Free teen songwriting workshop set for July 7

Published 1:30 am Thursday, July 2, 2026

PORT ANGELES — Teens are invited to join professional musicians for a free songwriting workshop from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. July 7 at the Port Angeles Main Library, 2210 S. Peabody St.

Seattle-based singer/songwriters K. Van Petten and Connor Cash Colbert will guide students through analyzing song structures and exploring what makes a song “catchy.”

Designed for grades seven through 12 with a focus on lyrics, the workshop will offer a supportive space to craft new and refine songs they’ve been working on.

Van Petten and Colbert’s musical projects include Baddy Gold, Wet Whitman and False Hemlock. Van Petten works with Sonic Guild, a nonprofit which supports local music, while Colbert has a bachelor of fine arts degree in musical theatre with an emphasis in songwriting and directing from Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

Both have participated in residencies at Centrum and are published poets.

The workshop is one of many free events in the “Plant a Seed, Read” Summer Reading Program, which runs through Aug. 22. Youths can sign up for the reading challenge to earn a T-shirt or tote bag, enter prize drawings and participate in free programming during the summer months.

For more information, visit NOLS.org/srp, call 360-417-8500 or email Discover@NOLS.org.