Brian Roessler, Advocate for Songwriters

Common Chords By Randall Hill

Brian Roessler

At the beginning of this mild spring evening in mid-April, a cyan colored spotlight is adjusted and positioned on singer/songwriter Brian Roessler by Fresh Brewed Coffee House owner Kevin Turner.

From behind the coffee bar, the light bathes the backs of early arrivals sitting on comfortable sofas and chairs for the evening’s open mic session hosted by Roessler. The artificial light dances and contrasts with the orange daylight keeping the nighttime at bay and washing the small coffee house in orange through a large window in front of the coffee house and behind the stage.

As Roessler prepares to play his customary three-song set to start the session, he takes a deep breath to release the tension and make the transformation from his day job as a media producer for Horry County Schools to his nighttime passion.

“I feel I play and sing better when I have a passion for the songs I perform,” Roessler said about the craft of writing his own songs for his performances. “When I felt comfortable playing and singing together with cover songs, (songs written and made famous by other musicians) then I figured maybe I can make an extension and sing some of the things I’ve written.”

Since coming to the Strand in September 2000, the Pittsburgh native has been on a quest to connect with other musicians wanting to express themselves with original songs.

“It’s very fleeting,” the Conway resident said about the Strand’s bar and music scene where tourists crave Jimmy Buffett songs like sand between their toes and a crowded beach. “There’s not much of a chance for original music to get the showcase it properly deserves.”

Roessler decided to use some tried and true and new concepts to bring songwriters and audiences together.

In addition to the Thursday night open mic at Fresh Brewed, Roessler hosts another on Tuesday nights at the Crafty Rooster in downtown Conway. “What I’ve tried to do in my time here is to gather songwriters together because the more you have in one room, be it a song circle or an open mic, the more you’re going to have a place for common ground.”

Roessler has also found a new way to gather performing songwriters together with his Songwriters In The Round performance series on the second Friday of each month at Fresh Brewed Coffee House. “We have four songwriters up on the stage playing original music right down the line. Person A will go, person B will go, person C and D. Then we will start over again. It’s really intimate and they share the stories behind the songs. When it’s over the audience gets to know all the songwriters.”

Throughout the series, Roessler has joined the circle only once as a performer. “We have so many great songwriters here, and if I played every month, I’d be taking the space of another songwriter who might not get the chance to showcase their talents.”

Roessler has used the craft of songwriting to give back by creating a community of artists and allowing others to share his spotlight.

“The chance to be able to give back and give young songwriters a chance to play with veteran writers and to give those veteran songwriters a chance to see what’s coming up.

That’s worth a show.”

Posted by
Randall Hill

Brian Roessler performs his original song "Fine Print"
in this music only video for Common Chords

Brian performs his original song "Never Meant To Last"
in this music only video for Common Chords.

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Listen to three songs from Brian's April 22nd performance as host of the open mic at Fresh Brewed Coffee House in Myrtle Beach.

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