Fifteen songwriters have been invited to showcase their original songs and compete for prize money at he Moravia Performance Hall in Moravia, Texas, on Saturday, May 5, after being named as semifinalists in the 2018 Songwriter Serenade Competition.
Clint Alphin (Nashville, TN), Edan Archer (Nashville, TN), Jordi Baizan (Houston, TX), Daniel Boling (Albuquerque, NM), Mary Bragg (Nashville, TN), Charles Bryant (Pasadena, TX), Jackson Emmer (Carbondale, CO), Dan Johnson (Fort Worth, TX), Rich Krueger (Evergreen Park, IL), Jodee Lewis (Chicago, IL), Mia Rose Lynne (Cross Plains, TN), Brian Pounds (Austin, TX), Chad Richard (Orange, TX), Heather Styka (Chicago, IL), and Renee Wahl (Nashville, TN) were selected as semifinalists by a panel of judges comprised of songwriters Susan Gibson, Phoebe Hunt (a previous Songwriter Serenade winner) 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 three-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 also will be taken into consideration.
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. Public tickets for the event are available for $10 and may be purchased online at www.songwriterserenade.com, where more information also may be found.
In addition to prize money, the first-place winner will open a concert featuring the three judges that evening at The Bugle Boy in La Grange, TX. Gibson, Hunt and Wilkins – along with Gurf Morlix –also will conduct a songwriting workshop on Sunday, May 6.
Like/Follow Us!