Songs will be chosen via a juried selection process that takes into account the quality of the applicant’s work and its appeal to bluegrass audiences. Songwriters interested in being considered must submit an application that includes a demo recording of the song (mp3 format only), song lyrics (PDF only), high-res photos and bios of each songwriter credited on the song, along with names and email addresses. Applicants do not have to be IBMA members. Here’s a link to view the online application and additional information:
https://worldofbluegrass.org/conference/songwriter-track/songwriter-showcase/

Although there is no application fee, those selected to participate and perform their song live in the Songwriter Showcase will have to register for the IBMA Business Conference. This portion of IBMA’s World of Bluegrass will feature a wide array of professional development programming, a gig fair, artist showcases and late-night hospitality functions, an exhibit hall, and plenty of networking and relationship-building opportunities.

Extending from Sept. 16-20, IBMA’s World of Bluegrass is considered the genre’s annual industry gathering and family reunion. In addition to the business conference, it also includes a two-day live music festival, an IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards show recognizing outstanding achievement and pioneering effort in bluegrass music, and artist showcases at various venues throughout downtown Chattanooga. All are presented by the IBMA – a nonprofit music association that connects, educates and empowers bluegrass professionals and enthusiasts, honoring tradition and encouraging innovation in the bluegrass community worldwide.

IBMA selected Chattanooga as the host city for its annual World of Bluegrass for 2025-2027 last summer after considering more than 30 locations for a new home. “While other cities could offer the necessary commitment, the passion and enthusiasm of the people of Chattanooga truly stood out,” said Ken White, IBMA’s executive director, in a statement issued last July 29. “We are incredibly grateful for the support from the State of Tennessee and the welcoming spirit of Chattanooga. This city’s unique charm and hospitality makes it a perfect home for WOB artists and guests.” For its part, the Chattanooga Tourism Co. anticipates that the 2025 World of Bluegrass will attract more than 18,00 overnight visitors and more than 45,000 including day visitors, generate more than $30 million in economic impact, and add just over $1 million to the state’s coffers via taxes.

More information on the IBMA and its World of Bluegrass may be found online at ibma.org and worldofbluegrass.org.

With the exception of instrumentals and lyrics only, songs – which should not exceed four minutes in length — will be evaluated based on the basic components (melody/harmony, lyrics, flow, structure/contrast) and overall effectiveness, and not on the production, quality of recording or arrangement. Prizes will be awarded to first and second place (gold and silver) winners in each of 16 categories, while finalists and honorable mention winners also will be selected. Among the categories are folk/acoustic, Americana, country/bluegrass, children’s, instrumental, lyrics only, vocal jazz/blues, and the newly established ones for COVID-19-related songs, freeform and video. There is no limit on the number of entries and songs may be entered in multiple categories.

Category winners will be announced on or before December 31. Gold and silver (first- and second-place) winners in each category will be invited to perform their winning songs at a gala event early next year during which a grand-prize winner and second-place overall winner also will be named. For the past three consecutive years, the Gold winners in the folk/acoustic category have also won the grand prize: Stephen Coffee (2019), Mike P. Ryan (2018) and John Wort Hannam (2017).

Contest rules and online applications may be found at https://saw.org/masc.

Established in 1979, the Songwriters’ Association of Washington (SAW) is a nonprofit organization that seeks to further excellence in songwriting through presenting educational programs and providing/promoting networking and performance opportunities for its members.

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.

In addition to general contact information, applicants must submit bios, a high-res photo, one demo recording of the song in mp3 format only, and song lyrics (PDF only) with their online applications. Songwriters must be willing to perform the song live if chosen. They do not need to be IBMA members. Although there is no application fee, and multiple entries may be submitted, songwriters selected to showcase are required to register for the IBMA Business Conference in order to participate.

