2027 Arizona Songwriters Gathering

The Arizona Songwriters Association has offered help and support to songwriters since 1977.

Their goal is to offer writers the opportunity to learn more about the craft and business of songwriting through monthly workshops, educational programs, songpitch/critique sessions, networking opportunities, and meetings with producers, songpluggers, publishers, and other music business professionals from Arizona, Los Angeles and Nashville.

Arizona Songwriters Association

The Arizona Commission on the Arts is an agency of the State of Arizona whose mission is to create opportunities for all Arizonans to participate in and experience the arts. To that end, they deliver grants and support to cultivate sustainable arts communities and promote statewide public access to arts and cultural activities.

Arizona Commission on the Arts

Count on Barnett Productions for music and logistical support at events. Doug Barnett and Barbara Rayes-Barnett can help with planning, promotions, sound system, bookings, and decoration. Barnett Productions is a small Arizona business, organized as an LLC in 2015.

Barnett Productions

Barnett Productions would like to offer special thanks to the many supporters who worked on the Lon Austin Fashion Show benefiting Arizona Songwriters Gathering. Thanks to your support, the creation of the new Desert Willow stage for teen songwriter showcases moved from prospect to production.

Additional financial assistance provided by:

• Alison McClure
• Anonymous donors
• Arizona Commission on the Arts
• Arizona Live Music Cooperative
• Arizona Songwriters Association
• Barnett Productions
• Begin Again Pilates
• Bill Burkett
• City of Glendale
• Cowtown Boots
• Coyote Oaties
• Dan McCorison
• I&J Fountain Restaurant
• Jim West
• Katy’s Caché by Seamstress of the Desert
• Ken Wolffer
• Marice Kunz
• Mary Rokusek
• Nancy Elliott
• Tom Boyer
• West Valley Country Music Association

The 2027 list of performances at the Andy Hurlbut Memorial Ballad Tree will be posted approximately one month prior to the event.

The 2027 list of performances at the Lobby Stage will be posted approximately one month prior to the event.

The 2027 list of performances at the Creative Space will be posted approximately one month prior to the event.

The 2027 list of performances at the Desert Willow Stage will be posted approximately one month prior to the event.

The 2027 list of performances at the Garden Stage will be posted approximately one month prior to the event.

The 2027 list of performances at the Peacock Pavilion will be posted approximately one month prior to the event.

Randy Brown is a Country/Americana songwriter and songwriting teacher who has won national lyric writing competitions by both American Songwriter and Billboard magazines. His credits include several songs in film and television—most notably included in Remember the Titans, and shows, ranging from Malcolm in the Middle to Person of Interest, and CMT’s Crossroads. Along with Jon Iger, he hosts a monthly “Songs in Progress” workshop for ASA.

Randy has conducted songwriting seminars at various folk festivals across Arizona. He is an instrumental member of the Arizona Songwriters Gathering planning committee, and currently serves on the board of directors for the Greater Arizona Country Music Association.

Email Randy Brown

Visit Randy Brown's website

Jon Iger is a songwriter and publisher whose song placements in movies and TV shows include Touched by an Angel, The Sopranos, Parks & Recreation, Brooklyn 99, and many more. A former Capitol recording artist, Jon co-founded the Arizona Songwriters Association (ASA) in 1977, and has been an instrumental co-producer of the annual Arizona Songwriters Gathering since its inception nearly 30 years ago. Honored with inductions into the Greater Arizona Country Music Association Hall of Fame in 2018 and Arizona Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame (AMEHOF) in 2019, Iger also served on the AMEHOF Board of Directors from 2005 to 2015, and continues to serve on its Advisory Council.

Email Jon Iger or the ASA

Visit the Arizona Songwriters Association website

Barbara Rayes-Barnett is an instrumental member of the Arizona Songwriters Gathering planning committee. As one half of Barnett Productions, Barbara coordinates bookings, promotions, and logistics for shows and events—as well as emceeing in both English and Spanish. As a musician she plays flute, guitar, and sings, often performing with her husband Doug.

