Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Terri Sunflower. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Terri, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I’ve learned the craft of songwriting by attending the Rocky Mountain Song School and various online and in-person songwriting groups. Certainly the Song School has had the greatest impact, learning from so many gifted writers, and getting the opportunity to bring my songs to them for live workshopping.

The best way to write one great song is to write a whole bunch of good/bad/meh ones! The only other thing I think I could have done to speed up my learning process was to have gone to a school like the Berklee School Of Music or something similar but I chose the writing of a bunch of songs route and am pretty happy with that decision.

The essential skills I bring to my songwriting are that I love to write and I allow myself to be vulnerable. Whether those are skills or assets can be debated, but they’ve served me well.

I think the only obstacles that have gotten in my way is my own lack of confidence. Thinking I’m not good enough or having imposter syndrome are both difficult to overcome. I’ve come a long way in that regard.

I got a little ahead of myself by recording an EP titled Sunflower’s Debut, in 2019, less than one year after finding my love of songwriting. I’m proud that I did it. I had an opportunity to record so I took it. I have learned so very much about the craft of songwriting, how to utilize my voice and got better at playing guitar in the meantime. I’m proud of that too. My first full length album then, might seem a little overdue but this time, I decided not to rush the process or the songs. They have all arrived in their own perfect timing.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve always been a writer. I’ve journaled, blogged, written poetry and had a few songs under my belt when I found the Rocky Mountain Song School in Lyons, CO in 2018. I heard about it while attending the Folks Fest there the summer before. I retired from a 30 year Nursing career in 2018 and thought I would treat myself to this songwriting camp as a one off “songwriting vacay”.

I became absolutely enamored by what I found there. Songwriting classes, voice, guitar, performance and networking opportunities galore. I was shy, scared and totally blown away! And, I knew by the end of it that I wanted to BE a songwriter.

After that first Song School experience (I’ve now attended 7), I joined several different on-line and in person songwriting groups that taught me that I write best with two external stimuli: prompts and deadlines. Having a prompt takes me places I didn’t know I needed to go and having a deadline helps me finish a song I might have otherwise let linger.

I write about what I know. People I know or have read about. What they or I am going through. What I hope to see/have/do for myself. If you were to follow along with my songs you would see the progression of my life almost as chapters of a memoir.

I’m a mom, a step-mom, a grandma, a sister and a friend. I’m a daughter and although both of my parents are gone, I just lost my dad this year. We were housemates and best friends. When I finally got brave enough to come out as a lesbian a few years ago, he was the first family member I told. To have kept myself in “the closet” all those years, I “put up shelves and installed a wine bar” that caught up with me and ended up causing health problems so I am now, gratefully, over one year sober. The closet door, with it’s dusty shelves and abandoned wine bar, has been nailed shut.

Instead of that memoir, I am putting together songs I’ve written for my first full length album that will be for and about women with a touch of sobriety sprinkled in. The title track and the first song I’m planning to record is called Break Me Free and is about coming back to me. I have an all female collaboration from producer to musicians and hope this collection of songs appeals to all genders and ages. I will be raising money for the album via a crowdfunding campaign sometime soon.

My stories aren’t unique but they are in need of telling. I’m a 60+ yo, sober lesbian songwriter that is willing to share vulnerability, courage and strength with some lighthearted fun in the mix. I want to inspire others to live their lives as authentically as possible via songs that have come from the crevices and cracks of the deep wells of living in both joy and sorrow and everything in between.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn a 36 year belief that I couldn’t sing. When I was 12, I wanted to become a singer. I sang to the records at a friend’s house every chance I got, belting away in her bedroom with her. I joined the church youth choir and the night we sang Blowin In The Wind, I whispered to my mom that I wanted to be a singer when I grew up.

My mom was raised with one sister and five brothers. All the boys played and sang bluegrass as kids and continued their entire lives. That night in church, she unintentionally squashed my dream. She told me about the time one of her brothers told her not to sing. Like, ever. She never did. She didn’t sing to us as kids, she didn’t sing where anyone could hear her, in church. She just quit singing.

I’m a middle child and without consciously realizing it, I internalized that story and gave up my dream to sing and started believing that I couldn’t carry a tune. I would sing when I was alone but I’d never let anyone hear me. Just like mom. Once, I couldn’t help myself in the car with a friend, singing along to the radio when she said, I didn’t know you can sing. My reply? I can’t.

Once I started writing songs, I knew I wanted to share them. I started singing with a neighbor. A few of us would get together weekly and sing some cover tunes. Anytime I had to do a solo part, I had to turn around so they couldn’t see my face. I had crippling stage fright. That stage fright came from the belief that I couldn’t sing.

Not only can I sing (most people can) but I learned that I have a pretty good range and pretty good pitch as well. That information gave me just enough confidence to try. A lot (and I do mean a lot) of open mics has undone most of that stage fright. Nowadays, I sing for me and I sing for my mom. I feel like I have her voice inside me and that gives me the strength to get up there and give it my all.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

One of my core values is connection. My goal is simply to connect. To connect my heart with other hearts. To connect my stories to others’ stories. To connect my joys and sorrows to others’ joys and sorrows. To be seen is to see others. To be heard is to hear others. I believe we are all connected and music is the vehicle of connection, at least the vehicle I want to drive.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terri_sunflower/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/singersongwriterforthesensitivesoul/
• Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@TerriSunflower
• Other: Substack: https://substack.com/@terrisunflower