Ellis Paul
NESR Founder & Host
Songwriting Instructor
Workshop Instructor
 

Ellis Paul Bio:
Ellis Paul doesn’t just write songs; he’s a guitar-carrying reporter who covers the human condition and details the hopes, loves, and losses of those he observes. He turns their stories into luminous pieces of music that get under your skin and into your bloodstream. And much like the artists who have influenced him (everyone from Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Paul Simon to the singer-songwriter who is undoubtedly his greatest inspiration, Woody Guthrie), Paul weaves deeply personal experiences with social issues and renders them as provocative works that are as timely as they are timeless. Born and raised in Maine, Paul attended Boston College on a track scholarship and in the evenings became a fixture on the city’s open mic circuit. After winning a Boston Acoustic Underground songwriter competition, he caught the ear of folk luminary Bill Morrissey, who produced his indie album Say Something in 1993. This led to a seven album contract with Rounder Records and the 1994 album, Stories. His songs have appeared in several blockbuster films (Me Myself and Irene, Shallow Hal, Hall Pass) and have been covered by award-winning country artists (Sugarland, Kristian Bush, Jack Ingram). Through a steady succession of albums of his own—a remarkable 23 releases so far—and a constant touring presence around the world, Paul’s audience has grown into a loyal legion of fans. Along the way, he has picked up an impressive number of awards including the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Award, 15 Boston Music Awards, An Honorary Doctorate from the University of Maine, the 2019 International Acoustic Music Awards Artist of the Year and most recently his album, The Storyteller’s Suitcase, was named the 2019 NERFA Album of the Year. His new album “55” touches on the necessity of gratitude in a difficult era of the pandemic and divided political stances on his own imprint, Rosella Records. He is the Founder and Co-Host of the New England Songwriters Retreat. ellispaul.com

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PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP w/ ELLIS PAUL—"Under the Bright Lights"
“Please welcome to the stage … YOU!” There you are. Blinded by the lights. Stepping up to the microphone. Delivering the first note. Who are you? Those of us in the audience want to know! Some of the story of who you are is delivered in the song, yes, but so much of it is in what we see. Your poise, your posture, your clothing. Your banter. Your confidence. How you use the stage. How you move. How you built the set list. How do you create tension and release? Laughter and thoughtfulness? We want you to take us on a journey. And we want it to be true to you. We want to trust you. Who are you? With a combination of exercises and student performances, in this workshop we will explore your unique stagecraft and ways to enhance it.

 

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Laurie MacAllister
NESR Retreat Coordinator
NESR Co-Host
 

Laurie MacAllister Bio:​
Affectionately dubbed "Mama Bear" by NESR IV Students, Laurie handles the logistical aspects of NESR Online. Ask her anything—she's happy to help: newenglandsongwritersretreat@gmail.com. In late 2024, Laurie MacAllister embarked on an exciting new chapter, launching a solo career with a sold-out performance at the legendary Club Passim. Two decades earlier, she co-founded the beloved Americana trio Red Molly, which released seven acclaimed albums and toured both the U.S. and internationally, including appearances at MerleFest, Cayamo, and Boston Symphony Hall. Along the way, ad executives heard Laurie’s voice on the Red Molly album “Never Been to Vegas” and invited her to sing the iconic Folgers Coffee jingle for a national TV commercial. Her 2018 self-produced solo album "The Lies the Poets Tell" is a heartfelt tribute to the contemporary folk music scene, celebrating a handful of its best songs and songwriters. It features duets with six male artists, including the late Americana master Jimmy LaFave. SiriusXM praised the album as “Defining. A curated collection packed with emotional vibrancy.” Laurie’s earlier solo album "The Things I Choose To Do” was produced by folk luminary Cliff Eberhardt and was first released independently. Hearing it, Barnes & Noble re-released it as an exclusive on their label, saying, "MacAllister wholly inhabits these songs as subtly as a chameleon, convincingly taking on the persona's skin, quite simply singing her heart out.” From a young girl with a quiet dream of becoming a singer, Laurie’s journey has unfolded one song at a time. Over more than two decades, she’s made her dream into a reality. Laurie is currently on her Solo Debut Tour 2025, headlining shows across the Northeast, bringing her soulful, loving voice and presence to fans old and new. lauriemacallister.net​​