Barbara's dedication to supporting and strengthening the songwriting community of Arizona and improving the industry at large is demonstrated time and again as she helps to realize the Arizona Songwriters Gathering, in addition to her involvement in local performance events.

Doug Barnett is another core member of the Arizona Songwriters Gathering planning committee.

In addition to operating Barnett Productions alongside his wife Barbara, Doug is an acoustic guitarist and singer-songwriter. His repertoire includes decades of covers from pop, folk, bluegrass, western and country catalogues, as well as dozens of originals. Over the years, Doug has entertained crowds of all sizes in Arizona, Washington state, and in breweries and wine bars along Route 66.

Doug is a BMI songwriter and member of the Arizona Songwriters Association. While always seeking to become better at his craft, Doug has mentored and supported many songwriters with networking, sound system and logistical support, as well as by hosting showcases and open mics.

Jon Iger co-founded the Arizona Songwriters Association in 1977, and has kept it rolling ever since! He has also co-produced the annual Arizona Songwriters Gathering, which he co-founded with Lon Austin & Gavin Weiser, since its inception nearly 30 years ago.

Jon is a former Capitol Records recording artist, and a songwriter and publisher with major label label cuts, whose song placements in film and television include Touched by an Angel, The Sopranos, Parks & Recreation, Ugly Betty, My Name is Earl, The Oblongs (ft. Will Ferrell), Where the Money Is (starring Paul Newman), and many more. He also co-produced the cable TV series The Arizona Songwriter with Randee Mossburg. In 2018, Jon was inducted into the Greater Arizona Country Music Association & Hall of Fame. The following year, he was again recognized for his contributions to the Arizona music community with his induction into the Arizona Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame.

Jon has also taught songwriting workshops at the MIM (Musical Instrument Museum), and various Arizona events alongside Randy Brown, with whom he also co-hosts the monthly ASA Zoom Workshop(s), held on the 3rd Saturday of each month.

Randy Brown has helped to make the Arizona Songwriters Gathering a reality for years with his service as part of the planning committee.

Randy is a Country/Americana songwriter and songwriting teacher who has won national lyric writing competitions by both American Songwriter and Billboard magazines. His credits include songs in several movies, most notably Remember the Titans, and songs in numerous television shows, ranging from Malcolm in the Middle to Person of Interest and CMT’s Crossroads.

Alongside Jon Iger, he hosts a monthly Songs in Progress workshop for ASA. He has also conducted songwriting seminars at various folk festivals across Arizona. Be sure to check out all the songs at Old Stallion Music—as you just might find the song you've been looking for where you least expect it.

Ivy Jarvis is the final crucial member of the Arizona Songwriters Gathering planning comittee, and representative of the Glendale Public Library.

Ivy is a programming and supervising librarian dedicated to providing enrichment and opportunity for the community. She has played a fundamental role in planning and hosting the Arizona Songwriters Gathering for well over a decade.

In addition to coordinating several music performances at the Glendale Main Library each month, she has organized a wide variety of programs for the Library since 1999, including world-renowned author appearances—Diana Gabaldon, Jodi Picoult, J.A. Jance et. al.—and highlight performances with R. Carlos Nakai, Walt Richardson, Marshall Trimble, and many more.

Lon Austin is a venerable Arizona folk singer-songwriter whose influence on the folk music scene has persisted for over four decades. Ingrained in the culturally diverse southwest, Lon captures the essence of a very unique blend of people, landscapes, and history, weaving them into the rich fabric of his musical creations. His distinctive sound is a delightful fusion of storytelling, simple melodies, and insightful lyrics, resonating deeply with those who have the pleasure of experiencing his art.

From the early stages of his work in the community, Lon has shown a remarkable ability to craft captivating narratives, accompanied by his guitar, banjo and ukulele. His lyrics are a touching mix of personal anecdotes, science fiction elements, and universal themes that come from a long history of experiences along the trail.

