For songwriting organizations
For folk music & other organizations
For individual artists

• The Butter and Bones of Organizational and Program Development

An easy A-Z of organizational development, and then your own situations and questions are addressed. Siobhan Quinn and Michael Bowers provide “good cop / bad cop” scenarios for all your organizational development needs. This begins with a basic “how-to” of beginning an organization and stretches to making the decisions that are tough, but will ultimately save your organization from failure and planning programs that will take risks but still cover expenses. Siobhan’s expertise is in initiating and overhauling non-profit organizations, especially arts presenter programs, re-creating organizational and program identities. Michael’s experience as executive director of a national non-profit will help to provide answers to organizational legal, board, and personnel issues. As executive director, board member, or staff volunteer, you have to be hardnosed but creative. Know how to put your dreams into action by starting an organization, know when to bring the organization to the next phase of its development and know when to put an organization to bed.

• Incorporation Issues
• Tax-exempt status
• Organizational Development
• Program Development
• Board Development
• Your questions

OTHER TITLES

• Organizational Development – Take a good hard look at what you’re doing as an organization, looking towards the future with medium -long range planning.

• New and Innovative Programs for your organization - an inspirational look at developing innovative programs for all types of arts organizations. Jump starting your program

• Writing Grant Applications with a Spark: Beginner to Advanced in One Fell Swoop - A true overview of the grant application process for organizations and individuals Alternate Title: Money, That’s What I Want!!! : An Introduction to Innovative Grant Application

• Master Vocal Clinic: The Flexible Voice The world is filled with technically great singers who lack soul, and heartfelt singers who lack technique, so it’s rare to encounter a vocalist whose ability to express emotion matches her jaw-dropping control. Siobhán Quinn is that rare singer, and she excels at blues, folk, rock and whatever other genre she samples, roaring or gliding through songs with elegance and power (Metroland Magazine). Siobhan has taught Master Vocal Clinics at Kerrville Folk Festival, Swannanoa Gathering (Warren Wilson College), Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Song School, Great American Masters Music Industry Workshop for Indie Musicians, and coached individual professionals at Summersongs/Wintersongs. She teaches private lessons in Alexandria, VA and is available for private consultations.
   
  
• Making Music while Making a Life: 30 minutes or 8 hours a day. Includes, among other things: how to create a business plan, business strategies, hands on song writing exercises, and an example of an excellent short vocal warm-up; Music—Segmenting the parts of a music career for success in 30 minutes a day or 8 hours a day.
   
  
• The Power of Two - Challenges and Opportunities of Music Partnerships (FYI: includes business strategies and hands on writing exercises.) Components: Thinking about musical partnerships: Issues, Challenges, Opportunities; Structuring Partnerships: What is “The Deal?” Making agreements that work; From Talking about Partnerships to Doing Them: Co-writing, as an exercise; Performing, Division of Labor in Musical Partnerships—How to make songs shine and protect those egos in the process.
   
  
• Spanking Your Inner Monkey - Maintaining Creativity in a Callous World Components: Defining the inner monkey, and taming the beast (overcoming the fear of going where no one has gone before—or at least where you haven’t, in songwriting); BREAK THE BLOCK! Seeing inspiration where it seems none exists, and creating it when you can’t find it (Writer’s block? There’s no such thing); Breathing life into a song—from writing to inspired performance. Making songs come alive.

Michael is also a first-rate songwriter and engaging, talented performer and is a 2005 Kerrville Folk and 2006 South Florida Folk Finalist and released his second full recording in 2004. That recording, “Reluctant Believer” which was produced by Tom Prasada-Rao, had radio push in 2005. His first recording “Angel on My Shoulder” was referred to as "folk with an attitude" and his live shows are frequently referred to as "urban campfire music." He is known for his twisty intellectual lyrics as well as his cut-to-the-chase songs. Oft referred to as Dave Carter-esque, Michael’s lyrics range from the heartfelt to humorous, always with both feet on the ground, but with eyes toward the horizon. The music he writes shows influences of blues, jazz, country, and the best of the singer-songwriter tradition.

Siobhán Quinn has nearly two decades of professional arts and cultural administration experience in both public and private institutions including museum, arts center, educational, funding and presenting institutions. She has assisted individual artists with programmatic/artist-as-product business plans, booking, and has nearly two decades of experience developing program proposals for arts grant applications. Her expertise is in jump-starting programs through evaluation, strategic planning, and the development of arts related community & educational programming. Siobhán is active songwriter/interpreter of both contemporary and traditional style songs. She has national and international touring experience and has been performing music professionally since 1985. A finalist in the prestigious Boston Folk Festival Songwriting Competition, she writes and performs in folk, blues and pop styles, and is a dynamic singer of Chicago & New Orleans style electric blues. Siobhán tours with Michael Bowers and also performs Celtic, original and Americana music with UK band Boneshaker. From 1993-2004 she recorded and worked in a nationally known duo with Ben Murray. She has released three recordings and a new recording is forthcoming.

In addition to her performance and writing, Quinn has developed highly focused programs in creative writing & song based on historical and other themes for both children and adults. She has been lead teacher (and sometimes program coordinator) for a summer arts camp in Troy, NY, working with children ages 6-13. Siobhan has developed creative and scholarly arts workshops based on piracy, the American west, medieval times, Egyptology, and oral histories. She has created folksong programs for active seniors and retired persons.

Siobhán Quinn / Michael Bowers: Together Siobhán and Michael produce original music with strong harmony laden vocals over acoustic and resonator guitar, lively folk, some blues and introspective ballads. Add the fact that Siobhán brings a bit of Celtic flair as an internationally recognized a capella singer, and you’ve got one heck of a show.