About The Songwriter's Exchange
By Amy Marie Keller
[2002]

The Exchange provides a feeling of connection for me.

As an artist in the world I am always noticing, imagining, paying attention to form and line and structure and color in ways that non-artists rarely choose to understand. When we come over to Jack's, I know I have a forum to present my latest songs to people who won't just sit back and say "ooh wow, you wrote a song. That's sooo neat! Can I be your best friend now?" Instead, once a week, I can completely be myself in a room of dedicated and fascinating individuals who are there to help me with my creative process, as I am there to provide feedback into theirs. I know I am showing the bare bones of my work to an honest audience.

I was very nervous the first time I came. Jack asked me how I came to find the place and I explained that Suzanne had given me the address. I was offered delicious homemade pasta and regretted having eaten ahead of time at Cafe Dante around the block. More on the pasta later. Anyway, that first night, someone had brought a dog. As people trickled in I was sitting playing with the dog and just as soon as people started performing, the dog knocked over one of the proverbial glasses of red wine, right in front of me. I felt horrible and thought I'd never be invited back. I should mention that I am often the only keyboardist who shows up. They're all passing around the guitar and I'm trying to worm my way over to the keyboard.

Anyway, back to that first night. There I was on Jack's couch with the little keyboard on my lap. The only person in the full room I knew at all was Suzanne. I took a deep breath and started singing. When I was done, all eyes were on me but I didn't feel nervous anymore. I wasn't being admired, I wasn't in front of fans; people were actually thinking about what I was really doing, asking questions and suggesting all sorts of things. I was one of the first people to go that night, but I really got into talking about everyone else's work. I remember Tim Robinson's song especially stood out for me that night. And all these people, who I barely knew, were listening to what I had to say too! Like I said before, the
feeling of connection is immense. My craft has definitely grown since I met everyone.

After the songs were done, I went up to Suzanne to thank her for telling me how to get there... and instead she thanked *me* for coming and said I was really brave for having shared work my first time. I couldn't imagine *not* sharing anything there. (Incidentally, this was the night Suzanne first showed us "It Makes Me Wonder.")

Okay, back to the pasta. I think I have learned almost as much about the art of making pasta as I have about my own and others' creative processes. As Jack says, pasta too is experimental. Try things out!

There's no right or wrong recipe. I'll tell you something, though - it always turns out delicious. People ask me for my pasta recipes now and are amazed to learn I don't use one- I tell them Jack inspired me to do the creative pasta thing. This frustrated one of my friends one time who just "wanted the damn recipe" but I explained that like any art, it's about the feel of the thing, paying attention, and carving deeper into the craft.