For more information and to complete the online application form, visit
https://ibma.org/world-of-bluegrass/songwriter-track/songwriter-showcase-application-information

Now in its fourth year in Raleigh, IBMA’s World of Bluegrass is bluegrass music’s annual industry gathering and family reunion. Featuring a wide array of professional development seminars, meetings and forums, artist showcases and late-night hospitality functions, a keynote speaker (to be announced), an exhibit hall, plenty of networking and relationship-building opportunities, the business conference portion will extend from Tuesday, Sept. 27 through Thursday, Sept. 29. The 25th annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, a centerpiece of the week, will be presented on Thursday evening, Oct. 2, while the festival portion will take place Friday and Saturday, Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.

Featuring both free stages and ticketed performances, the Wide Open Bluegrass Music Festival will afford attendees and the general public opportunities to hear a wide variety of bluegrass music and enjoy a street fair with music stages, vendors of all sorts, and youth activities. A bluegrass film festival also is being planned for the second consecutive year.

Registration and ticket sales for World of Bluegrass open April 5 for IBMA members and April 19 for non-members. For more information, visit www.ibma.org.

The maddening crowds of summer won’t be there, but several hundred performing artists and others engaged in the music business are expected to converge on the historic Victorian-lined New Jersey seaside resort community of Cape May, March 28-29, 2014, for the seventh annual Singer-Songwriter Cape May conference.

Singer-songwriters Melissa Ferrick and Michael Glablicki (front-man of Rusted Root) will deliver keynotes and perform during the conference, while some 150 other pre-selected musical acts and artists of various genres will showcase their talents at 17 local bars, restaurants and hotels on Friday and Saturday evenings.

SS Cape May also will feature two afternoons of music business panel discussions, workshops, mentoring and demo-listening sessions at Congress Hall & Harrison Conference Center. There will be plenty of opportunities for networking with other singer-songwriters, musicians and music industry professionals.

While AcousticMusicScene.com is my labor of love, I also am a communications and public relations strategist and will be among the panelists discussing “Branding, Marketing & Social Media for Independent Artists” during a Friday afternoon conference session. Although the media landscape is in a continual state of flux, independent singer-songwriters may have more options for promotion these days than ever before. I hope to help SS Cape May attendees set the right course and navigate through the many channels available to them to reach and connect with their target audiences. Talented artists with some promotional and social media savvy, or the smarts to surround themselves with people who do, can strike a responsive chord through strategic public relations and creative communications.

The conference registration desk opens at 11 a.m. on March 28, while mentoring and demo listening extends from noon to 5 p.m., and the workshops take place between 1 and 5 p.m. each day. Showcasing artists and panelists will receive credentials for the conference, while others may register to attend the daytime events and receive a SS Cape May compilation CD for $100. Evening showcase performances –- apart from those featuring the keynoters, for which there is a $15 fee each night — will be free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.sscapemay.com.

In the years since, Tracy Grammer has continued to tour internationally and has been a staple at a number of folk festivals. With her warm and emotive voice, she is keeping Dave Carter’s music alive while sprinkling a few traditional tunes and some of her own songs into her performances.Her solo debut, Flower of Avalon, was the most played album on folk radio in 2005. The following year, she released Seven Is The Number, the last full-length Dave & Tracy CD. Earlier this year, Red House Records released Little Blue Egg, a collection of archived home and studio recordings that the duo made between 1997 and 2002. The album topped the Folk DJ chart in February and also sported nine of the month’s top songs.“Way over Yonder in the Minor Key,” was reportedly the most-played song on folk radio during the month.

Sharon Goldman, a New Jersey-based singer-songwriter, recently spoke with Tracy Grammer for Songwriting Scene, a blog for songwriters about songwriting that she launched in 2009. Her article is re-posted here with permission.

Sometimes you hear a singer-songwriter and you immediately understand the difference between the truly talented genius and the workaday creative types. The “Wow” factor was definitely at work when I first heard a tune by folk singer-songwriter Dave Carter called “Tanglewood Tree,” which includes the following lyrics:

Love is an old root that creeps through the meadows of sleep
When the long shadows cast
Thin as a vagrant young vine, it encircles and twines
And it holds the heart fast
Catches dreamers in the wildwood with the stars in their eyes
And the moon in their tousled hair
But love is a light in the sky, and an unspoken lie
And a half-whispered prayer

Those lyrics, along with a beautiful arrangement and background vocals with Carter’s duo partner, Tracy Grammer, truly blew me away and led me to explore more of Carter’s work, with its poetic imagery and beautiful storytelling — and to discover, to my dismay, what I had not realized: that Carter had passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in 2002.

