Season Ammons (La Grange, TX), Gloria Anderson (Luling, TX), Bud Bierhaus (Katy, TX), Shawna Caspi (Toronto, ON), Jason Erie (Nashville, TN), Nathan Evans Fox (Nashville, TN), Mick Fury (Nashville, TN), Dylan Tanner Hink (Bandera, TX), Spencer LaJoye (Hastings, MI), Mamie Lew (Chapmansboro, TN), Juliet Lloyd (Gaithersburg, MD), Olivia Lloyd (Shepherdstown, WV), Jack McKeon (Nashville, TN), Lauren Patton (Austin, TX), and William Wallace (Austin, TX) were selected as semifinalists by a panel of judges comprised of Susan Gibson, Josh Grider, Phoebe Hunt, and Walt Wilkins.

There were no fees to enter the annual competition that was established in 2007 to provide performing songwriters with a platform to showcase their skills before their peers, a panel of esteemed judges and an appreciative audience of Americana, folk and roots music lovers. Songwriters had to submit four songs in mp3 format that were written and/or copyrighted within the last three years. They were evaluated based on lyrics (imagery, story, creativity, and originality), melody (structure, phrasing and rhythm), and performing ability (vocals, musicianship). Stage presence/audience rapport will also be taken into consideration during the semifinals and finals.

Each of the 15 semifinalists will perform two songs before the judges and an audience from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Following an hour-long lunch break, seven selected finalists will perform one different original song between 3 and 4 p.m. Prize money will be awarded to all participants immediately after the finals, while an awards ceremony is slated for 4:30 p.m. Ken Gaines, an award-winning singer-songwriter and former longtime host of a songwriters’ series at Houston’s famed Anderson Fair, will be the event’s emcee. Public tickets for the concert will be available for purchase soon online at songwriterserenade.com, where more information also may be found.

In addition to prize money, the first-place winner in the Songwriter Serenade will open a concert featuring the judges that evening at the TR Ranch in Halletsville, TX. Tickets for the concert, slated for 7-9 p.m., also may be purchased online.

All of the semifinalists also will participate in a songwriting workshop with the judges on Sunday, May 12.

Ajaye Bureyko (Nashville, TN), Katrina Cain (Austin, TX), Caitlin Cannon (Nashville, TN), Christina Cavazos (Nashville, TN), Alex Coba (Houston, TX), Wyatt Espalin (Hawassee, GA), Jenner Fox (Bainbridge Island, WA), Anthony Garcia (Holland, TX), Helena Halberg (Brooklyn, NY), Jack McKeon (Nashville, TN), Sarah Morris (Shoreview, MN), Chris Moyse (Nashville, TN), Nick Spear (Whitefish, MT), Alicia Stockman (Heber City, UT), and Laura Zucker (Lafayette, CA) were selected as semifinalists by a panel of judges comprised of Susan Gibson, Josh Grider, Phoebe Hunt, and Walt Wilkins.

There were no fees to enter the annual competition that was established in 2007 to provide performing songwriters with a platform to showcase their skills before their peers, a panel of esteemed judges and an appreciative audience of Americana, folk and roots music lovers. Songwriters had to submit four songs in mp3 format that were written and/or copyrighted within the last three years. They were evaluated based on lyrics (imagery, story, creativity, and originality), melody (structure, phrasing and rhythm), and performing ability (vocals, musicianship). Stage presence/audience rapport will also be taken into consideration during the semifinals and finals.

Each of the 15 semifinalists will perform two songs before the judges and an audience from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Following an hour-long lunch break, seven selected finalists will perform one different original song between 3 and 4 p.m. Prize money will be awarded to all participants immediately after the finals, while an awards ceremony is slated for 4:30 p.m. Ken Gaines, an award-winning singer-songwriter and former longtime host of a songwriters’ series at Houston’s famed Anderson Fair, will be the event’s emcee. Public tickets are available for $15 and may be purchased online at songwriterserenade.com, where more information also may be found.

In addition to prize money, the first-place winner in the Songwriter Serenade will open a concert featuring the judges that evening at the TR Ranch in Halletsville, TX. Tickets for the concert, slated for 7-9 p.m., also may be purchased online.

