June 1 is the deadline for performing songwriters to submit applications online via the use of an entry form that can be found at https://solarfest.org/singer-songwriter-showcase-2025/. All entries must include video links to two original songs performed live, a brief bio, and a link to the artist’s website.

Judging will be done prior to the festival. One winner and four finalists will be invited to perform on the festival’s solar-powered main stage on Saturday, August 9. Cash prizes will also be awarded — $300 for the winner and $100 for the finalists. Each will receive two festival tickets as well. The winner and finalists will be notified by July 1.

Launched in 1995, SolarFest aims to connect people, the arts, ideas and technology, fostering partnerships and activism to create a vibrant present and a sustainable future. “In addition to workshops and great information on renewable energy, SolarFest has been the home to diverse and exciting music,” as singer-songwriter Phil Henry, a showcase organizer, previously told AcousticMusicScene.com.

“SolarFest’s Songwriter Showcase was so valuable to me when I was starting out in the world of folk and songwriting,” said Henry, 2005’s SolarFest Songwriter Showcase winner. “And many of our scene’s best have graced that stage – like Lara Herscovitch [a former Connecticut State Troubadour who co-organizes the showcase with him and is also a past winner], Louise Coombe, Connor Garvey, Jessica Smucker, and so many others. It’s a great festival with top-notch sound and an incredible vibe!”

Roots-rockin’ jam band Donna The Buffalo and psychedelic jamgrass band Into The Fog headline the festival. Also slated to perform are Phil Henry and the News Feed, Lara Herscovitch & the Highway Philosophers, world folk-rock ensemble HuDost, nuevo flamenco duo Patchouli & Terra Guitarra, Vermont’s own Bow Thayer Band and Ray Vega Band, and the party band Kotoko Brass — whose sound fuses Ghanaian percussion, Caribbean rhythms and joyous New Orleans horns. The festival closes out on Sunday afternoon, August 10, with a local talent expo showcasing some of the area’s up-and-coming performers.

Robin Bienemann (Chicago, IL), Lila Blue (New York, NY), Lucy Clearwater (Lafayette, CA), Sean Keel (Austin, TX), Rachel Sumner (Boston, MA), and Lily Talmers (Birmingham, MI) were chosen as winners in the prestigious competition by a panel of judges from among 24 finalists who performed two songs each during the New Folk Concerts on May 25 and 26 as part of the Kerrville Folk Festival, an 18-day event at the Quiet Valley Ranch in the Texas Hill Country near Austin and San Antonio. Each performed a 20-minute set during a Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Winners Concert at the festival on June 1; received cash honorariums, festival swag and a mentoring session with a professional songwriter; as well as an invite to participate in the Kerrville New Folk on the Road.

The tour kicks off on Friday, Nov. 8 at ACL Live at 3Ten in Austin, which bills itself as the Live Music Capital of the World. Several house concerts follow: an already sold-out one for Sycamore Creek House Concerts in Dripping Springs (Nov. 9), New Braunfels House Concerts in New Braunfels (Nov. 10), and Milagro Springs House Concerts in Wimberley (Nov. 11). On Tuesday, Nov. 12, the performing songwriters will grace the stage at McGonigel’s Mucky Duck in Houston (a concert that will also be livestreamed). After a brief hiatus, the tour continues on Friday, Nov. 15 with a free 6 p.m. show at Kerrville’s Pint & Plow Brewing. This will be followed by performances on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 16 in Fischer as part of a weekend-long Cabin 10 Presents: Live at the Donkey Shack. The tour wraps up at Bowman Backyard House Concerts in the late afternoon on Sunday, Nov. 17. For more information and links to purchase tickets for these shows, visit https://www.kerrvillefolkfestival.org/2024-new-folk-winners-tour.

This year’s Kerrville New Folk competition drew a record-breaking 1341 entries. 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. The Kerrville Folk Festival is the longest continuously running festival of its kind in North America.

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. It is the longest continuously running festival of its kind in North America.

Now in its 54th year, the Kerrville Folk Festival extends through Sunday, June 9. Besides 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 and kayak trips on the Guadelupe River, Hill Country bike rides, guided nature walks, yoga, beer and wine seminars, a Young Artists Performance Incubator, a professional development program for teachers, as well as a songwriters school and instrumental workshops.