I had, apparently, missed out on an amazingly talented artist who was in the midst of growing fame, who was heralded as the “new voice of modern folk music” in the months before his death. He and Grammer toured with Joan Baez in 2002; released several critically-acclaimed recordings including Drum Hat Buddha, Tanglewood Tree and When I Go; and performed at a wide variety of top festivals and venues around the world in the six years that the two performed as a duo.

Here’s a video of Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer singing their classic “Tanglewood Tree” in 2000:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Niia1u4vp0I

Now, on the 10th anniversary of Carter’s death, Grammer — who has served as the “keeper of the flame” regarding Carter’s songs — has released a new collection of archived and rediscovered home and studio recordings of Carter-Grammer tunes, Little Blue Egg. I was honored to have the chance to chat with Tracy Grammer about her memories regarding Dave Carter’s creative process as well as his songwriting habits, advice and inspiration:

Q: Do you remember the first song you heard Dave Carter sing, and what you thought at the time?

Grammer: I remember it very clearly; it was at a songwriter’s night in Portland, Oregon, where everyone gets up and plays two songs. I was there with another guy named Dave, and we played our songs, and then everyone starting shushing each other because Dave Carter was about to play. It was clear that he was a big deal. And he started singing this song “Gunmetal Eyes,” which is about a young Native American man who takes a stand against some guys who are razing the land. He went on to play a couple of other songs that were really different — I think one was “Snake Handlin’ Man,” which is more of a bat-out-of-hell evangelical thing with a lot of fast finger-style guitar no one else could do. It had crazy speaking-in-tongues lyrics, and his mother really did used to speak in tongues. I remember thinking that what he was singing about was different, not your usual singer-songwriter, navel-gazing fare. He used a lot of the language of poetry and had moving, intelligent stories, with simple chords, that resonated with me. And it had a little bit of a twang. It was soul music to me, but I wasn’t going to say anything to him that night. However, he saw I had a violin and the next thing I knew, he asked me to be in his band.

Q: What do you remember most about Dave Carter’s writing and creative process?

Grammer: Part of his academic background was in transpersonal psychology, and he was actually trained in mining the dream realm, so he really knew how to go down that route almost like it was a shamanic journey. Songs would come to him in dreams — he knew how to recognize when something was valuable in a dream, and he could even hang around longer in a dream if he needed to dig a little deeper down the rabbit hole and root around. He might have a song idea walking around, but there was always a bit of him processing on different levels. Of course, there’s more to the process than the dream stuff; that would be the genesis, but then he’d wake up and he’d do what he told his songwriting students to do — he’d get involved in some kind of rhythmic activity, like walking, running or biking, and start spinning out rhymes and nonsense lyrics until the thing started to take shape. Then he would come back, sit down and get an instrument out. He was such a strong trained musician, he could find things easily on a guitar or keyboard and write stuff out. He’d send me versions and drafts — I got a new song nearly every other day. Things didn’t change much after that — he finished songs quickly for the most part. There are some he might do more actual intellectual work on — for instance, after he died we went through his computer and he had a lot of bookmarks on antiquated dictionaries with funky old language. But he also would just hear a word in his head and hunt it down in all these dictionaries — he trusted sounds to have their own innate meaning.

Q: What do you miss most about working with Dave?

