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Songwriters of Grand Showcase: A Mixtape For You

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The Grand Music Club Presents
James Hersch and the Second Annual Songwriters Showcase: A Mixtape for You with Songs about Living In the Valley of the Sun.

James Hersch established the songwriter group at Grand in 2023. As he
puts it: “I stumbled onto a gathering of AIG (the Acoustic Instruments
Group) back in 2022. A smiling Don Bollard noticed me lingering just
outside and invited me to bring my guitar and join in. Everyone had a
welcoming smile. I quickly became friends with several musicians actively
sharing their music here.”

James made his Grand debut at the November 2023 Live At Cimarron
venue. He then proceeded to a wider audience of music lovers in January
2023 with his two-night main stage show: “The Songwriters of Grand, Oh,
The Stories They Can Tell.” In creating the Songwriters Club, and in the
casting for the show, James says he has found others “...who share a
fondness for - and the courage for - expressing themselves, and their
stories, in words and music. He adds, “this mainly original program is
themed around love of this strange and beautiful place, and the personal
journeys that brought us here.”

Joining Hersch onstage will be ten other Grand songwriters and several
supporting musicians. Harvey Finstein, a Grand “A-List” talent, will add his
irresistible piano playing and gorgeous clarinet. Finstein’s impressive
career as a performing and teaching professional makes him an invaluable
gift to Music Club shows. He and Hersch will accompany our Grand
songwriters as well as offer several songs of their own.

Writing songs and singing for people has been James’ full-time vocation
and occupation since he finished school. He would ultimately go on to win the prestigious Telly Award (PBS Documentary Score) and the Harry Chapin Award, always committed to writing and performing his own songs: “Following a road paved by Harry Chapin, John Denver, Michael Johnson and others, I found a home on the college coffeehouse circuit, where I spent many weeks at a time on tour. I would drive throughout the U.S. to college coffeehouses, performing and selling my records, spending time on campus with students and polishing my guitar playing. Telling my stories and singing my own songs became a living for me.”

James recognized the Grand Music Club’s “... impressive collection of
talented members and styles,” as he puts it. And he saw an opportunity to
add another genre, using his experiences as a singer/songwriter. “In
particular,” he says, “I wanted to replicate the magic of songwriter clubs
such as The Bluebird Cafe (Nashville), The Troubadour (L.A.) and The Earl
of Old Town (Chicago). It was in these clubs that I shared the spotlight with,
and was inspired by, Steve Goodman, John Prine, Vince Gill and Garth
Brooks. In these spaces, songwriters find the courage to sing their songs
and share their stories.”

James has now created such a space for Grand Music Club members to “find the courage to sing their songs and share

Concert, Live music, Guitar, Songwriter, Piano, Singing, Original, The Grand, Sun City Grand, Sun City West

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