A listing of all of this year’s New Folk Finalists was included in a previously posted article: https://acousticmusicscene.com/2024/04/17/finalists-named-in-2024-kerrville-new-folk-competition/.

Slated to perform on Saturday, May 25 are Jeremy Parsons, Gloria Anderson, Rachel Sumner, Admiral Radio, Kenny Foster, Lila Blue, Lily Talmers, Summerlyn Powers, Mike Vitale, Halley Neal, Alex Wong, and Lucy Clearwater. Performing on Sunday afternoon, May 26 will be Elise Leavy, John Dennis, Genevieve Racette, Robin Bienemann, Stephanie Simmons, Sean Keel, Jack McKeon, Katie Dahl, Elliah Heifetz, Sara Beth Go, Blossom Drearie by Brandon Whyde, and Tai Shan.

They will showcase their talents and songwriting skills at the Threadgill Theater on the Quiet Valley Ranch Campgrounds in the Texas Hill Country near Austin and San Antonio, from 1:00-4:30 p.m. CT. The New Folk Concerts will also be livestreamed on the Kerrville Folk Festival’s website [kerrvillefolkfestival.org/2024-newfolk-competition] and Facebook page, as well as on the Kerrville Folk Festival Foundation’s YouTube channel.

After performing the two songs that they submitted during the New Folk Concerts, six songwriters will be selected as 2024 New Folk Winners by a panel of judges. As in the first round, the finalists’ songs will be evaluated based on originality, lyrics, melody, harmonic structure, and other elements of song-craft. Each of the six performing songwriters chosen as 2024 New Folk Award Winners, to be announced during the evening concert on May 26, will receive a cash prize, a mentoring session with a professional songwriter, some Kerrville Folk Festival swag, two complimentary full festival access passes to the KFF Foundation’s fall festival event, and will be invited to perform a 20-minute set on stage on Sunday, June 1. They also may be afforded the opportunity to take part in a Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk House Concert Tour in Texas, as well as to play the 2025 spring or fall festival.

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. In addition to receiving cash awards and additional performance opportunities, being named as a New Folk Award Winner is regarded as a very prestigious honor.

Extending for 18 days, the Kerrville Folk Festival is set for May 23-June 9. Besides concerts each evening, it features “Ballad Tree” song-sharing sessions, campfire jam sessions, concerts and activities for children, organized canoe and kayak trips on the Guadelupe River and Hill Country bike rides, guided nature walks, yoga, beer and wine seminars, a Young Artists’ Performance Incubator, a professional development program for teachers, as well as a songwriters school and instrumental workshops.

Neal grew up in Connecticut and loves getting back up to New England. “I’m really looking forward to spending some time in Vermont, which is so beautiful in the summertime. I love that the folks at SolarFest focus their attention on renewable energy and sustainable, healthy living, all very important things that I am so excited to learn more about, and be a part of! I’m also so excited to bring the guys from the band Pretty Saro along with me to play as my backing band for the show.” She anticipates it being “a really fun and special time.”

Since graduating from Berklee College of Music in 2019, Neal has released two albums featuring her original songs. Also a finalist in the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Competition this year, Neal is delighted that Pretty Saro, an acoustic roots trio from Boston, Massachusetts, will join her when she performs at SolarFest.

Here’s a link to enjoy a video of Neal performing “Emily,” one of the two songs that she submitted to the SolarFest Songwriter Showcase judges: https://youtu.be/OpiQZgfFSQA.

Named as showcase finalists were Narissa Bond (Houston, TX), J.M. Clifford (Brooklyn, NY), Frank Critelli (New Haven, CT), and Carolann Solebello (Brooklyn, NY).

As previously reported on AcousticMusicScene.com, the SolarFest Singer-Songwriter Showcase was free to enter and open to all artists who write and perform original music and are not currently signed to a major recording label. Entries were evaluated based on composition (music and lyrics), vocal and instrumental delivery, and overall live performance.

Launched in 1995, SolarFest — slated for July 15-16 this year — aims to connect people, the arts, ideas and technology, fostering partnerships and activism to create a vibrant present and a sustainable future. “In addition to workshops and great information on renewable energy, SolarFest has been the home to diverse and exciting music,” says singer-songwriter Phil Henry, a festival organizer. Among the more than 20 artists and acts who will showcase their talents during this year’s festival are Dar Williams, House of Hamill, HuDost, Lara Herscovitch & the Philosopher Kings, Pamela Means, Louise Mosrie Coombe, and the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival “Most Wanted” Preview Tour featuring Phil Henry, Grace Morrison, Sam Robbins, and Erin Ash Sullivan. Henry, Herscovitch and Mosrie Coombe are previous SolarFest Singer-Songwriter Showcase winners. More information on SolarFest may be found at solarfest.org.

