For more than 10 years, the Beaufort County Advisory Committee’s flagship event, Songwriters in the Round, has raised more than $1 million in support of the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities Foundation. The stand-out event features award-winning singer/songwriters as they perform their original music in an intimate setting, while sharing the personal stories and inspirations behind their hit songs.
This year’s Songwriters in the Round will be held at 6:30 p.m. October 24 on Hilton Head Island. All proceeds from the event benefit the Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities Foundation to support its mission of bringing arts education to students across South Carolina.
The Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities allows young emerging artists to explore and refine their talents in a unique, arts-centered community. Throughout the 2024-25 school year, the Governor’s School will be celebrating 25 years of excellence in arts education since the residential program began in 1999. Through its residential high school program, summer programs, and outreach activities, students practice their skills in an environment of artistic and academic excellence.
With help from the Beaufort County Advisory Committee, the Governor’s School Foundation raises donations to increase access to the school for students with financial needs, supports the school’s efforts to provide arts education in under-resourced counties, and bridges the gap between state funding and the unique needs of a premier public arts school.
This year’s songwriters include Phillip Lammonds and Mel Washington, both veterans of this event, plus Erin Enderlin and Ty Graham.
Lammonds is a songwriter and talented instrumentalist from the musically rich mountains of North Carolina. From his childhood in the mountains to his time in the South Carolina Lowcountry, it was this melting pot of sounds and rhythms that formed his musical sensibilities. His songs have been recorded by such artists as Hootie and the Blowfish, Josh Turner, Lee Brice, Charles Esten, Kellie Pickler, Craig Morgan, Edwin McCain, Jerrod Niemann, Mo Pitney, and Dylan Scott. After more than 15 years of writing hundreds of songs, Lammonds is releasing his first solo album Cowboy Things. The Lee Brice-produced project features heartfelt, plainspoken tracks from across Lammonds’ career.
Washington was born and raised in Charleston. He’s been a singer/songwriter since he was 18 and has played venues across the U.S., Australia, and Europe. Washington has pursued his career relentlessly and without exception to his principles; he believes music to be profoundly healing and should be shared with an open heart and mind.
Enderlin is at the forefront of current artists rooted in country music’s rich history. A frequent performer on the Grand Ole Opry, her acclaimed 2017 album Whiskeytown Crier cemented her as a literary songwriter and superb vocal stylist. As a writer of Alan Jackson’s “Monday Morning Church,” Lee Ann Womack’s “Last Call,” Luke Bryan’s “You Don’t Know Jack,” and a host of other songs by Randy Travis, Reba McEntire, Terri Clark, Gene Watson, and others, she’s a go-to writer for stars looking for heavyweight country with classic panache.
Graham is a Texas-born singer/songwriter living in Nashville. After dropping out of Berklee College of Music, he honed his songwriting skills in Austin, Texas, before finally moving to Nashville. His songs have been recorded by country artists Dylan Scott, Granger Smith, and Chris Young. His style is widely influenced by John Mayer, Lee Ann Womack, John Prine, Kris Kristofferson, and many others.
Find more information about purchasing individual tickets or becoming a corporate partner, visit scgsah.org/songwriters-2024.