Valerie June & Mighty Writers

Valerie June has always been interested the transformative power of music, especially through arts education and working with young people.  In September of 2020, Fantasy helped connect the gifted singer-songwriter with the wonderful Mighty Writers, a Philadelphia-based non-profit that teaches reading and writing to thousands of low-income and marginalized students every year and is seeing more need than ever during the pandemic. The Mighty Writers have created a video series entitled Mighty SONG Writers, where they ask singer-songwriters about their writing and reading lives—their influences, writing habits, favorite books—and while they’re at it, to play a song or two. In her video, Valerie shared the best writing advice she ever got (from a teenager, no less) and remembers two school teachers who inspired her on her path to become a songwriter. She also plays stripped-down versions of several songs on guitar and banjo.  Watch Valerie’s episode of Mighty SONG Writers here: https://lithub.com/valerie-june-needs-her-songs-and-her-life-to-have-soul/

And check out other recent episodes with Amanda Shires with Jason Isbell, Marcus Roberts, Jewel, Phil Augusta Jackson, Devon Gilfillian, Valerie June, Rhett Miller, Erika Ender, and Matt Quinn.  To learn more and contribute to the Might Writers, click here: https://mightywriters.org/