If you are interested in contributing your skills to a collaborative project, please get in touch. Poets, you are encouraged to submit poetry. Songwriters, you are encouraged to work with poets and their poems to develop songs. Performers, you are encouraged to interpret those songs. We have a growing pool of artists who are searching for co-collaborators. As our pool grows, it will become easier to find like-minded artists with whom to collaborate.
Some questions you might have:
How does it work?
The nature of your collaboration is up to you and your co-collaborator(s). You get to decide how you want to create work. The simplest way is probably the following: a poet writes poetry, a songwriter writes a song for that poetry, and a performer performs and records it. That is where we suggest you begin, but there are many other possibilities.
I do not read music. Will that prevent me from participating as a songwriter?
No. We ask that contributing songwriters make thoughtful and deliberate choices, respectful of the thoughtful and deliberate choices that contributing poets have made. The inclusion of musical transcriptions is intended to highlight and clarify the thoughtful musical ideas being put forth. If you need support putting your musical ideas on paper, we will be happy to help.
Can I submit poetry that has been previously published?
Yes.
I want to work with poets to write songs, but I do not have the means, skills, will, or confidence to perform and record them. Will that prevent me from participating?
No. This degree of specialization is what Ham Kicker is all about. If songwriting is what you want to do, then that is what you should do. We are willing to post songs without recordings, and we can help you find musicians who are interested in performing and recording your songs.
I like to perform music, but I am not very interested in writing music. How can I participate?
Performers are encouraged to create their own interpretations of previously posted work. Get in touch with the artists first and ask for permission, but you should expect to be met with enthusiasm. If want to contribute your performance skills to new pieces, we will help you find a good match. Singers, for example, will find that many songwriters are happy to work with them.
What are my ownership rights if I submit poetry or musical work?
That is for you and your co-collaborators to decide. We recommend considering different Creative Commons licenses as an alternative to Copyright. Ham Kicker’s goal is to promote a process, not a product. We will not assert any authority over your work. If ownership issues are a major concern for you, then we suggest that Ham Kicker may not be the right aesthetic for you and your work.
If I submit poetry, how will I know if it has been accepted?
Whatever you submit, we will share with potential collaborators. We will not pick and choose. Whether your work stands out to those potential collaborators is the natural editing process, if you will.
Do I get to choose who I work with?
Yes. Artists will ask for the opportunity to work with other participating artists. We do not want you to be too particular, but if you are invited to a collaboration and you do not think that it is the right match, then we want you to respond accordingly.
Have you other questions? Contact Joe Robinson: joe.robinson@hamkicker.com