As previously reported on AcousticMusicScene.com, Sav Buist, a Nashville, TN-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (who is also part of The Accidentals), took top honors during last year’s Songwriter Serenade.

“Gathering in person after two years of making connections though our online events is going to be so lovely,” said Dalis Allen, SWRFA’s executive director and longtime conference coordinator. “Everyone is so excited! We have many new folks attending – joining our team of folks that have continued to make our SWRFA conference the welcoming event that it is.”

Prior to the official start of the conference on Thursday, folks will converge on Austin’s NeWorlDeli on Wednesday night for a party and meet & greet during which many registered artists will e afforded an opportunity to perform a song. Similarly, there will be an open mic during a pool party at the Holiday Inn-Midtown, the conference’s host hotel, on Thursday night, along with a meal courtesy of Berkalin Records. Prior to the pool party, there will be several panels during the mid-late afternoon.

Performing Artists Will Have Lots of Opportunities to Showcase Their Talents; Official Showcases are Open to the Public on Friday and Saturday Nights

A number of unplugged in-room showcases will follow the Official Showcases on Friday and Saturday overnight from 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. AcousticMusicScene.com’s in-room showcase on Saturday overnight will feature a Midnight Hoot preceded by several song swaps. Although the online publication for the folk, roots and singer-songwriter communities has hosted showcases at Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) and Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) conferences for many years, this marks the first time it is doing so during a SWRFA conference. A popular annual event at NERFA conferences since 2007, the AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot at the SWRFA conference will feature two-dozen artists/acts — each performing one song between midnight and 2 a.m. A house band is available to accompany any artists on request.

Here’s the AcousticMusicScene.com showcase schedule:

10:30 Song Swap: Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale, Shanna in a Dress

11:00 Song Swap: George Ensle, Tim Grimm

11:30 Texas Troubadours: Brian Kalinec, Randy Palmer, Joel White

12:00 AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot – Part 1
(One song per artist/act; order subject to change.)

Taylor Pie, Nancy K. Dillon, Michael Henchman, Libby Koch, Ken Gaines, Karyn Oliver, Jake Farr, Grace Morrison, Sarah Pierce, Kacey & Jenna, Roxi Copland, Erin Ivey

House Band: Merel Bregante (percussion), John Inman and Brian Kalinec (guitars)

1:00 AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot – Part 2
(One song per artist/act; order subject to change.)

Ryan Biter, Deidre McCalla, Carl Solomon, Carla Ulbrich, Vanessa Lively & Ben Bedford, Claudia Gibson, Alicia Stockman, Natalie Price, Carolyn Shulman, Dan Weber, Lynn McCracken

House Band: Merel Bregante (percussion), John Inman and Brian Kalinec (guitars)

The conference wraps up with an extended Sunday brunch during which songwriters who drew a random song assignment/topic upon picking up their credentials at the outset of the conference, will share the songs that they wrote over the weekend. “Getting to listen to the songs written during the conference from a prompt is still one of my very favorite things I do all year,” said Allen. Many artists and other conference attendees share her sentiments and have made the song-sharing event a longtime conference highlight.

SWRFA (swfolkalliance.org) is a regional affiliate of Folk Alliance International, a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion. SWRFA includes the southwestern United States and Mexico.

Editor’s Note: Besides hosting a late-night song swaps and a midnight hoot during the SWRFA conference, I will assist PuffBunny Records (an indie label for which I provide PR counsel and services) with its in-room showcase and Taylor Pie with a Q & A following the screening of Nobody Famous, an award-winning documentary about her and the 1960s folk-pop trio Pozo Seco Singers of which she was the lead singer and a founding member (along with Don Williams and Lofton Kline). I also will take part in a panel discussion on showcasing and offer some mentoring sessions on various PR, social media and strategic communications topics. I am a board member of Folk Alliance International and NERFA.

