Top songwriters to gather in Waimea

Some of America’s top hit songwriters will gather and share their expertise June 11-13 at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel on Hawaii Island for the Hawai‘i Songwriting Festival.

The festival will feature songwriters who have written and co-written hits for mega-stars such as Christina Aguilera, Backstreet Boys, Jimmy Buffett, Chicago, Kelly Clarkson, Joe Cocker, Heart, Etta James, Ricky Martin, Tim McGraw, Bonnie Raitt, George Strait, Taylor Swift, The Gipsy Kings and many more.

Festival attendees will spend three intensive days and evenings learning from the best in the music business. Small workshops, panel discussions, open mic performances and speed mentoring sessions will provide attendees with the information they need to succeed in the craft and business of writing songs.

The festival culminates in two public concerts at 7 p.m. both nights at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel’s Ballroom. The “Island Night” concert June 12 features John Cruz, Henry Kapono, Nathan Aweau, John Keawe, Kainani Kahaunaele and others.

The “Hit Makers” concert June 13 features a roster of hit songwriters who will perform and share the stories about their hit songs. This concert is a unique look at the behind-the-scenes music creators.

The nonprofit Kauai Music Festival presents the event, which has been hosted annually on Kauai for the past 12 years. This year, for the first time, the festival is being on the Big Island and re-branded as the Hawai’i Songwriting Festival. With its growing reputation, the festival has attracted some of the nation’s top songwriters, publishers and music supervisors for film and TV.

The three-day festival cost is $200 for attendees. Registration can be completed at www.hawaiisongwritingfestival.com. Concert ticket prices are $25 for each night when purchased in advance, $45 when both night’s concerts are purchased at the same time, and $30 for each concert at the door.

For more information, call Charles Brotman at 989-1735 or email cb@lavatracks.com.