Leavenworth-based nonprofit launches music studio and record label
Original article published by NCW News
By TAYLOR CALDWELL
Ward Media Staff Reporter
LEAVENWORTH — The community gathered inside the Plant Ally on Aug. 28 to celebrate the launch of a new local nonprofit songwriting studio and record label, Bring Forth. The evening featured Plant Ally elixirs and music by Bring Forth’s artists.
“Bring Forth is one half record label that is about amplification of these very songs, and the other half is a studio to invite you and others to learn, and to dive into the practice of creativity and of song,” said Bring Forth founder Benjamin Jay Thomas.
Bring Forth describes its mission as using heart-centered creativity – through music, coaching and community events – as a pathway to healing, well-being and cultural renewal. According to Thomas, by choosing the nonprofit route, the studio and record label is able to remain focused on its mission, rather than becoming profit-driven.
The studio side of Bring Forth aims to make Thomas’s current work as a songwriting coach available to more people. As an experienced singer-songwriter and producer, Thomas works with all levels of artists to sharpen and develop their skills, such as learning or perfecting instrumentals, vocals, lyric writing, recording, and producing.
Thomas describes his sessions combining technical skills with somatic practices like movement and breathwork, helping artists break through creative blocks, build songwriting habits, and find their authentic voice. The process is framed as both creative and healing, offering participants a chance for personal growth through music.
“Bring Forth as a coaching studio is helping you find your essential song – something that really comes from your heart, not from what you think other people want to hear…I think that's what Ben is really going after – helping people find that part of themselves…and share it with the world,” said Bring Forth artist Hernan Savastano.
The record label aims to cultivate and amplify more “heart-centered” music, benefitting both artists and the community. Its artists include Thomas and Savastano, as well as Nora B. Heath and Shine Song Collective. Among a number of local and regional shows scheduled through the end of the year, both Savastano and Heath will be releasing their albums on the label this fall.
According to Bring Forth’s fall calendar, Heath’s “Flowers Will Grow” will be released on Oct. 10 with a show at the Tierra Retreat Center Yurt. Savastano’s “Mi Cancion” will be released the following month, with an album release show at Snowgrass Lodge on Nov. 11.
Bring Forth is in progress of obtaining 501(c)3 nonprofit status, but inviting the community to provide early support through its Seed Fund. The nonprofit status is approved, the organization says donations may be tax-deductible retroactively. More information can be found at bringforth.org
Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276[email protected]dia