Ryan Biter (Flagstaff, AZ), Sav Buist (Nashville, TN), Campbell Davis (Nashville, TN), Jackson Grimm (Asheville, NC), Shawnee Kilgore ((Austin, TX), Grace Morrison (Rochester, MA), Daniel Neihof (Paducah, KY), Sarah Peacock (Ashland City, TN), Michelle Rivers (Eureka, MT), Sam Robbins (Nashville, TN), Abrielle Scharff (Brooklyn, NY), Shanna in a Dress ((Nashville, TN), Erin Ash Sullivan (Harvard, MA), Glenn Thomas (Nashville, TN), and David Tribble (Fort Worth, TX) were selected as semifinalists by a panel of judges comprised of Susan Gibson, Josh Grider and Walt Wilkins (who will also lead a songwriting workshop for the semifinalists on May 8). The semifinalists were chosen from among nearly 130 entrants spanning 29 states and Canada.

There were no fees to enter the annual competition that was established in 2007 to provide performing songwriters with a platform to showcase their skills before their peers, a panel of esteemed judges and an appreciative audience of Americana, folk and roots music lovers. Songwriters had to submit four songs in mp3 format that were written and/or copyrighted within the last three years. They were evaluated based on lyrics (imagery, story, creativity, and originality), melody (structure, phrasing and rhythm), and performing ability (vocals, musicianship). Stage presence/audience rapport will also be taken into consideration. During the semifinals and finals.

Each of the 15 semifinalists will perform two songs before the judges and an audience from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Following an hour-long lunch break, seven selected finalists will perform one different original song between 3 and 4 p.m. Prize money will be awarded to all participants immediately after the finals, while an awards ceremony is slated for 4:30 p.m. Ken Gaines, an award-winning Texas singer-songwriter and longtime host of a songwriters’ series at Houston’s famed Anderson Fair, will be the event’s emcee. Public tickets are available for $15 and may be purchased online at songwriterserenade.com, where more information also may be found. For the first time in its history, the Songwriter Serenade will also be livestreamed.

In addition to prize money, he first-place winner will open a concert featuring the three judges that evening at the TR Ranch in Halletsville, TX. Tickets for that may also be purchased online.

As previously reported on AcousticMusicScene.com, Beth Snapp, a folk-pop singer-songwriter who hails from northeast Tennessee, took top honors during last year’s 14th annual Songwriter Serenade.

Al Johnson Performing Songwriter Contest Finals Take Place during Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival

The 2020 Al Johnson Performing Songwriter Contest is held in conjunction with the annual Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival, May 15-17 in Richardson, Texas, just a few minutes north of Dallas. Singer-songwriters who perform in the acoustic, Americana, blues, Celtic, country, rock, indie, or pop genres are invited to submit recorded songs (two per entry) in mp3 format via email. The application deadline is March 1. Only the first 300 submissions will be accepted.

Using a blind-screening process, a panel of judges will choose ten finalists to perform two songs each on the Singer-Songwriter Stage during the 28th annual event that is billed as North Texas’ largest music festival. The ten finalists, who will be notified by April 14, will compete for cash prizes and be judged based equally on the quality and presentation of their songs. The first-place grand-prize winner will receive $1,000 plus two full consecutive days of recording at Audio Dallas Recording Studio and a travel allowance, while both the second-place and Michael Troy People’s Choice Award winners will each receive $500. All performing finalists will receive festival passes for themselves and a guest, lodging, green room access for food and beverages, and the opportunity to perform solo sets on the festival’s Courtyard Stage. The winners will also be featured in a spotlight round on Sunday afternoon.

Recordings submitted must be representative of the artist’s live performance and include only one instrument, the songwriter’s vocal and no backup harmonies. Produced recordings and instrumental songs will not be accepted. Although co-written songs are acceptable, only one of the songwriters may submit an application and perform the song on the recording. Submitted songs must have been written after December 2017 and not exceed five minutes in length. For more information and detailed contest rules, visit http://www.wildflowerfestival.com/songwriter-contest/.

2020 Songwriter Serenade Competition Will Accept Entries Through March 29

Applications are being accepted through March 29 in the 14th annual Songwriter Serenade Competition. From among all entries received, 15 songwriters will be invited to showcase their original songs and compete for prize money at The Parish Hall in Moravia, Texas on Saturday, May 2.

