Idyllwild Singer-Songwriter Festival

Story by : Mark Lentine

So... how does a guy living in Denmark bring dozens of singer/songwriters together in Idlyllwild???

“I grew up in Arcadia, California and left in 1997 to meet a girlfriend in Denmark.   I’ve lived there full-time since 2004,” says Brett Perkins. Perkins’ Listening Room Retreats (listeningroomretreats.com) will be hosting its 4th annual Listening Room Retreat from June 9 to the 14 at The Spirit Mountain Retreat Center, in Idyllwild.

Perkins was invited to a singer songwriter retreat as a participant in Denmark in 1997.  By 2002 the organizers had decided to discontinue the venue. “As a past CEO of the National Academy of Songwriters, I had a long history in music, workshops and education for songwriters and the songwriting community. I also have a background in community building with Amnesty International and the LA chapter of Green Peace…so it was just natural for me to keep that event going,” says Perkins adding, “ I’d been producing the Listening Room concert series since 1993 in South Pasadena and I’ve always had an interest in music, stillness and focused listening...and I wanted to bring those gifts to a wider public audience.”

Perkins wanted to start a SoCal songwriters festival since the early 1990’s, and ended up holding the Copenhagen Songwriters Festival that same year.  In 2016, Perkins was hired to revitalize the Idyllwild Arts Academy’s adult summer song writing program...and that stint blossomed into the singer-songwriter festival.  

“This is the first festival held at Spirit Mountain and I have fallen in love with this area, so this is where we will continue our venues. We also have a retreat and festival planned here at Idyllwild, for January 2020,” said Perkins, adding, “This particular retreat is about community building through co-writing. People are sometimes nervous about collaborating with someone else on a piece of music, but I suggest that they lean in and try it anyway. It’s all about the process, not the outcome.”

The Idyllwild Songwriters Festival will be held from June 13 through the 16 to coincide with the songwriting event.

Anyone who has visited Spirit Mountain retreat can tell you that this promises to be a magical event. For more information contact listeningroomretreats.com