What is The Songwriter's Beat?
The Songwriter's Beat is a ever expanding group of singer/songwriters, some who have bands, some who perform solo, but all who want an opportunity to perform their newer material in an acoustic setting. This provides:

1. a chance to hear how the songs work live acoustically, feel an audience's response
2. an opportunity to be with other singer/songwriters on a regular basis, hear what they are doing, communicate and share experiences on writing, performing, recording, promoting
3. anyone who is performing can also sell their CD's

Who started it?
The Songwriter's Beat was started by singer-songwriter Valerie Ghent in Dec 2000 after she approached the Cornelia Street Cafe about performing there. After the first packed performance, Val realized that the Downstairs room is a perfect venue for songwriters: an intimate room, a warm and well-lit stage, friendly staff, great food and - there was a piano!

Val then learned that the Cafe used to host the extremely popular and productive Songwriter's Exchange at Cornelia Street, where thousands of songs were presented each Monday evening by songwriters such as Suzanne Vega, David Massengill, Carolyne Mas and many others. Val realized it was time to bring songwriters back to the Cornelia Street Cafe!

A few months later, Val and fellow songwriter and dear friend, Deborah Berg, came up with the name: The Songwriter's Beat.

How can I participate?
Come to The Songwriter's Beat and listen! Also send us your name, email address and links to your songs online. There's a long waiting list for performers. Please keep in mind that we encourage all performers to play at least one new song at The Songwriter's Beat!

When is the The Songwriter's Beat?
The Songwriter's Beat meets every third Wednesday night of the month from 8:30pm-11:00pm. In July we have the Songwriter's Beat Festival in the third week, and we take August off.

What can I do to help?
Come to the Songwriter's Beat! Listen to and support live performing songwriters! Tell all your friends about The Songwriter's Beat! Donate to keep us going! No one is paid to run the Songwriter's Beat, but there are expenses, like running songwriter workshops, maintaining an email list, having a live sound engineer at the shows, printing fliers etc. The Songwriter's Beat has a fiscal sponsor, Fractured Atlas, and through them we can accept donations to keep our important night going. And, most importantly, keep writing songs!

Tell me more about the experience... Picture a long, blue room with a stage at the far end. A red velvet curtain lines the back of the room, there are mirrors on the walls - in the shape of windows - making the room appear larger than it is without losing the cozy feeling. Inviting tables and chairs, with benches along the walls, encourage you to sit, to listen, to smile at your guest, your lover, your partner, your friend, your waiter. There is energy in these walls - these walls have absorbed more creative energy than most rooms ever get to experience: music, poetry, storytelling, cabaret, performance after performance. Songwriters, among them Suzanne Vega, presented new songs in this venue twenty years ago in The Songwriter's Exchange. Val started The Songwriter's Beat in December, 2000, to give songwriters an opportunity to perform their new works and a chance to hone their craft.

Drinks flow, delicious scents of fine food wafting by as waiters carry soup, salad, entrees to the tables. Wine, beer, seltzer, alcohol, your preference. Val runs The Songwriter's Beat with obvious delight, reminding people we are 'casual here' and that her running back and forth from stage to mixing console is her choice, not that Steve Northeast can't handle the sound but Val likes to do it, plus she's a topnotch engineer! She introduces each songwriter and likes to say she never knows what will happen once people gets onstage, especially as she encourages writers to try their new work. Twice each year Val joins the lineup and performs herself, on piano and vocal.

The Cornelia Street Cafe has created a haven for creative people to experiment, to perform, to experience their work in front of an audience who is supportive, generous and caring. The Songwriter's Beat. We welcome you as an artist, an audience member, a music lover, a friend. Join us! Celebrate the human soul and spirit in song.

What are future plans?
To release CD's of songs generated through The Songwriter's Beat.

To promote performers at the Songwriter's Beat via online radio.

We would like to create an environment where musicians can share their experiences and ways of recording, releasing, promoting one's own CD.

We have started an ongoing songwriting 'clinic' series with a focus on teaching and discussing the craft of songwriting. Check back for the next workshop.