The Gordie Sampson Songcamp is proud to be a recipient of The Ceilidh Cup golf tournament fundraising efforts this year! The tournament takes place in five golf courses across Cape Breton Island, from September 30 – October 2.

Visit the Ceilidh Cup website for more information at www.ceilidhcup.ca

And check out this excellent article about Songcamp on their website, too:

Gordie Sampson’s Songcamp a Huge Success!

Gordie Sampson’s Third Annual Songcamp came to a successful close with a Songwriters Circle on July 12th at the Keltic Lodge in Ingonish, Cape Breton. Gordie and his fellow leaders, Steve MacDougall and Carleton Stone, took turns introducing various groups and duets from the 14 songwriters who showcased their amazing talents.

The eclectic range of songs crossed all genres of music with blue grass, hip hop and blues infused into pop, country and alternative rock performances. With mostly acoustic guitars and vocals along with a banjo and mandolin thrown in there to mix it up, it was a stripped down blend of music that allowed the lyrics and melodies to shine through and demonstrate the stellar talents of these young aspiring artists. The concert closed in summer-camp style with all of the writers singing “Flip Flops”, a catchy tune at the top of the East Coast Countdown chart all summer, written at the 2011 camp and recorded by Steve MacDougall and his band Slowcoaster.

Gordie Sampson Songcamp was conceived by Gordie Sampson, a multiple-award winning Canadian songwriter and artist, as a way to nurture young songwriters from across Nova Scotia, give them access to knowledge and help them develop tools that will benefit their writing careers.

The first Songcamp took place in 2010 in Ingonish, Cape Breton where seven writers between the ages of 15 and 24 co-wrote in excess of 10 songs over three days during sessions facilitated by Gordie and Steve MacDougall. In 2011, Songcamp returned to the Glenghorm Resort and welcomed back six first-year songwriters and six new writers who co-wrote more than 30 songs, demo’ed 14 songs and gave another outstanding live performance during the Songwriter Circle finale.

At this year’s Songwriter Circle, returning writers Mo Kenney, Molly Thomason, Barbara Cameron, Dave Sampson, Breagh MacKinnon, Dylan Guthro, Brandon Johnson, Elijah Wohlmuth and Natalie Lynn were joined by new writers Dana Beeler, Kyle Mischiek, Seamus Erskine, Willie Stratton, and Laura Roy. This year, over 40 songs were written making this a record breaking Songcamp. Songcamp gives young writers the opportunity to develop artists skills and build relationships with their peers, making our province a more vibrant and sustainable place for youth in the music business.

“Songcamp fosters artistic excellence by connecting promising young writers with experienced writers, giving them access to industry experience and encouraging them to create their own musical communities,” says Sheri Jones, Sampson’s manager and Songcamp organizer.

The Ceilidh Cup and our sponsors are very proud to partner with Gordie Sampson’s Songcamp so they can receive funding and awareness support for their 2013 event. Gordie Sampson has agreed to be one of our very special musical guests and his team led by Sheri Jones are reaching out to fellow artists to join them at The Ceilidh Cup. Golfers will also get to see first-hand the creativity spawned by Songcamp as some of the young writers will be showcasing their talents at the Welcome Ceilidh on Monday evening.