Before his concert on Wednesday night, singer songwriter Jeffrey Foucault spoke to students from Cottonwood Agile Learning Center about his life as a touring musician, and how he began his career as a songwriter. When one aspiring young songwriter commented on how prolific he is, and complained that she can only write one song every few months, he encouraged the students to discover a personal daily practice. He shared that he starts his day reading poetry and spends time writing thoughts, ideas, and bits of language he likes in a notebook, hoping that something will emerge from one of them. Jeffrey described this part of the songwriting process, in which he has an idea, but hasn’t found the words to express it yet, as sometimes feeling like knowing where a house is but not being able to find the door right away.
Jeffrey told the group that he wished someone had come into his life when he was 17 to tell him that a career as a musician was possible. He left the kids by emphasizing this message to them: You can do this if you want it. You don’t have to be famous. You can make a living. You’ll have to work hard, especially when you’re young, but it’s absolutely possible.
