Songwriter’s & Circles are live performances by original composers in the the Woodward Opera House’s Black Box Theater. Hear songwriters from throughout Ohio, the regional Midwest, and beyond, share the stories of inspiration and experience behind their art, and the songs it created, in an intimate, listening environment.
This event features:
RJ Cowdrey
Rj Cowdery writes the kind of songs that sneak up on you—quiet, honest, and armed with just enough wit to keep you on your toes. A late bloomer in the music world (she didn’t dive in until most people are taking up Pickleball), Rj has been making up for lost time with award-winning albums like In This Light, produced by Billy Crockett and What If This Is All There Is, produced by Amy Speace.
Hailing from southeastern Ohio, with Appalachian roots woven into her stories, she balances heart-tugging ballads with a sly grin and the occasional perfectly timed zinger. Along the way, she’s earned top honors at Mountain Stage NewSong, Kerrville New Folk, Sisters Folk Festival, to name a few.
Fellow musicians call her “the real deal,” audiences call her music “a warm blanket,” and she just calls it “medicine.”
Vernon Schubel
Vernon Schubel, aka These Things Too, is a singer songwriter based in Central Ohio who has been performing since the 1960s. He has played both in bands and as a solo performer in Oklahoma, Colorado, Michigan and Virginia and has opened for diverse acts including the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Bob Seger, and Ravi Shankar. He moved to Ohio in 1989 to teach at Kenyon College. These days he performs frequently as a singer-songwriter in numerous local venues often accompanied by his son, Mehmet Ali Schubel, on percussion.
Jess Crook-Collins
Jessica Collins is a budding singer-songwriter in Columbus. While Jessica is a well seasoned musician spanning 18 years of instrumental experience, she began playing the guitar four years ago and the songwriting came shortly after. Her inspiration comes from everyday experiences, including but not limited to: love, nature, and global issues. Jessica has a wide musical writing style combining rockabilly, blues, punk, and ballads into her writings. She is a founding member of the duo female fronted band, New Mother Nature, with Mount Vernon local, Haley Blasing.
John Brenneman
Tickets $12. Get Tickets!