Newsletters are emailed (somewhat) monthly and contain show dates, album updates, and other songwriting related news and ramblings by yours truly! To join the email list for newsletters like those below, feel free email me at morganjohnstonmusic@gmail.com

Past Newsletters

Finalist for RI foundation fellowship (!!) and More

March 4, 2021

Hi!

I’m so excited to share with you all that I was selected as a finalist for the Rhode Island Foundation’s MacColl Johnson Fellowship for composers this year!! Besides funding my confidence, the grant that you can learn more about here will also fund the development of various projects of mine and the recording of my next album. You can (and totally should!!) learn about the three winners and the other two finalists, if you don’t know them already, in the news article at this link. Your support is the only reason I would even think to apply for something like this so I owe you all a big thank you, if not a biiiiiig cup of coffee as well!

I also just finished up February Album Writing Month (FAWM)! My guitar, banjo, harmonica, loop pedal, and I had such a blast writing 14 songs in 28 days whose titles include “Reflections,” “Wait it Out,” “Free Write,” “Cognitive Dissonance,” “What Have You Got in Your Pockets Today?,” “Denial of the Fittest,” and “Hand Clap Games.” Getting to live the craft of songwriting every day and feel the support of others doing the same made me wish every month was FAWM. I put a lil’ video of the song “A Simple Life” that I wrote about that sentiment at this link. :)

Apparently I miss you all because I had a lot to say in this email hahah.

Hope to catch you soon!

-Morgan

February Music newsletter :)

February 7, 2021

Why hello there,

I promise this is more exciting than it sounds... I've been spending 2021 so far organizing my catalog of songs!! I'm talking nine years, six instruments, five tunings, one too many emotions, and countless life lessons worth of songs. But putting math aside, the binders are so pretty!

Organizing inspired me (am I the only one who this happens to...?) to write more songs to fill said binders. By which I mean I signed up for February Album Writing Month on February 2nd at 11:56PM before I could think about it too much!! I wonder what this says about my songwriting process... Also, I have a feeling there are other songwriters on this email list who accepted the FAWMERs challenge of writing 14 songs in 28 (or in my case 25) days. If so, please show yourself and tell me I have not made a terrible decision!

Among the songs I'm writing this month are the personalized songs I'm continuing to write for all of you! February brings the opportunity to write a song for you and your special person and/or a ballad of self love (duh) for you this Valentine's Day. Feel free to take 15 minutes or so to fill out the form at this link or send me an email if this strikes your fancy!

In the Valentine's and just general love-for-music-and-love-for-you-continuing-to-read-these-emails spirit, I thought I'd share a love song I wrote about love songs by some people whose names you might recognize. You can watch the video at this link if only so you can watch my hair bun gradually fall out throughout the song...

Finally, I just might be planning a new way of getting these songs that I've been writing, should be writing, and forgot I wrote to you soooo keep an eye out for another email soon!

Talk (and sing) to you soon,

Morgan

(Musical) Seasons Greetings

December 2020

Seasons greetings wherever you are!

I've been singing "I'll Be Home For Christmas" on repeat while cooking, walking, petting the cat, falling asleep and everything in between this past week. In doing so, I started to wonder which of the lyrics I was singing were actually in the original song (my bad...), but also why this song was stuck in my head at this time. It occurred to me that whether you're physically far away from home this holiday season or feeling far away from the sense of safety that comes with being home because of everything that has happened this year, this song can have meaning. In the spirit of being together in our distancing with the added sentiment of hope that "we'll be home for Christmas, if only in next year," I thought I'd pass along my version of the song...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4vvqxorZGs

Since we might not all be able to go home by all the meanings of the word for the holidays this year, I started to think about the ways we can still connect with our loved ones. I may be (okay, very much am) biased, but music came to mind! I'd love to write a song for you to give as a gift to your loved ones on any topic of your choice from what you love about your partner to the winter traditions you never want to forget. This could be for any number of reasons like you've gotten your mother slippers for three years in a row (same though...), you aren't sure that gift card is personal enough for your best friend who really is the best, or you're looking for a way to tell your grandparents how much you'll miss spending time with them this year. The song commissions form to fill out is on my website if this sounds like something you might be interested in and you're still holiday shopping (high five from me, hehe!).

