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Songwriter Weekend at Middle Fork Studio
Come up with half an idea. Leave with a finished song and a demo.
You don’t need another online course. You need time away from normal life, someone to bounce ideas off of, and a room where you can actually hear yourself think — plus a way to capture the song once it’s done. This weekend is for songwriters new and experienced who want to finish something real and leave with a recording, not just a notebook full of half‑lines.
What we do over a Songwriter Weekend
• Take your idea from “I’ve got this riff / verse / chorus” to a finished song.
• Work through lyrics, structure, and melody with someone who has written hundreds of songs and self‑released 50+ songs over multiple albums and EPs.
• Talk about why the song matters and why what you are trying to say matters, not just how it rhymes, not just what the market or the algorithms want — more Rick Rubin / Jeff Tweedy / David Bazan than a Nashville songwriting factory
• Spend focused writing blocks in the studio or isolation room with low distractions.
• Record a simple but solid demo of the finished song by the end of the weekend with multiple instruments available to utilize to see how you want the song to sound, and if time allows a fuller arrangement than you probably expected by the end of the weekend.
Who this is for
• Newer songwriters who have never finished and recorded a full song before
• Artists who write on their own but want help tightening lyrics and structure
• People who care more about honesty and feel than chasing commercial radio cuts
• Teens/young adults who have a spark and need a first real creative experience (with a grown‑up in the room who has done this before)
What’s included
• 2 days at Middle Fork Studio
• Lodging in the tiny house, stocked with coffee, drinks, snacks, one daily full meal provided by the studio.
• Daily one‑on‑one writing and editing sessions with J
• Studio time to track and mix a basic demo of your song
• A bounce of your demo you can keep, share, and build on and a copy of the session
***J. Carmichael is an artist–writer, not a Nashville “factory” songwriter, but if we significantly reshape or complete your song together, he’ll be credited as a co‑writer on that song. You keep your voice and your story; J. brings structure, language, and arrangement ideas, and the song is treated as a shared work when the writing is truly collaborative.
Songwriter Weekend at Middle Fork Studio
Come up with half an idea. Leave with a finished song and a demo.
You don’t need another online course. You need time away from normal life, someone to bounce ideas off of, and a room where you can actually hear yourself think — plus a way to capture the song once it’s done. This weekend is for songwriters new and experienced who want to finish something real and leave with a recording, not just a notebook full of half‑lines.
What we do over a Songwriter Weekend
• Take your idea from “I’ve got this riff / verse / chorus” to a finished song.
• Work through lyrics, structure, and melody with someone who has written hundreds of songs and self‑released 50+ songs over multiple albums and EPs.
• Talk about why the song matters and why what you are trying to say matters, not just how it rhymes, not just what the market or the algorithms want — more Rick Rubin / Jeff Tweedy / David Bazan than a Nashville songwriting factory
• Spend focused writing blocks in the studio or isolation room with low distractions.
• Record a simple but solid demo of the finished song by the end of the weekend with multiple instruments available to utilize to see how you want the song to sound, and if time allows a fuller arrangement than you probably expected by the end of the weekend.
Who this is for
• Newer songwriters who have never finished and recorded a full song before
• Artists who write on their own but want help tightening lyrics and structure
• People who care more about honesty and feel than chasing commercial radio cuts
• Teens/young adults who have a spark and need a first real creative experience (with a grown‑up in the room who has done this before)
What’s included
• 2 days at Middle Fork Studio
• Lodging in the tiny house, stocked with coffee, drinks, snacks, one daily full meal provided by the studio.
• Daily one‑on‑one writing and editing sessions with J
• Studio time to track and mix a basic demo of your song
• A bounce of your demo you can keep, share, and build on and a copy of the session
***J. Carmichael is an artist–writer, not a Nashville “factory” songwriter, but if we significantly reshape or complete your song together, he’ll be credited as a co‑writer on that song. You keep your voice and your story; J. brings structure, language, and arrangement ideas, and the song is treated as a shared work when the writing is truly collaborative.