The popular series Songwriters in the Round series was awarded a 2024 Local Cultural Council grant from the Somerville Arts Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. David Thorne Scott, founder of the series, expressed his gratitude.

“Now we can guarantee the songwriters a small minimum fee, so they can be sure to at least afford dinner and an Uber ride home,” said David Thorne Scott, host and presenter of the series.

The series is held on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at Arts at the Armory café. The scene is a warm, welcoming place where people can enjoy food and drink as well as chance meetings and conversation.

However, this lively banter becomes still as soon as the four songwriters take the stage. Then the music starts. They take turns playing original songs – occasionally joining with each other on harmony vocals or guitar licks – and discussing their process.

“I was inspired by the ‘guitar pulls’ of the Bluebird Café in Nashville,” Scott said, “but with a wider variety. There is folk and country, but also rock, R&B, soul, jazz, and musical theater.”

“Each time there are new performers who take your breath away,” said Katie Brillantes, frequent attendee. “I bring friends visiting from out of town, or sometimes my teenage daughter.”

Songwriters in the Round
First and Third Wednesdays from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
ROOTED Armory Café, 191 Highland Avenue, Somerville, MA
The event is free but you may want to donate $10-$20 for the performers

Supporting the Series
Building and shaping this series has been a community process. The efforts of many have demonstrated their dedication:

• Our organizational host, The Center for Arts at the Armory, where Café performances are presented at no charge to the artists, provided that the events are free and open to all and the Café earns revenue from food and beverage sales
• The generosity of our performers, presenters, and sound engineers, who have been working pro bono, or for well below their market value, in the spirit of building a new, vibrant music scene
• And our wonderful audiences – the music-lovers, who express their generosity and gratitude via donations and tips. Now, with the added support from this grant, the series can guarantee the songwriters a small stipend as well as have the quality sound and lighting it needs to maintain its mission of musical excellence.