STILLWATER, Okla. – Award-winning songwriters Lee Thomas Miller, Zac Maloy, and Scooter Carusoe will host a Singer-Songwriter Masterclass on Saturday June 17 as part of the Dancing Turtle Interactive Celebration of the Arts in Stillwater. The three will also perform at a fundraising dinner on Friday June 16 benefitting OSU Music Industry students and the Stillwater Community Foundation music programming.
The Masterclass is designed for experienced songwriters interested in honing their craft by learning from a panel of prolific and accomplished professionals. It will be held on Saturday June 17 at the OSU Greenwood School of Music from 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. In addition, three ticket-holding participants will have the opportunity to have one-on-one songwriting sessions with the award-winning songwriters. The course is $100 and is capped at 50 participants. To register online please visit https://www.sccfoundation.org/singer-songwriter-masterclass.
Lee Thomas Miller is a Grammy-nominated songwriter who has written multiple chart-topping songs performed by the likes of Garth Brooks, Chris Stapleton, Trace Adkins, Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift, and Tim McGraw. In 2009, Miller’s song “In Color” performed by Jamey Johnson won the Country Music Association Song of the Year and the Academy of Country Musicians Song of the Year.
Zac Maloy is an Oklahoma native with decades of experience as a songwriter, producer and recording artist, both solo and with his prolific rock band The Nixons. With The Nixons Maloy has toured with artists such as Radiohead, The Smashing Pumpkins, Everclear, No Doubt, and KISS. Maloy’s songs have been performed by Carrie Underwood, Daughtry, Black Stone Cherry, Shinedown, Blake Shelton, Adam Lambert, and many more. His song “Atlas Falls” by Shinedown topped rock charts. Maloy also penned “Used To” on Daughtry’s eponymous album which went five-times platinum worldwide.
Scooter Carusoe, noted for his ability to tell stories and paint vivid pictures with his lyrics, has written over 20 number one hits including Darius Rucker’s “For the First Time,” Brett Eldredge‘s “Wanna Be That Song” and “Mean to Me,” and Kenny Chesney‘s “Better as a Memory” and “Anything but Mine.” His songs have earned multiple Nashville Songwriter Association International (NSAI), American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), and SESAC awards. In 2005 he was named the Country Songwriter of the Year by SESAC.
“This Masterclass is a can’t-miss opportunity for experienced songwriters to bounce ideas off of three very successful music industry veterans, who are excellent performers in their own right,” said Dr. Mark Perry, Masterclass organizer and Director of the Music Industry program at the OSU Greenwood School of Music.
The three songwriters are also accomplished performers, and are going to help the next generation of music industry professionals by performing at a fundraiser dinner on Friday June 16 at the Lowry Activity Center in the Stillwater Community Center. Tickets for the dinner are $100 each and can be purchased at https://www.sccfoundation.org/vip-dinner. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the performance will start at 8 p.m.
The Singer-Songwriter Masterclass is one of many programs that comprise Dancing Turtle. The two-day event will also feature film, live music, dance performances, music and dance workshops, theater
competitions, industrial arts workshops and contests, and more.
For more information about Dancing Turtle, please visit dancingturtleok.org and follow Dancing Turtle on social media (IG: @dancingturtlestillwater, FB: Dancing Turtle Interactive Celebration of the Arts).
About Dancing Turtle
The Dancing Turtle Interactive Celebration of the Arts is a two-day event in Stillwater, Okla., that aims to commune in the love of the arts and provide opportunities for creative expression in many forms. The celebration will include music and dance workshops and performances, visual arts contests, theater competition, film, songwriting collaboration, and much more. Visit dancingturtleok.org for more information or contact us at info@dancingturtleok.org.
