Hi friends! We're excited to bring you an awesome lineup for Hispanic / Latine Heritage Month celebration, curated in partnership with alumni artist, board member, and guest emcee Julia Sage.

We can't wait to host Good Gravy Street Blues, Rey Wolf, and Nathan & Jessie in the Sanctuary on Friday, September 25. (Unfortunately Stanton Street Duo had another commitment, but we hope to re-schedule them for a future date!). 

According to the Hispanic Heritage Month website, the U.S. holiday (observed annually from September 15 through October 15) celebrates the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. Other entities include Brazil, a Portuguese-speaking country in South America. The terms themselves can be complicated, in part because umbrella terms are often shaped by histories of colonization, marginalization, racism, and the ways those histories have defined who who is treated as an outsider.  As such, not everyone identifies with these broad categories. Some people prefer to identify by their specific nationality, cultural community, or another term entirely. This is all worth our acknowledgment as we celebrate and strive to amplify the many different histories, cultures, contributors, and musical traditions that exist within and beyond these umbrellas.

For further reflection, here's an article from The Chicago History Museum  titled "Why We're Saying Latine." And below is a 3-part series from the @littlejusticeleaders that seeks to offer additional terminology clarification.

Musically speaking, there’s no way we can feature every genre that exists under the “Hispanic / Latine” umbrella in one three-act lineup. Instead, we did our best to curate this concert using the same strategy as all our shows, which is highlighting top-tier  professional local songwriters and performers who have a cohesive yet expansive range of styles and sounds that align with our intimate and largely acoustic in-the-round format. From traditional blues to jazz improv to old-school crooning, this show has a distinctly vintage feel that we think you're going to love!

If there is an artist or style of music you'd love to see featured at Songwriter Sanctuary, we want to know! Artists can review or share our Booking Info page (please be patient - there are only so many performance slots in one season, and San Diego is crawling with amazing songwriters who have made our wait list quite long). Audience members can add their artist recs using our Attendee Survey.

In the meantime, we've listed a few additional resources and music below for your education, celebration, and enjoyment! 

• National Hispanic Heritage Month
• National Museum of the American Latino
• Salsa Videa: Salsa & Bachata Dancing in San Diego
• San Diego Center for World Music
• San Diego Latino Film Festival
• San Diego Latin Jazz Collective
• San Diego Museum of Art's Latin American Arts Council
• Smithsonian: Música Latina​

We've put together a small Hispanic / Latine Heritage Month playlist that highlights a mix of traditional and modern songs showcasing some of these styles, as well as a few videos from this month's featured Songwriter Sanctuary performers and host. What would you add to this list? Send me a YouTube link (captions preferred)!

Below is a small glossary of some musical genres one might find in "Hispanic / Latine" categories that link out to short explainer videos about them.

