Sharing the love of music at songwriter’s workshop series

To the Editor:
My family moved to Wilmington almost four years ago, and we’ve been blown away by how remarkably welcoming this community is. Almost immediately, I found myself playing the restaurants around town, getting to know people, and feeling genuinely at home. This Valley has something special — talented musicians, a great restaurant scene that really supports them, and fans who show up time and time again.
I’ve been spending a lot of time over the past few years building my career in music, and I’ve learned a lot. I’ve been all around the country playing music, and what I’ve come to see is that there’s another level available to us — one that I think we can reach, because we already have the building blocks for it.
A music scene is about connection, collaboration, and the kind of creative energy that happens when musicians spend real time together. It took me a full year after moving here before I actually met most of the other musicians in the Valley — because we were always playing on the same nights, and there was never a natural time or place to just be in the same room. I think about how much is possible when that changes. There is so much untapped potential here, and I would love to see it grow.
I also know that ideas don’t build anything on their own. When I see an opportunity like this one, I want to be one of the people who rolls up their sleeves and gets involved. A lot of exciting things are starting to happen in this Valley, and I’d love for you to be part of it. Here’s where we’re getting started.
I’ve taken over as board chair of Friends of Historic Memorial Hall. Friends has been part of this community for a long time, but honestly, it’s been a bit sluggish in recent years. That’s changing. We’ve put together a real season this year, and we’re committed to building the Valley into a hub for the performing arts.
This summer, we’re launching a Songwriter’s Workshop Series in partnership with the White House Inn — a small group of writers getting together over four Wednesday evenings in June and July to write, share, and push each other’s work forward. It wraps up with a public showcase at Memorial Hall in early July.
We’ve also been developing relationships to bring ticketed shows to some of the Valley’s underused venues — not three-hour background gigs, but actual shows, where artists curate their sets, opening acts get a platform, and audiences show up specifically to engage with the music. That kind of show gives an artist room to present their best work in a way that a long restaurant set rarely can.
And there’s more to come.
There is so much opportunity for the performing arts here in this Valley. I want to help build a music scene that makes people want to come here just to check out the vibe.
Ian Campbell, chair
Friends of Historic Memorial Hall board
Wilmington