Vermonters are Winners in Chris Austin Songwriting Contest
Carol Hausner and Colin McCaffrey of Montpelier, Vermont were named as the winners in the bluegrass category in the 17th annual Chris Austin Songwriting Contest for their song entitled “Love Gone By.” The two performed their winning song, along with the winners in three other categories (country, general and gospel), on the Cabin Stage at MerleFest on April 24 and won an acoustic guitar, a check for $300 and other prizes.
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Finalists Named in 2009 Chris Austin Songwriting Contest
Twelve finalists have been named in the 17th annual Chris Austin Songwriting Contest, hosted by MerleFest 2009, the popular “traditional-plus” Americana music festival that takes place April 23-26 on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.
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Early Bird Tickets for MerleFest 2009 Available Until April 3
Three- and Four-day early bird tickets for MerleFest 2009, representing an average 10% discount over regular admission prices, are available until April 3. MerleFest, one of the most popular Americana music festivals, celebrates the music of the late instrumental virtuoso Eddy Merle Watson and his father Doc Watson. The “traditional plus” music festival – featuring a diverse array of roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region and beyond -- takes place April 23-26 on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.
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Kottke, Colvin and Hot Rize Headline RootsFest Denver, March 28
Swallow Hill Music Association, which bills itself as Denver’s home for folk, roots and acoustic music, hosts RootsFest Denver in Colorado’s “Mile High City” on Saturday, March 28. Acoustic guitar virtuoso Leo Kottke, multiple Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Shawn Colvin and bluegrass band Hot Rize headline the festival at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ Ellie Caulkins Opera House. Tickets are $55, $75 and $125.
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Early-Bird Tickets Available for Pagosa Folk ‘n Bluegrass Festival
Early-bird ticket prices for the Pagosa Folk ‘n Bluegrass Music Festival are available through Feb. 15. The festival is slated for June 5-7 at Reservoir Hill Park in Pagosa Springs, Colorado.
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Boston Bluegrass Union Presents Awards, Festival in February
A number of individuals who have made substantial contributions to furthering bluegrass music in New England will be presented with 2009 BBU Heritage Awards during the Joe Val Bluegrass Festival presented by the Boston Bluegrass Union over Presidents Day Weekend, February 13-15, at the Sheraton Framingham in Framingham, Massachusetts.
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Bluegrass Artists Showcase Their Talents During APAP Conference
Bluegrass music may have been a very small part of the recent Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) Conference in New York City, but the few artist showcases were top-notch. Showcasing artists included veterans Rhonda Vincent and Claire Lynch and relative newcomers The Lovell Sisters and Bearfoot.
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Dailey & Vincent Visit A Prairie Home Companion, Feb. 7
Dailey & Vincent, the 2008 Entertainers of the Year in the International Bluegrass Music Awards, will appear on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 5 p.m. CST. They are musical guests for a live broadcast performance that emanates from the show’s home base, the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota. Several million people tune in to the popular radio variety show each week when it airs on nearly 600 public radio stations in the U.S., as well as on America One abroad and the Armed Forces Networks in Europe and the Far East.
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Wintergrass Returns to Tacoma, Washington in February
The 15th annual Wintergrass music festival, featuring a mix of straight-ahead bluegrass, newgrass and beyond performances and workshops by nationally touring and regional artists, is set for February 19-22 at four locations in downtown Tacoma, Washington.
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Chris Austin Songwriting Contest Entries Due Feb. 18
Submissions are now being sought for the 17th annual Chris Austin Songwriting Contest, hosted by MerleFest. Open to aspiring songwriters, who derive no more than 50% of their income from songwriting or music publishing, the contest deadline is February 18.
Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale chairs a volunteer panel of Nashville songwriters, publishers and other music industry professionals, who will judge entries based on originality, lyrics, melody and overall commercial potential.
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January is Festival Time in Oregon
Although summertime is the traditional festival season, a couple of music festivals of note take place in Oregon during January. The Fifth Annual River City Bluegrass Festival is slated for Jan. 9-11 in Portland, while the Florence Winter Folk Festival is set for Jan. 17-19.
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MerleFest 2009 Lineup Announced
MerleFest, one of America’s most popular Americana music festivals, has announced its 2009 artist lineup. Celebrating the music of the late instrumental virtuoso Merle Watson and his father Doc Watson, the “traditional-plus†music festival – featuring traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region -- takes place April 23-26 on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.
[To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
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