One week before Friday, five Syracuse songwriters were given an acoustic guitar and a simple recorder. Their mission, as part of the fifth annual Syracuse Acoustic Guitar Project, was to take the week to write and record an original song. On Friday, the performers will put on a concert featuring their week-old songs.

Created in New York City, the Acoustic Guitar Project is an international songwriting showcase that spans more than 55 cities. Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers, an adjunct professor at Syracuse University, has been a curator for the project in Syracuse since 2014.

The mantra for the project is “One guitar. One week. One song.” Each city chooses five new songwriters every year. One guitar is designated to the city, which is then signed and passed on to the next artist — the Syracuse guitar has been used to write 30 songs. At the concert, musicians also play other originals from their repertoire.

Rodgers teaches honors classes in songwriting and creative nonfiction writing at SU. While Rodgers is a man of many different passions and hobbies, he cites music and songwriting as his primary joys.

“I love guitar and exploring and finding something,” he said.

With influences ranging from Tom Waits to Stevie Wonder, Rodgers said while his musical tastes vary, he thinks there are elements within acoustic songwriting that are lacking in today’s more electronic music climate.

The simplicity of acoustic music, Rodgers said, taps into the roots of songwriting. He said music isn’t about the equipment, which can sometimes overshadow the song itself.

“Music these days can get cut off with phones and other technology,” Rodgers said. “I think it can make people lose sight of the interesting process that is songwriting.”

Rodgers’ history with music can be traced back to his upbringing in Morristown, New Jersey. Despite not being raised in a musical family, Rodgers remembers listening to countless records and learning songs by ear with his brother.

“My brother and I created this musical world,” he said. “It was a fantastic way to learn music and how to perform.”

In addition to his career as an educator and musician, Rodgers is the founder of Acoustic Guitar Magazine and a grand prize winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. A published author, Rodgers’ books include “Songwriting Basics for Guitarists” and “The Complete Singer- Songwriter: A Troubadour’s Guide to Writing, Performing, Recording and Business.”

This year, Syracuse’s Acoustic Guitar Project will feature Liam Alone, Todd Hobin, Peg Newell, Andrew VanNostrand and Steve Winston.

Liam Alone, whose real name is Billy Harrison, combines elements of folk and soul in his music. He creates a hybrid style, such as mixing Jimi Hendrix and John Mayer — it’s evidenced in his tune “Gypsy Soul,” which features impressive guitar playing coupled with smooth vocals.

When writing a song, Alone said he tries to write about anything that’s relatable. He often starts with a melody or title, then builds the song from there. Alone was born and raised in Syracuse, and said he hopes to continue writing songs and traveling after finishing up his current fall tour.

Steve Winston majored in graphic design at SU, but found his true passion in music. Now, at 53 years old, Winston is a working as a musician in the Syracuse area, taking gigs with various bands and other projects.

Winston expressed his appreciation for the city of Syracuse’s wealth of creativity.

“We’re very spoiled here,” Winston said. “Syracuse has a great scene and nobody seems to notice it.”

Rodgers echoed Winston’s feelings about the city’s music environment. The area’s variety of entertainment stands up to more recognized scenes such as San Francisco, Rodgers said. As this Friday’s concert approaches, Rodgers is enthusiastic for this year’s project. It’s an annual staple for the Syracuse music scene, he said.

“What’s special about the project is that it gives listeners a really close view of these artists and their creative process,” Rodgers said.

The concert is at the Folkus Project off of East Genessee Street and starts at 8 p.m. General admission tickets are $15 each.

Published on November 13, 2018 at 8:42 pm