FEATURE
WAVES OF SOUND
From folk tunes to Americana, the diverse lineup at the third annual Corpus Christi Songwriter’s Festival brought an eclectic spin to the unique Coastal Bend music scene. By: JACQUELINE GONZALEZ / Photos by: DEBBIE NOBLE
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ove and live music bliss filled the downtown Corpus Christi air on Valentine’s Day weekend! Crowds gathered to listen to listen to music, hear the stories and see the faces behind the musical genius at the Corpus Christi Songwriter’s Festival. The three-day event, back for its third consecutive year, featured national and regionally renowned songwriters through many concerts, workshops and other songwriting related events. Organized by Abby Wieland, Jimmy Willden, Garrett Wieland and Dr. Timothy “Doc” Carter, the festival was an educational and entertaining success that gathered many locals and visitors to enjoy some great music, drinks, food and camaraderie. The passion that is poured into the creations of each of these artists was shared with the Coastal Bend in several local hot spots including the House of Rock, the Bay Jewel, BUS, the Exchange, the Executive Surf Club and many other fabulous downtown gems. This year, the festival presented an impressive lineup of over 30 songwriters including Garrett Wieland, Jana Pochop, Ireland Casteel and George Ensle. These four talented musicians took a moment to share their background and tell us what music means to them: Garrett Wieland moved to Corpus Christi 15 years ago to attend college and became fully immersed in the local music scene after realizing Corpus Christi was thriving with musicians. His first experience with music was the moment he learned to play the guitar and fell in love with it at the age of
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10. When a friend recommended they work on an album together, he took on songwriting and quickly noticed his talent. He continued to write throughout the years, but his career really blossomed when he began attending open-mic nights in college and joining different bands. For Garrett, music is a way for him to understand his world in what he describes “a 3- to 4-minute package that solidifies this feeling; it’s a way of making meaning out of experiences.” Garrett just finished recording his first solo album to be released this spring. He describes his music style as story songs, which consist of Texas and Old West history songs. When Jana Pochop was a child, her parents wanted her to take piano lessons, but she had her eye on a bigger object: a guitar. After realizing that most of the music artists she listened to in the ‘90s wrote their own music, she decided to give songwriting a whirl. Although she tried writing in high school, she fully blossomed as a songwriter during college in Albuquerque, N.M. Jana heard through the grapevine that Texas had a really good music scene, so she moved to Austin, where she now resides. She plays in different shows around Texas, New Mexico, the East Coast and D.C. Jana views music as “embedded in our DNA with an ability to help us; it makes us happier, sadder and is a beautiful gift whether you play it, write it or simply listen to it.” Although most musicians have spent the majority of their lives writing music, Ireland Casteel began at the age of 14. She started out with indie folk pop, but slowly shifted into indie rock,
