(BMI) Songwriter of the Year award
twice. “He’s one of the guys I really look
up to,” said Mitch. “I’m just inspired by
him as a family man and for his belief
in God.”
Looking back on his own career as
a songwriter, Mitch sees the turns he
didn’t take, some he wishes he had and
some he’s forever glad he didn’t. There’s
learning in it all. Some of the best
songs are the result of all that learning
giving songwriters a springboard for
inspiration. Songwriters need singers,
and singers need songwriters. “Some
artists today want to write everything
they sing,” said Mitch. “If a singer has
a hit song of their own, great. But in
the times when they don’t, there are
some wonderful songs written by
songwriters that need to be recorded.
A song is a powerful thing. Perhaps the
most powerful thing.”
54 TOOMBS COUNTY MAGAZINE
The right song can alter an
atmosphere, give expression to heartheld
emotions, and even shift the
belief systems of a society. But the
motivation of a songwriter is rarely
that conspicuous. Songwriting is
storytelling with music to interpret
the emotion. A powerful song happens
when a writer manages to tap into
that magical fusion of music and
words that bring together God and
man like Michelangelo’s “Creation of
Adam.” I can’t think of any profession
that would understand this creative
merger any more than those who
have worked together with the land to
bring a harvest. As busy as he is with
songwriting sessions that can last
ten or more hours a day, Mitch still
manages to come home and help his
dad with the family farm from time to
time.
“If a singer has
a hit song of
their own, great.
But in the times
when they
don’t, there are
some wonderful
songs written
by songwriters
that need to be
recorded,” said
Mitch. “A song
is a powerful
thing. Perhaps
the most
powerful thing.”
There’s much more that he has to
give to music. Not just as a songwriter,
but also as a performer. It’s not just
Mitch's songwriting, but his voice
on the demos that gets the attention
of other artists. And just as soon as
things settle back into some sort of
normal, Mitch plans to return to doing
some concerts of his own. It’s been
a while since he had those sold-out
performances at STC. I can’t think of a
better way to come back together after
this past year than with country music
sung by one of our own. As Eric Church
said so perfectly at the 2020 CMA
awards, “It’s going to be music that
brings us out of this. That is the one
thing that is going to save the entire
world…” (cmaworld.com).