Wishing you comfort and joy through the music if nothing else this season,

Morgan

Music in June

June 2020

Hi everyone,

I hope this email finds you. Don't worry, I'm not going to add "well" to the end of that sentence. You've probably received enough of those emails recently and, regardless, an email finding you let alone you finding yourself is a big enough task already.

If you've been feeling a little lost recently (and who hasn't?!) with all that's going on the world, you're welcome to listen to this song I just finished writing, called "(Heart) Breaking News." The video and lyrics are at this link here. I wrote it as a reminder to keep watching the news, as heartbreaking as it may be... and to do much more.

Talk and/or sing to you soon,

Morgan

Music in May!

May 2020

Hi there,

What are you doing today? How are you feeling today? Where are you today? What do you want to get out of today? I hope you’re okay… And by all means, I'm not just asking you these questions, I’m asking myself! Naturally, songwriting is the way I often find out the answers to these questions.

This includes processing my recent ridiculously exciting graduation in clinical mental health counseling with a specialization in music therapy... who knew!?! I pulled a music therapist and did some lyric substitution to the song “Hell of a Year” by Parker McCollum to thank the amazing humans (including you!) who have supported me along the way. Thought I’d pass along to you the link to the video and lyrics on YouTube here. :)

Thinking of you (see questions at beginning of email <3),

Morgan

New song, but Mostly Just Saying Hi

April 2020

Hi everyone,

Above all, I hope you’re finding a sense of safety and know that I miss you. <3 Since words are hard, especially now, I’ll let the music speak for me today by sharing a song. I wrote the song, “Seeds,” just before coronavirus. The song is inspired by an absolutely stunning painting and is about the resiliency of the human spirit. It can be found on a compilation album, entitled "hidden place: songs inspired by the paintings of maggie siegel" whose proceeds go towards supporting Maggie's fight against brain cancer. The link is here.

Take care in all senses of the word,

Morgan

An album, an award, and a hell of a lot of gratitude for last year

January 2020

Dear you,

What makes songwriting so special to me is the ability to experiment with different genres and instruments that allow for expression of the full range of emotions. It seems this past year covered just about every single one of those emotions: the good, the bad, and the even more common something in between. Days into the new year, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for being there for my music and I (as if those are two separate beings!) this past year. There are two particular moments from this year that I will carry with me for years to come, thanks to you.

The first moment is one that was made of many many many (one more many?) moments. MY FIRST ALBUM IS DONE! You can get the physical or digital album by clicking riiiiiight here.

The second moment was receiving the Sarah Good Foundation’s First Annual Female Artist Entrepreneur Award founded by Michael Darigan. It has been nothing short of a gift to learn about and inevitably be inspired by the woman who the organization is named after. The award announcement and more information about the incredible work Michael is doing with the organization is at the link here. I should say that this award just so happens to be what will fund my second album in the new year…

Moving from reflection on one year to intention for the next, my new years resolution is to keep returning to the music. Then again, this isn’t so much a new years resolution as a lifelong one for me. I hope that you too find ways, musical or otherwise, to keep returning to yourself each time life makes you feel a little lost.

Love to all,

Morgan

Motif Magazine Awards Voting, Shows, and March Newsletter... oh my!

March 2019

Friends.

I’ve been thinking a lot about cognitive dissonance lately. Have you heard the term before? The way I understand it is as the discomfort (or dissonance!) that occurs when our actions don’t match our values. BUT here’s the thing: I love using dissonances in music because they make the resolution that much sweeter. I guess what I’m saying is that I'm lucky to have found that resolution in sharing myself as a music therapist and singer-songwriter with you now. This may or may not be why my computer background currently reads "Remember that you once dreamed of being where you are now." I hope you're all finding that feeling at your own pace.