• Bachata: A Dominican genre with roots in guitar music and romantic song, often associated with heartbreak and longing.
• Bolero: Romantic, often melancholy, and closely associated with intimate singing and guitar. The Cuban roots of the genre stretch into many different Latin American traditions.
• Bomba: Before salsa and reggaetón, there was bomba. The name not only refers to the ancient Afro-Peurto Rican music genre, but it is also the name of the instruments and the dance that accompanies the music. Learn more about Bomba.
• Bossa Nova: A Brazilian style that blends samba with jazz, known for its understated rhythm, gentle guitar, and conversational vocals.
• Corridos: Narrative songs that tell stories about people, places, history, and sometimes current events. They can be traditional, contemporary, or fused with other styles.
• Cueca: A lively South American musical style native to Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina that features a driving 6/8 or 3/4 sesquialtera meter, upbeat guitar and accordion accompaniments, and highly poetic, rhythmic vocals designed to mirror a flirtatious courtship dance.
• Cumbia: Originating in Colombia, Cumbia has traveled widely and developed distinct sounds in many countries. 
• Flamenco: A Spanish tradition with strong Andalusian, Romani, and other influences, known for its expressive singing, guitar, rhythm, and dance.
• Latin Electronic / Dance Music: Contemporary electronic music that draws on regional rhythms, club culture, and global sounds.
• Latin Hip-Hop: A huge world of rap, spoken word, and beat-driven music that has developed across the Americas and the diaspora.
• Latin Jazz: Where jazz and Afro-Latin rhythms meet. It can be big-band, intimate, experimental, or dance-oriented.
• Latin Pop: A huge category that includes everything from singer-songwriter ballads to dance-pop and crossover hits.
• Latin Rock / Rock en Español: Rock music made by artists across Latin America and the diaspora, with sounds ranging from folk-rock to punk, alternative, and psychedelic music.
• Mariachi: A Mexican tradition built around strings, trumpets, and voices. Stylistically romantic, celebratory, and/or dramatic.
• Merengue: A Dominican dance tradition with a strong, driving rhythm and many different forms, from traditional styles to modern pop.
• Música Norteña:  Style from northern Mexico that blends traditional folk sounds with European polka rhythms, driven by the accordion and a twelve-string guitar known as the bajo sexto
• Nueva Canción / Protest Song: A broad Latin American singer-songwriter tradition that connects music with social storytelling.movements, politics, and everyday life.
• Ranchera: A Mexican song tradition often associated with big emotions, love, loss, and the voice of the singer.
• Reggaetón: A modern urban genre with roots in Caribbean and Latin American music, especially Panama and Puerto Rico, and strong connections to dancehall, hip-hop, and electronic music.
• Salsa: A broad, evolving dance music with deep Cuban and Puerto Rican roots and a major history in New York. It can be brassy, percussive, romantic, political, and everything in between.
• Samba: An Afro-Brazilian tradition that grew into one of Brazil’s most recognizable musical forms, with many regional and contemporary variations.
• Son Cubano: A foundational Cuban style built around rhythm, call-and-response, and the interplay of voices and instruments.
• Son Jarocho: A traditional Mexican style from Veracruz that brings together Spanish, African, and Indigenous influences, often with harp, jarana, and rhythmic guitar.
• Tango: A deeply expressive Argentine and Uruguayan tradition, with a long history of instrumental and vocal music.
• Tejano: A vibrant Tex-Mex genre that blends traditional Mexican folk sounds with polka, country, and pop.
• Vallenato: A Colombian style centered on accordion, caja, and guacharaca, with a strong tradition of 

Disclaimer: The linked videos and genre descriptions above are meant simply as an educational launch pad and not a comprehensive picture of these musical traditions. Each of these genres is rich and complex enough to fill an entire college course (or several), so please consider these an invitation to continue learning and exploring.

We're excited to share that Songwriter Sanctuary is hosting our first ever offsite showcase this month!

Our venue partners at Normal Heights United typically reduce their August programming to give their staff a well-deserved break. Rather than cancel our monthly showcase, we called up our friends at Listen Local Radio and asked if they'd like to help us put together a Ramona roadshow! 

First step was finding a progressive, affirming venue. Enter St. Mary's in the Valley, a beautiful (air conditioned!) Episcopal church which has generously offered its space to us so that we can continue our important tradition of passing along all pre-sale and day-of donations to our artists. 

Chloe Lou (duo), Haywire (duo), and Nate Donnis will be our featured artists, while Pre-show Pantry Jam busking in the welcome/concession area will be provided by Cathryn Beeks w/ Laura Burdette at 6pm til doors at 6:30pm. We invite guests to arrive a little early with donations of unopened/unexpired pantry items and/or gently used clothing to help under-resourced Ramona neighbors!

Since we'll be honoring Season Passes and are encouraging our regular attendees to make the short drive out to Ramona, we thought it'd be fun to ask Cathryn (a Ramona resident since 2024) to give us the intel on this charming town just up the road from the hustle and bustle of San Diego. Whether you plan to make a day, night or weekend out of your trip, allow Cathryn to be your guide:

Unique Activities: The Art Center Ramona has so much going on, for adults and kids, including the Spoken Word Salon I host the last Sunday of every month. Then we do a quarterly listening room series called Gallery Sessions, next one is on Oct. 18th featuring Lisa Sanders and Calamity. Then there is a free art workshop the 2nd Saturday of every month. The gallery is full of amazing work by our regional artists and all the folks involved with the Art Center and 2Create Gallery are THE BEST. 