There are no fees to enter the competition in which songwriters will be evaluated based on lyrics (imagery, story, creativity, and originality), melody (structure, phrasing, and rhythm), and performing ability (vocals, musicianship). Stage presence/audience rapport also will be taken into consideration during the semifinals and finals in May. Tickets for the event, to be emceed by singer-songwriter Ken Gaines, will be available to the public.

Online entry forms, along with complete contest rules and additional information, may be found at www.songwriterserenade.com. Songwriters are expected to fill out the form and attach four songs in .mp3 format, along with titles and lyrics. All submitted songs must have been written and/or copyrighted within the last three years and each must not exceed five minutes in length. Those songwriters selected as semifinalists will be notified by April 6 and will be provided with room and board at the TR Ranch. Singer-songwriters Susan Gibson, Josh Grinder and Kim Richey will judge the competition.

Songwriter Serenade was established in 2007 to provide performing songwriters with a platform to showcase their skills before their peers, a panel of esteemed judges and an enthusiastic crowd of music lovers.

Feb. 29 is Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition Entry Deadline

First reported on AcousticMusicScene.com last December [https://acousticmusicscene.com/2019/12/14/entries-sought-in-2020-kerrville-new-folk-competition/], entries also are now being accepted for the 2020 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters, to be held on Saturday and Sunday, May 23 and 24, 2020, during the first weekend of the 49th Annual Kerrville Folk Festival in the Texas Hill Country near Austin and San Antonio. The first 800 entries postmarked or submitted online by February 29 will be judged, and 24 finalists will be named in April.

Six songwriters will be chosen as 2020 New Folk Award Winners after performing, along with the 18 other finalists, at the Threadgill Theater on the Quiet Valley Ranch Campgrounds. A Kerrville New Folk Award Winners concert is slated for Sunday, May 31.

Official guidelines, along with entry information and forms, are posted at www.kerrville-music.com/new-folk.

There are no fees to enter the competition in which songwriters will be evaluated based on lyrics (imagery, story, creativity, and originality), melody (structure, phrasing, and rhythm), and performing ability (vocals, musicianship). Stage presence/audience rapport also will be taken into consideration during the semifinals and finals in May. Tickets for the event, to be emceed by singer-songwriter Ken Gaines, are available to the public for $15.

Online entry forms, along with complete contest rules and additional information, may be found at www.songwriterserenade.com. Songwriters are expected to fill out the form and attach four songs in .mp3 format, along with titles and lyrics. All submitted songs must have been written and/or copyrighted within the last three years and each must not exceed five minutes in length. Those songwriters selected as semifinalists will be notified by April 6. Singer-songwriters Mary Bragg (last year’s first-place winner), Susan Gibson and Walt Wilkins will judge the competition.

Songwriter Serenade was established in 2007 to provide performing songwriters with a platform to showcase their skills before their peers, a panel of esteemed judges and an enthusiastic crowd of music lovers. Sponsors of this year’s competition include Berkalin Records, Blue Rock Studio, The Bugle Boy, Callisto Culinary, Folk Alliance International, Majek Vineyard & Winery, The Moravia Store, Olive View Ranch, and TR Ranch.

Established in 1972 at the urging of Peter Yarrow, the Kerrville New Folk Concerts have become a highlight of the annual festival that is geared towards singer-songwriters of various musical styles and is the longest continuously running festival of its kind in North America. Being named as a New Folk Winner is regarded as a very prestigious honor.

“It’s a great honor to be selected — first as a finalist and then as one of the six winners of this year’s contest,” said Kilgour. “Some of my favorite songwriters of all time have been New Folk finalists and winners, It’s pretty incredible to be included in that long and impressive list. I’m grateful for the time spent here at Kerrville amongst folks who share the deep love of a good song.”

Amy Speace, who served as one of the judges, along with fellow singer-songwriters Dan Navarro and Jeff Black, reflected on her experience of being both a two-time New Folk judge and a former finalist in the competition:

“Although those of us creating the art can wax negative on these things — ‘songwriting for sport, ick’ — in the end, the truth is without these contests many of us would not be here. New Folk at Kerrville is a beautiful example of integrating a ‘contest’ with a welcoming key to a kingdom of community. As a former New Folk Finalist who has judged twice, I can see if from both sides. I was thrilled to be a finalist. I was disappointed to not win, but a year later I was playing the Main Stage and realized I wouldn’t have been offered the gig without being seen in the contest, win or lose.