Grammer: I miss our process — he was so prolific, it was really like call-and-response. He would have a song, and I would respond to it musically. It was interesting, fun and refreshing for me because he made me feel like I was part of the process. I can’t say I co-wrote songs with him — I was very aware and my thing when I first met Dave was to say, “This is about the songs; don’t put my name on it.” And then he just put me on there. But I always thought it was about the song, and my role was how could I serve the song. The process was magical and intuitive; we didn’t argue, we didn’t discuss them a lot, we just played. It was really natural, which is what made it such a joy. Of course, something had to be easy — the travel wasn’t easy, and we were broke all the time, so it’s good making music was easy! Recording, on the other hand, was awful for us. Dave was a horrible perfectionist and really self-deprecating in the studio. It was funny but could almost be poisonous. It was better when we got a little budget and we could work in a studio where he had to tone it down in front of the engineer. The things is, we had no idea we’d go national within a year of working together, and we wanted to give it our best but had no idea what we were doing. We felt a lot of pressure to be really good. And he just wanted it to sound true.

Q. What was it like for you to discover and hear the tapes that eventually turned into your new release, Little Blue Egg?

Grammer: I knew I had the tapes, but I was just putting off listening to them. The format was an old technology. I was nervous, as I’ve said many times before, that the tapes would be damaged. So, the first thing I felt was pure joy — because the first song I heard was “Cross of Jesus,” which I had thought about a lot since he died. But I couldn’t remember all the verses, and I didn’t know where any copies of that song might be. It was something we had left on the cutting room floor, so I was delighted because we had worked so hard and it sounded really good. It was great to hear Dave singing, he sounds so happy. It reminded me of how hard we worked to get it so right in our little house in Portland, Oregon. We were so earnestly doing these projects. It also brought into focus how fast things were going — we did this stuff and then we were back on the road. At the height of it we might have done 180 shows in one year.

Q: Is there anything you wish could happen with Dave Carter’s songs that hasn’t happened thus far?

Grammer: Well, I’ve basically done a lot of work singing the songs, and I’ve made sure some songbooks were available and old recordings got out there. But I feel like I’ve fallen down on the job of finding Dave a proper publisher or getting his songs placed in movies. I have this vision all the time of the song “When I Go,” that the banjo could start the movie, I totally hear it. I feel like I haven’t been as impactful, I’ve done what I could on zero budget, and it’s self-sustaining — what the career gives me is what I have to work with. But it will be great when a publisher gets hip to this catalog and maybe offers it to bigger-name artists and Dave gets more exposure as a songwriter. There are certainly people out there who are also mining a similar, mythic-poetic-spiritually-tinged realm, singers for whom these songs would resonate. I mean, all of the rock stars of my growing up would be fine candidates! I’d love to see Bruce Springsteen doing “Farewell to Saint Delores”. And Mary Chapin Carpenter recorded “Ordinary Town” for a project of covers she eventually scrapped, but I would have loved to hear it. Oh, and Joan Baez recorded “The Mountain” but never released it.

Q: What are the Dave Carter lyrics that resonate for you the very most?

Grammer: When Dave died and I went to the hospital to see him, the first words that came to me were “Fly like the falcon,” from “When I Go.” It was uncanny because at the end of that week we were supposed to perform at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. But it was a key lyric in a moment I wasn’t expecting to find a mantra. Also, I think the most potent lyric for me personally and for our relationship and what Dave did for me as an artist and person comes from “Farewell to Saint Delores” — “The ageless face that that witnessed me for certain when my own could not be found.” We had had a conversation about his stories, and I said “You have so many stories, but I don’t have any stories.” And he said, “Yes, you do, baby, you have a ton of most excellent stories.” I thought I was a person without stories, and I didn’t see myself as a musician or an artist or anything but a glorified cheerleader. But he reminded me all the time — he gave myself to me. And the reason I’m drawn to his music is that it pieces me together and fills in the blanks of the spiritual training I never got, or the gaps in who I am. I feel completed by this music — I am this music.

Q: What kind of advice do you think he would give inspiring songwriters today?

