Entries are now being accepted in the 33rd annual Mid-Atlantic Song Contest (MASC) produced by the Songwriters’ Association of Washington. The submission deadline is Sept. 15, 2016.
With the exception of instrumentals, songs will be evaluated based on five basic elements: melody/harmony, lyrics, flow (the mood, rhythm, dynamics), structure/contrast (between verse, chorus, bridge, etc.) and overall effect. Prizes will be awarded to first and second place (gold and silver) winners in each of 12 categories — including folk/acoustic, folk-rock/Americana/roots rock, country/bluegrass, instrumental, open, and vocal jazz/blues — while finalists and honorable mention winners also will be selected.
Gold and silver winners in each category will be invited to perform their winning songs at a gala event during which a grand-prize winner and second-place overall winner will be named; both will receive, among other prizes, cash awards and free registration to the 2017 Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) and Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) conferences. The grand-prize winner will also receive a free registration to next year’s Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM) Conference. The top two songs in each category will be included in a MASC Winners compilation CD, while Focus Music will invite one or two winners to perform in concert during 2017 in either Maryland or northern Virginia. Young Artist Award and Director’s Choice Award recipients will also be named.
Andrew Tufano, a Nashville-based performing songwriter, was the 2015 grand-prize winner for “Fall,” which also took top honors in the Adult Contemporary category. Another Tufano composition entitled “Fireflies” was the Gold winner in the Pop category. 2nd Place Overall went to Washington, DC’s Jess Eliot Myrhe, of the band Bumper Jacksons, for “Pretty Mama Put A Spell On Me,” which also topped the Vocal Jazz/Blues category. Other 2015 category Gold winners included Letitia VanSant in Folk/Acoustic for “The Field,” David Goldman in Folk Rock/Americana/Roots Rock for “Going To America (All For One, One For All & All For All),” Michael “Mac” McGee and Katey Laurel Lawson in Country/Bluegrass for “Diamond,” Joseph A. Peragine and John Muccino in Instrumental for “Montage (Approaching The End of Time)” and Drew Jacobs in the Open category for his humorous song “There’s An App For That.” Last year’s Director’s Choice Award recipient was Susan Cattaneo for “Abide,” while Connor Seavey won the Young Artist Award for “Wrong.”
For more information on the 2016 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest, rules, fees and applications, visit www.masc.saw.org.
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 networking and performance opportunities for its members. SAW hosts open mics and showcases, workshops on the art and business of songwriting, and monthly peer critique sessions. It also publishes a monthly e-newsletter.
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