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2008 SolarFest Songwriter Showcase Winners Announced!
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| First Place |
Second Place |
Third Place |
Meg Cossaboom Willey
of St. Albans, Vermont |
Ben Hammond
of Hiram, Maine |
Teresa Storch
Somerville, Massachusetts |
| SolarFest is pleased to announce that Meg Cossaboom Willey of St. Albans, Vermont, was the first-place winner of our 2008 Songwriter Showcase. Ben Hammond of Hiram, Maine, won second-place honors, with Teresa Storch of Somerville, Massachusetts, earning third-place recognition. Despite a mid-showcase rainfall, all nine of the finalists provided top-notch performances and gave our judges much to talk about in their post-showcase deliberations.
The Songwriter Showcase is a songwriter competition open to anyone who writes and performs original music and who is not currently signed to a major recording or publishing deal. Contestants are judged on the quality of the song's composition, their vocal delivery, and overall performance.
The SolarFest staff selects up to ten songwriter finalists to perform at the Festival, where they are judged by a panel of their peers and industry professionals. Awards include cash, prizes, and a chance to perform on the SolarFest Main Stage the following summer.
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2008 SolarFest Songwriter Showcase Finalists
The finalists are (in alphabetical order):
- Meg Cossaboom of St. Albans VT
- Jenny Goodspeed of Ashfield, MA
- Ben Hammond of Hiram, ME
- Spook Handy of New Brunswick, NJ
- Aaron Nathans of Wilmington, DE
- Rebecca Padula of Hinesburg, VT
- Bob Sima of Woodbine, MD
- David Story of Morgantown, WV
- Teresa Storch of Somerville, MA
- Linda Warnaar of Barnet, VT
Past Winners of SolarFest's Singer/Songwriter Showcase
2009 Competition Rules
These rules are only preliminary and are subject to change. Please check back in early 2009 for final guidelines and prize announcements.
Contestants may submit one or more of their own original songs for consideration. The entrance fee is $10 per song. Checks should be made out to SolarFest and included with the entrance materials.
Contestants should submit their recordings on an audio CD with the track number(s) clearly specified. Songwriters may also submit digital files already posted on the Web or burned to a CD or DVD. Those wishing to e-mail files should inquire in advance about proper procedures. Songwriters are responsible for ensuring the quality and integrity of their digital files. In all cases, a check for the appropriate entry fee should be mailed to SolarFest and postmarked by the deadline, May 4, 2009.
There is no official entry form, but all entries must include the artist's current address, phone number, and e-mail address. Though not required, a short biographical note and a copy of the lyrics are sometimes helpful.
Send submissions and/or appropriate entry fees by May 4, 2009 to:
SolarFest
12 McNamara Road
Middletown Springs, VT 05757
Attn: Songwriter Showcase
- Recording quality is not critical, and recordings will not be returned.
- Contestants cannot be signed to a major label or publishing deal.
- All tapes and CDs must be postmarked by May 4, 2009 to be eligible.
- Up to ten finalists will be chosen for the Songwriter Showcase.
- You will be notified during the first week of June 2009 if you are selected.
Only finalists will be notified. Check our Web site after June 10, 2009 for a list of finalists.
Judging Criteria
Judges at each stage of the competition will consider the following qualities:
- Composition (both music and lyrics)
- Arrangement
- Vocal Ability
- Instrumental Technique
In the actual showcase, musicians will also be judged on their overall performance skills (stage presence, audience rapport, etc.).
Showcase Competition Performances
Up to ten finalists will each play two original songs on the Festival Main Stage. All finalists will receive two complimentary weekend SolarFest passes.
For the final competition, the following guidelines apply:
- Acoustic instruments with pickups are permitted, including basic EQ, but no effects are allowed.
- Instruments allowed are those that can be carried out to the mics with the performer.
- Keyboards WILL be allowed, but only in piano mode (no synthesizer/effects).
- No backup musicians are allowed. This is a solo competition.
- Recommended time limit: 5 minutes per song. Points will be deducted for significantly exceeding this limit.
- During the festival weekend, finalists may perform in their own sets on our family stage. Back-up musicians may join the artist for these sets.
Our final judges in 2008 included Christine Farren (WGDR-FM, Community Radio in Plainfield VT), Derek Young (professional musician and musicologist), and Maynard Yost (pianist and singer with the Vermont Symphony Chorus).
2008 Showcase Competition Prizes
- 1st Place:
- $1,000 of recording studio time courtesy of Southview Arts
- $500 in radio promotion services courtesy of Hudson Harding
- SolarFest 2009 Main Stage Performance
- $300
- 2nd Place:
- $500 of recording studio time
- $200
All Finalists also received a generous and beautiful gift basket from the Vermont Soap Company.
Southview Arts studio, located in south-central Vermont, offers a full range of recording services with a specialty in music production. Beautiful surroundings and a lack of distraction make for an excellent opportunity to make a great recording.
Hudson Harding Music folk radio promotion is committed to the living tradition of folk music and connects independent artists with independently programmed folk radio. The agency represents past SolarFest winner Chuck E. Costa, Pat Wictor, Amy Speace, Terence Martin, Dana and Susan Robinson, Noel Paul Stookey, Brooks Williams, Stephanie Corby, Randall Williams, Emily Kurn, We're About 9, Jud Caswell, and more. For more information, contact Hudson Harding at 215.868.3855 or visit them online at www.hudsonharding.com.
NOTE: Prizes and guidelines for the 2009 competition will be announced in early 2009.
Need more info now? Email us at songwriter@solarfest.org or call 802-235-1113. |
