In 2019, Grand Rapids musician Nicholas James Thomasma spent a month at the Harbor Beach Artist-in-Residence program.
During his time there, he fell in love with this area of the Thumb and became inspired to create and host a songwriting workshop of his own. Locals suggested he host the retreat in nearby Port Austin.
Now, the annual retreat, going on its fourth year, brings singer-songwriters from all over to the
village of Port Austin each September.
The
Huco Songs, Port Austin Artist in Residence Songwriter Retreat Weekend runs from Friday, Sept. 27 through Sunday, Sept. 29. Led by Earthwork Music singer songwriter
Nicholas James Thomasma and featuring guest instructor and Cadillac native,
Rachael Davis, the retreat welcomes up to 20 songwriters to participate.
The weekend includes songwriting workshops, lunch breaks to explore the area, community meals, campfire jams, song circles, a concert at the
Port Austin Community Playhouse, and more.
Located at the tip of the Thumb on the shores of Lake Huron, about two hours north of Detroit, Port Austin has coined itself as “the closer Up North.” Thomasma says the rural village sets the stage for a close-knit retreat, at the Port Austin Artist in Residence Bee Barn (20 Washington St.).
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Nicholas James ThomasmaNicholas James Thomasma created the songwriters retreat in 2021.“Port Austin is a quiet, little beachfront town located at the tip of the Thumb,” he says. “It’s geographically unique in that you can watch the sun rise and the sun set from the same point over the lake, without having to move.
"It’s a truly beautiful spot, and in the summertime, it’s a very happening community," he adds. "Lots of people have vacation homes, but after Labor Day, it becomes a really quiet and idyllic small town for songwriters to be able to come and experience this beautiful setting.”
The retreat is held at the Bee Barn, just a few blocks away from the beach and one block away from the bustling farmers' market. Participants are responsible for their own lodging off-site but have many opportunities to come together for meals, late-night campfire jam session and more.
A really diverse mix of folks sign up for the retreat, ranging from 18-year-olds to songwriters and musicians who have been performing for decades, Thomasma says. Typically, the retreat hosts songwriters with representation from all different genres and styles.
“I’ve had people sign up who have been playing their entire lives and are very accomplished musicians. I’ve also had people sign up who don’t play any instruments at all,” he says. “I’ve had people who have written thousands of songs, and people who have never written a song before in their life. There’s no reason that you can’t write songs, even if you have never done it before and don’t play an instrument.”
The workshop provides tools, tips and techniques for songwriting, helping folks challenge their traditional writing routine, or help combat writer’s block. Some songwriters make it a point to return to the retreat year after year, having left with creative songs and original material for future albums. His favorite part about hosting the event is witnessing songs being born in just two days, many that were prompted by thoughtful discussions from the group.
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Nicholas James ThomasmaA workshop with The Accidentals, an eclectic band from Traverse City.“It is incredible on Sunday, as everyone is sharing their new songs, to see what comes out of a writing retreat weekend,” Thomasma says, “just seeing how being surrounded by other songwriters serves as its own form of inspiration.”
It’s about collaboration versus competition and fostering a support system. That type of passionate songwriter community is invaluable, if you ask Thomasma.
“The energy creates this type of community that is unparalleled,” he says. “Songwriters are a unique bunch in that we take our experiences and put them into short and concise poetic pieces of music. The thing that people come away with from this weekend is really a community of songwriters. We support each other's projects and listen to each other's songs and become cheerleaders and champions for each other. It’s a community that’s unlike any other — a truly supportive and amazing group.”
During his travels as a full-time gigging and touring musician, Thomasma has spent many miles on the road in his orange vintage V.W. bus. He’s seen and played in many villages, towns, and cities all across the country. Michigan, however, has a special place in his heart.
“Michigan has a tremendous amount of talent throughout the state,” he says. “No matter where I go, I'm surprised by the level of talent. The Thumb area in particular, doesn’t have a lot of music venues. There’s a lot of opportunity there because not a lot of musicians travel there. It’s been a really supportive community for me. Port Austin is known as an arts community. I think it’s a very overlooked area, but it’s also a supportive area for the arts.”
Cindy Patrick is the executive director of the
Port Austin Artist in Residence (AiR) program. The organization became a nonprofit in 2018 and purchased a barn in the center of town for the
Barn Art Project. The initial goal was to develop a dynamic dialogue between local, regional and international artists from all over, right in Port Austin. The AiR program invites artists to apply for residencies to work on the project and to create art inspired by the people, parks, waters, beaches, and inspiration of Port Austin.
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Nicholas James ThomasmaParticipants in the 2023 songwriters retreat.“We take abandoned barns and reimagine them into site-specific art,” Patrick says. “Those projects typically take a year to a year-and-a-half to complete, so we originally bought that farm to house those artists. In between, we had this barn and thought about what else we could do. We started the Artist in Residence program in the fall of 2018, and we’ve been running it ever since.”
Patrick says the program has welcomed more than 75 artists of different mediums, displayed sound immersions, video installations, printmakers, painters, potters, sculptors, and more.
“We’ve had artists come from as far away as the East Coast and West Coast, and we just recently had a photographer from Valencia, Spain,” she says. “We try to get a mix of artists locally as well as people from the Midwest, and a few that come from some distance.”
Having been in the Port Austin area for the past 20 years, Patrick says she’s seen the community grow towards becoming a real art destination.
“We are a tourist town in the summer, but now we’re an art tourist destination,” she says. “With some of our artists that we host, we usually have an exhibition, and ask artists to do some type of community engagement. That community engagement can draw from our local supporters in town, but also tourists that come through, and from the people who have summer homes here. We’ve got a really good foundational support not only from Port Austin, but also all of Huron County.”
The landscape and waterscapes make for a picturesque setting, and the close location of the Bee Barn allows artists to have a short walk to friendly neighbors, markets, and local small businesses. From April to October, the barn hosts around 10 artist residencies, ranging from two to four weeks each. Guests, partners, and families are also encouraged to visit and get integrated into the nearby community.
Patrick says outside of the residency program, the nonprofit also hosts a few different events, workshops, and concert series throughout the year at nearby parks. The goal is to continually collaborate with fellow nonprofits and creative organizations.
She enjoys hosting events, meeting artists, watching them work, and seeing what their practice is all about.
“For me, I think the most enjoyable part is seeing our community engage and be involved,” she says. “This year, we had the youngest artist we’ve ever had. He’s 20, and is still in college at Michigan State University. He’s starting his creative career, and it was really awesome to see him think through the community engagement, and how to set up his exhibition. He learned a lot and had an outstanding workshop with somewhere between 75 and 90 people, of all ages. It was gratifying for him, and I was really gratified by that too.”
Residents, guests, and visitors are invited to attend the Huco Songs songwriter retreat showcase concert at the Port Austin Community Playhouse on Saturday, Sept. 28.
Tickets are $15.
Sarah Spohn is a Lansing native, but every day finds a new interesting person, place, or thing in towns all over Michigan, leaving her truly smitten with the mitten. She received her degrees in journalism and professional communications and provides coverage for various publications locally, regionally, and nationally — writing stories on small businesses, arts and culture, dining, community, and anything Michigan-made. You can find her in a record shop, a local concert, or eating one too many desserts at a bakery. If by chance, she’s not at any of those places, you can contact her at sarahspohn@issuemediagroup.com.