As a judge, I met Robby Hecht who has become a friend and a cowriter; maybe of one of my favorite songs I’ve ever had the pleasure of being a part of – ‘The Sea & The Shore.’ And one of my co-Finalists in 2006 (who won) was Jud Caswell, who co-wrote ‘The Weight of the World’ with me. So I may have lost the contest, but I think what I won far outweighs that disappointment. Kerrville keeps giving gifts and they get deeper each time I return.”

In impromptu remarks at a gathering of New Folk Finalists and Winners at the Rouse House New Folk Camp, where many of the finalists stayed in tents and shared songs over bagels on the two mornings preceding their showcase performances, Speace lauded hosts Lindsay Lee and Deb Rouse for being so welcoming to New Folk Finalists over the years. “They have set up New Folk Central — creating a space for these 32 to create family, so that the experience is less competitive and more collaborative.”

Speace also reflected on how, as festival producer Dalis Allen gave the New Folk Finalists a pep talk prior to their taking the stage, she observed that while it was a songwriting contest on the surface, it “was really a wide-swinging gate of entry into a communion with Tribe and an invitation to Mission.” She recalled standing next to her fellow judges – “veterans of song and stage and the art of creating a living out of music, feeling the rumbles of Spirit move through me, the beginnings of new songs and the rekindling love of Why I Do This.” Looking into the eager and nervous eyes of the finalists, she remembered her own jitters 11 years ago, and said she was moved to tears.

“I am deeply grateful to have spent this past weekend listening to 64 songs sung by 32 songwriters. I am re-inspired, humbled and honored to have shared the experience with my fellow judges who pored over every verse and chorus with cradling care and consideration of the deep importance of this small thing we do. And I am grateful for Dalis, for getting to see her big wide smile so often in the last few days, for dancing with her backstage, and for her thoughtfulness and care taking of an extraordinary place where, every May and June, for 18 days, people of all shapes, sizes, ages, religions, nationalities, genders, coffee preferences, and late night temperaments gather in Kerrville Texas in the simple and beautiful belief that a song could change the world.”

The 46th annual Kerrville Folk Festival extends through Sunday, June 12. In addition to concerts each evening, Kerrville features “Ballad Tree” song-sharing sessions, late-night and afternoon song circles and jam sessions at various campsites, concerts and activities for children, organized canoe trips on the Guadelupe River and Hill Country bike rides, a professional development program for teachers, as well as a three-day songwriters school and instrumental workshops. For more information, visit www.kerrville-music.com.

Editor’s Note: Although I have been writing about the Grassy Hill New Folk Competition since the inception of AcousticMusicScene.com in 2007, I was a first-time attendee at the Kerrville Folk festival last month and am so glad that my five days with this wonderful community included two afternoons of performances by the New Folk Finalists, as well as a bittersweet but beautiful musical tribute to Jimmy LaFave, who was to have been a festival headliner but passed away shortly before it started. I’m delighted to have been able to hear, meet and re-connect with so many talented singer-songwriters. I also express my appreciation to Dalis, Lindsay and Deb, as well as to Ken Gaines, who welcomed me to pitch my tent at Camp Stupid and to my friends Brian and Pam Kalinec for their gracious hospitality during my extended visit to Texas.

A listing of all of this year’s New Folk Finalists was included in a previously posted article. In addition to the winners mentioned in the article above, the finalists included Andy Baker (Gobles, MI), Emily Barnes (Johnsonburg, NJ), Arlon Bennett (Tappan, NY), Robin Bienemann (Oak Park, IL), Mary Bragg (Nashville, TN), John John Brown (Winter Garden, FL), Lyndy Butler (Hurricane, UT), Shawn Byrne (Nashville, TN), Jefferson Clay (San Antonio, TX), Wendy Colonna (Buda, TX), Teresa Eggerston Cooke (Park City, UT), Teghan Devon (Myersville, MD), Kelly Hoppenjans (Nashville, TN), Isaac Hoskins (Denton, TX), Hadley Kennary (Nashville, TN), Martin Kerr (Edmonton, Alberta), Eleanor Kleiner & Elie Brangbour – The Whispering Tree (Beacon, NY), Rich Krueger (Evergreen Park, IL), Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale – The YaYas (Centerport, NY), ordinary elephant (Livingston, TX), Angela Parrish (North Hollywood, CA), Chris Petersen (Cedar City, UT), Brian Pounds (Austin, TX), Ben Shannon (Pittsburgh, PA), and Dana Sipos (Guelph, Ontario).