Grammer: He would say it’s important that the story be true, emotionally true. He would probably advise that thing that writers always say, “Write what you know.” But it’s not just that you write about the one little town you live in, but the feelings come from an authentic place. He also did love the idea of those rhythmic exercises and getting the body involved in songwriting. He didn’t think you should censor yourself too early in the process. He said you had to give it room to play. Also, Dave was also always pretty adamant that people shouldn’t be too clever musically. You should just serve the story — don’t just throw in random acrobatics or funky little chords just because you think they’re cool. On the other hand, he was not afraid to be intelligent for his listeners. He never dumbed things down. People would get it, and one of the lasting gifts of his songs is that for some of us they’re a challenge — you might not be sure what it means at first, but it makes some kind of sense, even if it’s just on a musical level. And then the more you listen, the more it gives to you; it keeps revealing.

“I honestly can’t believe it,” writes Chambers in a May 12 Facebook post that also appears on her website. “When I entered the International Songwriting Competition I didn’t think I even had a chance, being up against songwriters from all over the world. I thought it would be fun to enter anyway.”

Chambers’ grand prize-winning song, “Beautiful Mess,” features Missy Higgins on backing vocals and is the second single from Little Bird. Chambers wrote the song for her two children because, as she says, parenting is often a “beautiful mess,” and her songwriting is an outlet through which she expresses her love to them.

“I was at home babysitting a friend’s one-year-old son along with my two boys,” says Chambers. “It was one of those chaotic days, with kids running around and having lots of fun while this song was coming out. And that’s what it felt like that day – a beautiful mess. That’s what parenting constantly feels like.” Writes Chambers on her website: “Winning with the song “Beautiful Mess” makes it even more special as it’s a song I wrote for my two boys Talon and Arlo. Guess I better buy them an ice cream. Ha.”

A YouTube video of Chambers singing the song may be viewed by clicking here.

Chambers, who hails from a family of musicians – including her father Bill, mother Diane, and brother Nash, with whom she performed as The Dead Ringer Band until 1998 – is among Australia’s most beloved, respected and accomplished country and Americana artists. She has won numerous other awards, is the only Australian country artist to have a #1 single and album on the charts simultaneously in her native country, and her albums have achieved multi-platinum sales status. She also has toured with such other notable artists as Emmylou Harris and Lucinda Williams.

“Kasey is that rare artist whose beautifully crafted songs cross over into such a wide variety of genres, including country, Americana, pop, folk, and AAA,” says Candace Avery, ISC’s founder and director. “She has even put out an album of children’s music. But, it is the authenticity and sincerity of her music and lyrics that make her songs resonate so strongly with her fans – and also with the ISC judges.”

The competition, open to amateur and professional songwriters worldwide, was established in 2002 and drew more than 15,000 entries from 115 countries. In addition to providing recognition and exposure, more than $150,000 in cash and prizes were awarded to 66 winners in 22 categories. Entries were judged by a panel of recording artists and industry executives on the basis of creativity, originality, lyrics, melody and composition, without consideration for production value. You can hear the winning songs and view the list of winners by visiting www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners.

Most familiar to folk audiences as a founding member of the female trio Red Molly, Solebello, a New York City native, first fell in love with mountain music – and the bluegrass and country that grew out of that tradition – while working as an actor in East Tennessee and Kansas. Tunes and techniques she learned from musicians in both places fundamentally changed her approach to songwriting and guitar playing and subsequently colored her work with Red Molly. Since parting with the trio last summer, Solebello continues to earn accolades from reviewers and presenters for performing her own brand of original and traditional music as a solo artist.

“I’m not a naturally competitive person, so the idea of songwriting as a contest makes me slightly uncomfortable,” says Solebello. Despite that, I must confess being chosen as the winner gave me a little thrill. Mostly, I suppose, it felt like a reassuring pat on the back; a little sign from the universe saying I’m following the right path.”

While noting that “arranging and performing mostly cover tunes with Red Molly was wonderful (especially since we chose some amazing songs to cover),” Solebello says “what excites me most these days is songwriting. I’m just hoping I can continue to sharpen my writing skills by applying lessons learned about lyrics, melody, and structure from the classic American songs I learned with Red Molly.”

In addition to three full-length releases with Red Molly and two with her previous band, modern folk quartet CC Railroad, Solebello has two solo albums to her credit, Just Across the Water (2000) and Glass of Desire (2009). Her third solo CD, Threshold, is slated for release next month. She is also the founder and head of Elizabeth Records, an independent collective with 10 releases under its umbrella, and hosts a monthly open mic series in New York City.