Entries, which are due by May 15, will be evaluated based on composition (music and lyrics), vocal and instrumental delivery, and overall live performance. Judging will be done prior to the festival – with one winner and four finalists invited to perform on the festival’s solar-powered main stage on Saturday, July 15. Cash prizes will also be awarded — $300 for the winner and $75 or the finalists — while the winner will be invited to perform a full set at next year’s festival.

May 15 is the deadline to submit applications online via the use of a Google Form [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdxnBHBQY1YyxFP2hB4m8sDHcGWTudPcySNtCvlXndZFJYzww/viewform]. All entries must include links to two live performance videos, a brief bio, and a link to the artist’s website.

Launched in 1995, SolarFest aims to connect people, the arts, ideas and technology, fostering partnerships and activism to create a vibrant present and a sustainable future. “In addition to workshops and great information on renewable energy, SolarFest has been the home to diverse and exciting music,” says singer-songwriter Phil Henry, a festival organizer. Among the more than 20 artists and acts who will showcase their talents during this year’s festival are Dar Williams, House of Hamill, HuDost, Lara Herscovitch & the Philosopher Kings, Pamela Means, Louise Mosrie Coombe, and the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival “Most Wanted” Preview Tour featuring Phil Henry, Grace Morrison, Sam Robbins, and Erin Ash Sullivan. Henry, Herscovitch and Mosrie Coombe are previous SolarFest Singer-Songwriter Showcase winners.

“The Singer-Songwriter Showcase gives up-and-coming singer-songwriters an opportunity to stand and deliver original music on a beautiful stage with stellar production,” Henry told AcousticMusicScene.com. “For me, being selected and winning SolarFest was a critical acknowledgement that was so important early in my career.”

More information on SolarFest and its Singer-Songwriter Showcase may be found at solarfest.org.

Calista Garcia (Arlington, VA), Sadie Gustafson-Zook (Nashville, TN), Javier Jara (Austin, TX), Kyle Rasche (Alto, MI), Jean Rohe (Brooklyn, NY), and R.O. Shapiro (San Diego, CA) will each perform 20-minute sets during a Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Winners concert at the festival on Saturday afternoon, June 4, and will receive cash honorariums and other prizes. They were selected as 2022 New Folk Winners by songwriters Michael Hearne, Tom Kimmel, Kyshona, Chris Pierce, and Shanna in a Dress who served as judges. More than 750 songwriters had initially submitted entries.

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. It is the longest continuously running festival of its kind in North America.

Now celebrating its 50th year, the Kerrville Folk Festival extends through Sunday, June 12. Besides 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 and kayak trips on the Guadelupe River and Hill Country bike rides, a professional development program for teachers, as well as a songwriters school and instrumental workshops. For more information, visit kerrvillefolkfestival.org. A listing of all of this year’s New Folk Finalists was included in a previously posted article: https://acousticmusicscene.com/2022/04/19/2022-kerrville-new-folk-finalists-announced/

Scheduled to perform (in order of performance) at the Threadgill Theater on the Quiet Valley Ranch Campgrounds in the Texas Hill Country on Saturday, May 28, from 1:30-4:30 p.m., are Jason Erie (Nashville, TN), Belle-Skinner (Albany, NY), Mike Ryan (Clifton, VA), Sarah Jane Nelson (Little Rock, AR), Jesse Correll (Nashville, TN), Calista Garcia (Arlington, VA), Ryan T. Miller (Madison, MS), Jana Pochop (Austin, TX), Kyle Rasche (Alto, MI), Beth//James – Jordan & Mikaela Burchill (Austin, TX), Dan Weber (Richardson, TX), and Javier Jara (Austin, TX)

New Folk Finalists slated to perform on Sunday afternoon, May 29, include Mark Ettinger (New York, NY), Jean Rohe (Brooklyn, NY), Robin Bienemann (Oak Park, IL), Siena Christie (Vancouver, WA), R.O. Shapiro (San Diego, CA), Flagship Romance – Shawn Fisher & Jordyn Jackson (Truth or Consequences, NM, Madeleine Nelson (Chicago, IL), Jeremy Facknitz (Colorado Springs, CO), Sadie Gustafson-Zook (Nashville, TN), Ryan Bitter (Flagstaff, AZ), The Singer & the Songwriter – Rachel Garcia & Thu Tran (Oakland, CA), and Chuck McDermott (Hingham, MA).