Nightlife/Afterhours: Ha! Ramona shuts down at 9pm. We are a sleepy town. I mean, I GUESS if you’re up for it The Turkey Inn and Molly Malones keep standard bar hours. 

Gift shop: We have a lot of great ones, Rustic Interiors is the one I’m most familiar with. But truly? I thrift for gifts! Besides Ramona Food and Clothes Closet we have Goodwill and Archie’s Pantry. 

Bed & Breakfast / Lodging: The Dell is THE BEST AirBnB in town. I’ve also enjoyed Lavender and Olive, West Wynd, and Riviera Oaks Resort. We DO have a motel but I have not heard great reviews about it - wince.

Hike/Nature Exploration? Too numerous to list! So many great places to hike to… waterfalls, scenic views, rocks as thin as potato chips! 

Anything else? Ramona has the most boutique wineries and farm stands per capita than any other small town (according to me, not sure about actual accuracy). You can spend an entire day visiting them all, each has it’s own special magic to offer. 

Thanks to Cathryn for sharing this great guide to Ramona. We hope you'll pencil Songwriter Sanctuary in for a short roadtrip  on August 28, and if you have time to go shopping, sipping or hiking through the countryside, be sure to let us know what you find!

Hi friends! We wanted to share a great article in this month's San Diego Troubadour written by friend of the series and alumni performer Cara Cormier. In the piece, title "More than Just Hearing: ASL music Interpretation and the Bella Lunas," Cara explores ASL access at music events, chatting with fellow alumni artists the Bella Lunas. The story also features our series for its committment to access and inclusion. Hooray for more thoughtful, empathetic discussion around access in the arts!

In case you missed it, here are some special moments from our Pride festivities! 
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#1. Nerd in mismatched prints won't shut up about community: Not a super big fan of in-person speaking but when it comes to letting people know how they can support local artists, GIMME THE MIC! Full writeup in The WordSD.

The exciting announcements keep coming! 

We’re so excited to announce that Songwriter Sanctuary has been awarded a grant from Ability Central to support ASL services for the remainder of the 2026 season. It has long been our goal to provide ASL at our concerts (not just as a response to accommodation requests but as a standard offering). 

In 2025, we were only able to offer ASL services at one concert. When the 2026 season started, we were excited to increase to four shows. Thanks to this generous sponsorship, that number will now climb to eight. We’re so grateful to Ability Central for partnering with us to expand access and remove barriers.

Please note: We're currently confirming dates and providers with our partners at Deaf Community Services of San Diego and will post updated accessibility information on the homepage show calendar as well as Instagram as soon as possible! Thanks for your patience!

Exciting news, friends! Songwriter Sanctuary San Diego is the proud recipient of San Diego Pride's Larry T. Baza Arts and Culture Award! We will be accepting the award at the Spirit of Stonewall Rally on Friday, July 17 alongside other honorees. This year's rally will take place at 535 Robinson Ave (across from the Brass Rail) at 6pm. All are welcome and it's free to attend!

We'll also have a small marching contingent in the following day's Pride Parade alongside our venue partner Normal Heights United. If you're an artist or supporter who'd like to participate, please reach out for more details!

While we're on the topic of Pride festivities, please save the date for our annual Pride concert on Friday, June 26. The event will be presented with Raspberry Management and will feature The Dimes, Saint Misty, Daddy with Pre-show Pantry Jam busking by Julian Forest. We also hope to provide ASL for the sanctuary portion of the show - follow us on Instagram for updates!

Our 2026 Pride collage is a tribute to our alumni and scheduled LGBTQ+ performers, as well as many ally artists and partners who support our work. Thanks to those who consented to be included before the given deadline...apologies if we missed anyone, but it was a quick turnaround! Our hearts are full to receive so much love from everyone in our greater community.

San Diego musicians are leaving San Diego. Let's talk about it, shall we?

