Teghan Devon Wins Mid-Atlantic Song Contest

Teghan Devon has been named the grand-prize winner of the 39th annual Mid-Atlantic Song Contest presented by the Songwriters’ Association of Washington (SAW). The Maryland-based folk-pop singer-songwriter was recognized for her song “Our Garden,” which was also the first place (Gold) winner in the contest’s Folk-Acoustic category. Tony Denikos, also of Maryland, was awarded second place overall for his song “Purple Hearts, ” which was also the second place (Silver) winner in the Americana category.

“Our Garden,” which Teghan Devon released as a single in June 2022, is a stripped-down acoustic ballad that she wrote to help cheer up a friend whose heart had been broken. “The message of the song is don’t settle for less than you deserve and don’t lose hope, because one day you will find the right person,” she told AcousticMusicScene.com. “I’ve been through a lot since I wrote it and, as I was recording it, I realized that it felt like a song that I needed. I put it out because there has to be someone out there who needs it too.”

Devon expressed thanks to her dear friend Chris Dupont, who produced the single and is “responsible for those magical harmonies.” Calling him “a joy to work with,” she said: “He did an amazing job making the song so powerfully heartfelt and sincere.” The Mid-Atlantic Song Contest’s judges apparently agreed, and Devon is “completely blown away and honored” that ‘”Our Garden” won Gold in the Folk/Acoustic category and the Grand Prize.

A previous winner of several Silver awards in the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest, as well as its Young Artist Award, Devon recalled winning her first honorable mention in MASC about seven years ago. “I remember going to the awards gala at Jammin’ Java [in Vienna, Virginia] and being star-struck. This is a dream come true. I am so grateful.”

A graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy and Berklee College of Music, Devon has also been a two-time finalist in the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Competition (2017 and 2018) and has had a couple of her largely introspective and personal songs placed in TV shows.

Here is a link to listen to Teghan Devon’s grand prize-winning song, “Our Garden.”

More information about her may be found at teghandevonmusic.com

Like Devon, Tony Denikos – who took second place overall in the contest – was delighted to be so honored. “SAW is one of the finest organizations I know of [that is] dedicated to supporting songwriters both locally and globally. And that they receive so many great songs from hundreds, if not thousands, of songwriters from everywhere – many of whom I am familiar with and admire – makes being recognized again this year so very special,” said the contemporary folk-Americana singer-songwriter who was previously a MASC grand-prize winner a decade ago for his song “Tip of My Tongue.”

Denikos describes “Purple Hearts” as “a song about how ‘hurt people hurt people’ and then realize what’s been lost. It’s a song about coming to terms with all that. It is a self-reflective, harshly so, tune put to a melodic finger-picking blues tune that is intended to be mockingly playful and yet tragically somber lyrically.”

Of his second-place-winning song, Denikos said: “Stylistically, it was obviously inspired by the finger-picking Piedmont blues style that Elizabeth Cotton mastered, as well as the unfortunate life experience of having a long-term relationship/marriage of mine end a few years back in 2018.” Acknowledging “the song cuts pretty close to the bone,” he continued, “If a blues song doesn’t rearrange the marrow a bit, you are really not writing a blues tune as much as you are parroting one. And, in my opinion, nothing is worse than that.”

Here is a link to listen to Tony Denikos’ second-place song, “Purple Hearts.”

More information about him may be found at tonydenikos.com.

Overall and Select Individual category winners in the 2022 contest include:

Grand Prize: Teghan Devon for “Our Garden”
2nd Place: Tony Denikos for “Purple Hearts”
3rd Place: Jim Johnson for “Continental Divide”
Director’s Award: Christie Chirinos for “Empathy” spelling
Young Artist: Ava Della Pietra

Adult Contemporary: Gold – Jillian Matundan for “Frozen”, Silver – Louis Café for “Shot in the Dark (Roll of the Dice”)
Americana: Gold – Jim Johnson for “Continental Divide”, Silver – Tony Denikos for “Purple Hearts”
Children’s: Chris Hardy and Katherine Hardy for “All the right Vehicles”, Silver – Bett Padgett for “Where Did Papa Go?”
Country/Bluegrass: Tedd Swormstedt and Victoria Banks for “Shade of Blue”, Silver: Andrew Wolf and Elizabeth Wolf for “All I’m Hearing is Goodbye”
Folk/Acoustic: Gold – Teghan Devon for “Our Garden, ” Silver – Ron Fetner for “Down a Gravel Road”
Freedom Songs: Gold – Will Diehl for “Sunflowers,” Silver – Domingos Muekali, Jr., Kavi Lybarger, and Natalie Fitzen for “America”
Instrumental: Matthew Holsen for “Goodbye to All That,” Silver – Seth Kibel for “How Will I Know?”
Lyrics Only: Charles McCullough for “Reservation Blues,” Silver – Roderick Deacey for “Maybe Later”
Open: Gold – Jacob Rubin for “The Cars in My Mind,” Silver – Chris Hardy for “I Wish I Knew You”
Video: Gold – Juliet Lloyd for “Ghost Light,” Silver – Kevin Lucas for “Cahokia Winds”
Vocal/Jazz/Blues: Gold – Seth Kibel for “Robert Johnson in 1972,” Silver – Mike Franke and Larry Sakayanna for “Key Lime Pie”

A full listing of the winners, finalists and honorable mention recipients in the preceding and other categories may be found at saw.org/masc.

Established in 1979, the Songwriters’ Association of Washington (SAW) is a nonprofit organization that seeks to develop, promote, and encourage songwriters through education, networking, and performance opportunities throughout the Washington, DC metropolitan area. SAW hosts open mics and showcases, workshops on the art and business of songwriting, peer critique sessions, and social events, and its SAW Serves community service program.