Beyond his extraordinary talent as a songwriter and musician, Lon stands as a pillar in the Arizona folk music community. His dedication to fostering local talent is evident in the programs he’s created. Many will remember Lon’s influence in the creation of the Encanto Park Coffeehouse, a key juncture in his journey that eventually gave rise to The Mexican Beaded Lizard Band. Through these endeavors, Lon has provided artists with a stage to craft and share their work.

Lon created the Phoenix Folk Traditions Music Festival, established the Glendale Folk & Heritage Festival, and initiated the Peoria Library Monday Night Melodies—as well as serving as one of the foundational members of the Arizona Songwriters Gathering planning committee. Lon continues to support and maintain these local festivals, showcases, and the Arizona folk culture itself. His contributions are essential in fortifying the preservation and dissemination of Arizona’s American folk heritage.

The Arizona music community is saddened by the loss of a wonderful lady, songwriter, singer, musician and friend. She was sometimes referred to as the “Angel of Folk Music in Arizona.”

Andy Hurlbut performed both solo and as a member of the Artichoke Sisters Trio and the Improbable Quartet. She believed in the importance of supporting grassroots efforts to promote folk music and never missed an opportunity to encourage young musicians.

Andy was a mentor to many who went on to become successful folk singers and musicians. She was also a part of an informal group called “Trail Dust” that wrote songs about the West and helped keep the culture alive.

Andy was a member of the organizing committees for the Glendale Folk & Heritage Festival and the Annual Arizona Songwriters Gathering. She spent many, many hours and shared her valuable expertise when volunteering for both events. Andy was past president of the Arizona Pickers & Grinners Society and was editor of the Pickers & Grinners newsletter.

Watch Andy Hurlbut performing her original song “Little Egypt,” co-written by Lon Austin.

The Ballad Tree area of the 2020 Songwriters' Gathering was named in honor of Bob Frank. Bob Frank was an American musician, singer/songwriter and composer. His debut self-titled record was issued on Vanguard Records in 1972 to critical acclaim and is a collectors’ item that was reissued on Light in the Attic in 2014. He recorded and toured with Memphis singer/songwriter John Murry, shared a stage with Gus Cannon, Jimmy Driftwood, Lightning Hopkins, Tim Buckley and Townes Van Zandt, and was a paid songwriter for Tree Publishing. He lived in El Sobrante, California.

Frank's 20th century version of the late Middle English classic, "A Lytell Geste of Robyn Hode" (Child Ballad #117), released on Bowstring Records in 2001, received rave reviews from English professors, music critics, historians, actors, college professors, school teachers and Oxford dons.

Though not widely known, Frank's songs have earned wide critical acclaim. Jim Dickinson, a producer for Big Star and a Memphis music legend, called Frank "the greatest songwriter you never heard." In Rolling Stone, Senior Editor David Fricke called Frank's debut "beautifully stark" and compared him to Warren Zevon. Frank's collaboration with singer/songwriter John Murry on 2006 LP World Without End was praised in the Village Voice, Uncut, Rolling Stone, The Irish Times and The Independent UK. His songs have been recorded by Jim Dickinson, Chris LeDoux, Gary McMahan, and others.

The 20th Annual Songwriters Gathering was held in memory of Arizona Songwriters Association member and Songwriters Gathering planning committee member, Gavan Wieser.

Gavan Wieser was a singer/songwriter who played bass in the world’s oldest (by age) and internationally renowned punk band, One Foot in the Grave, which toured Europe four times and recorded three albums.

A well-known and much-loved American musician, he was drawn to the music scene as a Franciscan Capuchin seminarian who, though trained as a classical pianist and organist, began playing guitar and singing in concert during the heyday of the Folk Music movement of the 1960’s. After leaving the seminary he continued his folk music career and moved into country music as well, touring the northern United States for nearly 12 years, fronting such groups as Alabama, before moving to Phoenix, Arizona.

He served on the board for Fiddler’s Dream Coffeehouse acoustic music showcase. He originated and hosted the long running second Tuesday Songs in Progress workshop for the Arizona Songwriters Association.