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Abbie Gardner
Songwriting Instructor
 

Abbie Gardner Bio:
Abbie Gardner is a fiery dobro player with an infectious smile. Whether performing solo or with Americana darlings Red Molly, her tales of love and loss, both gritty and sweet, are propelled by her impeccable slide guitar chops. As an award-winning songwriter, captivating vocalist, and a world-class lap style dobro player, she has an unmistakable sound all her own. This is masterfully captured on her 2022 CD "DobroSinger." The record made it to #11 on the Billboard Blues Charts and #2 on the Folk DJ Charts, receiving rave reviews in Bluegrass Unlimited, Acoustic Guitar Magazine and American Songwriter. It’s a raw intimate recording full of blues, ballads and the ache of the unknown. It’s quite a contrast to her previous CD, which featured a co-write with Chris Stapleton and leaned on full band production. Abbie stands strong as a solo act and has opened for Lori McKenna and Martina McBride.

Acoustic Guitar Magazine says, "sheer brilliance and power ... her evocative guitar is a second voice throughout, sometimes singing in unison, in harmony other times, or answering as in a conversation with the singer. The playing and singing are both impeccable and loaded with personality. You can hear every nuance of the slide, smooth one moment or rattling slightly at the end of a phrase like punctuation; and her intimate, pitch-perfect vocals—wistful, playful, confessional—sound like they’re dancing with the guitar." During the pandemic, Abbie started teaching free  Woodshed dobro lessons in her backyard and posting them to YouTube. Helping other people fan the flames of their creativity has always been a nice balance to performing.  She has taught in person at Nashville Dobro Camp, ResoSummit, Kaufman Kamp, Rockygrass Academy, and Roots Music Camp. Then for Songwriting, she's taught at New England Songwriters Retreat, Swannanoa Gathering, Summer Songs, and Moab Folk Camp. Students can check out her month-long, small group virtual songwriting classes and her downloadable "Dobro from Scratch" course. abbiegardner.com

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SONGWRITING w/ ABBIE GARDNER—"Hooked on a Feeling: Memorable Melodies"
We work so hard on our lyrics, yet it’s the MELODY that gets stuck in your head! Over the Rainbow, Crazy, Hallelujah, Eleanor Rigby—iconic songs have memorable melodies that tell the story all on their own. In this course we’ll pay special attention to writing melodies that support your carefully-crafted lyrics. We'll learn about major, minor, chromatic and static melodies and those with steps and jumps. Each can support a different emotion. We'll get into making repeated motifs and intentionally using rhythm in combination with note choices. We'll play with these concepts by writing and re-writing melodies in class, rather than just talking about them. You'll walk away with a melodic toolbox to take home. You don’t need to know music theory for this class, but you might end up learning some!

 

 

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Don Henry
Songwriting Instructor
 

Don Henry Bio:
Grammy Award winner Don Henry's songs have been recorded by legends like: Ray Charles, Patti Page and Conway Twitty. By country crooners like: Gene Watson, John Conlee and B.J. Thomas. By young hit makers of today like: Blake Shelton, Lonestar and Miranda Lambert, and the list goes on. And he’s shared the stage with performers as diverse as Joey Ramone to Keith Urban. The wit and wisdom of Don's songs are widely renowned whether it's campfire favorites, the hilarious "B.F.D." and biker lullaby "Harley", to the wonderfully poignant tribute to Martin Luther King "Beautiful Fool", and of course his Grammy Award winning country classic "Where've You Been". In addition to a Grammy, Kathy Mattea's version of "Where've You Been" won Don (and co-writer Jon Vezner) song of the year honors from ACM (Academy of Country Music), CMA (Country Music Association) and NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International). "Where've You Been" was the first song in country music history to be awarded all four honors in the same year. donhenry.com

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SONGWRITING w/ DON HENRY—"The Muse Loves to See You at Work"
It’s a beautiful moment when a wave of inspiration hits you. However, if you’re like most of us, it can be a long time between those moments. Fortunately, the Muse is kind to those who are busy at work! Inspiration never travels without the companion of craftsmanship, and we’re going to use the whole toolbox: Hard and soft rhymes, cadences, chord changes, cut and paste, puns, juxtapositions, and more. In the process, we’ll conquer three distinct challenges: 1) Assignment writing, 2) Writing lyrics without an instrument, 3) Putting music to a co-writer’s lyrics. Come explore how creativity can blossom from boundaries!