The industry exploits. + The city extracts. = Artists exit.

I don't think it has to be this way, but I also don't think we can gig or grant-application our way out of it.

Songwriter Sanctuary San Diego's new Artist Access Network is all about connecting our roster of 100+ (& growing!) artists with sustained community care. Think light lifts, immediate impact, and reciprocal relationships.

If you or your company can extend a service, resource, or access point (from business, to creative, to wellness, to basic needs, and beyond), there is a place for you here.

Offers are on your terms and your term limits. Examples include:
Comps, consults, discounts, education, gear, gift cards, housing/rental discounts, memberships, products, rentals, repair, services, sessions, waived fees, etc.
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Benefits of making an offer:
The obvious benefit is generating leads via a growing community of ambitious, talented professionals. Then there's also the extended digital and physical reach via endorsement within our greater network of attendees, email subscribers, social followers, etc.

Submit an offer now, or scroll down to our FAQ to learn more!

Artist Access Network FAQ
Q: What is the Artist Access Network?
The Artist Access Network (AAN) is an ecosystem of local businesses, creatives, and community partners offering tangible support to Songwriter Sanctuary's growing roster of over 100 artists, and if they choose, to the broader creative/local community at large. It’s built on the simple fact that local musicians need more than gigs and grants to afford life in San Diego, and the understanding that creative and caring people can come together to build new systems of care.

Q: Why now?
We've witnessed far too many of our musician friends pack up and move, disillusioned by an industry that extracts and a city that is too expensive to survive. At the same time, arts funding is often first on the chopping block when it's time to trim the deficit. If we can't trust our public officials to protect us, we need to protect each other.

Q: Who is able to access these offers?
Offers can be shared privately with Songwriter Sanctuary’s artist roster (the community we directly serve), and/or made public for the broader network of creatives and patrons. Public-facing offers help reach more people, but we understand that flexibility matters for different types of contributions.

Q: What kinds of offers are accepted?
Anything goes! Think: comps, consults, discounts, education, gear, memberships, products, rentals, repairs, services, sessions, waived fees, etc. Offers are completely on the business owner's terms: private or public, evergreen or limited by date or quantity - it's totally up to the business how and when to contribute! 

Q: Can I submit multiple offers at once?
Yep! Feel free to submit a few offers at a time, various offers for different services, one public and one private, etc. We do our best to keep the AAN streamlined and easy to navigate, so we may group or limit similar offers to avoid overwhelming the space.

Q: If I contribute an offer, does that automatically grant me access to all the other offers from other businesses?
If you are a Songwriter Sanctuary alumni or scheduled artist, you will have access to any private offer. This includes anyone who has accompanied a featured performer. (Please contact us to make sure you are on our newsletter list!) If you are not a Songwriter Sanctuary alumni or scheduled artist, you will be able to see all public offers in the public-facing Resource Hub. Beyond that, the specifics of each offer will vary, so make sure to read terms carefully.

Q: Why can't I access other offers if I've contributed an offer?
Not all participants have the capacity to open up their offers to other contributing participants. For example, a solo photographer offering a few discounted sessions may not have the capacity to make their offer available to contributing participants who have multiple employees (for example, a cafe). Furthermore, Songwriter Sanctuary SD does not have the administrative, financial, or technical capacity at this time to operationalize such an undertaking. Anyone who participates is  of course welcome to contribute a public offer and take advantage of other public offerings listed on the Resource Hub.

Q: If I can't access the other private offers, then why should I contribute an offer?
Contributing participants benefit via lead generation and  promotional marketing  through our external and internal communication channels (socials/newsletter) which will put your business in front of hundreds of local creatives, arts patrons, and community members. More than that, we will be using our relationships and community connection skills to hype you up in our daily conversations with other local artists and consumers. 

