Five songwriters from the D.C. area are set to share the fruits of their mutual challenge; they were tasked with writing a song in one week, on the same acoustic guitar.
“Every artist has to write their song on this guitar, and then they sign it,” said Suzanne Brindamour, curator of the Acoustic Guitar Project in D.C., holding up the donated Minor Bird acoustic guitar that has been used since 2014.
D.C. is one of more than 50 cities around the world participating in the project, which was created in 2012 by Dave Adams, who wanted to inspire his musician friends to write more songs.
The blond wood of the guitar is quickly filling with permanent marker-scrawled signatures of the songwriters who have written songs as part of the endeavor.
“It’s an opportunity to commit to writing a song in a week, which is something that a lot of us artists are not accustomed to doing,” Brindamour said.
The five area artists chosen for 2025 — David Kitchen, Michelle Lockey, Rebecca Berlin, Rich Morey and Ceeka — will perform their project tune, and other songs, on Saturday, January 24, at Hank Dietle’s in Rockville.
How the project works
Brindamour said the focus of the challenge isn’t to record a hit single that’s ready for air play and streaming.
“When the guitar is passed to the artist, they also have a Zoom recorder — just a simple recorder,” Brindamour said. “They record on this recorder, so you’re not allowed to edit.”
The lo-fi focus was a bit unnerving in an industry where digital tools often play a role in creating hit songs.
“Personally, I think I did like 12 takes and picked the best one,” Brindamour said. “You’re doing a live performance, and it really forces you to focus on the song and the writing, and not worry too much about production.
After recording their composition, each songwriter signs the guitar and passes it on to the next artist.
All the original songs written for the 2025 season, going back to 2014, can be heard online on the D.C. Acoustic Guitar Project webpage.
As for what kind of songs are typically chosen?
“The instrument itself kind of comes with a vibe and an energy,” Brindamour said, holding the guitar on her lap. “It has its own sound, and that can be inspiring.”
Some songwriters choose to highlight their skills on the guitar.
“Others keep it really simple, and just a very simple strum, and make it about the lyrics, the song and the vocals,” Brindamour said. “With things going on politically right now, we have a couple of really powerful songs.”