 

 

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Natalia Zukerman
Songwriting Instructor
 

Natalia Zukerman Bio:
Born and bred amidst the vibrant tapestry of New York City, Natalia Zukerman's artistic journey has taken her on a mesmerizing adventure. She spent her formative years at Oberlin, then moved to Boston in 2005, marking the genesis of a remarkable musical career that has since seen her become an international solo performer and the proud creator of eight independent albums, released through Weasel Records and her own label, Talisman Records. She has shared the stage, been a side player for, and/or opened for some of acoustic music’s most beloved artists including Ani DiFranco, Shawn Colvin, Dar Williams, Janis Ian, Nanci Griffith, Susan Werner, Willy Porter, Melissa Ferrick, Glen Phillips,  Richard Thompson and many others.  Natalia's music has left its indelible mark and has graced the soundtracks of hit shows like "The L Word" and "Chasing Life." She has lent her musical talents to diverse projects, including scoring the independent film "The Arch of Titus" for Yeshiva University and contributing to the Harvard online course, "Poetry in America.” But her artistic journey doesn't stop at music. Natalia's brush strokes adorn both private and public murals, and her illustrations breathe life into adult and children's books alike. She has crafted sets for plays in the bustling streets of New York City and immortalized countless individuals (human and animal!) through her private portrait commissions. In 2017, Natalia Zukerman became a Cultural Diplomat for the U.S. Department of State, embarking on a transformative journey with her trio, "The Northern Lights," performing and conducting workshops across Africa. She continued her global outreach in 2022, co-leading workshops with social action musicians in Zimbabwe alongside the band Raining Jane. Excitingly, Natalia and Raining Jane were selected once again to lead workshops through American Music Abroad again in 2024. Nurturing the next generation of talent, Natalia imparts her wisdom through private songwriting lessons and has graced various programs and festivals throughout the U.S. and Canada with her teachings as well as working with Paul Reisler of Kid Pan Alley. nataliazukerman.com

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SONGWRITING w/ NATALIA ZUKERMAN—"The Lyric Lab"
The heart of a song often lives in the small, specific moments, in the tangible, visual language. In this course, we’ll practice ways of noticing and shaping language to give our voice deeper meaning. Through exercises in object writing, lyric structure, and poetic adaptation, we will explore how vivid, sensory detail becomes the foundation for emotionally resonant lyrics.  This will be a creative playground for your ears, heart, and pen — part songwriting lab, part storytelling gym. Some exercises will be playful, others more introspective. All are designed to help you listen more carefully - to language, to music, and to yourself. Get ready for lots of prompts, lots of writing, lots of discovery and above all else, lots of FUN.

 

 

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Seth Glier
Songwriting Instructor
 

Seth Glier Bio:

The earth speaks to us in a myriad of ways — through ice cores, through uplift and erosion, through tree rings — languages we have the potential to restore our literacy in. Reconnecting with these quiet messages has set Seth Glier, an avid mushroom forager and a Grammy-nominated artist from Western Massachusetts, on a path of channeling nature’s longing for communion with humanity into song. His new album Everything is a collection of eight songs inviting us to imagine a future in which humans and the planet are re-aligned into mutual restoration. Each song presents a practical climate solution with concrete optimism.“What if this is the beginning, not the beginning of the end,” the album opens with bristling energy and hope on “Rise,” an anthem about rewilding. “Finally Home” is a celebration of regenerative farming with driving doo wop vocal harmony. “Mammoth,” written from the perspective of a wooly mammoth being brought back to life from frozen DNA, invites us to consider the blip of human history against billions of years of evolution. The album’s guest stars Crys Matthews, Hayley Reardon, and Windborne elevate the record with surprise from the stark choir arrangement of “Birches” recorded a capella in an old church to “My Body Remembers,” a flowing meditation on the transmission of healing, EMDR & The Language of Trees. The album’s title track was inspired by an experience Seth had while foraging. “When I picked up the chantarelle mushroom and brought it towards my nose I first smelled sweet apricot and then my spine straightened suddenly. The feeling was like déjà vu. It was a first time, yet somewhere inside of me I had done this once before. I was reconnecting to a knowledge I had already known.” The album is an acknowledgement of the sacred connections that exist between all living things and is an active questioning of what might be possible collectively. Everything is a reminder that the future is something we always have an influence over. Seth’s gifts are an innate curiosity and a fierce desire to connect with other people. His musical acumen provides him with a vehicle for both. He was worked as a cultural diplomat for the US State Department and collaborated with musicians in Ukraine, Mongolia, China, and Mexico. Seth has shared the bill with a diverse list of artists ranging from the likes of Ronnie Spector, James Taylor, Ani DiFranco, & Glen Campbell. As a producer, music director, or studio musician he has collaborated with Sophie B. Hawkins, Tom Rush, Antje Duvekot, Richard Shindell, Doctora Qingona, Dar Williams, Nick Carter, & Cyndi Lauper. Seth is a five-time Independent Music Award winner and received a Grammy nomination for his album The Next Right Thing. With a commitment to using songwriting as a tool for positive change, he has written with the students in Parkland, FL for the “Parkland Project,” cowritten with soldiers at Walter Reed, and is an advocate for autism awareness citing his autistic brother Jamie as his greatest non-musical-musical influence.

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SONGWRITING w/ SETH GLIER—"The Art of Editing"
For some of us, a lyric rushes out into the world before we can think much about it. Other times, a lyric comes in dribs and drabs, and once we have a complete draft, we might be so relieved that we declare it finished prematurely. In both cases, a lyric or melody might benefit from a fresh perspective and a willingness to tinker a little. In this course, we will investigate the art of editing, with an eye toward ensuring that every single part of your song is serving the mission statement. What message are you really trying to convey? Let’s get concrete about it. Let’s define it. We’ll look at stumbling blocks and how to get around them. We’ll explore concepts and techniques like point of view, chord substitutions, and melodic choice. Each element of a song rolls into the other, like a watercolor painting—the art and practice of intentional editing helps define the colors, making our songs brighter, bolder, and better.

 

 

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Tara Shannon
Workshop Instructor
 

Tara Shannon Bio:
Tara Shannon is a music industry multi-hyphenate: artist, entrepreneur, educator, and advocate who has dedicated her career to educating, empowering, and entertaining. A sought-after speaker, Tara has shared her expertise on some of the most prestigious stages, including Artpreneur (Ottawa), Impact Entrepreneur Summit (Toronto), Berklee College of Music (Boston), G20 Summit (Toronto), Indie Week (NYC), and more. Her insightful, inspiring talks have motivated countless artists and entrepreneurs to navigate the ever-changing music industry.
As co-founder and driving force behind multiple businesses across diverse industries—including transportation, manufacturing, and her artist-focused agency Willow Sound Records—Tara leverages her unique experience to equip music creators with the tools they need to succeed. Her dedication to artist development extends also to founding The Willow House (Wellness Centre), where she emphasizes self-care, balance and connection to authentic self being key components of living your fullest life. Tara is the author of "YOU and the Music Business: A Self-Care Guide to Finding Balance and Joy in Today’s Music Industry" a must-read for music professionals seeking longevity and fulfillment. As a certified life coach, she helps music creators build both their careers and their personal resilience, believing that to be successful in the business of music, you first need to be successful in the business of YOU. A respected educator, Tara recently joined Algonquin College as a professor, where she teaches Music Business and developed Financial Literacy in Creative Industries, a course designed to empower creatives with essential business acumen.

CREATIVITY WORKSHOP w/ TARA SHANNON—"The Creator Within"
In this 90-minute session, you’ll be guided through a reflective and creative journey to deepen your connection with yourself as a creator. Through guided discussion and hands-on exercises, you’ll explore how you experience inspiration, resistance, and creative flow. This session is both playful and revealing, designed to help you better understand your internal creative patterns. You’ll also take a closer look at what you truly want in key areas of your life and uncover the beliefs and emotions that shape those desires. From there, we’ll identify where your creative energy flows freely, and where it may be getting blocked. This session is about understanding the internal systems that shape your creative life, so you can write and live with greater clarity, alignment, and purpose. tarashannonofficial.com