Delaney, who lives in Dallas, also was afforded the opportunity to open a concert that evening at The Bugle Boy in La Grange for fellow Texas-based singer-songwriters Susan Gibson, Walt Wilkins and Carrie Rodriguez, who judged the competition. Emceeing the semifinals and finals that took place earlier in the day was Ken Gaines, an award-winning singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer.

Entries in the Songwriter Serenade competition were evaluated based on lyrics (imagery, story, creativity, and originality), melody (structure, phrasing, and rhythm), and performing ability (vocals, musicianship). Stage presence/audience rapport also was taken into consideration during the semifinals and finals.

In addition to Delaney, the following singer-songwriters placed second to eighth, respectively: Wes Collins (Chapel Hill, NC), Jaimee Harris (Austin, TX), Chase Gassaway (Austin, TX), Nathan Evans Fox (Houston, TX), B. Sterling Archer (Austin. TX), Lindsay Foote (Boston, MA), and Keith Larsen (Grove City, OH). Rounding out the list, in alphabetical order, were Jordi Baizan (Houston, TX), Ben Bochner (Eugene, Oregon), Joel Curtis (Louisville, KY), Jen Hajj (Idyllwild, CA), Phillip Lee (Augusta, GA), and Alice Wallace (Fullerton, CA). Susan Cattaneo (Medford, MA) and Tara Williamson (Austin, TX) also were semifinalists but were unable to participate.

Songwriter Serenade (www.songwriterserenade.com) was established in 2007 to provide performing songwriters with a platform to showcase their skills before their peers, a panel of esteemed judges and an enthusiastic crowd of music lovers.

As semifinalists in the competition, Ben Bochner (Eugene, OR), Brad Boyer (Friendswood, TX), Megan Burtt (Denver, CO), Allie Farris (Nashville, TN), Ali Holder (Austin, TX), Libby Koch (Houston, TX), Rob Lytle (Oak Bluffs, MA), Ashley Monical (Austin, TX), Daisy O’Connor (Austin, TX), Marina Rocks (San Leon, TX), Raina Rose (Austin, TX), Jan Seides (Austin, TX), Reed Turner (Austin, TX), Michael Waid (San Antonio, TX) and Laura Zucker (Lafayette, CA) will each perform for a panel of three judges (noted singer-songwriters Susan Gibson, Kevin Welch and Walt Wilkins) and an audience from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Following an hour-long lunch break, seven selected finalists will each perform one different original song for the judges and the audience between 3 and 4 p.m. Singer-songwriter Ken Gaines hosts.

The songwriters will be evaluated based on lyrics (imagery, story, creativity, and originality), melody (structure, phrasing, and rhythm), performing ability (vocals, musicianship) and stage presence/audience rapport. Prize money will be awarded to all participants immediately after the finals, while an awards ceremony is slated for 4:30 p.m.

In addition to a $750 cash prize, the first-place winner will join 2013 Songwriter Serenade winner Frank Gilligan for a performance that evening at The Bugle Boy in La Grange, TX and also will be offered a coveted Performance Alley showcase during the February 2015 International Folk Alliance Conference in Kansas City.

Songwriter Serenade was established in 2007 to provide performing songwriters with a platform to showcase their skills before their peers, a panel of esteemed judges and an enthusiastic crowd of music lovers. Previous first-place winners, in addition to Gilligan, include Phoebe Hunt (2012), Jean Synodinos (2011), Jessica Graves (2010), Bill Passalacqua (2009), Abi Tapia (2008) and Brian Kalinec (2007).

For more information and to purchase tickets at $10 for the event in Moravia, visit www.songwriterserenade.com.