Finally, I wanted to share some news!! It’s one thing to be loud, it’s another thing to be heard. I've had the honor of experiencing both as I was nominated for this year's Americana Breakthrough Act in Motif Magazine. If you’re so inclined you can vote at this link by March 17th. <3

And now to let the song speak for itself… "Loud (Live at the Columbus Theatre)"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOwYRskyo2A

Thank you for listening to myself, yourself, and each other!

-Morgan

January Newsletter

January 2019

Dear friends, family, and people who have become my friends and family through music,

It's been a year of two steps back and three forwards, hasn't it? Summing up 2018 is a mighty task, but then again isn't that what music is for- to express those emotions in between words? As much as an iPhone user says "there's an app for that," I must not be the only songwriter to think, "there's a song for that" on a daily basis... and if there isn't yet, then isn't it our responsibility write it?

I'm sure it's no accident that I'm starting the new year, and this email for that matter, with questions. In light of these unknowns, my beloved friend Erin described an experience of hers as "new and big and scary" to me over the phone recently. The beautiful simplicity of this has become the theme song of my new year... and maybe it will become the same for you!

As I wish you the courage to allow yourself to be scared, but do the thing that scares you anyway this year, I hope our journeys cross paths at a show soon.

Thank you all!

<3 Morgan

October Newsletter

October 2018

Hi you!

I've been taking the last month or so to immerse myself in the amazing world of being a beginning music therapist so I didn't get a letter out to you... and can I just say I'VE MISSED YOU?! Thank you for, I can only assume, saying it back to me now. :) You should know, though, that anytime I do less writing or performing, I see it as a time to collect inspiration (as Dad Johnston says "there's a time to create and a time to clean your workspace") and come back to myself (as Mom Johnston says "everything looks better in the morning"). I've been thinking a lot about the words of wisdom the people in my life pass on to me in terms of how we get to pick and choose the parts of other people that will make up our own individual identities. I'm starting to see being part of a long line of songwriters and healers, each unique, but part of something bigger than ourselves, as a privilege...

Note: Don't forget, though you may not be able to control the other people or events in your life, you always have a choice about you respond to them... and that includes unsubscribing to these emails hehe. Just reply with the word "unsubscribe" to morganjohnstonmusic@gmail.com anytime!

Thank you for listening to me, yourself, and each other,

Morgan

August Newsletter

August 2018

Dearest friends, family, and folks,

How are you? And I don't just mean that in a say-you're-good-and-walk-away kind of way. It's been a warm July with few clouds to find the silver linings around, so you're allowed to feel exactly as you do... just don't forget music is always there as a resource! I'm anticipating this upcoming month to have as much of a range of emotions as the new songs I've been playing out, "A Human and a House Plant," "I Don't Miss You, I Just Miss Your Dog," "Ain't Just You Babe," "F33," "Five Year Plan," "Sunset River Dream," and "My Oh My" to name just a few titles. I mean, you try to find a common thread there! Isn't that the great thing about music though? You get to be all the parts of you unapologetically... in sound.

Side Bar: Keep an eye out for the September newsletter, as it just may have final information about when my first album, "Wildflower," will be released-- album release show and all! It'll be a pretty special month, I'm sure.

Side Bar on the Left Side of the Side Bar: As always, if you'd like to unsubscribe, no worries, just reply with the word "remove" to morganjohnstonmusic@gmail.com on this email.

Thank you for listening to myself, yourself, and each other!

-Morgan

July Emailing List

July 2018

Hi folks!

You're receiving this email because you're awesome... but specifically you're awesome in your support of myself and my music and I thought you might be interested in being a part of the emailing list I'm putting together! You'll receive updates on shows I'm playing, my album to be released this Fall (!!), and sneak peaks into the songwriting process every month or so. You don't have to do anything to continue receiving emails, but if you'd like to unsubscribe, just reply with the word "remove" to morganjohnstonmusic@gmail.com on this email... I can always sing the show dates and times to you as I drive by your house instead!

Thank you for listening to myself, yourself, and each other!

-Morgan Johnston