Nashville artists will perform songs at a showcase at Casey’s in Whitefish while in town for a singer-songwriter retreat at the River Meadow Ranch. The group of musicians will also help the North Valley Music School kick off its songwriter course on the Oct. 15.
“My thought and hope is that if the showcase gets good reception and people are excited, I would love to make this an annual thing,” said showcase organizer Christie D’Amour, while adding that she also dreams of eventually having a singer-songwriter festival in Whitefish.
After vacationing at the River Meadow Ranch in May, D’Amour, who lives in Atlanta, and ranch owner Fred Goldsmith casually chatted about the idea of a songwriter retreat. D’Amour says it evolved from there.
“We’re super excited this comment in passing has turned into something,” D’Amour said. Casey’s manager Jayson Peters volunteered to host the showcase, called Nashville Heads West, and helped connect the artists with North Valley Music School. D’Amour thought it would be a great opportunity to give back to the community while they are in the Flathead.
Peters feels optimistic about the show.
“We’re pretty excited to have this here,” he said.
This is D’Amour’s first time organizing a singer-songwriter retreat, and she says Whitefish’s atmosphere inspired the event.
“I thought Whitefish was a special place,” she said. “Songwriting is super special and it’s raw emotion and feeling that I thought it was a good fit.”
Songwriters will attend the retreat at River Meadow Ranch on Oct. 12, where they will write songs and relax, followed by a teaching session at the North Valley Music School on Oct. 15. The artists will then appear on The Bear 106.3 on Wednesday, Oct. 16 from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and showcase their songs at Casey’s that evening from 6:30 p.m. to 8.