollywood movie with R Madavan "Rocketry: The Nambi Effect" that was mixed by Chris Lord Alge and mastered by Brad Blackwood. It was the first American country song to ever be featured in a Bollywood film. Dawson has shared the stage with artists including Toby Keith, Lee Brice, Big and Rich, Josh Turner, Joe Nichols, Charlie Louvin, Montgomery Gentry, Aaron Lewis, Craig Morgan, Lady Antebellum and others.
The duo will conduct an afternoon session to allow participants the opportunity to glean information through a question-and-answer segment.
For more information, contact Brent Wheeler, associate professor of commercial music, at (806) 716-2023 or email bjwheeler@southplainscollege.edu.