After performing, six songwriters will be selected as 2022 New Folk Winners by a panel of judges. The six, to be announced during the evening concert on May 29, will receive a $650 cash prize and some Kerrville Folk Festival swag, as well as the opportunity to return the following weekend to each perform during the 2022 New Folk Winners Concert at the festival on Saturday afternoon, June 4.

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. In addition to receiving cash awards and additional performance opportunities, being named as a New Folk Award Winner is regarded as a very prestigious honor.

Besides concerts each evening, the Kerrville Folk Festival features “Ballad Tree” song-sharing sessions, campfire jam sessions, concerts and activities for children, organized canoe and kayak trips on the Guadelupe River, Hill Country bike rides, guided nature walks, yoga, beer and wine seminars, a Young Artists’ Performance Incubator, a professional development program for teachers, a songwriters school, and instrumental workshops. The festival runs for 18 straight days – Thursday, May 26– Sunday, June 12. For more information, visit kerrvillefolkfestival.org.

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 2022 Al Johnson Performing Songwriter Contest is held in conjunction with the annual Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival, May 20-22 at Galatyn Urban Park in Richardson, Texas — just a few minutes north of Dallas. Singer-songwriters who perform in a wide array of genres – including Americana, bluegrass, blues, country, and folk, among others — are invited to submit recorded songs (two per entry) in .mp3 or .mp4 format via email. The application deadline is March 4, and only the first 100 submissions will be accepted. There is a $20 entry fee.

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 annual event that is billed as North Texas’ largest music festival. The ten finalists, who will be notified by April 22, will compete for cash prizes and be judged based equally on the quality and presentation of their songs — with originality, lyrics, melody, and harmonic structure among the criteria. The first-place winner will receive $1,000 plus two full days of recording at Audio Dallas Recording Studio, while the runner-up and the Michael Troy People’s Choice Award winner 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 within the last two years (after December 2019) and not exceed five minutes in length. For more information and detailed contest rules, visit the Songwriter Contest section on wildflowerfestival.com.

March 13 is Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition Entry Deadline

Entries also are now being accepted for the 2022 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters. The first 800 entries postmarked or submitted online by March 13 will be judged, and 24 finalists will be named in April and invited to perform the two songs they entered either in-person on Saturday or Sunday, May 28 or 29 during the annual Kerrville Folk Festival in the Texas Hill Country near Austin and San Antonio, or in a video format by May 2.

Six songwriters will be chosen as 2022 New Folk Award Winners on May 29. Each winner will receive a $650 cash prize, some Kerrville Folk Festival swag, and two complimentary tickets full festival access passes for the KFF Foundation’s fall festival event.

Official competition guidelines, along with entry information and forms, are posted on kerrvillefolkfestival.org. Entries, which must be submitted in .mp3 or.mp4 format (along with an entry form and $40 fee), will be evaluated based on originality, lyrics, melody, harmonic structure, and other elements of song-craft.

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. Although the 18-day-long event usually takes place in late May-early June on the Quiet Valley Ranch, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a KFF Virtual Celebration took place in its place. Besides cash awards and additional performance opportunities, being named as a Kerrville New Folk winner is regarded as a very prestigious honor. Last year’s winners were Taylor Abrahamse (Toronto, ON, Canada), Sav Buist (Traverse City, MI), Humbird (Minneapolis, MN), Spencer LaJoye (Denver, CO), Sam Robbins (Nashville, TN), and Alexa Rose (Asheville, NC).

2022 Songwriter Serenade Competition Will Accept Entries Through March 29

Applications are being accepted through March 27, 2022in 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 7.

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 will be available to the public.

Online entry forms, along with complete contest rules and additional information, may be found at 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 1 and will be provided with room and board.

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. As reported on AcousticMusicScene.com last October 7, Beth Snapp, a folk-pop singer-songwriter who hails from northeast Tennessee, took top honors during the 14th annual Songwriter Serenade.