The Same Thing Project is a weekly songwriting workshop for people of “all abilities and from all walks of life,” according to its website.
The workshop was founded in 2016 by Mark Cutler, a 2015 inductee into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame who worked with The Schemers and The Raindogs.
Here is a conversation about The Same Thing Project. The full interview can be found here.
Michael, who is a co-producer of The Same Thing Project, says he “really loves” the concept of the workshops.
“It means a lot to me,” he says. “I mean, gathering friends, being songwriters, and recording artists, and stuff like that, it just goes on and on and on.”
Cutler says the weekly workshops are open to anyone who wants to attend.
“We encourage folks who’ve never created a thing in their life to be part of this,” he says. “The mission is to find similarities between everybody from just different parts of the community. We all get together, we find a common theme, and we find connection, and we reduce isolation.”
“It’s nice to do art with friends,” says Audra, an attendee at a recent workshop. “It’s something that we have in common. So, especially music.”
One example of the group’s collaborative effort is the song “Music of the Night.” While Cutler played the guitar, workshop attendees sang along and played instruments.
“Come in the door before midnight/Or else you’ll be locked outside;
“Dreaming good dreams, look at the stars/Or waiting for the morning light.
“I will have to sleep outside/Where I can see the starlight;
“The sky is singing songs to me/The music of the night.”
“What a successful day,” Cutler says, complimenting the group. “Holy, moly.”
“Long live The Same Thing Project,” Michael says. “And we’ll keep on writing songs and recording songs as long as we live.”
