This November our Back Door Coffeehouse series hosted our third annual Tripod Festival.

“What is TRIPOD?”

TRIPOD is an annual arts festival hosted each November by University Baptist Church. Through the Back Door Coffeehouse (a connection with talents both local and national) we have come to understand the universal and deeply personal appeal of interactive live performances with our writers, poets, and musicians in a relaxed and friendly environment. We have come to appreciate that our community has a great many talented artists and a large number of interested adults who would like to continue connecting, mentoring, and sharing experiences in these arts. Our hope is to encourage and promote these rising opportunities for connection in the city of Hattiesburg. TRIPOD is our commitment to becoming a resource for such connection and development on the interpersonal level.

Tripod 2017 offered the following workshops:

KateKATE CAMPBELL Songwriting Workshop

What: Songwriting workshop with Kate Campbell
Who: (Max. participants – 15) Limited to 18 years and older unless permission from workshop mentor is obtained in advance.
Where: University Baptist Church 3200 Arlington Loop, Hattiesburg, Ms. 39401
When: Saturday November 4 (Meet & greet 9 A.M. Class start 9:30. Lunch 12 – Class resumes 1 P.M. Class ends 2:30 pm)
Cost: $30 non-refundable (includes catered lunch and coffeepot all day)

“I see this workshop as a one day jump start OR refresher retreat on songwriting. Bring what you have whether you’ve written a bunch of tunes or want to but just can’t seem to get that first line. I’ll be talking about inspiration as well as fixin’ and finishin’ songs! I promise it will be fun and there will be snacks and hopefully you’ll go home with a song;)”— Kate Campbell

Kate Campbell is an award winning Nashville singer/songwriter. Campbell’s clear-water vocal delivery and gift for storytelling have drawn comparisons to such bastions of the Southern literary tradition as Flannery O’Connor, Eudora Welty, and William Faulkner. Roots Time summarized the arc of Kate’s 18-album career by stating, “What a great talent Kate Campbell represents is made clear by the legends in music that appear as guest artists on her albums. Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Nanci Griffith, Guy Clark, Maura O’Connell, John Prine, Mac McAnally, Buddy Miller, Spooner Oldham, and the heart of the Muscle Shoals classic soul and R&B hit-making machine are admirers and collaborators in her literate musical vision.” Along with numerous performances at iconic folk festivals and venues, Kate has been featured in appearances on NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and The Bob Edwards Show.

 

Scott

SCOTT AINSLIE Guitar and Blues Techniques Workshop

What: Guitar & Blues Techniques workshop with Scott Ainslie
Who: (Max. participants – 15) Limited to 18 years and older unless permission from workshop mentor is obtained in advance.
Where: University Baptist Church, 3200 Arlington Loop, Hattiesburg, Ms. 39401
When: Saturday November 4 (Meet & greet 9 A.M. Class start 9:30. Lunch 12 – Class resumes 1 P.M. Class ends 2:30 pm)
Cost: $30 non-refundable (includes catered lunch and coffeepot all day)

Scott will lead guitarists through a portion of Blues-related guitar technique. Content guided by the needs and desires of the students, but sections on the ins and outs of slide playing, finger picking technique, major open tunings, and the special open bass chord forms that pepper any solo acoustic blues guitar performance will be covered, in addition to requested material. (Students interested in slide guitar should have a slide that fits securely on their little finger.)

“A word about teaching: The teacher has a responsibility to the student: not the other way around. A student’s musical life belongs to them. My job is to meet them there and find a way to advance them along their path in a direction that they want to go. All are welcome. There is no bar they have to climb over. I will teach whoever comes and be happy to feel useful to them. That is my bottom line.” — Scott Ainslie

A teacher & performer who gets consistently high marks from his students, Scott transcribed the recordings of Blues legend Robert Johnson for his book, “Robert Johnson/At The Crossroads”“ and has a useful and well-reviewed instruction DVD on Johnson’s music, “Robert Johnson: Signature Licks” available through http://cattailmusic.com. Scott’s fifth solo recording, “Thunder’s Mouth,” received strong reviews from DownBeat, SingOut! and Blues Revue magazines and remained on the Americana Music Top 40 chart for six weeks. Scott’s numerous awards include the St. Andrew’s Presbyterian College 20th Annual Sam Ragan Fine Arts Award, appointment as a Public Fellow at UNC-Chapel Hill and numerous grant awards from the National Endowment for the Arts. He has been a featured artist at Merlefest, The Kennedy Center, The Old Songs Festival, Louisiana Crossroads, and at the Toronto, Mississippi Valley, and Bull Durham Blues Festivals.

IMG_8300.JPG-Sharron-laughing-good-shotSHARON GERALD Creative Writing Workshop

What: Creative Writing Workshop with Sharon Gerald
Who: (Max. participants – 15) Limited to 18 years and older unless permission is obtained from workshop mentor in advance.
Where: University Baptist Church, 3200 Arlington Loop, Hattiesburg, Ms. 39401
When: Saturday November 4 (Meet & greet 9 A.M. Class start 9:30. Lunch 12 – Class resumes 1 P.M. Class ends 2:30 pm)
Cost: $30 non-refundable (includes catered lunch & Coffee pot all day)

“Have you always wanted to be a poet? Do you have a collection of family stories you hope to one day publish? Do you have a writing background that has grown rusty while you’ve been busy doing life? If you answered yes to any of these questions, our poetry and memoir workshop is for you. Open to any writer at any level. We will get those creative juices flowing.” – Sharon Gerald

Currently serving as an English instructor at Hinds Community College in Raymond Ms. ,writer Sharon Gerald has long been a favorite of The Back Door Coffeehouse. She became a nationally recognized Mississippi author with the publication of her first book of poetry Thin Is The Kingdom (Pinyon Press?) which brought high praise from such literary luminaries as Angela Ball and Mark Cox. Her blog Writerly Haphazardry – the daily dabblings of Sharon Gerald is followed by numerous fans and her creative writing workshops continue to draw high praise.

janet-gJANET GORZEGNO’s Adventures in Drawing Workshop

What: Adventures in Drawing Workshop with Janet Gorzegno
Who: (Max. Participants – 12) Limited to 18 years and older unless prior permission is obtained from workshop mentor in advance.
Where: University Baptist Church, 3200 Arlington Loop, Hattiesburg, Ms. 39401
When: Saturday November 4 (Meet & greet 9 A.M. Class start 9:30. Lunch 12 – Class resumes 1 P.M. Class ends 2:30 pm)
Cost: $30 non-refundable (includes basic art supplies, catered lunch & Coffee pot all day)

“Come join Tripod’s first visual art workshop and explore the power of visual intention in drawing. We will explore a range of drawing materials, various approaches to mark-making, and some key 2D form concepts. Instruction will be geared toward beginners, but all skill levels are welcome. A costumed figure model and basic drawing supplies will be provided.” — Janet Gorzegno

Janet Gorzegno’s creative discipline is in painting. She also teaches as a Professor of Art for The University of Southern Mississippi. Her current gallery affiliation is Bowery Gallery in New York City where she is planning her next solo show. Her work in painting is also regularly exhibited in invitational and juried group shows, and she has been a fellow at various artist’s residencies throughout the United States and abroad – such as VCCA’s Moulin a Nef in Auvillar, France. Janet was recently honored by her undergraduate ala mater Drew University with an Achievement in the Arts Award for 2017. Janet Gorzegno studied drawing and painting at the New York Studio School and received her MFA in Painting from Yale University.