Q: I've heard the AAN described as a mini mutal aid network. Please explain.
Our project is rooted in several mutual aid principles that reflect a spirit of solidarity with all who participate:

• Reciprocal Care: We do our best to look out for each other as neighbors and friends.
• Honored Capacity: Community members contribute to AAN only what they are sustainably able to give and Songwriter Sanctuary SD organizes AAN in a way that honors their own administrative, financial, and technical capacity.
• Choice: Participating businesses decide the terms of their own offers, including whether those offers are made public or private. Participation is always voluntary and can be modified or ended at any time.
• Equity over Equality: Offers extended to Songwriter Sanctuary artists are not intended to exclude other artists in our community. Mutual aid recognizes that resources can be shared in ways that honor both the needs of a community and the capacity of those contributing to it. AAN allows us to extend additional value to the artists who participate in our programming through resources, connections, and opportunities that support their creative work. Contributing partners define their own capacity, resources, and scope of participation, and we are always grateful to share public offers with the wider creative community whenever they choose to extend them.
  
  

Q: Ok, great. I want to make an offer. How do I do that?
You can submit an offer at any time! After review, we will generally list offers within a week from submission.

Q: What if I want to edit or remove my offer?
No problem! Just drop us an email and we'll make the change within one business day! Contributing members retain the right to reassess the terms of or withdraw their contribution at any time. Likewise, Songwriter Sanctuary SD reserves the right to remove listings, offers, or participation at any time in order to protect the wellbeing, trust, and safety of our community.

Q: This isn't for me. Now what?
Cool, no sweat! Not everything is for everyone. Lots of room for everyone to build the systems that do work for them. Best wishes!

Q: I can't make an offer at this time, but I would love to list my business on the Resource Hub.
You can share any business info or resource with us for review! If it's helpful to local creatives, we'll get it listed!

Songwriter Sanctuary alum Ben Parks continues to prove that authenticity is its own art form. Raised in the South and rooted in gospel music, Ben has spent the past few years reshaping his sound and sense of self. His latest release, Ecotone, Pt. II (out November 7), captures that evolution with shimmering indie pop production and lyrics that balance vulnerability with quiet confidence.

The new five-song EP follows Ecotone, Pt. I, expanding on its themes of faith, identity, and belonging. Tracks like “All My Love” and “Attachment Theory” reveal an artist who has grown more grounded and self-assured without losing the emotional depth that first drew listeners in.

We’re so proud to see Ben carving out space in the San Diego music scene and beyond. Make sure to stream Ecotone, Pt. II, follow Ben on your favorite platforms, and check out the next Songwriter Sanctuary event to discover your new favorite local artist.

Stream ‘Ecotone, Pt. II’

San Diego-based indie artist, Songwriter Sanctuary alumni Mariela will release her debut LP The Underglow on October 10. The ten song collection from Rachel Hall (the singer-songwriter/producer behind the moniker) is a raucous gender-affirming revelry that invites anyone who’s ever been ostracized to report to the dance floor for some rock candy pop music therapy.
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New tunes include:

• “Fall in Love Again” (party starter co-written with The Voice contestants Leah Colon and Sav Walters of the indie-pop duo MisterMoon.)
• “The Underglow” (sexy closer co-written with Grammy-winner Melody Walker).
• “Dust” (nostalgic confessional, co-written with Brenden St. Gelais).
• “Don’t Pretend” (razor sharp callout to the ones who pretend to care).

Fans may also recognize previously released singles including: 

• “Santa Ana” (early single signaling Hall’s arrival as Mariela).
• “Don’t Fence Me In” (bold closer co-written with Latifah Alattas of Page CXVI).
• “Brandy” (flirty romp produced by longtime collaborator Tommy E. Nixon). 
• “Therapist Said” (vulnerable breakup ballad co-written with Lily Wecks).
• “Moriah” (triumphant rejection of evangelical bigotry, another Walker co-write).
• “The Girls of Summer” (playful queer twist on a Don Henley classic, reimagined with Songwriter Sanctuary curator Lindsay White.)​

The album’s sound comes to life through a network of trusted friends and collaborators. Producer Tommy E. Nixon and guitarist Luke Gibson anchor much of the record, joined by an ensemble of musicians and friends who’ve helped shape The Underglow into both a personal capstone and communal celebration.