Sami Serrag
I’m a 47-year-old singer-songwriter and occasional sideman on guitar, bass, and ukulele player. I have a background in Audio Video Tech and Sales including running sound, lights, and video for concerts and other events. I’ve been playing guitar since I was 15 and have made making music my life’s main hobby and passion. I lived mostly in the South until I moved to Denver a couple of years ago, found a day job in IT, and was finding it a bit difficult to meet people who shared my passion for songwriting, so I started a community called the Denver Songwriters and Lyricists Meetup Group and started hosting weekly song critique circles similar to a book club for the original songs we write, share, and discuss at libraries and other venues around Denver. At the meetups, I quickly met dozens of talented Songwriters and made many new friends. I was very happy to see all of these great artists offering lots of encouragement and sometimes some constructive advice/criticisms to help each other grow and improve our art. I then branched into offering outdoor open mics/group busking events at Washington Park and I plan to offer those in more locations like Sloan Lake and Pearl Street in Boulder this year. I’ve always encouraged other people in the group to host events and lately, we have had a Wednesday open mic hosted by Robert Fulton focusing on original songs and offering an extended showcase set each week for an artist.
I also try to use the platform to promote other people in the scene who are doing Songwriter showcases and open mics. Cross-pollination in the scene is a great benefit to all our communities!
The Denver Songwriters and Lyricists Meetup Group events can be found at https://www.meetup.com/denver-songwriting-lyricists-meetup-group/ or look for us on Facebook and Instagram. We also have a Spotify playlist of some of our members’ songs including some of mine at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6LohBdSSOxypGZeI4hIGqK?si=658972657c27485c searchable on Spotify. Join our growing community if you’re interested!
My acoustic songwriter style of music has many influences and I have a baritone voice and I try to pair that with honest songs about life using the musical skills and harmonies I have learned over the years. Most of my acoustic songs lately are in a folk tradition with some elements of jazz, pop, and reggae. I do also write music in a more electric pop-rock format although I don’t have a band to play those live so they are on the back burner for now. I have a few songs on Spotify and more I will be releasing this year. I am a big fan of so many varieties of eclectic music I try not to limit myself to just folk, although if that is all I’m known for, I am very happy to be heard in any context. I do feel comfortable playing more folk-leaning music lately since I can do it solo at the open mics and showcases around Denver.