Thirty-two songwriters have been named as finalists in the 2014 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters. Chosen from among hundreds of submissions from throughout the U.S. and Canada, the finalists will perform the two songs they submitted during the New Folk Concerts slated for Saturday and Sunday afternoons, May 24 and 25, as part of the Kerrville Folk Festival.
Scheduled, in order of performance, at the Threadgill Theater on the Quiet Valley Ranch Campgrounds in the Texas Hill Country on May 24 are Drew Kennedy (New Braunfels, TX), David McMillin (Chicago, IL), Chris Ronald (Vancouver, BC, Canada), Addie Brownlee (New York, NY), Chase Gassaway (Austin, TX), Ellen Tipper (Appleton, ME), Charlotte Thistle (Seattle, WA), Matt Nakoa (Brooklyn, NY), David Berkeley (Santa Fe, NM), Katie Gosnell (Austin, TX), Dan Weber (Vancouver, WA), Carolina Story (Nashville, TN), Rosie Tucker (Los Angeles, CA), Connor Garvey (South Portland, ME), Savannah King (Youngstown, NY), and Brittany Ann Tranbaugh (Easton, PA).
New Folk Finalists slated to perform on May 25 include Frank Martin Gilligan (Dickinson, TX), Lindsay White (San Diego, CA), Jeffrey Martin (Eugene, OR), Brad Boyer (Friendswood, TX), Jenna Lindbo (South Portland, ME), Aaron Howard (Phoenix, AZ), Anna Paddock (Brooklyn, NY), Justin Pecina (Gunter, TX), Ben Bochner (Eugene, OR), Brad Cole (New York, NY), David White (Franklin, TN), Mariana Bell (Los Angeles, CA), Roy Schneider (Fort Myers, FL), Catherine Terrones (San Pedro, CA), Caroline Spence (Nashville, TN), and Tall Heights (Somerville, MA).
Named as alternates were Jan Krist & Jim Bizer (Franklin, MI), Marc Douglas Berardo (Westerly, RI), Daniel Boling (Albuquerque, NM), and Adam Klein (Athens, GA).
After performing, six songwriters will be selected as 2014 New Folk Winners by a panel of judges. The six will perform in the New Folk Award Winners Concert on Sunday, June 1, and will receive cash honorariums and other prizes, as well as the opportunity to participate in the New Folk Concerts Fall Tour culminating with the opening slot on the 2014 Fischer Festival stage (previously Rice Fest). 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 their fans.
Celebrating songwriters for 43 years, the Kerrville Folk Festival is the longest continuously running festival of its kind in North America. It was created by Rod Kennedy, affectionately known as “The RodFather,” who died earlier this month. In addition to concerts each evening, Kerrville features “Ballad Tree” song-sharing sessions, campfire jam sessions, 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.
The Kerrville Folk Festival runs for 18 straight days – Thursday, May 22– Sunday, June 8. For additional information, visit www.kerrville-music.com.
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