Here’s a video of Solebello singing “Wash Me Clean” for the Folk Music Society of Huntington (New York) earlier this year, courtesy of Gordon Nash.

Other finalists in the 2011 SMAF Songwriter Contest included Doug Brouder, Garrison Doles (third place), T. Edwin Doss, Maura Jensen (second place), Holly Montgomery and Doug Spears. The songwriting contest judges were Tony Correlli, Ty Ford and Ray Naylor.

Revolution – whether across the ocean, in our backyard or in your own head — is the theme of this year’s Philadelphia Songwriters Project Songwriting Contest, which is open to performing songwriters in all genres. Songs will be judged based on lyrics, music, originality and presentation. Winners will earn performance opportunities during various festivals and concert series in Pennsylvania this summer and fall. Finalists will be notified on May 6, while winners will be announced following a Finals show on May 22.

Last year’s contest drew nearly 600 submissions from 22 states and seven countries, according to Dena Marchiony, co-founder, president and executive director of the Philadelphia Songwriters Project. The 2010 contest’s four winners – Tania Alexandra, Johnny Miles, Ryan Tennis and The Fleeting Ends — opened for such artists as The Bacon Brothers and Shawn Colvin and played Bethlehem Musikfest and the Philadelphia Folk Festival last summer.

Established in 2003, the Philadelphia Songwriters Project is a nonprofit organization that serves as a resource for local and regional songwriters – providing them with opportunities to showcase their music, learn, network and advance their careers. More information on the organization and its songwriting contest (including tiered entry fees) may be found online at www.phillysongwriters.com.

Entries also are being sought through April 15 for the 19th Annual Rose Garden Coffeehouse Performing Songwriter Competition. A panel of three industry-professional judges will select three finalists to perform their two submitted songs during live finals on May 21 preceding singer-songwriter Vance Gilbert’s featured performance that evening, says Mac McLanahan, artistic director for the monthly, all-volunteer, nonprofit acoustic music series. Now in its 22nd year, the Rose Garden Coffeehouse takes place at The Congregational Church in Mansfield, Massachusetts, just off 1-95 between Boston and Providence.

The winner — who will be chosen based on his/her songwriting ability, stage presence and performance skills — will receive a $100 prize and a featured gig at the Rose Garden
Coffeehouse. Last year’s winner was Larry Murante (Seattle, WA), while runners-up were Jim Colbert (Bellefonte, PA) and Chris Elliott (Leverett, MA).

Additional information, rules and an entry form for the contest, which has no entry fee, are posted on www.rosegardenfolk.com.

Lauderdale, who hails from the Carolinas, has had songs recorded by such notable artists as Solomon Burke, Mark Chesnutt, the Dixie Chicks, Dave Edmunds, Vince Gill, George Jones, Patty Loveless, Kathy Mattea, George Strait and Lee Ann Womack, among others. He has collaborated with such artists as Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris and Ralph Stanley and is currently part of a six-week Hot Tuna Blues Tour. Lauderdale chairs a volunteer panel of Nashville songwriters, publishers and other music industry professionals, who will judge entries in the songwriting contest based on originality, lyrics, melody and overall commercial potential.

The 19th Annual Chris Austin Songwriting Contest is open to aspiring songwriters who derive no more than 50% of their income from songwriting or music publishing. Winners will be recognized in four categories – country, bluegrass, gospel/inspirational and general. The contest deadline is February 18. Entries may be submitted via mail to P.O. Box 121855, Nashville, TN 37212, Sonicbids or American Songspace.

As previously reported on AcousticMusicScene.com, 12 finalists – three from each category – will be named in early April and will compete on the Austin Stage at MerleFest, April 28-May 1, on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. The first place winners will receive performance slots on the Cabin Stage during the festival.

Additional information is available online at www.chrisaustinsongwritingcontest.org or by calling the contest hotline at (800) 799-3838.