The BGS Podcast Network, the Working Songwriter, and podcast host/creator Joe Pug are excited to invite you to attend the 2nd Annual Working Songwriter Forum. Set for June 5-7, 2026, at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, Illinois, the event will include concerts, workshops, podcasts, open mics, and more. Space is limited, but 3-day passes are still available. Get more information and purchase tickets here.
Each night of the Forum will feature a full concert by songwriters and musicians on the Forum lineup. David Ramirez and Rachel Baiman will take the stage on Friday, June 5, and John Moreland and TWS creator and host Joe Pug will headline Saturday, June 6.
“Last year’s event featured Craig Finn and Courtney Hartman,” Pug tells BGS via email. “It went better than I could have ever expected. And the Old Town School’s campus in Chicago is such a natural home for the event. I can’t wait to see our returning attendees again and to meet those joining us for the first time.”
The heart of the weekend is a slate of intensive workshops from both Old Town School’s master educators – like Jonas Friddle – as well as Q&As with the Forum’s guest artists. Attendees will also have the opportunity to play scheduled open mics on each day of the event. (See a full schedule below.)
Whether a veteran songwriter or a novice just starting your creative journey, there’s something for everyone on the slate for the 2nd Annual Working Songwriter Forum. We hope you’ll join us and TWS in Chicago at the Old Town School of Folk Music next month! Get more information about the Forum and purchase your tickets here.
Unable to attend the full Forum? Limited concert tickets are available for the evening performances by Ramirez and Baiman and Moreland and Pug.
The Working Songwriter Forum Schedule
Friday, June 5, 2026
4pm – Welcome to The Working Songwriter Forum
5pm – Rachel Baiman teaches Poetry versus Rhetoric in Songwriting
6pm – Dinner Break
8pm – Rachel Baiman Live in Szold Hall
9pm – David Ramirez Live in Szold Hall
Saturday, June 6, 2026
10:30am – Jonas Friddle teaches Something from Nothing
11:45am – David Ramirez presents The Misunderstanding in Wanting to be Understood
1pm – Lunch break
2pm – Open Mic
3:15pm – The Working Songwriter taping with John Moreland and Joe Pug
6pm – Dinner Break
8pm – Joe Pug Live in Maurer Hall
9pm – John Moreland Live in Maurer Hall
Sunday, June 7, 2026
11am – Open Mic: Songs Written at The Working Songwriter Forum
12pm – Lunch break
1pm – Open Mic: Songs Written at The Working Songwriter Forum and a Farewell
Explore our archive of episodes of the Working Songwriter podcast here.