What did I miss? That’s a question that perhaps you could answer - with a song. The only limit is that title: What did I miss?
It’s part of an annual songwriting challenge called “If All Rochester Wrote the Same Song.” One year, people wrote songs all with the title “No one will ever know,” another year -- “I’m a fool for this town.”
Show organizers and musicians Sarah De Vallière, Kelly Izzo Shapiro, and Steve Piper were guests recently on WXXI’s Connections, to discuss this songwriting challenge that started in Rochester back in 2015. It’s now taking on new life with an open call for participants, even if you don’t already think of yourself as a songwriter.
“If there’s anyone listening right now, and you’re thinking, you know, well, I’m a poet, I don’t know if I could write the music, or I don’t have a way to record this: this a great opportunity to reach out to your network, collaborate,” explained De Vallière, “maybe even make a post online and say hey, I have something, but I need help to finish it.”
She went on to explain that the songs chosen this year could expand with a little help from the show’s “house band.”
“When you submit your song, we could potentially end up doing something fun and unexpected with it,” said De Vallière, citing an earlier show where they added a string section to one song. "It’s a cool chance for you to collaborate with some professional musicians, who will help arrange your song and support your song.”
Shapiro added, “Even if you have a band already, and you’re a pro, in a different space with different musicians and kinda change what you do.”
Songs with the title “What did I Miss” should be submitted online by September 30th, and 15 of them will be chosen to be performed at the show at the JCC on March 12th.
You can hear more from the organizers, including Kelly Izzo Shapiro's full live performance of her song "What did I miss" online here.
