If you want to learn to do something or to improve your skills, you go to a pro, right? So, budding or wannabe songwriters won't want to miss John Sieger's songwriting clinic at Cream City Music -- 12505 W. Bluemound Rd. in Brookfield -- which begins Thursday, Jan. 10.
The six sessions run from 7 until 9 p.m. and Sieger, who has been a member of The R&B Cadets, Semi-Twang and El Supremo -- to name just a few -- spent many years making a living as a songwriter in Nashville.
Among the many performers who have played Sieger's songs are Greg Trooper, Phil Lee, Robbie Fulks, Flaco Jimenez, Libbi Bosworth, Jerry Harrison, Dwight Yoakam, the Bodeans and Etta James.
Sieger is also now a veteran of these songwriting classes and workshops, so he knows just how to explain his art.
Tuition is $200 for first-timers but returning writers pay $175. Gift certificates are available. For details, contact Sieger directly at jsieger@wi.rr.com or visit one of the links below.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
