April 12, 2025 | 2 pm @ Birthplace of Country Music Museum
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum and Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia announce anew event designed to highlight the talents of songwriters in theregion. The inaugural Songwriters Circle Showcase isheld at 2 p.m., April 12, in the performance theater at the museum; it is the first showcase in a series to be held quarterly each year. The event is free and open to the public; donations are appreciated.
Daryl Ann Beeghley, Sandra Lambert, David Ledgerwood, Gerald Sheppardand Darris Stanley will share their original music during April’s Songwriters Showcase.
Beeghley is a Canadian-born singer-songwriter and current resident of Abingdon, Va. She has always loved words and music and wrote her first song at the age of 17. She relishes the challenge of writing across different styles: Americana, folk, country, devotional, and bluesand appreciates the way music helps us tell our stories.
East Tennessee native Sandra Lambert started learning to play the dulcimer in 2018 and wrote her first song. She credits the dulcimer as her gateway instrument, leading her to learn the ukulele, tenor guitar, and bowed psaltery. Since then she’s written more than 50 more songs and learns more about the craft with each one she writes. She and her husband occasionally perform together under the moniker The Butternuts.
A native of Bluefield, W.Va., David Ledgerwood’s father gave him his first guitar at the age of 9. He quickly found music to be one of his favorite pursuits, and he sang himself to sleep many nights to a transistor radio he kept by his pillow. He was exposed to a diverse range of music including rock, soul, and funk, and loved it all. These days David and his wife Ann reside in Glade Spring, Virginiaand regularly perform as an acoustic duet known as Ledgerwood Blues Band.
Northeast Tennessee native Gerald Sheppard has actively pursued his passion for music since the age of 5 when he started beating around on his family’s upright piano. He has actively played fingerstyle guitar since he was a teen and has performed in venues across the region for many years. For the past 25 years Sheppard has enjoyed a successful career as a guitar builder. His high-end instruments are renowned as some of the finest guitars in the world. He began writing songs in 2018, primarily ballads and story songs, which are heartwarming and well-received by audiences.
Darris Stanley is an artist, musician, songwriter and poet–and a professional boxer. He has written over 200 songs and produced two studio albums of his original music, and was once signed to Houston River Records. Stanley grew up in the coal fields of Southwest Virginia and currently lives in Northeast Tennessee.
The quarterly Songwriters Circle Showcase is an extension of the weekly Songwriters Circle program, organized by Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia, and will consist of artists who participate in the weekly Circle. The Showcase event is structured similarly to “in the round” events, with each songwriter introducing themselves and their song, which will be performed with or without accompaniment. The songwriter will then hold a discussion about the piece–the origins of the song, its structure, and inspiration–and take questions.
Led by Mary Munsey, a local musician, educator and founder of Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia, the weekly Songwriters Circle is open to songwriters of all ages and skill levels. The Circle encourages participants to share songs, brainstorm ideas, and support one another in their creative endeavors. Songwriter Circles are held the second Saturday of each month at the museum, 2-5 p.m. There is no cost to participate.
“The Songwriters Circle aims to foster a collaborative environment for songwriting,” said Munsey. “Importantly, aspiring songwriters do not need to play an instrument to join in the fun.”
The Songwriters Circle not only provides an opportunity for performance and networking, but also emphasizes the importance of clarity and storytelling in songwriting. The group’s mission is to encourage creativity, introduce songwriting shows to regional audiences, and elevate the appreciation of songwriting as a valuable art form.
For more information about the Songwriters Showcase and Songwriters Circle programs, visit the Events page atBirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org. For more information on Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia,HighlandsAppalachia.org.