Grable Howie's "Centennial State" earns invite to CU workshop

Grable Howie isn't used to writing songs on command, but when the talented junior was tapped to represent Niwot High in the CU College of Music's Centennial Song competition, he found that inspiration was easy to come by in his home state.

"I was tasked with writing a song about the spirit of Colorado," Howie said of the contest, held to commemorate the College of Music's 100th anniversary. "It was a little difficult to do this, because I was only able to have five tracks, and I had a slightly limited topic to write about. But I managed to make it work, because I do love Colorado."

That love is evident in "Centennial State," the original country-folk ballad that Howie submitted for the competition. With languid, guitar-driven hooks and spare lyrics, "Centennial State" evokes Colorado's natural beauty and pristine landscapes.

"Oh Centennial State,

the grandeur of your peaks,

the beauty of your skies,

amaze me

...

Oh Centennial State,

No matter where I go,

This will always be my home"

The melodic song was well-received by the contest judges-so well, in fact, that they invited Howie to learn more about the craft of songwriting in an exclusive workshop led by CU adjunct professor Mike Barnett, a long time songwriter and drummer with a long history in the recording industry.

"I got to hear little pieces of Grable's song before he finished it and I could tell it was going to be great," Niwot High Choir Director Laura Walters said of Howie's honor. "It is one of those songs that is just so easy to listen to. The acoustic feel of the guitar and drums fits very well with the theme of the song and the vocals are great."

Back in January, high schools in Boulder Valley and St. Vrain Valley were asked to nominate one student each to participate in the Centennial song competition, and Howie was "the obvious choice" for Niwot, according to Walters.

"Grable is an incredible young musician," she said. "He is an amazing singer, and plays a multitude of instruments as well.... He is incredibly dedicated to everything music."

The junior is a three-year member of Niwot's top choir, Evenstar, as well as a member of the SVVSD honor choir, and earlier this year, was selected for the Colorado All State Choir. He also plays guitar, bass, piano, and cello, and recently completed a turn on the stage as Lucas in the school's production of The Addams Family Musical. But it was his emerging gift for composing and songwriting that sealed his nomination for Walters.

"Grable has been arranging our Cupidgram songs since his freshman year, and they have been fantastic," she said. "He arranges them in three- or four-part harmony and has even then taught them to the choir as we start to prepare. His arrangements are incredible."

Howie has long dabbled in songwriting, but he started taking the craft more seriously about a year ago. He cites John Mayer and the Zac Brown Band as his main influences, and describes his sound as "a popish-country kind of vibe"-at least for now.

'Honestly, I'm still trying to figure out what genre I'm the most comfortable with, so I'm just experimenting."

Prof. Barnett's workshop has been postponed for now, but that hasn't stopped Howie from continuing to hone his skills. Unlike many local students, the junior has embraced his newfound downtime, and hopes to emerge from the coronavirus shutdown with a full-length album. He also hopes to eventually make songwriting a full-time career, and is grateful to Mrs. Waters for giving him the nudge to "put my music out there," which he hasn't always found easy to do.

"I've always loved writing music, but I've just now started to feel comfortable showing my interest," he said. "She knew that I liked to write songs and liked to write music, so she gave me the opportunity to do that, and it worked out pretty well."

Howie also wanted to thank his music-loving parents for their encouragement.

"I have incredible support from my family," he said. "The way that they help me with all my crazy dreams and ideas is just awesome."

Listen to Howie's original composition "Centennial State" on SoundCloud , or watch the video on YouTube